IV of Spades Knocked it Out of the Park with Their Two-Night Comeback Show
The reunited alternative rock group performed their killer new album from top to bottom, along with the members' respective solo hits during their time apart, completing the mythical comeback.
by JV Ordoñez
Published on Dec 18, 2025
The two-day comeback show of the reunited quartet of Unique, Blaster, Zild, and Badjao was a spiritual homecoming for the Filipino rock band.
On the heels of their latest record, the stellar 12-track and stylistically potent Andalucia, the band delivered killer live performances of their greatest hits, and a few surprises.
It was something else seeing all four members of IV of Spades live in concert after more than seven years apart, and during a critical juncture in their creative development as distinct artists.
The group was earlier named Esquire Philippines Man at His Best Music Artist of the Year for the sheer impact of the bombshell that was their July return with the chart-topping "Aura."
The boys played their newest LP from top to bottom, starting off with the funky, energetic, and Beatles-esque "Monster."
"We are the future, not the '70s, We are the future from the '70s," is a fitting bridge for the song, if you look at the group's evolution from disco-inspired tunes to their existing diverse sonic flavor.
Our expectations for the show were already through the roof as we had already sung high praise for their latest album, since each track seemed to stand out from each other, accompanied by the industry's expectations for how the band would mesh their maturing flavors together.
Other standout tracks on the setlist include jangly guitar-driven "Nanaman," care of savant Blaster Silonga, who saw double duties for vocals and guitar work. He also took centerstage for the smooth nostalgic love song "Kabisado."
On the Unique-side of the spectrum, hearing "Tamis ng Pagkakamali" live gave us a whole new perspective on how powerful and hard-hitting that track is live. This was already one of our favorites heading into the show (Day 2) and continues to go on repeat.
"Tangerine Boulevard" is also as uplifting as it is a no-frills, feel-good, mellow track that could go well with any coming-of-age film.
Zild's highlights were his expressive bass guitar work and singing on the band's breakout Manila Sound/disco track "Hey Barbara," "Paru-Paro," "Konsensya," "Take That Man," among his usual soulful performances in other cuts from the band's catalog.
And who could forget Badjao's breakout vocal performance and simultanous drumming chops on the easy-breezy "Rewind," although he had already done vocal work in their first LP.
From left to right: Blaster Silonga, Unique Salonga, Zild Benitez, Badjao de Castro
The intriguing twist during the shows was the inclusion of a heartwarming cover of the Kitchie Nadal classic "Huwag Na Huwag Mong Sasabihin" on Day 2, and their full-band renditions, or essentially "covers," of hit tracks from their respective solo projects.
The boys also sang fan favorites such as "Dulo Ng Hangganan" and "Come Inside of My Heart" from their sole album ClapClapClap!, which came out after their lead vocalist's sudden departure from the group. The frontman filled that Unique-shaped void left in these tracks and gave new life through tasteful vocal and rhythm guitar contributions.
They also teased a bunch of unreleased material during an acoustic set right after an intermission involving a projected PS5 on the Mall of Asia Arena screen and a friendly Tekken 8 tournament between the budding musicians.
"Hayy" off Blaster's latest album evoked Manila Sound sensiblities in a full band setting.
The moody "Medisina" from Zild's own solo discography in symphony with Unique and Blaster's own vocal and guitar offerings was another match made in heaven materializing on stage.
And of course, who could forget Unique's transcendant hit song "Sino" that saw a marriage of all four of the band's quirks and specializations such as Badjao's smooth percussion work, Zild's raw vocal performance, and Blaster's bluesy lead guitar accompaniment.
To cap things off, the crowd-pleaser that is "Mundo" was another highlight that was built up via a long digital intro for a massive pay off of seeing this massive hit song live, with the four savants in their element.
Clearly, IV of Spades came to kick ass and melt faces for a generational run of new music that has only just begun.
An acoustic set from the boys right after a friendly Tekken 8 tournament
A polaroid of IV of Spades after day 2 of their comeback show extravaganza.
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