MANILA, Philippines ? Can you say,

CAN you say ?band-aid??

In less than three days, Megatent in Pasig was transformed from a bustling relief center to a rumbling rock venue, where countless musicians lent their talents in a giant fundraising gig on October 1. Entitled ?Raise The Roof: A benefit concert for Typhoon ?Ondoy? victims,? the event was presented by MYX and NU107, featuring both upcoming bands and local favorites such as Urbandub, Spongecola, Chicosci, Hale, Imago, Mayonnaise, Taken By Cars, and Stonefree, to name a few.

The concert was the brainchild of Megatent volunteers who pitched the idea to friends in the media and music industry. ?I called up a few bands, and they said yes right away,? said NU107 DJ Kim Marvilla, who also played host to the event. ?They told their other musician friends, and we also called up our friends from the media and production? and everything just fell into place.?

Thanks to the power of online networking and mass-texting, news of the gig spread like wildfire, attracting fans and sponsors alike. The concert, which started early in the afternoon, had a great crowd turnout despite the early threat of rain signaling the arrival of Supertyphoon ?Pepeng.? It also boasted of a lineup that consisted of a whopping 45 bands, if we?re not mistaken. This is no small feat, considering it?s only been days since the typhoon ravaged the country. All proceeds from the concert will go to the Philippine Red Cross, said Marvilla.

?Bayanihan?

Because of the devastation brought about by the typhoon, many bands readily heeded the call even though they were flood victims themselves. ?All of us were affected by the typhoon in some way? It?s for a good cause and we want to do whatever we can,? said Chicosci guitarist Mong Alcaraz, whose own house in Quezon City was flooded. Typecast?s Steve Badiola and Chi Resurreccion shared the same sentiments. ?Lahat kami binaha? pero lahat kami gustong tumugtog para makatulong,? added Badiola.

Meanwhile, those who were lucky enough to escape from Ondoy?s wrath took the concert as an opportunity to reach out to others like them. ?A lot of typhoon victims are still out there needing help? We just want to do our part, to bring people together,? said Hale frontman Champ Lui-Pio. ?It?s the perfect time to exhibit bayanihan.?

Megatent is still accepting relief goods, volunteers and sponsors. For those interested in helping out, just drop by the venue and look for volunteer heads Dom Hernandez or Ning Peralta.

E-mail the author at avignacio@gmail.com.