Phoenix’s adventures in Old Manila

From Fort Santiago to kare-kare, the superstar band from France was right at home in the Philippines.

MANILA, Philippines - Who’d think that four boys from Marie Antoinette’s Versailles would take to Manila so well? Prior to a gig that dreams are made of, Phoenix spent Tuesday taking in the sights and sounds of Manila. Chronicled on Instagram (@stephieuy) by Karpos co-founder Stephie Uy (the band seemed to encourage the social media show), who along with her two siblings, brought the band here for the gig, we sat down with her to talk about the band and bibingka mania.

YOUNG STAR: What did the guys from Phoenix say about Fort Santiago when you toured them there?

STEPHIE UY: They were interested in our culture. They even felt sad because of what happened to the Philippines when we were captured by the Spaniards. They also loved the nature and the people.

What else did they like about Manila?

They liked the kalesa ride by the bay in SM Mall of Asia. They were amazed that we have a lot of fishes, too. But more importantly, they love the people because they think we’re warm, friendly, and always smiling. They hope one day they can experience the beaches here.

Where did you guys eat out and what did they indulge in?

We ate at Mangan, a Filipino restaurant. They liked the bulalo, sisig, tinapa rice and kare-kare. They were absolutely amused by our ampalaya, a vegetable which they didn’t know existed. Thomas Mars also loved the ox tripe in the kare-kare. Super squishy kasi daw. They also loved bibingka! They even sang Lisztomania but changed the lyrics to â€œbibingka mania.”

Can you tell us more about any unique things they talked about?

Hmm. There’s a lot to mention. Some are top secret. (Laughs) But the band really helped me and gave me advice on our Wanderland Music Festival and future music ventures. Before they left they even crossed their fingers so our festival will be successful this year. They also love taking selfies! There was also this one time when Branco (guitarist Laurent Brancowitz) begged me to watch videos of animals, so I wouldn’t eat beef anymore. Then we laughed a lot.

Thomas Mars is the main guy. What was he like in person?

I love Thomas, because I became closer to him during his stay. I feel like we have a connection because we’re both shy and introverted. He’s also funny. We had a deep conversation about his family. He even let me see videos and photos of his wife and kids. And like I mentioned, he also me suggested bands to bring in for Wanderland.

In terms of bands and songs he likes, Thomas said he loves Miley Cyrus’ Party in the USA. —Ralph Mendoza