Written and posted for Manila Concert Scene :)
Mr. Big rocked the Mall of Asia Arena last Halloween
(October 31), making it their third time to perform in the Philippines to the
delight of Filipino rock fans.
The show started at around 8:50 pm, and when the lights dimmed
and the crowd went wild, I knew this would be an energetic show. Mr. Big, the
American rock group composed of vocalist Eric Martin, lead guitarist Paul
Gilbert, bassist Billy Sheehan, drummer Pat Torpey (who, according to Mr. Big’s
official site – mrbigsite.com- is currently battling Parkinson’s disease) and
tour drummer Matt Starr, gave an amazing rock show with more than 20 songs!
Fans looked forward to hearing their old hits such as To Be
With You, Wild World and Just Take My Heart. This longing was satisfied by Mr.
Big and more by also playing new songs off their latest album The Stories We
Could Tell, released just last September 2014. The concert was such a treat for
guitar fans. If you were a guitar enthusiast, you would definitely love the group’s
dynamics and serious display of musicianship onstage.
There was some serious shredding that night, with Paul
Gilbert letting his guitar sing beautifully in almost every song. He also had
an electrifying guitar solo during the middle of the show. Not to be outdone is
bassist Billy Sheehan’s 5-minute bass solo, who was introduced later in the
show by Eric as “the real Mr. Big”. His was the best bass solo I have ever
witnessed live. It was hypnotic and beautiful.
One of the memorable parts of the show is when Paul and
Billy had a guitar face-off, which instantly made me think of friends who would
have loved to witness such a crazy music battle. Mr. Big also gave their
Filipino audience a surprise when drummer Pat Torpey (who was playing
percussion beside the drum set) suddenly took over the drums and played Just
Take My Heart. The audience were cheering especially when Eric exclaimed “Pat
took a special trip to see you, Manila!” As the show progressed, one could
notice a difference - an evolution - of Mr. Big’s music from their formation in
1988 and to their most recent album. Truly, they have come a long way but still
kill it on the guitars and vocals.
The band loved performing for their Filipino fans so much
that after their supposedly final song, Addicted to that Rush, they played five
more songs (including their monster hit To Be With You) for their encore and
even switched places/instruments at one point
Congratulations to Pulp Live World for making this happen! Thank
you so much Manila Concert Scene and Kris Rocha (Kris Rocha Photography) for
making me a witness to this iconic show!
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| Checking out the Mr. Big merchandise |
