The Eraserheads is done running away
If Ely Buendia were to give the Eraserheads an “unofficial anthem,” it would be “Combo on the Run.”
At the time it was written, the song was nothing more than a little sonic capsule of the then unknown college band’s first taste of touring; of its (mis)adventures, traveling by ship en route to its first big out-of-town gig in Cebu City—“the promised land,” so the lyrics go.
The concert was called “Showdown 2,” held at the Aznar Coliseum in September 1991. There the band took the stage to open for the relatively more experienced Introvoys. And were booed by local fans raring for glam metal—not whatever it was that Buendia, Buddy Zabala, Marcus Adoro, and Raymund Marasigan had brought with them all the way from UP Diliman.
While the experience had them wishing they could just go home already, and wishing they could stop “this running around,” deep inside they knew they would do it all again, “you can bet your pwet!”
But more than this piece of lore from the early days, “Combo on the Run”—which closes the band’s groundbreaking debut album, “Ultraelectromagneticpop!”—also captures the sense of restlessness and elusiveness, which, for better or worse, would come to shroud the band’s artistry and persona.
Music-wise, they were, just as the title says, always on the run. “We could never stay put, ’di kami napipirmi sa isang bagay. We have never played it safe. We have always been ahead of the curve, and we have always been, what’s the word … unpredictable. And that’s something I’m very proud of as a band,” Buendia told Lifestyle.
They were always exploring, always evolving; running ahead of the pack, running toward greatness. But out of nowhere, the finish line loomed in 2002. And even after they had long crossed the tape—that acrimonious falling out—they kept running still. “Running away from each other, running away from responsibilities, running away from ourselves,” Buendia said.
But all that running did get exhausting after a while. And they knew all too well that they couldn’t just carry on playing hide-and-seek with the ghosts from their past. Sooner or later, they would have to confront them.
Shedding light
So, when Buendia sat down with filmmaker Maria Diane Ventura to discuss the possibility of doing a documentary that would finally shed light on the circumstances surrounding the band’s infamous breakup, calling it “Combo on the Run,” Buendia said, it was “a no brainer.”
“That’s what the band is all about,” he added.
Shot over two years, the docu follows the four rock icons behind the scenes of their 2022 “Ang Huling El Bimbo” reunion concert, and the subsequent US tour. In between rare, never before seen footage, Buendia, Zabala, Adoro, and Marasigan bare their hearts in front of the cameras, diving deep into the band’s history, and recalling their triumphs and struggles with refreshing honesty.
And by weaving all these elements together, the film hopes to give fans “a comprehensive coverage” of the group’s “journey toward healing and growth.”
“Enough time has passed. I looked around me to see what else was still missing. And what was missing, at least for me, was peace of mind. There’s that thing on your mind, always there, eating at you. ‘What could I have done differently? What am I doing this for? Who am I doing this for?’ These are questions I had to ask myself at this point in my life. Yeah, I needed some kind of peace, and this was the way to do it,” Buendia related.
Until now, the Eraserheads had always “liked to keep things vague,” whether it be about their lyrics, their private lives or the inner workings of the band. They were cool and notoriously aloof. Questions bordering on serious were typically deflected with humor, if not outright dismissed. Unreachable, if you will. And yet, some might even say their nonchalance added to their charm.
Aura of mystery
But while this ambiguity helped create an aura of mystery that was central to the band’s almost mythical stature, it was also for this exact reason that rumors and urban legends about the disbandment sprouted, creating “a breeding ground for confusion among fans.”
“A lot of my disappointment stems from us being aloof. We liked the mystery. But as it turned out, there will come a time when it will work against you. There were a lot of misconceptions, speculations that weren’t necessarily good for the band and the music,” Buendia pointed out.
“Fans began projecting, creating their own narratives, which you can’t help, of course … because we weren’t honest to begin with,” the front man added.
We just had to ask: Was the parting text message he sent to his bandmates, saying that he had already “graduated” real? “Yes, it was and I’m pretty proud of that,” Buendia said, chuckling. And what of the never-ending insinuations that “Spoliarium” is about Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, Joey de Leon, and the alleged rape of ’80s sexy actress Pepsi Paloma? “I will maintain that it’s not about them.”
In any case, the boys had long lost control of the narrative. But it’s about time they reclaimed it. And nothing will be swept under the rug. “We’re choosing a different path. We have decided that it’s high time to set things straight. As far as putting all speculations to rest is concerned, this film paints the definitive portrait of the band,” Buendia said.
Of course, there were still a few things the singer-songwriter had to keep to himself. But this was the closest thing he ever got to giving a no-holds barred interview. Even he surprised himself at how easily and profusely the words flowed. “It was all pent up for so long that we were really just happy to release them, let them all out,” Buendia said.
While the interviews were initially done with all four members present, Ventura quickly sensed that there was some tension and awkwardness in the room; that they weren’t feeling as comfortable as they could be.
Different viewpoints
As such, the director decided to throw the questions separately, allowing each member to share his perspective on a specific topic, or recollection of a certain event, without second-guessing himself or worrying about how his bandmates would react.
The result was an almost “Rashomon”-like presentation of the boys’ respective narratives about the disbandment. “Eventually, you realize that even though they’re recounting the same experience, their perspectives were different,” Ventura said. “And I thought it made a lot of sense. Multiple truths can coexist and that’s why it’s important to have these discussions. You can’t solve a problem if you can’t articulate your sentiments.”
“That was part of the fun of watching the interviews,” Buendia added. “There were so many facets to why we broke up. I was part of the situation, but I still found myself being surprised hearing the others’ take on it. It was such an eye-opener.”
But more than the interviews and glimpses of backstage goings-on, it was imperative, Ventura said, to show how the boys interacted with each other, when they actually had no reason to.
“Covering them in more relaxed settings, on days they weren’t doing shows, I saw what the dynamic was like. I saw what they were like when they weren’t forced to do anything together. You wonder: ‘What are they like when they’re just hanging out? How different are their connections and chemistry, and how do they change in the course of filming?’” Ventura said.
Seeing it all together, Buendia admitted that tears were shed. Who knew that the simple act of telling his story—and hearing his bandmates tell theirs—could be so healing? “Just by being able to express things that I haven’t told anyone was already healing in itself,” he said. “And going into the 2022 show, being in the same boat as the boys, and wanting to put on a great performance for the fans was yet another healing experience.”
If “Combo on the Run” charts the beginning of the band’s exciting beginnings, “Minsan” encapsulates the reassuring present. “It speaks about the time we have spent together—and we have spent most of our prime years together. There’s something sacred about that song. It’s our way of acknowledging the battles we have been through,” Buendia said.
Through those battles they have become more mature, more professional. They’re less impulsive, less judgmental. There’s an openness to get along and talk things over. And after all is said and done, they can finally say that they’re no longer that angsty bunch of “once-disbanded punks.”
“It’s a brotherhood now,” Buendia stressed. “And the experiences we had together … you can’t take those away from us.”
Produced by Dvent Pictures and WEU, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, “Combo on the Run” is the first Philippine documentary to be mixed in Dolby Atmos format. It will be screened in cinemas from March 21 to March 23, with one surprise pop-up performance from the band in a mystery cinema.
