Picture this: a rock-loving crowd, Saosin on stage, and me right in the midst of it all. The band’s anniversary show in the Philippines had elements of a memorable night, but it was a mix of emotions, some surprises and disappointments.
The Highs: Defying Decay Rocks and the Seat “Jackpot”
The evening kicked off with a bang, courtesy of the opening act, Defying Decay. These guys absolutely killed it, despite the not-so-great sound system. Their talent and energy were infectious, and they left me wanting to hear more from them in the future.
The queue and security setup was impressively organized. In the middle of a rock show, everyone remained courteous and considerate. Kudos to the crowd!
And then, an unexpected blessing. The show got rescheduled, and it just so happened that I got the chance score a better seat with my general admission ticket because a good number people didn’t show up to fill up the seats.
The Lows: The Dreadful Sound and a Pretty Short Setlist
Now, let’s talk about the elephant in the room. The sound system was a major bummer. The bass was way too heavy, and it took away from the performances. It’s a real letdown, especially when you consider the international crew and experienced local organizers who should know better. I even felt a little queasy because of the overpowering bass. Not cool.
It’s worth mentioning that I was wearing earplugs during the show. These aren’t your typical earplugs that cut off significant frequencies. They’re more about attenuating high frequencies just enough to make the shrill and shouty nature of PA mixes bearable. Plus, they serve to protect my hearing in the process.
But a vomit-inducing sub bass is a different issue altogether. It’s physiological by nature. There’s a difference between a full-sounding, physically responsive bass that adds to the show’s experience, and a bass that is just awful and doesn’t make sense. The show’s PA mix belongs to the latter.
The Anthony Green vs. Cove Reber Conundrum
And now, the unexpected twist in the plot. Cove Reber performed as the lead vocalist for the Asia leg of the anniversary tour, not Anthony Green. Now, Cove is super talented, no doubt, but many of us were eagerly waiting for Anthony Green’s return. The excitement was real.
But this change caught me guard. It left me with mixed feelings, a cocktail of excitement and disappointment. Cove did a great job, but I missed hearing new songs performed with Anthony, which was the big draw for me.
It turns out that Anthony Green is in this supergroup called L.S. Dunes (which also sounds pretty good, by the way) and has been touring with them. Thus, he couldn’t appear for the Asia shows.
It Was Good
In a nutshell, the Saosin anniversary show was a good show. We had our moments of glory, like the fantastic opener and the option to choose a better general admission seat. But then, there was the dreadful sound system and a pretty short setlist.
As an avid listener, I appreciate Saosin. Their music has been a part of my life, and I’ll continue to listen to them. I also appreciate and respect the organizer, PULP Live World. I get that times are tough, and producing a concert isn’t a walk in the park. Hotel bookings aren’t cheap, and good PA systems aren’t either. Maybe there’s a cost to adding ten more songs to the setlist, who knows?
But, subjectively speaking, with the little I know about producing concerts, my ticket’s worth didn’t feel maximized, all things considered. I still paid for the ticket, and I think my experience as a paying customer still matters even as I continue supporting Saosin and live music in general.
Full disclosure: I wrote this post with the help of ChatGPT. ChatGPT helps me flesh out ideas and deliver them in the clearest way possible all in a shorter amount of time. Having said that, I remain fully responsible for what has been written and the specific ways that they have been expressed in this article. I strongly discourage the use of ChatGPT in school or in any other formal or academic contexts.