When the band came out, they did their own setup, no roadies, no pedal boards. All the pedals were just scattered on the floor, out from a toolbox. They predictably greeted their fans in Tagalog, but was still fun to hear Rayani say “Magandang gabi, kami po ang Explosions in the Sky.” The crowd responded positively with cheers and applause.
Munaf Rayani. Photo by Sarie Cruz
The band proceeded to pound the crowd with a barrage of songs from Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever, The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place, All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone, and Take Care, Take Care, Take Care. With most songs picked from a poll on Kindassault’s Facebook event page.
Munaf Rayani
Michael James
Mark Smith
My friend, Sarie Cruz was lucky to score a spot right in front of the stage. She was able to capture these intimate shots of Mark Smith.
Mark Smith was a steady figure but made waves of screaming sirens from his guitar.
I particularly enjoyed watching him playing slide guitar using a 9-volt battery.
9-volt slide guitar action!
Michael James was on both bass and guitar duties. I was blown away at how he blasted away on his bass with their heavier songs.
Munaf Rayani owned his section of the stage. He would play on the floor, right in front of the crowd, tweaking with his pedals and delivering delicate licks. He also played drums together with Chris Hrasky on one song.
One favourite moment was during the middle of Yasmin the Light, right after the first part of the song and before dropping down this sea of noise – of screeching guitars, rolling snares, and all “feels” you want to throw in along… I swear, there was this strong breeze of cold air coming from behind the band and into everyone’s faces. I’m not exaggerating but that was a pretty f****ng powerful moment. I would walk around and see people with their eyes closed during songs. Sobrang intense.
Another notable thing was the lack of smartphones and tablets in the air. Sure, there were some who preferred to watch a show they’re physically present in through the screen of their 9 thousand megapixel whatever device, but it was definitely great to see more people just enjoying the moment. Good job, guys! You won +1000 life points.
The band played non-stop for about an hour and a half. Without any fillers, speeches, or anything. They ended the show leaving the crowd satisfied, but chanting for more. However, Rayani came back to the stage to apologize, saying that the idea was to give it everything in one full blast and all be together in that experience. He gave the deepest thanks to the crowd and wished to share the experience again in another time. The crowd showed great respect and I could see the exhales from how everybody was floored by the show. Here’s to one of the bands I never dreamed of seeing live but was fortunate to cross off my bands-to-see-before-I-die list.
Munif Rayani showing some love to the crowd. One fan approves.
Thank you again to Joff Cruz of Kindassault and his crew. Thanks to When in Manila and Erin for tagging along. And thanks to Sarie Cruz for sharing some of her photos with us. Until the next show!
K I N D A S S A U L T
www.kindassault.com
info@kindassault.com
Facebook: /kindassault • Twitter: @kindassault
All photos were taken by me and Sarie Cruz. You can check out her site at https://sariecruz.wordpress.com. You can also check out my previous concert coverage featuring Sugar Ray, Smash Mouth, and Gin Blossoms live in Manila.
