A Tribute To The Moffatts Part 1: My All-Time Favorite Band

Before I get into the details of the concert, I need to give a tribute to the moffatts, my all time-favorite boyband. So watch out. This post is going to be a bit long as I will be taking you to a journey of my fangirl "yesteryears". 

I know we all have a bit of a story when we became a part of something. This is how I became a fan of The Moffatts. 

As a kid, my life was all anime, fiction books, and... music channels! Yes. Back then, MTV and Channel V were my addiction. If my favorite anime wasn't on, our television was always on MTV or Channel V. That's the reason why even if I wasn't fond of a few 90s singers, I still knew their songs by heart. 90s was that era when you know most songs simply because you were always tuned in to MTV and Channel V. In my opinion, if MTV and Channel V are still decent music channels now, Myx wouldn't have taken the spotlight. It was nothing compared to the glory days of these two music channels. 

So anyway, I couldn't pinpoint the exact date. All I can say is, I didn't like The Moffatts when I first saw their music video I'll Be There For You (Vid Source: RunawayRun89 on Youtub ) back in 1998. Hmm... it was petty (well, most kids think this way!). I just didn't like that they're called The Moffatts. I felt like they were trying to be Hanson (I didn't even like Hanson!). I "dislike" Scott the most even and I didn't know why. It just felt that way. But then life has a way of turning everything back on us. The song kept reverberating in my head for quite a while (it's catchy! Come on, admit it!). And then just like that, I found myself listening to the song over and over again every time it's played on the radio and on the music channels. I also started to find Scott cute of all people. I was in denial even. Until I could no longer deny it (childhood drama, ya know). By the time they released Miss You Like Crazy (Vid Source: kwangbencha on Youtube), I had fallen in love with the band and with the oldest of the brothers. FML. Story of my life.

Photo From Pinterest

You couldn't blame me. Oh no, you couldn't. They're a group of four cute brothers and I was twelve. That was the time when every girl started having their serious crushes (puppy loves). Other than that, the song was really good. I'll Be There For You was something that will capture your attention even if you just listened to it for the first time. Oh come on. The "Na na na na, na na na, na na na na" would have gotten to you even if you're not into boybands with cheesy songs.

And they offered something different. I was used to listening to Spice Girls and BSB. They were simply singing and dancing to songs. This band played instruments! But their sound wasn't heavy unlike rock bands. And they had cool hair! That long blonde streak was just too much for me. (Yeah, yeah. Scott Moffatt fan here. Sheesh.) It's Scott's fault that I actually switched from appreciating Nick-Carter type of hair to long hair on boys (It stuck too! Ugh. Your fault, Scotty. Totally blaming this on you). 

My mother never supported by fangirling. Ever. Back then, we were struggling with money. My parents were working so hard to allow us to study at a private school. And things such as albums and magazines were considered as trivial by my parents so I didn't have anything. I remember saving all of my allowance in school just so I could buy a weekly songhit (that thin songbook in the 90s) which always featured them. My mother never knew. I always went with my aunt in the market so I could sneak buying one. Well, that was until she found my stack of songhits (I had about 45 pieces that time. Each songhit caused 20 pesos) and she just let it go. She still gave me the stinky eyes though.

Finally, before the end of 1998, she pitied me and brought me Chapter 1: A New Beginning, the album.  

Photo Credits to Amazon

I was so happy! My goodness, I kept playing the album (it was a cassette tape) until it gave up on me. In less than two months, it was destroyed. Destroyed in a way that while it was playing, the music kept jumping from loud to soft. It had sounded as if someone was playing with the volume while it was rolling. It didn't faze me. I still kept listening to it even though everyone was annoyed. 

My obsession continued. I knew all the lyrics to their songs and I kept watching all of their music videos. Remember the days when VJ Donita still hosted MTV Request? MTV episodes had replays in the afternoon and I watched them without fail just so I could watch the request for the Moffatts. They're favorites back then. Almost every day, there's a request for a Moffatts' song. I remember making MTV requests every day. I haven't sent them because the post was expensive, but I ad a collection of unsent crafts for MTV Requests. My Aunt told me once, "God, you are so obsessed with that band. You need your head checked". It was an ouch, but so what? It didn't stop me. 

I had to admit it was kinda hard to fangirl during those times. As a 12-year-old girl, my resources were limited. We weren't that rich so buying tickets for the concert was out of the question. There was no mobile back then even! No social media! I had to rely on featured articles and television guestings. Most of the time, I was too late to know about a certain event. I have never seen them in person. Not once. I haven't even hear them sing live. I only fed my thirsty and hungry heart with the weeks late magazine articles. And every time I read about fans catching them in restaurants, television shows, and tour buses, all I could think of was, "Damn. They're so lucky." 

By the time If Life Is So Short (Vid Source: geeahne on Youtube) was released, I was desperate. If Life Is So Short captured the attention of the whole world as it became number one on the MTV Hitlist. It was a melancholic song, wasn't it? But just like Miss You Like Crazy and I'll Be There For You, it's a catchy song that would echo in your head for weeks. And the boys really looked like heartthrobs by this time. Their instrument-playing skills also improved drastically. That guitar solo by Scott after the second chorus was amazing! I wanted them to come back and maybe I would have the chance to finally meet them. I didn't. 

Crazy (StewieGriffin008 on Youtube) was released next. Crazy was a song that always captured my heart. It's a crazy melancholic funny song that suits every mood. I mean really. It's a song that you'd want to dance to. It's a song that would make you want to jump on your bed and be crazy and then realize after you had to clean it all up. It's a song that would make you laugh and want to destroy things at the same time (okay, this was probably my teenage angsty self saying this). But yeah, you get my drift. 

And then Girl Of My Dreams (Vid Source: halaryloha on Youtube) happened. The energy waned to something mellow that once again soothed my heart and made me want to fall in love again and again (I hate teenage hormones). That's really how I felt! I kept listening to the song and kept making googly eyes at Scott. I loved the UK Version the most. The boys in bed and looking wet. Yup, every teenage girl's wet dream. I meant... dream. But seriously, that Scott guitar solo in the beginning was enough to make me swoon (That's... a guitar solo, right? And it's Scott's and not Clint's? Because my world will be shattered!). This was probably the peak of my Moffatts' obsession. I couldn't go back. 

1999 came and I was surprised by the release of Until You Loved Me (Vid Source: geeahna on Youtibe). The thing about this song is, it was a soundtrack for Never Been Kissed (my all-time favorite chick flick). I think the boys matured a bit in this. Their music was still pop rock, but there's a bit of an edge there that hasn't been present in their previous songs. They also developed a bit of a swag. By this time, the boys looked sexy as hell. It's as if they're preparing us for an edgier Moffatts in the coming days. I had a copy of this album. It's the US version, if I'm not mistaken. I wished they had released Raining In My Mind (Vid Source: hanzanne on Youtube) though. I love that song so much.

Misery (Vid Source: themoffattsfan on Youtube) surprised me. It also supported my hint that the Moffatts were gearing towards a change of direction, whether it be about their looks or their music. Misery brought out the maturity in them. The music was angsty, deep, and a little bit rebellious. It's as if they finally had enough of something and were willing to release what they've been keeping inside for so long. Having been a fan for a long time, I could feel this change. And I would be honest and say that it both scared and excited me. The teeny boppers were gone and were replaced by men who knew what they wanted when it came to life and music. Misery did well, but in my observation, not as well as the other past singles (the highest it reached in the MTV Top 20 was top 10. BSB's Larger Than Life entered the top 20 behind the Moffatts, but it went straight to top 5 and then eventually to the top spot while The Moffatts remained in no. 10).

And then The Moffatts were quiet for a bit. I just saw a little sneak peak of them in an interview, but they wouldn't say anything. All I noticed was that Scott had a haircut. It was shorter than his hair in I'll Be There For You. (I know! It was all about Scott! I'm A Scott Fan, okay?!)

2000 came. And the Moffatts came out in a music video with another cutie. Gil Ofarim! I loved that song. If You Only Knew (Vid Source: MoffattsVideoHQ on Youtube) was a bit cheesy. And the video was even cheesier. But who would say no to a video full of long-haired cuties?! Half-kidding. The song was really nice too. I love that it was simple, but with a tune that stayed in your head. 

From Pinterest

And oh. Do you remember this song? I remember falling in love with this because it's a very touching song. And it's a collab among artists of the 90s. Let The Music Heal Your Soul (Vid Source: HsmZanessaFansite3) by Bravo All Stars. 

From Youtube

And then after that... still in 2000... it all went... BANG... BANG... and then finally, BOOM!

I just made a pun, didn't I? Anyway, I was totally blown away. I had a feeling it would be a huge change, but I didn't expect it would be this huge. Bang Bang Boom (Vid Source: Vitomenz on Youtube) totally caught me off guard. There's the edge right there! That rebellious nature was finally released and it was shown through their music and their looks! It was a bit strange at first and I was having a hard time accepting it (Seriously. They all went from Boys-next-door to Men-I-Want-To....Next Door). But my love for the band prevailed so I still bought their Submodalities album. Although I have to say that it was really a huge change. I thought Bang Bang Boom was probably my most favorite in there. 

When Just Another Phase (Vid Source: MoffattsVideoHQ on Youtube) was released, I finally said goodbye to the "Old Moffatts". It's a whole new different group here. They found their new music and it's "them". As a fan, it's a bit hard for me to move on. But I knew they have grown. And seeing them perform their new music, I knew they were more comfortable with this, most especially Scott. And so all I could ever do was to support them. 

Their first release in 2001 was Walking Behind (Vid Source: Enzo Bianco). I didn't think it has been a huge hit. I think (I wasn't sure, okay) during that time, fans were still torn about what to feel. So we were "experimenting with our feelings" if that even made sense. 

Until Who Do You Love (Vid Source: MoffattMusic on Youtube) followed right after. I'm unsure about what the other fans felt, but for me, that song brought back that excitement. Yes, it was rock-ish, but it had that touch of the soft side of the Moffatts. It was as if they were willing to compromise between the reaction of the fans and their need to become something new. Ugh. This song always gives me the feels. 

They had a Submodalities tour, which I failed to attend again (my third, fourth frustration).

And then....

...they were gone. Just like that! They vanished, didn't they? I couldn't hear anything from them anymore after that. I remember marathoning Youtube videos of their past songs because I was having major sepanx. 

I didn't have closure, you know. I just felt that I suddenly lost a huge part of my life and I mourned for a bit. Westlife helped in healing that part. But The Moffatts' part in my heart has never been replaced. It was always there.

For years I haven't heard anything from them. I think, I even moved on. Just like I said, Westlife helped in that. My focus was on them. Even when Clint and Bob came back as Same Same, I wasn't able to support them as I would have if there were four of them. I even heard that Scott has been doing solo work. And while I knew it wasn't probably their fault and I couldn't begrudge them that, I felt a little betrayed that we were left hanging. 

But then I knew that we all had to move on with our own lives, so that's what we all did. As fans and as artists. 

And as time went by, I started listening to their songs again (nothing can beat 90s songs. Ever. At least for me). I knew that if they would have a reunion concert (Westlife started it. Then BSB followed, am I right? Then every 90s boyband started having reunion ceoncerts so I felt a little hope that they would have one too).

Last 2016, I saw a post because I have been tagged several times. It was asking if Moffatts fans wanted a reunion concert. I didn't know if it was true. It circulated online and everyone was talking about it, yet no one was sure if it was legit. I remember asking friends to check it for me, but no one could assure me that it was true. 

And then last October, I saw this:

Manila Concert Scene

It's been 18 years. But with the way my world stopped, I knew that I wasn't over them. Has never really been over them. And will never really be over them. 

I knew I had to go no matter what. And that's when I proved to myself that I will always be a true Moffatian at heart.