Gigsmanila

The international record label has officially welcomed its newest batch of established and upcoming homegrown music acts as part of the growing family.

Led by award-winning folk-pop act Ben&Ben, whose debut full-length album, Limasawa Street recently garnered universal acclaim and impressive streaming numbers to no surprise, Sony Music PH’s current roster now includes indie pop-rock outfit the vowels they orbit, young hip-hop prodigy Alex Bruce, folk pop sensation syd hartha, and Wanderband runner-up Nathan & Mercury. As a collective, the latest lineup offers a refreshing spin to the dominant sounds of our time while maintaining a distinctly defined music brand that is at par with global standards. 

Top-notch Filipino artists

Ben&Ben, one of the most streamed Filipino artists of all time, has enjoyed commercial success on radio airplays, digital streaming and album sales, merchandise and touring. With Sony Music’s massive reach and impressive multimedia presence, the nine-piece powerhouse is set to build their growing international portfolio further with their brand of cross-over, world-infused folk rock that’s taking the country by storm.

Sony PH’s latest signed band the vowels they orbit peaked at #2 on Spotify Philippines Top 50 Viral Charts with their debut single “Selos.” The band’s maiden release talks about “one-sided jealousy,” putting into light a normal situation that one goes through in a romantic relationship.

Another hard-hitting act to watch out for is 12-year-old Pinay rapper Alex Bruce, whose first single “Pull It Off” reached the top 3 of Wave 89.1 charts. One of her songs from the Wish 107.5 Bus guesting in 2018 recently hit more than a million views—a testament to her growing online portfolio.  

Sony Music Philippines is also looking forward to cultivating the potential of new artists such as singer-songwriter syd hartha, who made a bold statement via the empowering, feminist anthem “ayaw.” Her first official single also topped Jam 88.3’s weekly countdown for a week. Then there’s Nathan & Mercury—a soul-infused alternative outfit who opened for international music stars such as Honne, Clairo, The Kooks, and Two Door Cinema Club this year at Wanderland Music Festival 2019 and earned a nomination at the MYX Music Awards for Favorite Bandarito Performance. The group — which includes Alex Samonte, Angelo Sison, Daniel Monong and Nathan Huang — fuses elements of pop and R&B with experimentations on jazz, hip-hop, soul, and funk, making it almost impossible to box them in a single genre.

Grammy® Award-winning and multi-platinum selling group Pentatonix announced that they will be visiting MANILA on Saturday, February 8, 2020 at the Araneta Coliseum for their upcoming tour Pentatonix: The World Tour.

Tickets for Pentatonix: The World Tour in MANILA go on-sale on August 3 via TicketNet.com.ph or Call 911-5555. Presented by Wilbros Live.

Three-time Grammy® Award-winning and multi-platinum-selling artist Pentatonix has sold 10 million albums in worldwide consumption and performed for hundreds of thousands of fans at their sold out shows across the globe. Their YouTube channel boasts almost 17 million subscribers, yielding 4 billion video views. Their 2015 self-titled album is certified gold after debuting #1 on Billboard’s 200.

Additionally, nine of their albums reached the top 10 on Billboard’s 200 chart (two albums reaching #1) and received multiple RIAA certifications for multi-platinum, platinum and gold selling albums and singles. Their tracks, “Mary, Did You Know?” and “Hallelujah” were certified platinum, while the Pentatonix original, “Can’t Sleep Love,” was certified gold. The group has had three holiday specials on NBC, released their tour documentary – On My Way Home – in 2015 and appeared in the feature film, Pitch Perfect 2. In October 2017, Pentatonix released a deluxe version of their certified platinum 2016 holiday album, A PENTATONIX CHRISTMAS DELUXE. The following year, in April 2018, Pentatonix released the first collection in the group’s PTX Presents series, PTX PRESENTS: TOP POP VOL. 1, which features 11 PTX-curated modern pop performances, and completed a 39-city North American tour in September. They released their fourth holiday album, CHRISTMAS IS HERE! featuring 12 new Christmas performances in October, alongside their sold-out Christmas Is Here! Tour.

After a 12 year hiatus, Bulacan-based CAFFEINE made a remarkable comeback on stage belting out a tribute cover performance of The Railway Children’s songs at Fete de la Musique 2019 New Wave stage last June 22 in Poblacion, Makati City.

The band also performed their original, STAY, a tribute song dedicated to the new wave generation and the bands that molded the music scene of the 80s.

“We are grateful to all the people who made it possible for us to perform once again and it’s an honor to be part of the line-up of bands playing at the New Wave stage at Fete,” said Enzo Luna, vocalist.

The band is now working on original songs and are planning to make a presence on the Spotify platform.

CAFFEINE is composed of Enzo, Mel Gonzales (bass), Ludwig Valenzuela (drums), Malvin Magnayon (lead guitar), and Emil de Leon (guitar).

Four-piece alternative post-rock band, Fridge, had just released a lyric video for their debut single “This Is Not A Lovesong (But The Most Gorgeously Stupid Thing I Ever Cut In The World)” on Friday, May 31, 2019, and was uploaded on their official Facebook page and official YouTube Channel.

Formed in January 2019, Fridge started playing inside and outside the metro—including one of the biggest music festivals here in the Philippines, Dickies Stage of Rakrakan Festival 2019: 2 Days Of Peace, Love, & Music—and eventually releasing their debut single entitled “This Is Not A Lovesong (But The Most Gorgeously Stupid Thing I Ever Cut In The World)”, which was mixed and mastered by Jam Bumanlag of Nineworkz Productions and with Evil Eye Studios doing their lyric video.

Coming up with the band name wasn’t just about switching from “Ball is Life” to “Food is Life”, but they also mean that every great thing that can make a person happy, specifically food and beer, comes inside the refrigerator, thus them settling on “Fridge”.

Despite having different musical influences as individuals ranging from indie, pop, new wave, math rock, emo, and metal, their common denominator is their love for rock music serving them an advantage to mix and match their own tunes which amazingly blends well on and off the stage.

Fridge is composed of Franz Santiago on guitars and vocals, Mateo Santos on lead guitars, Steve Ducay on bass, and Bryan Estandian on drums.

From the inception of the concept down to the mounting of its historic first, premiere events producers ProMedia Productions vowed to bring a unique musical experience with the first-ever Cinco de Mayhem Music Festival (CDM). A first of its kind, CDM brings together top local artists and DJs in a vibrant and festive celebration of music, culture, art, and community at Vista Mall Daang Hari Open Grounds last Saturday, May 4, 2019.

Forged through the creative partnership of the events company and its actor-musician and now, Creative Director, Alexander Diaz, Cinco de Mayhem stayed true to its promise of mixing the richness of Mexican culture and spirit of celebration and community of the Filipinos.

“Good music and a good party are the core tenets of Cinco de Mayhem when it was first conceived. Not only do we want to bring the festivity of Cinco de Mayo in the Philippines, but we want to elevate it further by bannering Filipino talent. We had visual artists, muralists, award-winning local DJs and musicians that made CDM the best summer event to cap all summer events,” Diaz enthused.

Hyping the musical festivity were DJs Out of Scratch and Dom Go followed by Divine Smith. As nighttime hit, it was the impressive set of Quest that got the crowd singing to hit songs like “Dati” and “Unang Hakbang” with the surprise appearance of Keiko Necessario. DJ Siangyoo, pumped by the dancing MC Chris Ty-Z, kept the crowd jumping followed by the special premiere of CDM’s very own, Alexander Diaz’ music video for “Broken” in a collaboration with Natasha.

The crowd cooled down as songstress Kiana Valenciano showed up with an enchanting set list, leading to the beats of DJs Euric and Nix Damn P spruced up by the country’s first female MC Marga Bermudez.  As is expected, it was the young, revolutionary crew of Careless Music Manila that got the crowd jump to their feet as Astrokidd, Massiah,Curtismith, and King WaW performed hits from their first mixtape, along with the special taste of the upcoming release of their second musical outing. James Reid and Nadine Lustre, brought a high-octane set all the more pumped with songs like “Summer”. Deuce followed suit along with the special addition to the lineup courtesy of Red Bull Music 3style champs, headed by its national champion Mark Thompson.

Hosts Luke Thorssen of Team Careless Music Manila and Debbie Then of Magic 89.9 were the night’s hosts keeping everyone’s fun, vibrant spirit in check.

Apart from the exciting lineup of local acts, sumptuous treats from partner concessionaires and drinks brought festival-goers’ spirits pumped while fun games and side activities were set up at the event site from face painting, a Velcro bullseye, giant beer pong, basketball, a Pacman maze and a rodeo bull ride, and Havaianas’ giant slide and inflatables. Large-scale artistic installations courtesy of visual artists Leeroy New and Georjanno Abenoja backdropped the beautiful scenery of the concert grounds along with art group, In Mandala, as spearheaded by Emmanuel D’Aboville(inmandala.com)

“We were thrilled to have a lineup that is so fresh and diverse, but what made the night epic is the coming together of all the elements that made this an unforgettable summer event we have always envisioned—and we are just starting. With this caliber of local acts and this Mexican utopia we have set up for everyone to enjoy is all but a preview of many more CDMs to come,” said Lahaina Mae Mondonedo, Director of Operations.

• Get exclusive tickets to the Shopee X BLACKPINK Meet and Greet on June 6, only on Shopee

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, will bring global K-Pop sensation BLACKPINK to the Philippines for the first Shopee X BLACKPINK Meet & Greet on June 6. Avid BLACKPINK fans, also known as Blinks, will get a once-in-a-lifetime experience to interact with their favorite idols at the event, which will feature exciting draws and giveaways including signed BLACKPINK CDs and Shopee gift certificates.

Shopee users can choose from two tickets, Pink or Black, to get access to the event.

Users can get Pink tickets by purchasing any product from the YG Official Store on Shopee from May 11 to 25 using the special voucher code “SHOPEEXBP”. The first 150 successful buyers will be guaranteed a Pink ticket to the fan meet.

In addition, users can score Black tickets by registering on the official Shopee x BLACKPINK Meet & Greet page in the Shopee app. The top registered users who have an accumulated purchase of at least ₱4,000 on Shopee will receive one Black ticket that comes with an exclusive fan meet pass. To add to the excitement, the top 40 spenders will receive special autographs and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet BLACKPINK live on stage.

Ruoshan Tao, Head of Marketing at Shopee Philippines, said “Since unveiling BLACKPINK as our first regional brand ambassador last year, Shopee has received so much love and support from their Asian fans. Hence, we are delighted to be able to bring them to the Philippines and give Shopee users a chance to meet and interact with their favorite artists in person. We look forward to once again connect BLACKPINK with their massive fanbase in the Philippines and the region.”

For more information on how to join the Shopee x BLACKPINK Meet and Greet, visit https://shopee.ph/m/blackpink-meet-greet.

Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.

mustard music proudly presents “I Don’t Care” the newest single from indie/folk-pop band The Ransom Collective.

Since releasing their debut album “Traces” in 2017, the band has undergone a creative rebirth — exploring new musical ideas, and experimenting between different styles and sounds that have led them to a fresh, modern reinvention on the sound listeners and fans have come to love them for.

“I Don’t Care” brings these ideas into fruition, as the first of many songs that came to be in this new era of The Ransom Collective. The song is about discovering oneself, and all the ugliness and beauty that comes with the process.

Prior to its release, the song took the top spot on the iTunes PH New Music Pre-Order Chart – proving even more successful as the single launched on May 3rd. Aside from topping the iTunes PH Alternative Chart, the head-bopping track also entered the iTunes PH All-genre chart, taking the highest spot for an OPM song. The band’s comeback song joins the big leagues of Taylor Swift & Brendon Urie, BTS, and BLACKPINK, who similarly have released new tracks for their longtime fans.

Talking about the song, lead vocalist Kian Ransom says, “I watched someone I love go through depression, and this song is essentially about the journey they went through and the empathy that’s required to understand someone who’s going through something so difficult.”

While the song tackles rather serious matters, its backing track provides a sense of fun and lightness – giving an upbeat, retro feel that will give listeners good vibes to sing and dance along to on repeat.

Coming into this brand new take on the TRC sound, band members mention Anderson Paak, Honne, Boy Pablo, Bon Iver, Prep, Crumb, Chance the Rapper, among many artists they’ve taken inspiration from.

If this song is any indication, long-time fans and new listeners have a lot of good music to look forward to from The Ransom Collective all-year round.

I Don’t Care is now available for streaming on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, and Amazon Music, under mustard music. Watch out for its accompanying music video, premiering on MYX and YouTube on May 4th.

Solaire Resort & Casino brings you back to the era of move and groove with INTO THE 80s – a retro concert featuring Philippine 80s music icons Gino Padilla, Jett Pangan, Raymond Lauchengco, Lou Bonnevie, and Jam Morales, happening on May 18, 2019 at The Theatre at Solaire. The 80s were characterized by everything big: big shoulder pads, big hair, bold colors, bold fashion trends, and larger than life performers with their music through synthesizers, drum machines, reverb and, electric guitars creating music styles and a distinctive beat.

Set the rhythm of the night and recreate the beat through the memorable music of 80s international stars and their very own OPM hits! From Prince to The Police, Sheena Easton to Spandau Ballet, Blondie to Kim Carnes, Bangles to Irene Cara, Whitney Houston to Wham, Billy Joel to Rick Astley, Kool and the Gang to Queen, every single song is guaranteed to make you sigh, swoon, sing along, sway, swing, and, finally, to get on your feet and groove.

Get ready for some dancing and step to the beat with Gino, Jett, Raymond, Lou, and Jam with Session Band, Filipinas, and a whole slew of dancers – because you can’t do the 80s without the boogying!

Catch INTO THE 80s on May 18, 2019, 8PM at the Theatre at Solaire. Directed by Toto Gentica, Script by Henry Tejero, and choreographed by Butch Esperanza.

For tickets to “Into the 80s”, you can call TicketWorld at 891-9999.

This year, Sponge Cola will be celebrating another great year of being one of the premiere OPM rock bands in the industry – and in true Sponge Cola fashion, they’re bringing their songs, both old and new, straight to their audience through their one-night intimate concert “Sea of Lights” on March 29, 2019 at the Power Mac Spotlight Circuit Makati at 7PM.

Since they started, the band (composed of frontman and lead singer Yael Yuzon, guitarist Erwin “Armo” Armovit, bassist Gosh Dilay, and drummer TedMark Cruz) has been delivering non-stop hits that are already integral to many Sponge Cola supporters and OPM fans alike. Their catalog spans all their multi-awarded albums, which include certified hits such as “Jeepney,” “Gemini,” “Nakapagtataka,” “Bitiw,” “Tuliro,” “Puso,” “Tambay,” “Kunwari,” and so much more. They have no doubt been a part of the journey of many Filipinos, may it be through teleserye soundtracks or their life soundtracks.

This journey continues with the upcoming release of their latest album “Sea of Lights,” a collection of songs that celebrates the sound and musical style that the band is known for, while also experimenting with new sounds into the mix. The album includes songs such as the previously released songs “Phantoms,” “Paliyabin Na Ang Lahat,” “Meron Ba?,” “Promises (feat. Karylle),” and many more songs that will be performed live for the first time in concert. As a bonus, concert-goers will also receive a limited edition physical copy of the album.

The concert will not only feature songs from their latest album, but will celebrate their greatest hits, together with intricate and well-planned production numbers that will be a delight to all attendees. Joining the band in concert will be special guests Leanne and Naara, I Belong To The Zoo, and Karylle. Directed by Paolo Valenciano, the “Sea of Lights” major concert will be on March 29, 2019 at the Powermac Spotlight, Circuit Makati.

A limited amount of tickets are available for PhP 1750 (Online Price) / PhP 1850 (Special Early Bird Price) / PhP 2250 (Door Price), and are available for purchase at all SM Tickets outlets. Special thanks to concert sponsors Powermac Spotlight, Lyrics, Bugsy’s, and Imperial Blue Whisky.

Watch out for the release of the music videos “Meron Ba” and “Promises (feat. Karylle), and the “Sea of Lights” album soon, under Universal Records.

WESTLIFE is back and in full swing with The Twenty Tour! Celebrating their 20th anniversary with 14 number one hits, the band brings their much-awaited reunion tour to Asia including MANILA on July 30, 2019 at the Araneta Coliseum.

‘The Twenty Tour’ is Westlife’s fastest selling tour of all time. The band sold an incredible 400,000 tickets in just 48 hours. The shows will see the global pop kings perform their greatest hits and all 14 of their UK No.1 hits including ‘Swear It Again’, ‘Flying Without Wings’, ‘If I Let You Go’, ‘My Love’, ‘Uptown Girl’, ‘A World Of Our Own’, ‘Unbreakable’, ‘Mandy’, and ‘You Raised Me Up’.

Being the UK’s top selling album group of the 21st century, Shane, Nicky, Mark and Kian have also returned with their highly anticipated first new single in eight years, ‘Hello My Love’, which is written and produced by superstar hitmarkers Ed Sheeran and Steve Mac.

Westlife have sold over 55 million records worldwide, and are the only band to have their first 7 singles enter the UK chart at No.1. They also have the most singles of any artist to debut at No.1 in the UK. Overall the band have had an incredible 14 No.1 singles, behind only Elvis Presley and The Beatles. They have had 33 No.1 albums worldwide and as a live act have sold 5 million concert tickets worldwide.

Presented by Wilbros Live. Tickets to WESTLIFE – ‘The Twenty Tour’ in MANILA will be on-sale beginning March 30 viaTicketNet.com.ph and at all TicketNet outlets nationwide.