MANILA, Philippines - When rain started to fall hours before One Direction (1D) was supposed to perform, I was set to proclaim that even light showers could not dampen the mood at the Mall of Asia concert grounds.
It was the second of the British band’s two gigs in Manila and droves of die-hard fans had turned up wearing raincoats, trash bags and shower caps in an attempt to keep dry in the drizzle.
Early in the night, the crowd pulsed with energy, seemingly oblivious to the terrible weather. Luckily, the rain let up quickly enough and the show could finally begin.
Thousands of 1D fans shrieked, danced and some even cried when Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles and Niall Horan first strode onstage.
But as the concert wore on, the audience seemed to lose some of its verve. By the end, the crowd was unexpectedly subdued; it felt like the downpour had washed away some of the people’s energy.
Perhaps it had something to do with missing-in-action member Zayn Malik’s absence. The 22 year old had to miss the band’s two Manila concerts and another in Jakarta after he needed to fly back to the UK to recuperate from “stress.”
The four remaining boys did an admirable job of covering for Zayn, but it was obvious the crowd still missed him. They sporadically chanted his name during the show and many wore headbands adorned with cardboard cut-outs of his face.
Fortunately, even if they were missing one from the team, the boys still put on an entertaining act. It was plain to see that they enjoyed performing onstage with each other and goofing around in the middle of songs.
They performed nearly two dozens of their hits, beginning with Clouds from their fourth studio release, Four, followed by their most famous single from the same album, Steal My Girl.
Most of the tracks on their set list were from their two newer records. But, it was the songs that catapulted them into stardom that got the best audience reception.
Fan favorites One Thing, Little Things and Kiss You enlivened the crowd, but the most spirited applause was reserved for the band’s very first hit, What Makes You Beautiful.
The show didn’t have the usual trimmings of a pop concert — none of the dancing that had girls swooning at Justin Bieber’s 2011 gig, or the sets and costumes that wowed crowds who flocked to previous performances by Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift.
Neither did it have the rustic vibe typical of acoustic concerts by artists like Ed Sheeran and Jason Mraz.
What One Direction brought to the Manila stage instead was a simple, playful musical act. They were definitely not a rock or punk band, but not quite a boy band (in the tradition of Westlife or N’Sync) either.
The boys still seem to be in the middle of developing their musical style, transitioning from the teeny-bopper sound they became famous for, to something more mature.
But one thing is certain: They already know how to put on a good show.
Liam and Niall are the better showmen in the quartet, while Harry has pretty good vocals. Louis is a decent performer as well, but his talent may lie more in songwriting as proven by his work on the band’s albums.
It’s a shame that Zayn couldn’t make it to the Philippine leg of the On the Road Again tour to showcase his gifts.
The show probably would have been even better if the boys were complete. As it stood, the foursome were already exceptionally endearing — from reading crowd fan signs out loud to having the audience sing happy birthday to a member of their road crew.
They were also incredibly grateful to everyone who braved the weather to watch them perform. “You are absolute troopers,” Liam said.
And while I don’t think they got the best reception Manila could offer (blame the drizzle!), they were definitely very happy with the turnouts for both their Manila gigs, which Louis described as the “hottest” they’ve ever done.
“I feel sorry for the rest of the concerts,” Niall said, adding, “They have a lot to live up to.”
The band’s tour is coming to a close but there’s a good chance they’ll be back here again soon.
Hopefully, when that day comes, there’ll be more Zayn and less rain.