'You Guys Are Loud!': Postscript to Kodaline's Manila Show

Kodaline first came to Manila as part of the lineup of the Wanderland Music and Arts Festival in 2018. Back then, they shared the stage with acts like FKJ, Daniel Caesar, Lauv, and Jhené Aiko. On this return trip, it was just them: just a bunch of blokes from Ireland singing about love, heartbreaks, and loss. You know, all the good stuff. 

The Filinvest Tent in Alabang was packed to the brim at the appointed time of 8 p.m. Local band The Ridleys warmed up the crowd, and they had their own supporters who sang along to their brand of pop-rock.

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At a few minutes past 9 p.m., Steve Garrigan, Mark Prendergrast, Vincent May and Jason Boland walked up onstage and were greeted by ear-splitting screams. I’ve had the fortune of seeing live shows in other parts of the world and I can say with definite certainty that Filipino audiences are definitely a cut above the rest in terms of letting artists know how much they love them.

In Kodaline’s case, they may not be exactly household names (yet), but the devoted fans who made the trek to Alabang to see the band made sure they understood just how much their presence means to them. When Garrigan started crooning the words to first song “Wherever You Are,” everyone—and I mean quite literally EVERYONE—sang along. 

To me, Kodaline are a bit of an enigma. They don’t exactly fit the mold of a typical rock band. They’re too “emo” to be categorized alongside bands like Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes; too pop to be compared to solo singer-songwriter acts like Bon Iver and Damien Rice; too soft to be like Oasis or U2; and too edgy to be like Coldplay or Keane. They’re a bit like Snow Patrol minus the angst and (arguably) double the drama, and definitely not mainstream enough like Irish compatriots The Script. In short, Kodaline occupy their own little niche within the larger sphere of Western pop-rock music. 

Clearly the band is doing something right. How else can you explain fans from halfway across the world knowing every word to their songs?

“You guys are loud,’ Garrigan couldn’t help saying, to which the response was even louder shrieks.

Skipping fan favorite “Honest,” Kodaline ran through some of their most popular hits, including “High Hopes,” (what other band can pull off adding another syllable to the word “high?”), “The One,” and “Raging.” On “The One,” specifically, Garrigan prefaced it with “This one’s a romantic song,” and people expressed varying degrees of ecstasy throughout the song.

It became increasingly clear then that this Kodaline show was a vast improvement compared to their Wanderland set in 2018, which was just okay. Garrigan’s vocals were on point, and his transitions from piano to guitar to guitar and harmonica were fluid. We also need to mention the dramatic lighting that helped elevate the entire concert experience.

The band said “Love Like This” would be their last song, which of course didn’t sit well with the audience. How could it be the end when the band hasn’t sung the song? The band exited, but people started singing the chorus to “All I Want” on their own.

The band did come back a few minutes later to do “Everything Works Out in the End,” and, of course, the big finish. Used in a bunch of movies and TV shows and streamed over a billion times on Spotify, “All I Want” is undoubtedly the band’s biggest hit. Garrigan was essentially drowned out by everyone else singing along, but that was to be expected. The experience of seeing and hearing your favorite artist performing your favorite song live is unlike any other. It’s that special connection that will forever bind artist and audience.

There’s no doubt we’re in the midst of a resurgence in live music, and fans are spoiled for choice when it comes to favorite artists making it all the way over here to perform. Kodaline may end up being just another notch in the long list of concerts this year, but it’s certainly a show that won’t soon be forgotten by those who were there.

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