Mayday Parade’s fifth performance in the Philippines proved to be their best one yet. Ever since their first concert in 2011, they’ve been back to Manila almost every year. Two years after their last show, Mayday Parade performed a sold-out show at the SM Aura’s Samsung Hall last Saturday evening.

The band kicked off their show with ‘Jersey’, a song from their album A Lesson in Romantics. Mayday Parade has been together for more than a decade and they have no signs of slowing down. “This is a special place,” lead singer Derek Sanders told the crowd in between songs. Five shows since 2011 is proof the Filipino community has a strong support for Mayday Parade.

The concert hall transitioned from high energy into a more mellow vibe when the band played ‘Jamie All Over’. The show featured songs from their various albums: from their debut album to the latest one, Black Lines.

Derek Sanders talked about the beauty of rising above difficult times; how tough times transform people into stronger versions of themselves. ”The very best people in this world are the people that have struggled and made it through okay. We’re all in this together.”

After playing the first song they wrote, ‘Three Cheers for Five Years’, and ‘Oh Well, Oh Well’, the band jumped back to their high energy stating, “It’s time to party.” They then launched into ‘When I Get Home You’re So Dead’.

The whole show was one big sing-along for Mayday Parade fans. During ‘Miserable at Best’—a crowd favourite—the concert hall was pulsating with raw emotion and energy. As the fans sang the last chorus at the top of their lungs, the band departed from the stage leaving a bittersweet tinge that the show could be over. The crowd sang the lyrics as if it applied to their love for the band and the fact that their incredible live experience was about to become a memory.

It would have been a dramatic exit, but the crowd chanted, “We want more!” until Mayday Parade emerged back on stage for their encore: ‘I’d Hate to Be You When People Find Out What This Song is About’.

There is no doubt about the dedication Filipino fans have for Mayday Parade. The anticipation and excitement was evident even before the show started: them lining up and buying official band merchandise, then the screaming as they waited in line and entered the venue after security check, and of course when the show began.

“To fly across the world and feel this at home. It’s an incredible feeling. Thank you so much!” Derek had said at one point during the show. For bands that have been together for over a decade, it can be a challenge to keep up the momentum of strong support from your fans album after album, but Mayday Parade has managed to do just that.

“I promise you. We will come back as soon as we can. And we will keep coming back.” – Derek Sanders

Special Thanks to Pulp Live World

Written by Isabel Matias
Photos by Carla Barretto