Terence Laguardia and Leia Pelobello, UP Mass Comm Students
THERE are many factors to consider in order to succeed in the music industry other than talent. Effective management, good publicity and strong consistency are just some examples which can make or break one’s music career–but none of these matter more than a loyal and fervent fan base.
Quickly gaining popularity around the world with songs like The Beginning and Mighty Long Fall while performing alongside recognizable bands such as Simple Plan and All Time Low, Japanese rock (J-Rock) band One Ok Rock (OOR) has exactly all the abovementioned factors–especially the dedicated fans. Just ask the Filipino fans how they beat the odds to have the J-Rock band hold a concert on Philippine soil.
“We spent three years petitioning for them to have a concert here,” said Mae Karen Pasaol, a proud Cebuano member of the Japanese band’s national fan club Philippines’ One Ok Rockers, the most active national OOR fan base in the country. “We were already denied twice.”
The third petition to Japanese entertainment company Amuse Inc. was finally granted. OOR is scheduled to hold a concert in Manila at the Mall of Asia Arena on Jan. 19. One Ok Rockers have proven that anything can indeed happen if fans are willing enough.Jamie Balgos, also a Cebuano member of the J-Rock group’s national fan club, shared a recent example on the power of fans.“We got the idea to petition for the concert to happen right after fans of Rurouni Kenshin (also identified as RuroKen) successfully petitioned for the live-action films to be shown here in the Philippines,” Balgos imparted.
“The Japanese fan community is amazing, for the simple reason that they make the content shareable with other people, and they are not at all hostile toward other fan bases,” said Pasaol, referring to the supportive nature of fellow Japanese music fans toward those who show interest in their country’s music scene.
Everything is set and everyone is anxiously waiting for the concert that the adoring Filipino fans of OOR have worked for.