Go behind the scenes of Lola Amour's 'Looking Back' online concert-documentary

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Go behind the scenes of Lola Amour's 'Looking Back' online concert-documentary

There’s nothing like the rush you get from attending a gig. From hearing the band you’ve been so excited to see do soundcheck as you wait in line to finally entering the magical world that lies behind the curtains, the entire experience is as enthralling as it comes. 

Especially after two dull years of staying indoors and watching your favourite artists through a screen, getting to go to a live show fills you with an irreplaceable rush of adrenaline. That was exactly the energy that everyone—from the fans to the crew—felt going to Lola Amour’s shoot for their online concert and documentary, Looking Back, last March. 

Held at Quezon City’s PETA Theatre, the shoot served as the Filipino indie band’s first live gig since the pandemic. While it was originally meant to just be a shoot, the stars (and COVID-19 protocols) aligned and the ‘Pwede Ba’ hitmakers got to invite a handful of their fans to tune in live. 

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Here’s what went down behind the scenes of Lola Amour’s Looking Back concert. 

Right from when you entered the venue, you could feel the mix of nervous and excited energy radiating from everyone, all due to a multitude of reasons. 

For the crowd, it was the first time a lot of them is seeing Lola Amour in their element. For the crew, it was their long-awaited return to working on a live production set. While for the band, it was their first time performing a 14-song setlist, not to mention recording a documentary. All that, with health and safety concerns looming in the air (but this one was eased with vaccination requirements and a quick swab test). 

“It’s different, may pressure pero I’m having fun,” said Lola Amour’s David Yuhico, who’s not only playing live as part of the band for the first time but also playing his first-ever gig.

“The stakes are higher now kase it’s recorded, it’s going to be there forever,” added the band’s frontman Pio Dumayas. 

The concert was divided into three sets, each filled with a lineup of the band’s best hits and newer bops (and even a cover of Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse's ‘Valerie’) performed against the backdrop of a cosy living room.

From tracks like ‘Fools’ off of their debut EP to their recently released collaborations with Al James and Leanne & Naara, the almost four-hour-long concert was a sonic ride through the last seven years of Lola Amour.

Looking Back also marked the end of an era for the band, acting as a send-off for their longtime drummer Renzo Santos and saxophonist Joxx Perez who are set to pursue a new chapter of their lives. 

Between sets, Bandwagon caught up with the band and checked in on how they were doing performing the longest show of their careers so far—and their first after two years of online shows. To which bassist Raymond King simply laughed, “Only the first set is done but I’m tired as f*ck.”

“It’s definitely a lot,” added Pio, who spent the entire night alternating between giving spiels, singing, and playing the guitar.

But that only came third to the joy of being back on a live stage and the nerves of recording a documentary. 

"We really missed the crowd and their energy,” said guitarist Zoe Gonzales.

“It’s fun making mistakes in public again. We don’t really put it in our mistakes in our online stuff so it’s nice to experience making mistakes live again and looking at each other when it happens. It’s all part of the fun,” said Renzo. 

“The fact that you can’t do retakes—we’re cheating a little now because we can just reshoot it—but yeah, that’s what makes it fun. The stakes, the fact you have one shot and that so many people are watching you,” said Pio.

“Our mistakes are immortalised,” added Raymond.

While the band’s green room was a bundle of adrenaline with a smidgen of exhaustion, the audience was a source of pure excitement. Sprinkled with some familiar faces you’d see at pre-pandemic gigs to newer fans who were ever-present on the band’s Discord server during lockdowns, the entire crowd sang, danced, and laughed alongside Lola Amour. 

“The fan interactions with the band are something we really missed. [During lockdowns], we used to go to their Discord channels and watch their gigs online but it’s really different live. So the interaction and being able to scream and dance are great,” said Misha who, alongside her friends, bought clappers to cheer on the 'Fallen' act. 

And for Lola Amour, that feeling was mutual. Every cheer and every chorus that was sung back to them never failed to prompt a smile on the band’s faces, regardless of the small crowd. 

“For the production, there wasn’t a lot of changes at [when we decided to have an audience], it was more so for Lola Amour — they have someone to interact with and perform to na. Kahit sabihin mo 40 lang, sa kanila importante parin yun at medyo nerve-wracking padin,” said Director Alwyn Uytingco.

"We know we took up your whole Saturday but this means a lot to us," echoed Pio, during a spiel.

But as they say, all good things must come to an end. In just under four hours, the product of several months of work came to an end. It’s never easy putting together a show, even more so after two years that plagued the live music scene. 

Ang daming sad stories na close na yung mga favourite places, go-to venues na and of course, affected din yung mga musikeros and artists, so it’s a blessing for everyone that we’re back,” said Director Alwyn.

With the shoot wrapped up, the crew that worked relentlessly to put an amazing show together was a flurry of relief and glee. Working on a live concert set while simultaneously recording a documentary was definitely no easy feat. 

Looking Back presented the same set of challenges you’d expect from producing any show, shared Director Alwyn. 

“Technically, nag live concert na kami at yung band, maliit lang yung crowd pero the preparations of it all is all the same — the technical aspects, the requirements, yung preparation nila, it’s the same,” he said.

“And like always, the scheduling of everyone. From the band to the production crew to their guests. Unfortunately, hindi nakasama si Clara Benin but the schedule’s never going to be perfect. We actually had maybe three adjustments to the schedule and thank God, we’re finally here and done with.”

All in all, in addition to Lola Amour’s impeccable performance, the general consensus was that it was good to be back. 

“In the pandemic, I started a fan account for the trumpeter Angelo Mesina, and now I’m here. It’s like [I’ve] come so far, from being at home and seeing them online lang to now, watching them live,” said Misha. 

“It’s good to see some familiar faces again and it’s nice that we’re playing kind of our whole [discography] as well. We haven’t performed some of these songs in so long,” Renzo

“After three years, eto yung first gig ko tapos Lola Amour pa and I’m not just part of the audience, crew pa, ang saya. Actually, super overwhelming nga to be part of all this again pero super grateful,” said Director Alwyn.