They came marching with chins held high ready for the battle to begin. Armed with nothing but voices and energy as weapons, they would conquer the night –the last show of the tour would be a success.

The Soldiers, as The Cab fans are known, came out for one last show before the band was to depart Philippine soil for the second time in just a week. Earlier that week, the band had opened for Maroon 5 only to return in just a few days for their headline tour. Twice they had performed with other bands, but it was finally time for them to go on their own. This time, The Cab was set to take the Metro with their symphony of sound.

Ayala Malls together with Music Management International invited the band to play a total of three shows in different malls. The kick-off was at Trinoma, followed by Alabang Town Center, and finally, ending the tour in Glorietta. Because they were playing four times in one week, Soldiers had labeled it as “The Cab Week”.

It was the last night of the tour; the culmination of what bassist Joey Thunder called the “most amazing, exhausting and mentally-difficult tour.” Even though they must have been extremely tired from the constant touring, it did not show in the way they delivered their performance.

After hyping up the crowd with the Ayala Malls’ promotional video, lights flashed in different hues. The violin resonated through the restless crowd, a prelude to an adrenalin-filled night. The pitch-black screen situated at the middle of the backdrop flashed the band’s logo, signaling The Cab to enter -Dave Briggs running to his drum set, Alex Marshall finding his place by his piano, Chantry Johnson running to his side of the stage, and Joey Thunder dashing in with his bass. Altogether, they burst into music, starting with Temporary Bliss, a song off their recent album, Symphony Soldier. Seconds and beats later, lead singer Alex De Leon darted on stage, igniting the crowd’s excitement into a whole new level.

The Cab knew the Philippine crowd well; though only on their opening song, De Leon held out the microphone, and let them sing the bridge. By the end of it, every one was on a musical high. Though the instruments sound had died down, the crowd’s energy continued on.

De Leon transitioned into the next song by saying, “We’re going to play an old song for you.” Hearing only the familiar mixture of guitar-plucking, piano and percussion, they knew the next song would be Take My Hand, from their debut album, Whisper War. Sensing the crowd’s energy, De Leon, again, let them sing the chorus, back to him.

Promoting their follow-up album, Symphony Soldier, it was expected that the majority of their set list were songs from this. Out of the nine songs they performed, only two were from their debut album:Take My Hand and, a crowd favorite, Bounce.

A sea of voices, like an overpowering chorus, was what the audience was like throughout the night. Their voices, in unison, sang the background vocals of the succeeding number, which De Leon described as a song, which is about “fighting for what you want and what you believe in.” Briggs had the audience pulsating with anticipation for the verse to begin. Adding a spin to their original, De Leon started singing a snippet from One Direction’s What Makes You Beautiful in the bridge, and ending the song with the chorus from Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream.

On behalf of the band, De Leon expressed gratitude to their Soldiers. “We are very, very lucky to tour the entire world.” He declared Manila as one of the best crowds. “Nobody beats you guys. You guys sing the loudest. You guys are the sweetest. We love you forever.”

For one soldier, Endlessly, would remind her of the ultimate fan experience. She had been holding a sign from the audience asking if she could join them as the band performed the song. To everyone’s astonishment, De Leon invited her on stage. She not only got hugs from almost each member, but also a kiss from Marshall.

Living Louder, a supposed last song, which De Leon announced while crossing his fingers behind his back. The band dashed off stage as soon as the lights disappeared; the crowd was desperately left hanging that they powerfully chanted, “We want more!”

Responding to their plea, Briggs ran out, and went straight to his drum set. Screams of excitement and euphoria echoed the activity center. A loud voice boomed, counting down to Brigg’s drum solo before proceeding to Bounce.

Preceding the closing number was an a capella version of Her Love is My Religion. Finally, it was time for the last song. Neither the band nor its Soldiers was ready for the show to end. A remix of The Cab’s current single, La La, blared through the speakers, the crowd exploded like a time bomb. The energy was so contagious that Chantry and Thunder broke into dance, Gangnam style, during the bridge.

A night filled with head banging, fist pumping, hair flipping, and dancing ended with a bang. The Soldiers united for the fourth and final time in that week to fight for their love for The Cab, emerging victorious.

Photos and written by Isabel R. Matias
The Cab Live in Glorietta Setlist:

Temporary Bliss
Take My Hand
Bad
Animal
Angel With a Shotgun
Endlessly
Living Louder
Bounce
La La

Special thanks to Ayala  Malls