'90s band A1 reunites, to celebrate 20th anniversary in Manila

MANILA, Philippines — British-Norwegian band A1 reportedly fell in love with the Philippines during its two-night comeback concert in Manila and Cebu last October 2016.

Thus, for its 20th anniversary, the boy band is returning to Manila via a reunion tour at the Kia Theatre Araneta Center, Quezon City on October 21, Sunday, 8 p.m.

Presented for the second time by Concert Republic, A1's “Reunion” Tour will feature Paul Marazzi joining his original band mates Ben Adams, Mark Read, and Christian Ingebrigtsen.

Ben, Mark, and Christian expressed their excitement on having Paul back on stage with them.

“We're unbelievably excited that Paul will be joining us again and bringing the original line up of A1 together for the very first time in nearly 15 years, as we approach the 20th Anniversary of when we released our first single and album, ‘Here we Come’,” the band said in a statement. 

“There was always an amazing dynamic and energy when the four of us performed together. So what better place to bring that magic back than to the part of the world that has always embraced us with such incredible love and support, South East Asia, more specifically, the Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore. We absolutely cannot wait to see our friends and fans over there once again and bring them a show that will remind us of all the great times we had together. It will surely be a show to remember and not to be missed.” 

Paul, who left the band in 2002 due to personal reasons, likewise conveyed his thoughts on the reunion tour. He said: “This time 20 years ago I was just starting out on an amazing journey that would take me to all four corners of the earth.  I was lucky enough to see some amazing places and meet some very kind and wonderful people too.  I can’t think of anywhere better to continue this journey once again than to South East Asia and what better company than my old friends Mark, Ben and Christian. I have so many fond memories of my time there and feel so privileged to be able to visit once again. See you all soon.”

A1 had their first breakthrough in the UK in 1999 with a collection of hit singles from their debut album. They went on to have international top 10 and number one hits like “Caught in The Middle,” “Same Old Brand New You,” their cover of the A-Ha classic “Take On Me,” “Everytime,” and “Heaven by Your Side.”

The band also achieved huge success in the UK, Europe and across Asia, including a Brit Award for Best British Breakthrough Act in 2001. A1 has accumulated over 10 million record sales worldwide.

Originally a quartet, A1 enjoyed success from late ‘90s to early 2000s. The band has formed a bond that they decided to get together seven years after their split and represent Norway for the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest with “Don’t Wanna Lose You Again.”

In February 2012, A1 performed with Blue and Jeff Timmons of 98 Degrees in “The Greatest Hits Tour,” which took them to Singapore, Philippines and Indonesia. They loved their two-week stay and charity work in the Philippines that they held a benefit show in November for the underprivileged kids of Cebu.

The following year, A1 appeared in the TV documentary “The Big Reunion” along with Blue, Five, Damage, 3T, 911, Girl Thing, and 5th Story, and went on a UK tour. The boys also worked on their album and released “Waiting for Daylight” and “Rediscovered” in UK in June 2015.