DREAM COLLABORATION
Gary V on sharing the stage with the Eraserheads
THE recent Eraserheads reunion concert that reportedly drew a crowd of fans 75,000 strong had its share of musical high points gift-wrapped in a much-awaited pre-christmas package of what itself was an astonishingly giant musical highlight of 2022. Joining the iconic pop band on stage was Mr. Pure Energy himself, Gary Valenciano, who played out what ‘Heads frontman Ely Buendia described as a “dream collab” with the song “Christmas Party” off the “Fruitcake” album.
While Gary V was reportedly originally eyed to also do another song with the band, the show’s director Paolo Valenciano preferred to keep much of the focus on the ‘Heads—gary reportedly agreed with his son’s assessment. Nevertheless, the Filipino pop superstar added blast of energy to the number when he busted out a mid-song percussion solo peppered with some scatting. The 18-piece AMP orchestra boosted the Kool & the Gang “Celebration” feel thanks to its brass section.
Gary V, of course, has been in the industry years before the ‘Heads. In the span of his career, he’s been known as much for his style (at some point early in his career, he was touted as the Michael Jackson of the Philippines—owing to his dancing prowess and r&b leanings— before the Mr Pure Energy moniker took hold) as his music (a long list of pop hits), his messages (he is a Christian who has not shirk from sharing his faith through music), and also his personal advocacy as man living with diabetes.
Relevance in the industry and among music fans shouldn’t be so much the question as his massive contribution to OPM, and the soundtrack of our times. Gary V still sang and performed in a way that could only be looked up to by other guests in the concert, maybe save from the late Francis M’s appearance because, you know—hologram!
In an earlier online press gathering before his participation at the ‘Heads concert was even announced, Gary took the time to highlight his diabetes advocacy by talking about a new technology called Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM). Gary was diagnosed when he was only 14 years old (“a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away,” he interjected). Naturally, as a performer, this proved to be tricky for him.
“The struggles of monitoring how high my glucose (level) was of how low it was before switching to CGM started way back when… actually I felt like a chemist… because (back then) there was no such thing as finger-pricking for blood. It was actually done with a test tube, a tablet, urine, and… how high or low my sugar was depending on how the tablet would respond,” he shared. “It was more or less a guessing game to see where I was at.”
He also spent years finger-pricking to test the blood before more accurate, less arduous process evolved. “When the technology started advancing, which I’m so thankful for, all the more it spurred me on to carry on the advocacy of helping Filipinos living with diabetes,” he noted.
“Diabetes can be the most deceiving of all illnesses because sometimes you think you are ok but things could be going on inside of you if you don’t take care of yourself the way you should,” the artist related.
Beyond medical advances, Gary V certainly credits his faith in keeping him going in the challenging world of show business. “There’s got to be a reason why I still have my diabetes after so many years, over 4 decades now. Ive been given the best doctors… I’ve been provided a lot of things to make things easier.”
Entrenched in his artist persona is an “advocacy… to provide medical assistance to Filipinos with diabetes through the Shining Light Foundation that my wife and I decided to put up a long time ago. It was first used to channel support for church workers, and then it branched out to those underprivileged. And then now it’s to provide medical support to Filipinos living with diabetes through donations and diabetes education.”
The ‘Heads’ reunion concert certainly isn’t the group’s “huling el bimbo” as Ely has reportedly teased a 2023 world tour. One can only wonder if Gary V will figure as a guest in any of the stops, but for sure, the music veteran is certainly taking care of himself to enable him to indulge other artists in more dream collabs, and contribute more musical and performance milestones to Pinoy entertainment.