The MONUMENTOUR Tribute Night

Hand Gesture Says It All. 

If you asked me what my top two favorite bands were I would say Paramore and Fall Out Boy in a heartbeat - no questions asked. Their music filled my College years and helped me define my musical taste and preference. 

Now 10 years later - I've been able to watch both bands in concerts and even willfully defied no hugging orders and gave Patrick and Pete a quick hug when I got to meet and greet the band last year. 

So just imagine my joy and anguish (it's complicated) when it was announced that my two favorite bands were going on tour together! The very idea if it could send happy tears to my eyes but the reality of not being able to be in a show to catch them.... can you hear my heart and dreams shatter in a million pieces? -yeah I told you it's complicated. 

So while I'm seething at to not being able to be at an actual Monumentour show, I'll just go to the next best thing - The Monumentour Tribute Night where my favorite local acts will be covering Paramore & Fall Out Boy hits. 

Held at b-side at the South of the Metro, it may have been a big Yeay! from people residing at the South but it was a big Nay! from those of us from the mountains of the East (and I wasn't at all too happy about the price of the stuff in b-side - P60.00 for a bottle of water? - That's bloody highway robbery!) and yet on the evening of the 5th of March we brought my baby brother along to a night of fun and music.    

Mop of Blue: Ashley Gosienfiao of Midnight Meetings

  

Okay - so funny story; we had our weekend planned out like so: The Monumentour Night - Saturday and a Christening (where Paul and I are both god parents) on Sunday. But lo and behold - as I was lying in bed on Saturday afternoon, waiting for sleep to take me (for those of you who don't know, we work the night shift and make it a point to follow the same schedule even on our days off, just so we won't have a hard time adjusting come the next week) the phone suddenly rings and as it turns out the Christening was on Saturday and not Sunday! So Paul and I rushed to the church and had to literally say goodbye to hours of sleep to make it to little Summer's Christening. Unfortunately that meant being late for the Monumentour Night and missing some bands - apologies for the bands we missed and not finishing the event (we were too tired to cross the finish line) not sure if anyone noticed not having the customary epic group photo at the end. But fear not coz we still have amazing group shots! :D 

Arriving at b-side we caught Manila Under Fire on stage and I knew it was going to be a night of amazing performances. :) 

A-Ok in the Mosh Pit

Midnight Meetings was up next and this band has a lot of new things and surprises in store for fans of followers, especially with a new album coming out. Aside from their amazing Paramore cover, the band and new songs from their upcoming album which in my opinion are really good. 

I have a copy of their first Acoustic EP and I can tell that their new songs are showing a growth and maturity in their song writing, displaying new techniques and styles that were not in their first EP.      

Definitely excited for their new album - you guys should be too! So make sure to grab a copy when it gets out okay? :) 

Super kawaii all girl group First Impression had the crowd singing and dancing to their covers of Paramore and Fall Out Boy songs. 

The thing with Paramore Philippines is that you know that you guys are family, when you shout obscenities at each other. 

The way these guys head bang and mosh, you think that they live for it even waiting for the peak of each song, forming a circle and slamming into each other, becoming a mosh pit of flailing arms and kicking legs.  

Watching these guys slam and be a human mosh pit is just like an accident waiting to happen and I feel myself cringing every time it comes close and this time - it did. It was like watching a domino of people fall down and trip over speakers, and a mic stand fall-straight on the face of Mad Hatter Day bassist Paco Santos. Ouch! After that they had to bring a bouncer in to keep from any mishaps from happening. I think that that was the first time we had a bouncer for a Paramore Night and it probably won't be the last.  

It's actually nice to have some testosterone in the air for a change and which is why the male fronted bands for the night were very much welcome. 

Blue Boy Bite Back  getting some much needed testosterone in the air. 

It was our first time to catch Blue Boy Bite Back and I really like what I both heard and saw, lead vocalist Paolo Castro had some awesome moves which the crowd just loved. 

Paramore Night resident and new artist of the Yellow Rooom music Mad Hatter Day brought their A-game showing off experimenting with new techniques, bringing something new to the table, even having female vocalist Mewa Cawad playing the floor tom like some crazed little white drummer girl.

Marching to their own beat: Mewa Cawad of Mad Hatter Day
playing the floor tom.

You know the crowd loves you when they ask an encore and that is exactly what happened when Mad Hatter Day performed. There are definitely big things ahead for this band, especially since they are already part of The Yellow Room family, watch out for a news feature I'm working on with them soon <3 

Nothing Faint about these guys. Faintlight during The Monumentour Night 

It was our first time to catch Faintlight as a full band, the last time we saw them was in an acoustic gig for Bazooka Rocks last year. I was really impressed at their Paramore covers, as well as their take on Whoa. The way that Ron Dela Cruz- Faintlight vocalist sang the covers was like foreplay in a hot bar.       

Collaboration band The Morning Light was as usual spot on in their Paramore covers and even did an impressive and amazing arrangement on Zedd's Stay The Night. I must also admit getting tearing eyed when The Morning Light covered Last Hope - especially the part that goes: "and the salt in my wounds isn't burning anymore than it used to; it's not that I don't feel the pain, it's just I'm not afraid of hurting anymore" 

Music can really move you eh? Especially good ones. :) 

And of course one of the acts that everyone was waiting for was Joyce Pring when she got on stage though, she informed everyone that she was part of the band Group Hug composed of Monty Macalinao, Gio Clavano and Nikko Tirona of the band Pitik and Nikki Tirona on Bass.    

The crowd just went wild with the bands' performance and it was just such a fun atmosphere, even with Kuya Monty cute dancing for the crowd. 

Joyce showed everyone that attractive vocalists aren't just attractive - they're genuinely talented to as she literally stunned the crowd with their Paramore covers as well as singing reggae songs. 

Who needs a work out when you got this crazy brunch? 

A night that many will remember because of the body aches that they'll get the next day but aside from that - it was a great night of music and hanging out with friends and making new ones - just like every Paramore Night :) I just wish more bands sang more Fall Out Boy songs though -- maybe another Fall Out Boy Night should be in the works? :P 

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