Does Filipino rock icon Bamboo Mañalac still perform barefoot? Not anymore, Bamboo told tabloid! during an interview at Marco Polo Hotel on Thursday, a day before his band performed at the Rakrakan music fest in Dubai.
"That's how I started when I was younger," he says with a sheepish smile. "But I don't do that now mainly because of the unpredictable conditions on stage… it sometimes just becomes dangerous going barefoot."
It seems the singer has traded his trademark move for something safer. His favourite pair of footwear? "Pony shoes!" he answers right away. And the charismatic star did wear shoes during Friday's concert, dancing on stage and belting out hit songs such as Noypi, a song about national pride that is popular among Filipinos.
An estimated crowd of 16,000 gathered at the Dubai Festival City to watch Bamboo and his band perform along with top Philippine rock bands Pupil, Kamikazee and The Dawn. The concert was organised by the Philippine broadcasting network ABS-CBN Global and its global arm, The Filipino Channel.
Bamboo and band mates Nathan Azarcon (bass), Ira Cruz (guitar) and Vic Mercado (drums) make up the multi-award winning, alternative rock band. Bamboo, which has a huge fan base in the Philippines and abroad, say they opted for the name because it was easier to remember and had a local flavour.
The band was ready to perform come rain or shine. Did Dubai's wet weather surprise the band? Not really, said Bamboo. "This is our second visit to Dubai and the last time we were here was at about the same time, so we expected the [chilly] weather. We even brought jackets," he said.
"We've already played in Bahrain and Qatar and now we are back in Dubai. This is what we are trying to do now — to be heard in the Gulf," Bamboo said of the band's plans.
He said they were going to be busy composing songs for another album after their gig in Dubai.
The band has just released an album called Tomorrow Becomes Yesterday.
