Int’l music fest attracts acts, fans from all over

CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Philippines—Throughout the two-day 7107 International Music Festival held over the weekend at Global Gateway Logistics City here, thousands of music fans shuttled between two large stages in the sprawling field to see as many as they could of the 55 featured artists.

But by 10 p.m. Sunday, the people began moving in droves toward the main stage, where the festival’s main act—the iconic American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers—was set to perform.

The event drew a number who flew in just to see the Chili Peppers perform.

“We have a lot of people from Singapore, California and even a handful from Europe and Australia,” 7107 producer Mike Pio Roda told the Inquirer on Saturday.

Inspired by the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the 7107 fest was envisioned as an annual event that would boost Philippine tourism with the help of foreign artists.

Laid-back

“We went to Boracay for a holiday. It’s one of the most laid-back places on earth. We saw some live music on the beach, which inspired us and gave us some ideas,” UK band Natives guitarist Jack Fairbrother said in an interview. “Everyone seems to play the guitar really well; makes us feel like terrible musicians.”

The Red Hot Chili Peppers—Chad Smith (drums), Josh Klinghoffer (guitar), Michael “Flea” Balzary (bass) and Anthony Kiedis (vocals)—opened their 90-minute 18-song set with the hit “Can’t Stop.”

It was band’s first time in the country.

Not a few women climbed on their boyfriend’s shoulders to get a better a view of the stage while a rowdy group of men sprayed beer all over the place as they cheered the ageless rock stars onstage.

Everyone sang along when Kiedis slowed things down with “Otherside” and “Under the Bridge,” the melancholic hit single about his drug addiction, which catapulted the Grammy-winning band to mainstream fame in 1991.

Showstopper

Kiedis moved from one showstopper to the next—“Snow (Hey Oh),” “Dani California,” “Right on Time,” “Soul to Squeeze,” “Californication,” “Look Around” and “By the Way.”

Kiedis wore pants with the right leg ripped in the knee—rather tame for someone who used to only wear socks… over his groin.

The shirtless green-haired Balzary was just as energetic, feverishly showing his prowess in bass, banging his head to the beat of the drums, walking around in his hands and engaging Klinghoffer in frenetic sonic duels.

Earlier this month, the Red Hot Chili Peppers drew flak for miming to a prerecorded track during their performance at the Super Bowl half-time show. But last Sunday, the group earned nothing but roars of approval and pleas for an encore, which they willing obliged after much cheering from the crowd of around 12,000.

Many other artists that came on before the rock band delivered equally fantastic sets, covering a spectrum of genres—rock, pop, indie, hip-hop and electronic dance.

Among them were Grammy-nominated artist Kendrick Lamar, the electronic duo Empire of the Sun and singer-songwriter Luke Steele.

Not to be outdone were the local artists who showed that they were just as good—if not better—than their foreign counterparts.

Among the local acts that performed were Up Dharma Down, Itchyworms, Kjwan, Sponge Cola, Rocksteddy, Abra and Loonie, Kid Ink, Luciana, Natives, The Asteroids Galaxy Tour, Immerze, She’s Only Sixteen and Pulso.

For Mrs. Napoles

“Ang konsyertong ito ay para sa kalayaan ni Gng. Napoles (This concert is for the freedom of Mrs. Napoles),” joked Lourd de Veyra of Radioactive Sago Project, over rumors that the 7107 fest was mounted with the help of one of the children of Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged mastermind behind the P10-billion pork barrel scam.

With ticket prices at P10,000 for general admission and P25,000 for VIP, the event attracted mostly affluent looking teenage kids and twentysomethings—many of whom arrived in luxury cars, a few accompanied by bodyguards.