A DOCUMENTARY film on Filipino band Lola Amour’s latest album concert is now available online, perfect for fans who want to relive the experience or casual listeners who want to see what all the fuss is about.
Lola Amour: The Album Concert, which was filmed live at Circuit Makati’s open concert grounds back in April, is meant to be a sort of “early Christmas present,” according to the band.
Directed by Jed Regala of First Light Studios, the concert film captures the band’s performance and includes exclusive behind-the-scenes moments like candid rehearsal footage and interviews with fans and musical directors leading up to the big event.
“For the concert film, our main product is the live show. We already have full sets online, like the ‘Fallen’ single launch and the PETA Theater live. Every few years we do something like this, and it’s good practice for us to see where we’re going, to see the progression to remind us that we’re still improving,” said Pio Dumayas, Lola Amour’s lead singer and rhythm guitarist, at the press launch of the concert film.
“Of course, we’re also inspired by the fans that we can’t reach. We have lots of fans that wanted to see us live but couldn’t, so this is for them,” he added.
For lead guitarist Zoe Gonzales, the film allowed the members to properly see the crowd. “It’s like proof that it actually happened because when we performed it, it felt so surreal. It was great to see the crowd’s reactions, just very genuine,” he said.
It was also their last concert with ex-bassist Raymond King, whose departure from the band was effective after the live show ended. Their current bassist, Manu Dumayas, explained that the adjustment has been smooth.
“Raymond and I have really different playing styles. There was a point where there was a kind of transitional period, not just in terms of turnover of roles in the band, but actual sound. Seven months have passed and I think we’re where we want to be. We’re all on the same page on the new sound that we want,” he told the press.
The album concert also featured guests like the band’s former keyboardist Martin Kim (who is now based in South Korea), the Filipino hip-hop group PLAYERTWO, and macho dancer internet personality Dante Gulapa.
WHAT’S NEXT
Having just released the concert film online, Lola Amour is gearing up to drop new music in the coming months.
“We went to Malaysia late in July to participate in a songwriting camp organized by Warner Philippines and Warner Australia,” Mr. Dumayas said. “We got along with some of the producers there and came back to Malaysia to finish an album with them. We wrote an album in nine working days.”
Before that is released, fans can look forward to a song that will come out on Jan. 31, 2025, — a collaboration they did with Australian singer-songwriter Oliver Cronin, titled “Maria.”
Lola Amour drummer Raffy Perez said that the technical aspects of their live shows have only just started improving. “Tame Impala, an artist I really love, is really heavy on light usage in concerts. So in a way, we’re kind of in-spired to do the same wherein the synchronized LEDs are like a light show that goes well with each song’s vibe and energy. That’s what I’m excited about,” he told BusinessWorld.
For keyboardist David Yuhico, their songwriting will continue to evolve. “Now we’re like, let’s keep it simple. Let’s do what we’re good at and let people shine in certain areas. Let’s make it whole, not just everyone trying to fill the sound up because they can,” he explained.
Fans can expect Lola Amour to make a name for itself internationally, according to frontman Mr. Dumayas.
“So far, we’ve performed in Singapore and Macau. We love playing here, but we want to look for opportunities to get out in the world more,” he said.
The band members also told BusinessWorld of many other goals — performing in bigger venues like arenas once they have more hit songs, releasing a concert film in cinemas or on platforms like Netflix, and even looking for a Guinness World Record to break during their next live show.
“Everything we do is for the fans. It’s all for them,” Mr. Dumayas said.
Lola Amour: The Album Concert is now available on Spotify and YouTube. — Brontë H. Lacsamana
