The Moffatts to Cebuano fans:“You guys are worth the wait”

CEBU, Philippines — Who would have thought that the dreams you left behind in the 90s will catch up with you today? Cebuano fans were in for a treat as Canadian pop-rock country band The Moffatts returned to Cebu for a concert Friday night (November 23) at the Hoops Dome of Lapu-Lapu City.

Made up of Scott Moffatt and his triplet brothers Bob, Clint, and Dave, The Moffatts were among the biggest groups during the 90s-2000s. They made a name for themselves, becoming Gold, Platinum, and Multiple Platinum record sales-holders in numerous countries, not excluding the Philippines which houses some of their most loyal and hardcore fans yet. Starting off as a country vocal group as kids, The Moffatts transformed into pop-rock songwriters and musicians.

For the Cebu leg of their Southeast Asian reunion tour which unfolded at the Hoops Dome Arena on Friday night, the brothers rocked the roof off the arena and took fans down memory lane.

As promised, the affair was a good mix of The Moffatts’s discography, showing off a balance between their “Chapter I: A New Beginning” (1998) and “Submodalities” (2000) albums.

Opening with a video of the band’s journey from day one, Cebuano fans cooed at footage of the boys decades ago, and sang along even to the shortest clips of their songs. Soon enough, brothers Scott, Bob, Dave, and Clint emerged – no longer blonde nor sporting one-length hairstyles. Now proper adults, the Moffatt brothers dress casually, in simple tees, arms inked, ears pierced, and of course voices different. But fans love them all the same.

The band played songs like “I’ll Be There For You,” “Written All Over My Heart,” “Say’n I Love You,” “Girl I’m Gonna Get You,” “Love,” “Girl of My Dreams,” “If Life Is So Short,” among others. They also performed music from their latest EP, with songs like “Secrets” and “So In Love.” Fans were quick to chant for more during the quick break and the band closed with their beloved song “Miss You Like Crazy” – a track that the band dedicates to Filipino fans.

Although no strangers to Cebu, this is the first time after two decades that the band is back together, completely. After their disbandment in 2001, Scott, Bob, and Clint reunited for a farewell tour sans Dave and were able to perform in Manila at the Araneta Coliseum last year. Dave, not wanting to be left behind, soon staged his own intimate show at the Music Museum in the same year. In late 2017, the brothers confirmed their comeback with a single “Secrets” which is part of their brand new six-track EP aptly named “Chapter II,” released this year.

This time, the boys are taking the roadshow feeling more like a family than they have ever been. While the permanence of this return has yet to be known, Dave said that they’re taking it a day at a time. A lot has fallen into place for this reunion tour to happen with all of them together, what with Scott producing and writing, Bob and Clint together as a duo called Endless Summer, and Dave being a yoga instructor.

The band had said that their break had allowed them to experience different things, create relationships and make them do things that wouldn’t have happened if the band kept on. It felt wonderful to back, they said. This time around, they felt like a family rather than a business, and revel in the company of a loving, caring group who get to do what they love most.

But they couldn’t stress enough that while they missed going on the road as a band, the reunion tour was all about the fans.

“They’re the reason why we’re back here, they’re really why we’re putting on a show here. It’s the Filipino fans who are so vocal about how much we were a part of their lives. And that’s vice versa, they’re instrumental in a huge part of our lives,” Dave had said.

With that, apart from the concert, those who availed of the Moffatt Bundle tickets (inclusive of a VVIP concert ticket and Moffat X entry) also got to hang out with The Moffatts and bond with fellow fans at the Moffatt X, where they played games and competed in four teams, each led by one Moffatt. The whole day affair held at Solea Mactan Cebu Resort on Saturday was Clint’s brainchild. It had Team Clint as first place winners, Team Bob coming in second, Team Dave at third, and Team Scott coming in fourth place.

At the beginning of their Cebu concert, Scott narrated how special Filipino fans are to them, saying that they’re the ones who have been constantly supportive, who constantly reach out to them and actively seek out new content as a band or in their individual endeavors.

“Twenty years…” Clint says. “You guys are worth the wait.”