FF#3: My One OK Rock Experience, (REALLY!) Live in Manila 2016

I always had a grudging respect for fans who take matters into their own hands and “stalk” the celebs they “fan”. My first thought was, “da*n, these people sure have a lot of time on their hands”, followed by “I can’t really picture myself doing the same”. Well… I guess there’s a first time for everything.

Before the Concert

I won’t say that I am 100% familiar with One OK Rock (OOR), because I’m not. My first brush with their music was “The Beginning” from the Rurouni Kenshin OST. Then I saw the interactions over SNS of Sato “Himura Kenshin” Takeru and the vocalist of OOR, Taka, and thought it was pretty cute. Then there was that vague realization that Taka used to be one of the original members of the Johnny’s Entertainment (JE) idol group NEWS, which I followed for a bit, before things went nuts and they shrunk to only four members today.

So from then, I was just a casual listener, liking what I was hearing. JRock was a genre that I slightly touched on, but what I listened to mostly were ELLEGARDEN and THE HIATUS, then slowly into OOR. Then, several months back, I heard the announcement that they are coming to the Philippines, making Manila one of the legs of their tour. I was, like, WHOA. A JROCK BAND IN THE PHILIPPINES? FINALLY? THIS I GOTTA SEE. So arrangements were made, and two “non-fan-but-equally-curious” friends (Hazel and She) very nicely let me “hitchhike” along.

Finally, on January 19, 2016, on a bloody Tuesday in the middle of a workweek, I took the day off from work, took the should-have-been-6-hours-that-stretched-to-8-hours-no-thanks-to-traffic bus ride from Baguio to the SM Mall of Asia Arena, and saw Taka, Toru, Ryota and Tomoya in concert.

I had no expectations. All I wanted was to bask in the joy of a Japanese act finally having a concert in Manila, listen to the sound of OOR that I have grown to like, and probably meet up with fan-friends I haven’t seen for a long time.

My first thought when I was walking along the back of the MOA Arena was, “man, the crowd is so tame…and organized”. There was already a long queue, but they were relatively quiet, and… well, the fact that they were able to maintain a queue was already a surprise for me. Granted, the crowd was not as huge as the ones during the BIG BANG and CNBLUE concerts in Manila that I previously went to, but still… this is the Filipino concert audience. And it was surprisingly… organized.

The three of us finally met up and hung out at Starbucks… where we saw the fanfriends I mentioned earlier. Kevin and his friend, Nicole and her friends, Lyn, Jewel, Ai… our common denominator? ARASHI. *snickers* Fangirls unite!

During the Concert

We finally got in at around 8pm. Only the floor area and the Lower Boxes were opened; no Upper Boxes and General Admission for this one. But you would think the place was filled to the rafters, because the sound, the chants, the cheers, and the energy of the crowd was overflowing and pumping. And the concert has barely even started!

Early on, there were announcements that recording of audio and video was not allowed. I brought my camera (with its 50x zoom!) along, but I decided not to use it because (1) I just felt like I would be disrespecting what the band wants, and (2) I didn’t want to risk getting kicked out and miss the con altogether. So I settled for my phone… as did the others.

IT WAS AWESOME.

Going in, I was ready to be blown away by the passion, the energy, and the fiery spirit of Taka and the gang. I was not disappointed.

Taka is the consummate frontman, tirelessly jumping around, bending this way and that, screaming his lungs out and belting out his heart with such emotions… and the whole time, it sounded like HE SWALLOWED THE CD. No missed beat, not a single note gone wrong, and not even a single time that he visibly tried to catch his breath. As I mentioned once or twice, he made it look so effortless, it’s kinda annoying, haha! Many idols can learn a thing or two from him on how to keep his voice stable even with all that jumping and twisting around.

He was the one who engaged the audience in conversation and, except for the yell of “Mahal kita!” by Tomoya at the end of the concert, the other members did not say a thing. Taka communicating in English, I found cute, even with the f-word being inserted here and there. In fact, every time the f-word gets thrown out there, I found myself laughing for some reason. Coming from him, it sounded so… harmless. And I’m guessing it was.

Toru was so charismatic. Your eyes simply get drawn to him. In my opinion, I thought he looked like someone straight out of an anime or manga, wielding his guitar like that and tossing his hair this way and that.

One of my complaints about the concert was the lack of big screens for close-up. That way, we would have been able to get a good, closer look on their faces as they were performing. But the upside is that we were able to focus on the overall stage instead of our eyes being glued to the big screens. Close-up shots wouldn’t have hurt, though…

I suppose we were spoiled by Arashi concerts we’ve watched – which go on for more than 3 hours – and some Kpop acts that do it at least for 2 hours. This one was quite short, with a setlist consisting of around 13 to 15 songs. But they did an encore with 4 songs, which we were thankful for, when they did around 2 or 3 in other legs of their tour.

Also, we could tell Taka and the guys enjoyed the concert. For one, Taka kept saying it, and showing it. Props to the fans who had the ingenious idea of having most of the fans’ signature on a banner with the Philippine flag in the middle, and giving it to OOR. I found that quite touching, especially when the guys gamely took photos with it.

I enjoyed the entire concert, from beginning to end. They also did it continuously, no breaks lasting longer than a couple of minutes. No costume changes, no front acts, no gimmicks… it was pure, unadulterated OOR.

I did not know how they could perform in such a huge venue and still manage to make it seem like an intimate show, but they did. They so did.

And they said they’re coming back soon, for sure…. That time, we’ll be more ready for you, you better believe it.

Some photos from the Official One OK Rock Facebook Page, by JulenPhoto, and Rappler,

You can read a proper and more coherent review of the concert, with lots more awesome photos, on Rapper, right here. 25 awesome photos: One OK Rock in first Manila show

Post-Concert: The Stalking Episode

Let’s clear things up a bit first, in case you  misunderstand. The “stalking” I am referring to in this context does not involve the creepy shadowing sort, which makes you think of dark alleys, threatening notes, and The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” playing in the background. It’s really more like the dodging-the-security-and-getting-a-photo-or-talking-to-the-celeb-you-like type.

Now it never occurred to me to actively stalk anyone. The closest I got to was during the Westlife concert several years back, but it was not even a conscious decision when my friend and I passed by the breakfast area of the hotel where they were billeted. If memory serves me right, there was a high chance of them having breakfast there, but we ate, then left without attempting to wait.

Part of the reason why I don’t stalk is because I never really wanted to. First, I suck at waiting around. I’m not the most patient of people especially when waiting for someone. Two, I figured there is an art or a science to it, and I will never be able to learn it, so instead of feeling out of sorts, why bother, right?

But that night, after the OOR con, I was already there, so… might as well. Right?

When the concert was over, Hazel and I were thinking of a place to have late dinner before we parted ways and I take the long trip back to Baguio. Earlier, we heard from another fan that OOR members were billeted at Solaire, because it’s the most logical choice, considering the location of the concert venue. Then my companions had the brilliant idea of having dinner at Solaire, because food there is good.

So we rode there on Hazel’s car, and arrived at a relatively empty lobby. There were only three young ladies at the lobby, and everyone else were at the slots and game tables. We decided to hang around for a few minutes, just in case.

Around 5 minutes later, a large van pulled up, and out stepped…. the members of OOR, flanked by guards and staff members! The three of us stood there, rooted to the spot, as the group entered the lobby. Toru was in front, and our eyes were immediately glued to him. One of the staffs said “no pictures” so I forgot about it, but Hazel’s phone’s videocam was already running.

So she was able to get that part where one of the other three ladies asked for a hug from Taka, and a staff rebuffed her. But what did Taka do? He motioned her forward, and pulled her into a one-armed hug. So. Sweet.

Toru passed in front of us, bowing his head. There seemed a moment of hesitation as he paused slightly as he looked at us, as if expecting us to rush at him.

But we didn’t, and I just said the first thing that came to mind.

“THANK YOU.” He smiled a little, gave a shy bow, and walked on. Beside him, Taka also gave us a small bow. And they headed towards the elevators.

WOW. Just. Wow.

They were so low-key about it. You would not think that, half an hour ago, they were performing in front of thousands of people, being rock stars. They looked so shy and so polite, and so… normal.

That alone made us all happy, we couldn’t think straight. We went to the Food Court to look for something to eat, but we couldn’t find anything we want. And here comes Hazel’s next brilliant idea: there’s a noodle place at the other end of the Casino area, why don’t we just go there?

So we walked back to the Slots and went inside Lucky Noodles resto. We sat down, and repeatedly looked at the menu for a good five minutes, then looked back up to talk about something about the concert, or about the encounter earlier, when we were only several feet away from the guys.

Even the waiter came back to our table and left TWICE because we couldn’t order. In the end, the three of us ordered the same thing, because we’re just not able to think of anything else.

And then, everything froze when, through the door, IN WALKED TORU, RYOTA, TOMOYA and a couple of their staff members. WHOASHOOTWHATSHAPPENING.

They walked past us, and took a table in the far corner. Our orders came, and we started eating. Or attempting to.

Now, I would like to apologize to Solaire, Lucky Noodles, and the Hainanese Chicken Dish we were eating. The taste barely registered. I’m sure it must have tasted good, because it was also quite pricey, but… I just did not taste anything. Not when my view included Toru looking at his phone constantly, and then starting eating.

Not a long time after, Taka arrived and joined their table.

I just remembered feeling my empty stomach getting filled. As to what the food tasted like, don’t… ask.

We texted our other fangirl friend Ai, who later joined us at our table after leaving the MOA Arena. I was again tempted to bring out my camera and zoom in, but I also knew it was disrespectful, when the boys were just there to have a meal after an exhausting (I’m sure) concert. We were resolved to approach them after they have eaten, to take a photo or something, or just plain shake their hands. Well, She and Hazel were making the plans. I was just nodding and grinning along. I couldn’t think straight!

We then noticed more fangirls arriving, hanging around at the doorway of the resto. Some also entered and ordered food. In our defense, we were there BEFORE the OOR entourage arrived, and we did not expect them to have their dinner here. We noticed the guys also noticing the growing crowd. And some Solaire staff were also getting concerned, talking to the fanstalkers.

We paid our bill and left our half-eaten food (again, we apologize), then stepped out of the resto. When we did, we realized Tomoya was already outside, lighting a cigarette. I was torn between going up to him and just letting him be. I chickened out. Props to some of the fangirls for following him, haha!

We decided to hang out at the slots, where we have a full view of the others. Toru, especially. Taka came out later, and he had an escort who propelled him straight ahead, shaking his head at the fangirls and warding them off as he led Taka to the elevators.

Several minutes later, Toru headed out. A lady fan approached him and he was nice about it, then she sidled up next to him, real close, wielding her phone for a selfie. The poor guy was trying to walk away fast, saying no, but she just charged ahead beside him (man, that took a lot of skill. and guts!). I think he was able to skillfully maneuver, so I’m not sure if a good photo together was taken. Then he was off.

Everyone scrambled after his group. Funny though, because at an intersection, Toru and his companion (Julen Esteban Pretel, who is touring with and photographing OOR, or Julenphoto, check out his Facebook page for more awesome shots!!) went one way, and Ryota and Tomoya and their group went the other way. The three of us followed Toru, who was headed to the elevator.

Hazel and She were fast! They caught up to them just in front of the elevator doors and asked to shake his hand. He obliged politely. Then the three other ladies I mentioned earlier appeared and asked for his signature. Mr. Julen was good-naturedly saying “One minute, ladies, just one minute”, and he was laughing while playing bodyguard for Toru.

I just… stood back, bowing my head and saying “Thank you” again. Toru looked us in the eye and bowed gratefully again.

Now… I could probably have tried and asked for a handshake, but I won’t give myself a hard time over that. Believe it or not, I was happy to have just been able to look them in the eye, and say Thank You, and have them know how grateful I am for what they shared to us and with us. That, as much as we wanted to take photos with them, some of us actually respect their desires and won’t force them to do it. That we are happy with just a simple handshake, or letting them hear us thank them.

Then Ai wanted a chance to talk to Ryota, so we rushed back to the other direction, just when Ryota and Tomoya’s group were heading back. I think she was able to break through and shake Tomoya or Ryota’s hand, before their companions blocked everyone else. 🙂

Again, I was just lagging behind them. Haha! I don’t know how these things go, obviously!

Still with high spirits, we headed back out of the hotel and waited for our ride to come round and pick us up. We were all feeling so good, still unable to believe what happened. I suppose this is a good thing about the whole thing being unplanned and spontaneous. By the end of the night (it was already past midnight!!!), Sheryl and Hazel had a resolution: they are now officially OOR fangirls. Haha! Before this night, I was already 80% of the way there. Seeing them in this light nailed the final 20% for me. Now I want to see them in concert. In Japan.

Kudos to the Philippine crowd who watched that night. You did a great job matching OOR’s energy, and OOR saw it. Thanks to you, they are going to come back in the future. By that time, I promise to add more to that energy. Just… don’t make it ten years from now, all right? I think I’ll probably be too old by then to be jumping around with everyone else, haha!

(I apologize for the word vomit. I am writing this as a sharing for other fans, but mainly the purpose is self-serving, because I want to reread this months, years into the future, and relive one of the most unexpected moments of my fangirl life.)

Credits are on the photos, to the Official One OK Rock Facebook account and Mr. Julen Pretel aka JulenPhoto. Thank you!

Meanwhile, sharing a couple of short clips I managed to take with my phone, so excuse the crappy vid quality. But at least you can hear the music? 🙂