RakrakanFestival : OPM Against Drugs Experience

Well, this is my third time went on this festival. I been here since the first Rakrakan Festival and only Rakrakan Festival 15 was the only Rakrakan Festival that I didn’t attended. So, lemme share my experience this year.

December Avenue at the Move Stage

Okay, I arrived at Mall of Asia at 3pm luckly there’s no long line to the entrance. The people has already inside the venue and I easily entered the venue. The first stage I stopped was the INDIE STAGE. I went there since the entrance was near there. The first band I witness was PEDICAB they performed their hits such as, "Sumilan mo na" and "Doon Tayo sa Dilim". After their performance, I went to the RAKISTA Merchandise to buy their official event shirt but as I saw the long line on the merch, I didn’t continue so I proceed finding my friends in the other stages. In the MOVE STAGE, the all-girl rock band, ROGUE was performing, while in the MOSH STAGE the Rock legends, RAZORBACK takes the stage. After I saw my friends, we went to MOVE STAGE to see DECEMBER AVENUE, they played their signature song, Eroplanong Papel. After their set, we moved to the MOSH STAGE to see CHICOSCI. The crowd got crazy when they played their favorites such as Diamond Shotgun, Sink or Swim and Chicosci Vampire Social Club. A lot of shoes, bottles and slippers were thrown in the air. After Chicosci’s set, we get rest for a while in order to have strength on the next performers. I went to the Merch Store to buy Valley Of Chrome’s shirt, after buying, I went to SLAM STAGE. I rushed there as I saw GALAW TAO performing. A circlepit was made while performing their song Biktima. I gone headbanging while that song playing. After that set, all stages went break for the preparation on the next performers.

At MOVE STAGE, a guest presenter introduced PNP CHIEF GENERAL RONALD “BATO” DELA ROSA for make a message for the Rakrakan’s advocacy, Music against drugs. One thing that remarks me on BATO’s message was “You don’t need to be a drug addict in order to be a rocker, stay high with music not with drugs”. I also support their advocacy; the normal people thought that we were drug users a we enjoy loud music. BATO also performed one song with BANDA NI KLEGGY, Darating. The band proceed on their set

FASPITCH opened the second part at the MOSH STAGE. I proceed at the SLAM STAGE to know who opened the second part of the show. SWITCH was performing there and this INDUSTRIAL / ELECTRONIC rock band made my head bang more. Their melody makes catchy to my ears and I can’t stop my headbanging, aside from their music, a lot of my fellow metalheads doing the same. That’s make my body do headbang harder. After that I moved to MOVE STAGE to check out GRACENOTE’s Performance and Eunice was really amazing keeping the crowd alive I check out there to see her performing their song “When I dream about you”. Meanwhile, at the MOSH STAGE, EVEN was playing, so I went there to check out Trish and her band. I became fan of this band since heard their song, Polaris on Balian Ng Leeg on Jam 88.3 and no doubt, this Alternative metal / Electronic band was made my body mosh. They played some songs on their zenith EP Tala, Astra and Polaris. Unfortunately, I can’t check their all set since The legendary punk band, THE WUDS was performing at the SLAM STAGE. I hurriedly move in the middle of Even’s performance to check out WUDS’ signature song, Inosenete lang ang Nagtataka. The people got into mosh pit while performing that song. I really love this song it keeps on my head the lyrics, “Parang kuliglig sa pandinig,Parang kuliglig sa pandinig ,Parang kuliglig sa – Kayong nagtataka nagtataka, nagtataka...” “Ha! Inosente lang ang nagtataka,Ha! Inosente lang ang nagtataka” It really roll and roll all over my mind. After WUDS, another legendary Punk took the SLAM stage and they are, PHILIPPINE VIOLATORS, I never heard their songs ever since but I heard them a lot of times. This band stated in 1984 and they keep the underground scene alive and well. When I heard their songs live, I got fall in love to them. A lot of songs really got to my mind and especially Sikat na Si Pedro was the best.

The horror rock band MR. BONES and THE BONEYARD CIRCUS took the set after Philippine Violators. I got crazy when the band played Ghost train and I got sang their intro…“Papa papapara pa….Papa

papapara pa… Papa papapara pa” I bang my head and got thrown in the mosh pit. I remember Mr. Bones jokingly said, let’s burn other stage. (As he want the crowd stay in this stage and get crazy with them.) When they played their last song, Gogo Dance, I said to myself, “Oh shit! I want to get insane with these people, let’s go!”. I go to the moshpit and mosh with other people. The legendary GROOVE METAL band and also my favorite band, SKYCHURCH took the slam stage. A lot of metalheads got crazy when they played their songs, “Delubyo” (technically, one of my favorites), “Victim” and “Euthanasia “(The song that really loved most). We did a huge circle pit and we did body slam on their entire set and I was really amazing. After their set I went to GROOVE STAGE and meet my friends there and got rest. On that time, BROWNMAN REVIVAL was performing. They played their Eraserheads song, Maling Akala. After I got my energy back I checked out PHILIA’s performance at the MOSH STAGE. Arci Munoz the vocalist of the band was also known as an actress in day. She performed their songs on their self-titled album such as “Killers”, “Sabotage” and “Harlot”. After her performance, I went to SLAM STAGE and I witness the mighty, BADBURN! I really love this band since highschool days when I heard the song “Kill At Will” unfortunately, when I arrived there, their already in the middle of set. So I witness their last song, “Only for the strong “I wanna go to the mosh pit but, the crowd doing HARDCORE dance! I can’t go there I might got fracture again since I got already fractured last year due to accident and I don’t wanna happen the again. Badburn’s set really amazing and they keep the band bad ass as ever. I hurriedly check out on the MOSH Stage since WILABALIW’s performing there and Slapshock is next. I’m also bothering on the performance schedule as after Badburn was Valley Of Chrome is next. Which Slapshock and Valley of Chrome were performing at the same time. I dunno were my body goes, either Slapshock or Valley Of Chrome. And thank goodness, ISCARIOTperformedAt the slam stage after Badburn. I went to slam stage to witness ISCARIOT and I become fan of them since after saw them at Balian Ng Leeg’s anniversary. Their set was really amazing the background they use was really demonic while they performing. They performed my favorite songs such as “In darkness we are born and Sulong”. After Iscariot’s set, THE LATE ISABEL played.

SLAPSHOCK performed after Wilabaliw and as expected, a lot people got insane and make lot of moshpits there. I and my friends did moshed too. Slapshock performed Agent Orange as the opening of their set, followed by Ngayonna, after that, the band played their new single, Atake as they promoting their 20th Anniversary album. As they performed Atake, people made huge mosh pit and after Jamir sang “Uno.. Dos… Tres… Sugod!!!” The crowd made a MEGA WALL OF DEATH! WTF!!! I never experience that ever since but it was superb! Lastly, they played their signature song Carino Brutal and In the bridge of the song, they covered Rage against the machine song, Killing In the name! After that, I moved to SLAM STAGE to see VALLEY OF CHROME. VOC made crowd wild on their songs, Forever Young, Pangako and Love and Devotion. The crowd made a huge circle pit in front on them and I joined in the pit moshing, slam dance and headbanging. It was really DEVASTATING to me but it’s really AMAZING!

On the last part of rakrakan, I waited David and Goliath and Siakols’ set. I keep rested after VOC’s performance. On DAVID VS. GOLIATH’s set the metalheads did hardcore dancing. They performed “This is not the End”, “Oh god” and “Against All Odds”. Siakol performed at MOSH STAGE and keep the crowd alive despite a lot of bands performed. I witnessed them last Tanduay Rhum Rock Fest in 2013 and I really got excited to see them once more. They sang they classics sucs as, Tropa, Lakas Tama and Gabay.

In the end, Rakrakan Festival made the crowd amazed and happy once more. The festival ended peaceful and keep the metalheads lived to tell the tale. I’m hoping that this is not the last Rakrakan Festival so far, since the people made it a rock tradition same as Pulp Summer Slam. I would like to give thanks to the staffs and crews of this festival for keeping the OPM alive and spreading the advocacy against drugs