Pinoy positivity, warmth, energy make returning to PH a pleasure for The Moffatts

From left: Bob, Clint, Scott
and Dave

For the pop group The Moffatts, the 1990s represent a time when things in life—and music, for that matter—seemed simpler and more carefree.

“We were oblivious to how weird we were back then. We did things then that make us go, ‘Wow, that’s bizarre,’ looking back. The way we dressed, the strange haircuts we had, we probably wouldn’t even consider right now! But we weren’t afraid to try those things, and we were OK with that,” recounted Scott, the eldest of the four Moffatt brothers who comprise the band.

While there are a lot of “interesting” trends happening in today’s music scene, Clint can’t help but miss the no-frills quality of pop songs in that era.

“We miss the simplicity of the music, of certain elements … the melodic sensibility,” he said at a recent press conference arranged by Midas Promotions for the Manila leg of the Canadian band’s reunion tour, which will be held tomorrow at New Frontier Theater (call 911-5555).

Dave, on the other hand, added that—before the advent of the internet—music used to be more “tactile.” “You can put your hands on music; we had CDs, cassettes and vinyl records. Now, everything’s available online … and that’s not necessarily a bad thing,” he pointed out. “It’s just how the world is going, and that’s OK.”

It’s undeniable that social media, Bob said, has allowed people to access information more readily, express themselves and open any kind of discussion. But there’s a downside. “There’s this sense of being judged more immediately; it’s more prevalent today,” he said.

And in a way, the absence of social media several years ago had, to a certain extent, shielded them from all of that. “We didn’t have such outlets in which everyone could go and expose himself, or be this and that,” Scott said. “We had to live within ourselves, instead of throwing ourselves out there.”

The pop group in its ’90s heyday.

For the coming show, the boys promised to “dive back into the past” and play such hits as “Miss You Like Crazy,” “If Life Is So Short” and “I’ll Be There for You.”

“We’re just going to have a lot of fun. We will try to keep things as intimate as we can,” Bob said, adding that the band will likewise play songs from its more recent records, like “So In Love.” “We will do a lot of songs we have never done, even back in the day.”

After the band broke up in 2001, the four went on to pursue respective music projects and other endeavors. And while they try to see and talk to each other as often as they can, performing together onstage is still a different experience.

“Playing onstage again as a band is a strange, but a familiar, comfortable feeling for all of us,” related Dave, who wasn’t able to join his brothers in their 2017 concert here in the country. “And it’s something that I miss for sure … being with you, guys.”

The positivity of the Filipino people, they all agreed, is something that makes returning to the Philippines a pleasure. “We just feel relaxed when we’re here. People here embrace family, which is very nice—there’s always a warm feeling … and energy surrounding us. And I love that,” Bob said.

“We put a lot of hours into this tour, and it’s definitely tiring,” Clint added. “But on top of that, we always get to meet a lot of amazing people, and experience amazing things.”

The Moffatts in Jakarta, Indonesia