CHINA CRISIS LIVE IN SMX, MANILA, PHILIPPINES, SEPT. 9, 2011: Too Good To Be Short

        

       Last  Jan. 21, 2011 ( 10 months ago), I saw one of my all time favorite bands for  the second time, when they held a free concert at East Wood Mall Open Park. It has been almost a decade since I first saw them when they visited the country, sometime in December 2002. I was  happy to see them again and ecstatic that the concert was free--but I was not satisfied, not because of their performance, but because of the rain. Talk about climate change, in my four decades of existence, I don’t recall any rain happening in January, except perhaps on New Years Day. Here’s how the rain ruined my night:

  

            First, to get a good spot, I was  at the venue an hour early, but the   intermittent rains, from slight to heavy downpour,  not only resulted in a significant  delay but also caused me my original spot. 

          Second, no matter how much I tried to enjoy China Crisis’ free  concert; the constant drippings from  my fellow audience’s umbrellas  kept me out of focus. Sometimes it  dripped on my  shoulder, sometimes on my back and sometimes on my arms. The umbrellas were also blocking the view intermittently. 

           Third, although I was trying hard to conceal it,  my (middle-aged) legs were feeling very heavy due to  the long hours of standing. 

             What saved the day that night, was Gary and Eddie’s (great guys!) signature on one of my cds and the free  photo shoot  I had with them, courtesy of the East Wood Mall management. I also got to purchase a souvenir t-shirt and a cd containing  their demo songs. At the back of my mind, I was saying, “I woundn’t mind  paying  to see them  live; in a formal venue. I hope they would comeback."

            When I thought, I hope they would comeback, it never crossed my mind, not even a wishful thinking, that they will be back in just 8 months. What do you think is the probability that a foreign act such as China Crisis,  will comeback and do a concert again, only 8 months after they held a concert in Manila? (Low to probably none.)  I was so  surprised when a read the announcement of their upcoming concert at SMX on Sept.9, 2011. Maybe,  they were invited again by Mr. Steve O’Neal (concert producer) to heed the clamor from  many  of the  (unsatisfied?)  audiences ( like me) of their January concert,  who wanted to see them again. Whatever was the reason, it was certainly a welcome one.

            SMX, according to their website is the  Philippines largest privately-run exhibition and convention facility. It is located in the SM Mall of Asia complex, the fourth largest mall in the world. The venue was divided into three sections namely: VIP, Gold and Silver. Concert time as printed on the ticket, starts at 8:00 P.M. I was there 30 minutes early but they only let the audience in at around 8. The turnout I would say was very good. The concert started past 9 ( I’m not complaining) with the first opening act by a local band, Kenyo. Five songs were performed by Kenyo. Great performance. Next was three songs  from a local acoustic band. The third to perform was their co-mainevent, xSimple Minds, who belted out eight songs (if my memory serves me right). Superb performance! As expected, the crowd was up and singing along when they were performing,  "Don’t You (Forget About Me)  and " Alive And Kicking.”

SMX



        It took quite a while for China Crisis to set their instruments and sound system. During the lull, two autographed acoustic guitars by xSimple Minds and China Crisis’ band members, as well as several consolation prizes were raffled-off.  At a little past 11, the moment that everyone waited for, China Crisis went up the stage and  opened  with the mood setting, “Seven sports for all” (just like in  their previous concert here), the first song  of their debut album.  This was followed by “Wall Of God” an excellent track  from the Flaunt The Imperfections album. Next was the reggae-tinged, "Strength Of Character."  “You Did Cut Me” followed  and just like in their previous concert, upon reaching the chorus,   Gary Daly   urged the audience to sing  to the chorus of Minnie Riperton's, “Lovin' You” ( “shalalalala shalalalala dobidoo bidoooo ahahahahah”). Everyone was laughing.  Apparently Gary Daly had “Lovin' You” in  mind when he wrote that song. Afterwards, they sang four of their popular  classics, before taking a short break: “Working With Fire And Steele”, “Black Man Ray”, Wishful Thinking”, and “King In A Catholic Style.”  As expected, “Wishful Thinking”, their most famous song, got the loudest roar. With the audience screaming for more, they returned  for the encore: the sublime, “Christian,” the classic “African And White” and the Eddie Lundon sung “Gift Of Freedom.”

             For me, this was their best performance here. Perhaps because unlike their previous concerts, this time they brought their own backing band. Gary's singing and Eddie's guitar playing were great as usual. The band performance was excellent. Noticeable was the young female drummer. She is 23 year old Sian Monaghan, once a student of Eddie Lundon at Paul McCartney's Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts.  True blue China Crisis fan would have recognized the man playing the keyboards. It was Brian McNeil, an official member from the What Price Paradise" (1986) to the “Diary Of A Hollow Horse" (1989) albums.. Having been here for the third time, it seems Gary  Daly is  more at ease, as his  flamboyance and humurous side are more evident. He took to  the stage wearing a rubber shoes, jeans , green shirt,  a blue blazer and a hat ala Indiana Jones. He later took-off his blazer and proudly  showed the  'Filipino' word printed on his shirt. That was a nice gesture. He chatted with the audience and made them laugh with his good humor.  At one point he serenaded the audience while sitting at the edge of the stage. Some female fans took this opportunity to get near him and have their photos taken while others  hugged  and kissed him on the cheeks. In another incident, he got off the stage and went to the silver section (at the side) to grant the fervent wish of a   female fan  to come near him. The  fan put her arms around Mr. Daly’s arm while  he was singing. As always, Eddie Lundon seems very contented with his guitar. You can sense the passion for his craft by the way he 'feels' the music while he is strumming.

All in all, it was another  great night of nostalgic New Wave music. It was an excellent performance by the China Crisis--but again--’m not satisfied . Why? Because they sang only 11 songs! It was too good to be short!  With their many pop-classics, they could have  sung more, that's why  I WANT THEM BACK!

Set List:

1. Seven Sports For All
2. Wall Of God
3. Strength Of Character
4. You Did Cut Me
5. Working With Fire And Steele
6. Black Man Ray
7. Wishful Thinking
8. King In A Catholic Style
9. Christian
10. African  And  White
11. Gift Of Freedom

My dream China Crisis Set List:           

1.African And White

2.  Seven Sports For All

3.  Christian

4.  Some People I Know To Lead Fantastic Lives

5.  Wishful Thinking

6.   Working With Fire And Steele

7.   Soul Awakening

8.   Black Man Ray

9..  Highest High

10. Bigger The Punch I’m Feeling

11. You Did Cut Me

12.  King In A Catholic Style

!3.  June Bride

14.  Arizona Sky

15.  Saint Savior Square

16.  Red Letter Day

17.  Hands On The Wheel

18. Everyday The Same

Iwould like to acknowlege and thank the following:
Eric Dantoc/Noiseninja.net for the pictures
Cafe 80's for the additional  pictures