The Moffatts reminisces best times in PH
Canadian pop-rock band The Moffatts has definitely made an impact on Filipino “’90s kids” who grew up listening to their songs.
Composed of brothers Scott, Clint, and Bob, The Moffatts will refresh memories of the audience in Manila when they hold their one-night concert at Smart Araneta Coliseum tomorrow as part of their farewell tour.
The band first came to Manila in 1998 after their album “Chapter 1: A New Beginning” sold like hotcakes.
“I always remember flying to Manila, which I think might have been the first stop of our Southeast Asian tour. When the plane landed, I looked out the window and the guy waving in the place – and you never see that anywhere. That visual stuck with me,” Clint said.
Their first Manila visit made a “huge impact” on their lives, having witnessed how far their music has reached and touched thousands of their Filipino fans.
“I remember playing at the Araneta and I was like – we thought we were like – The Beatles. It was the first time that kind of thing happened. So, it is always a great experience coming back. We love it in this part of the world. People have been incredibly kind to us. So we thought it would be cool to come back and do a show again here,” he said.
Their songs “Miss You Like Crazy,” “Girl Of My Dreams,” “I’ll Be There For You,” and “If Life Is So Short” were huge hits on the airwaves.
Bob added, “I remember doing a show at Megamall. I think there were like at least 10,000 or 15,000 people in the mall and then another 10,000 people outside. We have not experienced anything like that. It’s crazy, the girls were climbing the rafters. It was cool.” When they arrived a few days ago, The Moffatts was still warmly welcomed by their fans at the airport. Their brother Dave, now a yoga instructor, didn’t go on tour with them. “They (Filipino fans) have been very supportive of our music and all we have done. You always have been there for us. It makes me really appreciate everyone. It is cool that these girls are the same as us now. We’re adults now. But they are still going crazy, having fun and really enjoying the moment,” Scott said.
The Moffatts members were still young when their first record broke out in the late ’90s. They did not expect their album “Chapter 1: A New Beginning” would be a big success and land them to different parts of the world, including Europe and Southeast Asia. Their songs “Until You Loved Me” and “Misery” were also heard in the Hollywood movies “Never Been Kissed” and “Teaching Mrs. Tingle.”
“We didn’t know what was going to happen. We didn’t target anybody. Why do these people like what we were doing? That’s not the mentality that we have. We’re just gonna do what we’re gonna do and if it resonates with people, that’s wonderful. But we’re not gonna go after people. That’s a little bit of a weird mentality. We want to make music that people enjoy, we want to make music that we enjoy. And if it works out, it works out,” Scott said.
Even though they reached success at an early age, the brothers who were in their teenage years then, handled fame well. It also helped they work together as a family.
“We were really tight-knit. Our circle’s really tight and pretty small. So even if we had the
‘There were at least 10,000 or 15,000 people at Megamall then another 10,000 people outside. We have not experienced anything like that. It’s crazy, the girls were climbing the rafters. It was cool.
type of success that we had, it was kind of strange that the world has changed a lot since that period of time. Things have changed, people have changed. There was no social media at that point. We just really always felt like just ourselves all the time. We didn’t really have people around us that made us feel like we needed to be anything different. We are just brothers who hang out all the time. We are friends. I feel like through the years, we have always been that way. We haven’t really changed, to be honest,” Clint said.
The Moffatts then were also pitted against American pop-rock band Hanson. The groups have mutual respect for each other despite fans’ rivalry.
“My wife is a big Hanson fan. I took her to a show in Nashville and I got to meet the guys. It turned out that they were big fans, of course. It was really cool, really nice guys,” Bob said.
Latter years
It has been 16 years since The Moffatts took a break and pursued their respective music careers. They joined other bands, while Bob and Clint also regrouped. In 2012, the band reunited for a campaign and an online Christmas show.
“You kind of have to do what feels right in time and that’s the path we’re on. Even when we decided to take a break, which turned into a 16-year break for now, that felt the right thing to do,” Bob said.
There have been lots of changes since the band first came out – from cassettes and CDs to digital downloads and online streaming and fan mails to social media accounts. The Moffatts noticed there was “more freedom” then in that they didn’t even have their own stylists and just
‘There was no social media at that point. We just really always felt like just ourselves all the time.
dressed the way they wanted.
“I think a lot of time now people make it ‘You shouldn’t look that way. You should look this way.’ Back then, everyone was trying to look different from everybody else, trying to find their own identity,” Bob said.
‘We miss you guys’
The group shared their song “Miss You Like Crazy” is very special for them because that earned them success and popularity in the Philippines, as well as in other Southeast Asian countries.
“Because we miss you guys. That’s what got things started here for us. The song that paved the way for us, to do some shows here,” Bob said.
For their Manila concert, The Moffatts promised a nostalgic night as they sing their hits. The Moffatts’ “The Farewell Tour: Live in Manila 2017” is presented by Midas Promotions.
“We are going to have a lot of fun in the show. We are going to play all the songs, the records that you guys bought. We are going to be doing our own stuff, too,” Bob said.