Muningerzee

by: Ramona Nieva Just weeks ago, I wrote about the Beatles’ horrendous Manila experience.   How, after all of that, they vowed never to step on Philippine soil ever again.   Click this link for a peek  http://muningerzee.blogspot.com/2015/07/ely-buendia-kikstarts-beatles-campaign.html The Beatles, now with only 2 remaining members around, have kept their words.   They’ve managed to gig around Asia for decades without stopping over Philippines.   Even after they’ve disbanded, Philippines was never a gig destination for them.    So traumatic was their Manila Experience, it was reported, that even Paul McCartney stood up a press conference when he found out that the participating media were all from the Philippines.   Just how bad was this experience, you ask?   For one, the Philippine promoter refused to pay the Beatles what's due them for the Rizal Stadium gig.   The band’s hotel suites were barraged with bomb and death threats...

It has been nearly 5 decades when The Beatles first came to the Philippines.   July 4, 1966— a pack of Marlboro cost P1 , the dollar exchange rate was P3.90 to a peso,   taxi flagdown rate was .15 centavos while the minimum jeep fare was .10 centavos.  Beatles mania was at its peak in Manila and the band was scheduled to do a couple of shows at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.  Among the front acts were Pilita Corales, Raycards Duets (?) and D’ Downbeats, Pinoy Rock Icon Pepe Smith banged the skins for this band I think.  The gig was sold-out to more than 100,000 young kids and that’s just the number inside the stadium who could afford the P50 and P20 tickets. The next day, some uniformed men came and banged on the group’s door in Manila Hotel.   They claimed The Beatles was set to gig at the Malacanang Palace for Marcos and the First Family’s regalement.   The whole shenanigan at Malacanang was televised live.   But the ba...