Back together… ’til they break up again

Eraserheads to put up music festival, extend run of docu

THE ICONIC Filipino band Eraserheads has announced that they are “here to stay,” and will mark their official return with the Eraserheads: Electric Fun Music Festival in May.

“This is for the fans again, who wanted more. By this time, I think tama na ’yung reunion-reunion na ’yan (we’ve had enough of reunions),” Eraserheads frontman Ely Buendia said after a screening of the recently released documentary Eraserheads: Combo on the Run.

He declared it the end of the “last” Huling El Bimbo, referencing reunion concerts they’ve had over the years, named after their hit song and repeatedly announced as the last Eraserheads reunion.

“We’re here to stay, until we break up again,” Mr. Buendia joked.

Instead of featuring just the band, the Eraserheads: Electric Fun Music Festival will also headline other major Filipino acts, as a celebration of Original Pilipino Music (OPM). It will take place at the SMDC Festival Grounds in Pasay City on May 31.

“We’re basically using the movie as a promotional tool for the festival, where the band will promote other OPM bands,” said Francis Lumen, chief executive officer of WEU Productions, which will mount the event.

Mr. Buendia added that they knew “a new concept” was needed for the festival. “Hindi yung ‘sila na naman yan’ (It’s not just ‘oh, it’s them again’). We wanted to have a music festival where our friends and artists that we admire can share the stage with us,” he said.

THE DOCUMENTARY
Eraserheads: Combo on the Run had a limited weekend release in cinemas from March 21 to 23, akin to a concert tour. As of now, there are no plans yet of putting the film on streaming platforms, according to Warner Bros. Pictures, its official distributing partner.

The end credits of the documentary also teased what sounded like new music by the band members Mr. Buendia, Raimund Marasigan, Buddy Zabala, and Marcus Adoro. No further details have been revealed about this mystery track.

Maria Diane Ventura, the film’s director, said at the screening talkback that the documentary intertwines the healing of the once-fractured band with the equally tumultuous history of the Philippines.

“The preservation of history is very important, so that we don’t repeat the same mistakes, and that’s a prevalent theme in the film. I felt like they were reflecting the sentiments of the nation, that they’re also internally fractured, with a lack of communication causing division within them,” she explained.

Over the course of the film, the four members confront their past, which Ms. Ventura describes as “a healing experience.”

Mr. Buendia concluded: “Stories are very important. In fact, more important than reality to some people. It’s what makes us relate to each other and make sense of our lives.”

“I think we need it all the more, not just fiction, but stories of our past, so we can look back and learn from it,” he said.

Early bird tickets for Eraserheads: Electric Fun Music Festival are now available exclusively via PalawanPay. — Brontë H. Lacsamana