The festival was held in an enormous field. Upon entering, the guests were welcomed by local acts performing on the second stage, while nearby were food stalls where you could buy expensive beer (P100) and water (P80).
While there were clearly fewer people than the producers anticipated to fill the park's hundred-plus hectares of land, the crowd that was there partied the night away in great festival fashion.
The majority of the attendees—both men and women—went for the safest formula: sleeveless tops and above-the-knee shorts. It was amusing to see men showing some skin at the event, despite the freezing weather. As for the ladies, bra tops and dangkal shorts were definitely 7107's uniform look. Others even wore 7107 looks with aviators and round sunglasses at night.
Health and injuries
With an event as big as the 7107, injuries were inevitable. During Empire of the Sun's set, a girl dressed in a white sleeveless top passed out. She later covered her face with her hair as security put her in a wheelchair and assisted her out.
According to a Medical City representative, sprain, fracture, and dehydration were the most frequently reported conditions at the event. Moreover, more of them occurred on the first day than on the second.
7017 and the pyrotechnics
The crowd seemed tired after Kendrick Lamar's set, yet most of them were eager to see the spectacle of Empire of the Sun, while anxiously waiting for the festival's pride and joy, the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Lamar's one-hour set was cool—dressed in a black and white ensemble, the Grammy-nominated rapper performed his hit songs alongside his DJ on the stage. He also sent a message to the crowd, saying "I will be back" as the crowd went even wilder and shouted for more.
"Super solid! Hip-hop definitely has a place here in the country," Iconn Cayabyab, a guest in the general admissions area, said to GMA News Online. "He played his famous songs from his Grammy-nominated album 'good kid, m.A.A.d city' and some from his old album, 'Section 80'."
"Everyone was pumped up when he played his famous songs. And when he challenged the crowd to shout out loud, everyone was game," he added.
Empire of the Sun's performance was a different ball game. The Australian duo showed the crowd what it felt like to watch a concert in full theatrics, with four backup dancers all dressed in white spacesuits.
The band also rocked the stage in their over-the-top costumes. Luke Steele went with his signature headdress that looked like the rays of the sun, while Nick Littlemore kept thanking Manila (even though the festival was set in Pampanga) for the warm welcome.
Their finale song was a smash. Performing their hit song and party-anthem "Alive," the crowd were on their feet and singing along.
"Theyre the only artist who had stage props and effects! No dead moment kasi all their songs are upbeat," concert-goer Nikki Santos said. "Even if people don't know the lyrics, they're still dancing!"
During the Red Hot Chili Peppers' set, the main stage area was filled by a much larger crowd, with the VIP guests waving LED lights in the air and the rest singing to the band's opening number.
The crowd went wild when the band performed "Dani California," "Under The Bridge," and "Californication." Almost everyone was on their feet singing their lungs out, while some lay down on the grass, unmindful of the empty beer cans, used tissues, and water bottles and just looking up at the stars while enjoying the awesome music.
7107 concluded with beautiful fireworks the same time the RHCP closed their show with "Give It Away." Upon exiting the field, the attendees seemed happy about the line-up of performers who gave their best at the controversial, but still somewhat successful, 7107 International Music Festival. It was surprisingly a night to remember. — BM, GMA News
source: gmanetwork.com
