Ang Huling El Bimbo: What to expect from Eraserheads' upcoming reunion concert
Are you ready to sing all your favorite Eraserheads songs with the band back together?
December will be the most wonderful time of the year for the four-piece group's fans as Ely Buendia, Raimund Marasigan, Buddy Zabala, and Marcus Adoro are reuniting for Ang Huling El Bimbo 2022 on the 22nd.
During a press conference for the show, concert promoter Francis Lumen had this message for fans: "Don't be late, it's going to be spectacular." So what can fans expect to see from this much-awaited reunion concert?
A huge crowd
Ang Huling El Bimbo 2022 is expected to see over 50,000 crowds at the SMDC Festival Grounds in Parañaque City. Concert organizers added more tickets, including an expanded Gen Ad section so more fans get to sing all their favorite songs live with the band. There will also be official merch available!
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There'll be a Francis Magalona tribute
Eheads members revealed that they got permission from the late rapper's family to make him part of the concert through a hologram.
"He inspired a lot of us," Marasigan told ABS-CBN News. Magalona and the band have worked closely together and the rapper was even set to be a guest performer for the band's one-night-only concert in 2009. Sadly, he passed a day before the show due to complications caused by leukemia.
They'll be playing with an 18-piece orchestra
For the first time, the band will be playing with a full-blown orchestra for the Dec. 22 show. Bassist Zabala even described how he felt hearing all the instruments play their songs.
"You can't say no to real violins, real cellos, real horn section, because nothing can beat that. I experienced it [during the practice] and medyo tumayo balahibo ko—real instruments can do that and it's a really great orchestra," he said.
Buendia added that although they had their punk roots, their songs are layered. "Being true blue music fans, we also dabbled in orchestral arrangements. This is the first time we're going to play the songs as intended."
Musicians from other bands will also be part of the show
The band will be sharing the stage with some of their friends from the music industry, according to a preview of the concert by Bandwagon Asia. Jazz Nicholas of The Itchyworms, Mikey Amistoso of Ciudad, and Audrey Dioniso of General Luna will serve as sessionists for the night.
It's going to be a different Eraserheads on stage
Since they last played together, members of the band told the media outlets at their Dec. 8 press conference that they've grown and matured as performers—something that fans will see during their show.
"The past 30 years have been full of many detours. I think the stuff that we've learned from the past 30 years, we're going to bring it on Dec. 22. We've grown as musicians. We've matured as performers," Zabala said.
This will be their last reunion
It looks like the Eraserheads reunion will be for one night only, and their 2022 get-together might be their last—for now.
"Mukhang hindi na namin kaya maulit ito. We'll see. For now, this show will be the last dance, last El Bimbo," Buendia said.