INXS rocked the Araneta Coliseum (and The Dawn & MiG weren't too shabby either!)

It was a real rock and roll party.
Despite the coliseum only being half-full,
(scalpers were selling tickets at a discount (!) outside)
the band from Oz, with their newly-minted reality TV-generated lead singer,
proved that real rockers don't need a full house to generate mega-decibel roars from a crowd of die-hard fans.

It seemed as if almost all the Australians in Manila showed up to support their "national band",
and with San Miguel Pale and Light available at a very reasonable P40/can,
it was party time with Rowdy Aussies indeed!!!



THE DAWN warmed up the crowd with a tight 5-song set,
starting with "Iisang Bangka Tayo",
and "ending" with the Best Pinoy Nuwayv Song ever, "Enveloped Ideas"
(that made me flashback to the 1st UltraStorm, when the The Dawn's equivalent of the tragic Stu Sutcliffe, Teddy Diaz,
mesmerized the crowd with the very same song, back in '87 (!). Olongapo's AMO and Juan Miguel Salvador's RAGE band
completed the bill that memorable rainy evening, the first time I drank beer (lots of it) while watching a concert).


Back to the present:
before signing off, lead singer Jett Pangan promised a surprise...

and sure enough, MiG Ayesa, the Fil-Aussie who placed 3rd in Rockstar:INXS,
had The Dawn as his greatest "house band in the world"!!!
MiG and The Dawn tore through "Wrapped Around Your Finger", "All Right Now", and "We Will Rock You".
(note : QUEEN should really get MiG to front the band for a 100% sureball money making tour;
he's got the flamboyance and the vocal register,
well, close enough, sort of, kinda, puwede na that is, to approximate Freddie Mercury).

All the ladies in the house, and probably some men, shrieked their lungs out
when MiG accompanied himself on the keyboards and delivered a perfect version of his best song from Rockstar:INXS,
Peter Frampton's "Baby I Love Your Way", and took of his shirt soon thereafter to even louder shrieks.
(but I still think Lisa Bonet's lovely, and unexpected performance in "High Fidelity" was better. Jack Black certainly thinks so too.)

But the stand-out song was MiG's last,
when Jett Pangan returned to the stage and they both sang U2's PRIDE (in the name of love).
WOW.

for just a moment there,
I could almost imagine how it would feel if Bono and Co. actually performed in Manila.
I think that was exactly the same thought in the minds of most of the audience last night.
Like what the sentimental Dave Navarro loves to say, "it gave me chills, dude"!!!
(note: The Dawn used to kill crowds with their cover of With or Without You)



After a half hour intermission,
the main event:
INXS!!!!

Suffice to say, they SWITCH-ed on the crowd.
I was afraid that it would be a concert of songs mostly from the new album;
but fear no more.... it was a GREATEST HITS show.
Woooohooooo!!!

Starting off with Suicide Blonde,
the rejuvenated boys in the band looked reborn with their new frontman,
and J.D. Fortune proved that he could ably fill Michael Hutchence's kinky shoes.

Slinking around the stage as is his wont,
kicking mic stands arrogantly,
playing up to the crowd,
and defying the law by constantly smoking cigarettes,
J.D. certainly delivered the goods.

All the classic hits-----
What You Need, New Sensation, Need You Tonight, Devil Inside, Disappear, Never Tear Us Apart, etc, etc.
and the surprisingly good songs from the new album,
highlighted by Afterglow and Pretty Vegas,
were rendered to absolute perfection.

and the one song that I really really watched the concert for?
INXS didn't let me down:
they played ORIGINAL SIN (Yeah, Baby!!!)

Dream on white boy
Dream on black girl
And wake up to a brand new day
To find your dreams have washed away

Damn fine job, mates!!
Thanks for rocking the Araneta,
and for not letting our rock dreams wash away.