Mei ManuelKonnichassu minna!
Well, the title says it all. Today marks the one year anniversary PULP Live World and pretty much, the ONE OK ROCK community here in the Philippines made history together, welcoming the first major Japanese rock band to make airwaves in Manila for a spankin’ one-night-only concert! It was a night Manila will never forget and of course, if Taka is to sound like an angel much like what he promised that night, their return to the country is highly anticipated by all.
Remembering ONE OK ROCK Live in Manila now as one year passed sure brings back a lot of things. I remember the war for the meet and greet, the preparations for the live (from the updates in Philippines ONE OK ROCKers to the blog entries I did), the regrets I had on that live (I actually had regrets on that live), the heart-wrenching live that changed our lives and the stories we shared after. The live had its ups and downs, and we sure have learnt we need to be prepared for the cues Taka makes each time he calls on the crowd. I think by now, the Philippines ONE OK ROCKers are gearing up for the live since rumors from Shanghai all indicate all roads lead to Asia very soon in the middle of 2017. It will be another rockin’ moment for sure. Considering what is now being cooked up? Well, let’s say Manila will be surprising ONE OK ROCK yet again when it happens. I really think we were on to something in Manila when we sang with Taka even in the Japanese lyrics *good times good times*
There are also a lot of things that changed for me since ONE OK ROCK Live in Manila happened which I find myself thankful for happening. I met new friends, made quite a project for the fandom, and codified the moment. Even now, I still get one or two comments from foreign fans hoping they were with us to join the fun in Manila… and overwhelmingly so, have been asking for the retelling of that special live. That bit is mind-boggling to say coz even some Japanese fans wanted to find out how Manila fared for their first ONE OK ROCK live. *we actually did pretty well, so well I heard that Taka mention in NY a few days ago that Asia had been their favorite tour last year. Sure they didn’t mention Manila per say but you get the picture*
After that live and all the drama that came with it, ONE OK ROCK Live in Manila had totally changed my life to the point I went on a one-woman excursion to see them in Nagisaen (Something i never done in my whole entire life so far considering where it was and the extent of the entire trip) and well, became one of the mini-blogs featuring stuff about ONE OK ROCK. It even gets to the point you get asked about them and their next possible move *Remembers a certain tweet* The live had also proven to me that in rock concerts like that, I can handle it even if I’m not exactly the healthiest person there is. Nagisaen had proven it.
Looking back now also makes me say, if I were to have been asked before I became a ONE OK ROCK fan in 2014 if I would do this kind of dedication for any other band, I would have said flatly no or even maybe. Maybe, because I had a similar love for one band in the past (in my high school days to be precise), but that broke after they broke apart. One band managed to take me out of my usual fandom and made me stick to it. It’s crazy I know, but you can’t really stop the pull once you are in it. Like a vortex that will change every second if you don’t know how it changes.
Once they return to Manila or Asia for that matter though, I know deep inside me I have to make sure I do things right. I had regretted a lot of things in the first one and remembering them now as we anticipate the announcement? It serves as a fuel for me to do many great and admittedly, crazy things I know I haven’t done in the past 20 odd years for that incoming live. I won’t tell you guys what those regrets are, but I promise I am going to remedy that in the next coming ones. I started it, now I’m going to make sure I keep doing it and even better than ever! *cue in background music*
With that said, I greet my fellow ONE OK ROCK fans in the Philippines and fans who made their way to Manila to join us a happy anniversary! Hope to see you all again this year and let’s make ONE OK ROCK have a reason to keep comin’ back!
If you want to backtrack everything, check out this link to see the entire Autumn Sky update or grab yourself a back copy of PULP Magazine’s March 2016 issue! You can order it through http://pulpmagazinelive.com for just 150 pesos!
Next entry is on the drafting board so watch out for it!
