Paramore’s Thrilla in Manila!

Note: This was an old blog written by my wife when we were still dating.  One of the dates that we went to was Paramore’s concert in Manila in 2010.

March 09 2010,
1:22 AM

Better write things down while there still fresh in my mind. As I said I simply cannot find the words to express what it was like to watch my ultimate favorite band LIVE! Until now it really has not sunk in but it will definitely be an experience I will remember forever. Many thanks to Paul again for supporting me and being with me in this momentous event. Even if we have very different tastes in music and he would have died if someone he knew saw him in a Paramore concert. 

Wondering where the Concert grounds were, Paul just said ‘Follow ’em punks’ referring to the aptly dressed teenagers with long bangs fixed to the side and attention grabbing outfits (very tight jeans, band shirts, outrageous caps, chuck taylors, leather arm bands…you get the picture).

Like the eager beaver that I was, I wanted to rush to the concert grounds the moment we stepped foot on MOA. But Paul had other ideas, he wanted to eat first (and take his sweet precious time at that!) He was craving for Super Bowl of China (being the 25% Chinese that he is). And what ‘dumb luck’-Paul actually said that when we saw the very Chinese restaurant he wanted to sink his teeth into. 

After about an hour of indulging himself with expensive Chinese cuisine and 2 bottles of beer (Paul said he had to ‘numb’ himself with alcohol in order to ‘loosen up’ and ‘survive’ the concert). We went over to the concert grounds were the crowds were already screaming as the front act; Callalily was already on stage. 

It wasn’t long before Paramore took the stage and boy was everyone screaming and shouting and jumping (except Paul). I immediately noticed Hayley’s shirt which said ‘Thrilla in Manila’ which I just loved so much! Everything went by so fast as the band went from one song to the next, the place was so full of energy and people were shouting….err… singing along to all of their songs. And it was just such a moving experience to see a crowd of that number just being one with the music. 

And everyone just loved Hayley, she even got an invitation to the Ball, as one fan asked her to be his date by holding a sign that said :’Hayley will you go to the ball with me?’ And the orange haired front woman gladly accepted turning to her band: ‘Hey guys I got a date in Manila!’ 

Jeremy was so stoked to have McDonalds in the concert,apparently in the 5 years of Paramore that has never happened and who knew the band would be bought over by a cheeseburger? As Hayley said it ‘having McDonalds in a concert is intense’. 

All in all the concert went by so fast; not because it was fast (it was in an average of 2 hours) it went by fast because I was having so much fun! I just wish I could have gotten more out of it. Honestly I had to watch most of the show from a screen coz all I could see if I would look at the stage where heads bobbing. Paul actually carried me (piggy-back style-not the Kim Chu-Gerald Anderson commercial scene) for a few minutes just to take a peek at the stage. Because standing up all I could see was the upper part of the stage with ‘Paramore’ written on the backdrop. 

I’m still super stoked and will be for a long time, an aftermath of this is that I have ‘bragging rights’ (bwahahahaha!) just wait until I get to upload the pictures.

Again Paul, thank you for always supporting me and indulging my whims. I cant wait for the next concert, hopefully when Paramore comes back we would be a little closer to the stage (I’m not sure if that would be good news for Paul though).

Marica Camille Hontiveros(ica cheng)