Wanderland 2017: How We Braved the “Coachella of the Philippines”

By Arian Yupangco

Even the gloomy weather couldn’t dampen the energy and vibe of the metro’s biggest annual indie music and arts festival – Wanderland 2017.

Wanderland 2017 Manila

Trudging through patches of wet mud, it was peasant tops and feather hair accessories as far as the eye could see, all to the constant beat and rhythm of both well-loved and new-to-the-scene local bands.

Of course, being aptly dubbed the “Coachella of the Philippines” meant setting the bar even better as this year’s varied Wanderland lineup was nothing short of sensational. Aussie indie alt-rock band The Temper Trap were headliner kings and the excitement was free flowing despite the long wait until their much-anticipated appearance.

Wanderland 2017 Manila

Wanderland 2017 Manila

Patience was something the crowd had plenty of, especially since there were enough talented acts, of both the local and international variety, to keep everyone going well into the night. Philippine pride was going into overload as the likes of Mickey Sulit, Fools and Foes, Reese Lasangan, Lola Amour, and Banna Harbera got the crowd revved up, along with UDD (formerly and more popularly known as Up Dharma Down) who crooned out songs both classic and new, giving us a musical sneak peek into just some of the material we can expect in their upcoming album.

Wanderland 2017 Manila

Wanderland 2017 Manila

The unpredictable weather also meant unpredicted, technical glitches and long setup times as the crowd waited on shifting feet and with near-empty cups for LA-based, alt-band LANY to kick off the slew of international and further local bands that followed. One can’t help but be thankful for the interesting albeit limited number of activities on the grounds to entertain one’s self during the wait.

Daredevils could jump off the Tiger beer-sponsored free fall or check out different Globe-sponsored booths to maybe snag some cool deals and win prizes. For the famished and parched, there was no shortage of food and drink booths to choose from. LANY was worth the wait though as the crowd exploded in cheers as they performed

Daredevils could jump off the Tiger beer-sponsored free fall or check out different Globe-sponsored booths to maybe snag some cool deals and win prizes. For the famished and parched, there was no shortage of food and drink booths to choose from. LANY was worth the wait though as the crowd exploded in cheers as they performed favourites like ‘ILYSB’ and ‘pink skies’. Even the cringe-inducing audio malfunctions kept both them and the crowd singing on.

English pop duo The Ting Tings followed suit and kept the electric atmosphere going with ‘Shut Up and Let Me Go’ and ‘That’s Not My Name’, while the purely instrumental tracks of Tom’s Story saw the still pumped up crowd humming and swaying along. Though it was the dead of night by the time The Temper Trap got on stage to bust out their most popular tunes, many attendees were still filled with enough life to happily see the entire festival to the very end.

Wanderland 2017 Manila

This year, Wanderland’s apt ‘jungle’ theme meant attendees came in with ‘wild’ curiosity and anticipation, and left tired but thoroughly sated with dreams of the next Wanderland adventure to come.

Read more of Arian Yupangco’s writing at www.arisinwonderland.com

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