Words and photos by: Courtney Sayson
The moment fans have been waiting for finally happened. Three-piece American indie rock band LANY has returned to Manila for their first solo show. They headlined Wanderland Festival in March 2017 and made a series of mall shows the same year. And now, the band has returned to the country for a sold-out show on April 5th 2018 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Even after six shows within the last two years here in Manila, fans still obviously couldn’t get enough of the band. Due to high public demand, they even added a second show the following night, on April 6th.
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LANY: Jake Goss on the drums, Paul Klein on vocals, and Les Priest on guitar
Paul Klein, Charles “Les” Priest, and Jake Goss definitely did not disappoint during their first night in Manila. There was never a dull moment. They performed a total of 18 songs from their past four EPs and their self-titled debut album. They made sure to perform their hit songs and fan favorites like “ILYSB”, “pink skies”, and “13”.
Paul Klein on guitar
Each song they performed were filled with a different wave of ecstasy. They made us sing, dance, and ugly cry all night.
Paul Klein with the crowd
After the first half of the show, LANY disappeared from the center stage and surprised fans when they suddenly appeared on a smaller stage in the middle of the Patron/VIP area. There, they performed an intimate version of “13”. This sort of reminded me of their earlier days performing on smaller stages, but look at them now, headlining their first ever sold-out arena show! Definitely a proud fan moment there.
Check out LANY performing “13” up close!
“Where did we go wrong? I know we started out alright
Where did we go wrong? I swear I knew we’d last this time
Where did we go wrong? Oh did you, did you change your mind?
How could you change your mind?
Who got inside your mind?”
Video by: Kae Adriano
Left to right: Les Priest, Jake Goss, and Paul Klein
As a special bonus, Paul also performed a mashup of Harry Styles’s “Sign of the Times” with their original song “Current Location” on the piano. I love Harry’s original version but Paul definitely brought his own style to the song and took it to a whole new level.
I guess everyone can agree on the highlight of the night—Paul singing a stripped down version of “Hericane”. Where do I even begin to describe this moment? It was unlike any other “feels” I have experienced in concerts. Paul did not hold back his vulnerability on stage. His raw emotions combined with the emotions of 16,000+ fans caught in the most surreal experience, was truly an out of body experience.
“I love you still, I always will
You’re the one in the wrong
I love you still, I always will
Even though you are wrong”
Never have those words hurt me like that. Watch the video below of Paul performing “Hericane” and relive the ~emotional pain~ we all went through.
Video by: Joseph Carmona
Throughout the night, Paul said a handful of sweet messages to fans like:
“This is our first arena show ever. We will remember this day, April 5th, 2018, for the rest of our lives.”
“We’ve been to Manila like 3-times last year…and it kinda feels like home, actually.”
– Paul Klein
Video by: Joseph Carmona
They finished off the show with their classic hit song “ILYSB”. Just watch 16,000+ people singing in unison. Goosebumps. Goosebumps everywhere.
Araneta sounded so beautiful singing ILYSB. ? #LANYLIVEinManila pic.twitter.com/oQMMBrztlL
— Maricor Cadavos (@dah_bos) April 5, 2018
Video by: Maricor Cadavos / @dah_bos
I can definitely say this night was definitely one for the books. LANY brought more than just their amazing performance on stage; they also brought an entire arena on a rollercoaster of emotion, together as one. And yes, I already can’t wait for them to come back and I’m sure I’m not just speaking for myself. 😉
Did you see them the first night or the second night of their back to back show? Share us your thoughts and experiences on this night!
Special thanks to Karpos Multimedia for making this happen!
