Let them eat cake

Meiday is my kind of party. I love the come-as-you-are vibe (except for the Halloween edition, where you absolutely have to wear a costume, or suffer organizer Mei Bastes’ wrath) and the anything-goes feel. For those of us who like to let loose, but aren’t into the club scene, it’s perfect. You can get up and dance to the bands that you like (pro tip: Pedicab sets are the craziest), you can sit out the ones that you aren’t so into, you can hang out in a corner with your friends and talk over the music. Whatever floats your boat, as long as you’re having a good time. And no one’s giving your outfit a snide once-over.

I crashed my first Meiday a couple of years ago. It was Mei’s birthday party at BigSkyMind, and there was no door charge, just great music and great people. Since then, it has evolved into one of the most anticipated gigs in Manila, with one Meiday (the third anniversary, to be specific) attracting over 2,000 people. It’s kind of huge now. When you say “Meiday,” anyone who’s ever been into local music knows what you’re talking about. For the inquisitive minds out there who aren’t content with just partying, we spoke to the lady herself, Mei Bastes, to get the lowdown on the wildest production ever.

Mei Bastes: It’s her party and she’ll pout if she wants to. Photo by SHAIRA LUNA

YOUNG STAR: How did Meiday get its start?

MEI BASTES: I managed a UP band in college, and it was so difficult to get them gigs outside school. All the productions would ask the band to sell tickets from the show, or have some B.S. pay-to-play scheme. I did everything to book them gigs; pleaded with organizers, sold tickets. We were part of the UP Underground Music Community, an organization of struggling musicians who were producing DIY CDs to promote their music. There was no venue for bands like them back then. I wanted to share good music with everyone, I wanted their music to be accessible to the public. That’s what Meiday’s all about.

The first Meiday was staged in 2008. I invited all my band friends back then to play—The Brew, Giniling Festival, TopJunk, Sunflower Day Camp—and all my friends and orgmates came. The next ones in BigSkyMind were more intimate; everyone knew each other. Then, I produced a series of birthday parties in 2008, and Pedicab was in the house, so everyone went crazy. Suddenly they were all talking about Meiday, and I was pressured to stage it at a bigger venue to accommodate everyone.

Meiday used to be a private party. What made you take it public?

I transferred Meiday to Cubao X because I had the money to stage it there and take it to a new level. I was making a name for myself at the time as a professional events host, and I had the means. I felt like it was time to give the bands I liked the much-needed exposure.

Has Meiday changed significantly since you took it public?

It changed in the sense that the intimacy was gone. The first ones were more like a monthly reunion for all my friends. Actually, they got tired of attending the big ones. Meiday has a huge following now, and everything is so different, but I look at it as a success. The homegrown Meiday bands have established their own following, and it’s nice to be credited for it.

How do you pick the bands that play?

Mei with Ebe Dancel Photo by Adoborat

I have a very odd and eclectic taste in music, so the bands come from different genres. When I go to gigs, I sort of scout for good bands and then invite them to play. The other bands are bands of my friends. It got to a point where big bands started asking me if they could play, and that’s how I got them on board without any monetary promise. I make sure the band lineup doesn’t attract a rowdy crowd, so it’s always wholesome fun and partying your guts out every time.

Meiday is probably the only free gig in Manila without a corporate sponsor of some sort. How have you managed to pull it off all these years?

There’s a public perception that I’m some rich girl just wasting money on parties. It’s not what it seems. It doesn’t cost that much; all the bands play for free. All I worry about is the sound system, which I get at nearly half the price because I have a good working relationship with the company. Point is, I don’t throw a Meiday party if I don’t have incoming income.

Why Meiday?

I was trying to come up with a production name with recall. Urbandub’s Alert the Armory was so big those days, so I got the title from the lyrics of that song and changed the spelling of “mayday” to “Meiday.”

Did you (or do you still) get any flak for naming the party after yourself? How do you deal with it?

Of course! It was difficult to handle at first. A lot of people sent me hate mail, telling me I was obnoxious and egocentric. I’m terrible at handling haters and people who are suddenly interested in my personal life; I get sensitive most of the time. But now I just ignore them, because at the same time, I get a lot of fan mail, too.

Which was the wildest Meiday?

The third anniversary, no doubt! It attracted more than 2,000 people, and it was one of Sugarfree’s last gigs. After their set, there was a sudden blackout, and everyone thought it was a gimmick for the next band, Pedicab. Little did they know that, during the blackout, I went to the Meralco people who were fixing something along Aurora Boulevard and cried and begged them to turn the electricity back on. It was restored after 45 minutes, and the party went crazy!

Any drawbacks to staging massive Meidays?

The worst is always the after-party damage, which I have to pay for.

Fine frenzy: A sea of people at Meiday

What’s the best thing you’ve been told about Meiday?

That it’s the craziest gig ever. I take that as a compliment.

What do you get out of it?

There’s an odd satisfaction after every Meiday, knowing that I helped boost the local music scene and that I made a difference in my own way.

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Drop by Mayday! Mayday! tonight at B-Side, The Collective, along Malugay Street, featuring Pupil, Up Dharma Down, Itchyworms, Sandwich, Pedicab, Twisted Halo, Ebe Dancel, Cambio, Ciudad, Ang Bandang Shirley, Halik Ni Gringo, The Discoball, The Purplechickens, Bee Eyes, Outerhope, and The Strangeness. Gig starts at 6p.m. Door charge is P250 with a beer, or buy a Meiday shirt for P400 and party for free.