A1’s Mark Read, Christian Ingebrigtsen and Ben Adams
JUST when you thought the boy band fever is over, British-Norgewian band is set to it can still get us flushed and feeling over a hundred degrees. And guess what? A1, the British-Norwegian band will be here to remind us why.
Mark Read, Ben Adams and Christian Ingebrigtsen are coming to the Philippines this month to transport music lovers down memory lane and sweep them off their feet again with their live
performance.
The singing trio will be flying from London on the last week of October for the “Here We Come-Back!” tour, four years after they fell in love with the Philippines on their first visit.
They will be performing their 90s hit, like “Caught in The Middle,” “Same Old Brand New You,” their cover of the A-Ha classic “Take On Me,” “Everytime,” “Like a Rose” and “Heaven by Your Side” at the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) pavilion on October 25.
Roughly two weeks before their concert in the country’s Queen City of the South, Cebu Daily News was lucky enough to get an exclusive interview with British singer and songwriter Mark Read of A1 via Skype last Thursday.
And you bet, he was ecstatic to see his Filipino fans again. Below is our brief interview with Mark:
What keeps a Mark Read busy nowadays?
I’ve been writing and producing songs and since we (A1) got back, we have also been performing together. Aside from that, I also dubbed and given voice to some cartoon characters like I was the voice of Optimus Prime of Transformers for a television show. (laughs) Well, I also do live gigs for my fans. I’m very lucky to be still doing what I love to do and that is to write, produce and create my own music.
How long will you guys be staying in the country? Do you have plans to hit the beach and maybe try (again) some of our food and delicacies?
It’s going to be a three to five days stay here in the Philippines for our concert in Manila and in Cebu so it’s kind of short. I don’t think we can get the chance to visit the beaches here unlike the first time. But definitely, the lechon is part of the trip already (laughs). I’ve also spent sometime in Cebu for a
vacation and not for work and was able to enjoy the beach and water activities. It’s a place I have always love to visit.
From your last visit four years ago, how would you describe the Cebuano fans?
The crowd in Cebu is one of the best fans in the world. They are incredible, Cebu has a special place in my heart, like we have sort of relationship, that’s very strong. And considering Philippines was also one of the first Asian countries we visited for our tour, four years ago (smiles). I can still remember our visit, we performed at Waterfront Hotel for a charity event to help underprivileged kids, to help them raise money to build homes.
What will make this trip different this time?
It’s been like four years and we can’t wait to perform again. It’s always a great experience here and we always love to come back. We’re also excited to perform in a different venue this time, at the IEC pavilion. Well, is it big? I hope everyone could come and fill in every seat to see us. I, for one hope we could remind them of good times with our music. We can’t wait.
Your message to your fans?
You have been supporting us through the years, I really hope we could see everyone. I can’t wait to perform our songs again together with Ben and Christian. I miss saying “Mahal Kita” before the Filipino crowd. I miss the cheers, I miss the energy. So, see you on October 25!
Presented by Concert Republic, A1’s Here We Come – Back Tour will be held at the Kia Theater in Araneta Center, Quezon City on Oct. 23, two days before their show in country’s Queen City of the South.
Tickets can be purchased through Ticketworld outlets or you can log on to www.ticketworld.com.ph or call 891-9999. You can also check out A1’s Facebook page/a1official or follow Concert Republic’s website www.concertrepublic.com.