By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan
MANILA—Legendary Filipino band Eraserheads is set to premiere its new documentary, “Combo On The Run”, tomorrow, March 21, for a limited time. Fans watching the film will have to stay until the end for a special surprise from the iconic foursome
The documentary offers an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the group’s Huling El Bimbo concert in 2022, set against the backdrop of political division and the country’s emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The film also traces the band’s journey from its early days at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, following the Marcos Sr. dictatorship, to becoming a major force in local and international music. It explores their rise to fame, their falling out in the late ’90s and early 2000s, and their individual lives in between.
At a press conference on Feb. 17, the band revealed that it would make a surprise live appearance at one of the screenings, but details remained undisclosed.
During a special advance screening for the media on Tuesday, March 18, another surprise for fans was teased at the end of the film.
“You’ll have to stay until the very end to find out. I was told that the tickets are running low, so I highly recommend securing your seats in advance from your preferred cinemas,” said Maria Diane Ventura, the film’s producer and director, in a press release.
A New Perspective
At the advance screening, Ventura and Eraserheads frontman Ely Buendia shared how making the documentary and seeing it in full for the first time changed their perspectives.
Ventura, who is also Buendia’s ex-wife, said she was most surprised by the revelations from band members Marcus Adoro, Raimund Marasigan, and Buddy Zabala.
“For years, I only got [Buendia’s] side, so for a long time, that was the truth, and it made a lot of sense. His feelings, perspectives, and thoughts were valid. But it wasn’t until I heard everyone else’s perspectives that I realized multiple truths can coexist,” she said.
She noted that although the band members shared the same experiences, they saw things differently.
“That’s something we can all learn from. Had they just talked about it, maybe things would have been different,” she added.
Buendia said hearing his bandmates’ thoughts for the first time through the film changed his own attitude toward them and others.
“I think I became more generous in giving to other people. When you’re young and you think you’re the man, the rockstar, you don’t care about anything—it’s just ‘me, me, me.’ For years, all four of us had that attitude. It didn’t work; it made things worse. There was backlash,” he said.
He added that simply listening to others could make a significant impact.
“It’s a small thing to hear the other person out, but it goes a long way in the healing process,” Buendia said.
Ventura admitted it was challenging to balance Buendia’s perspective with those of the other members, but her understanding of him as a person pushed her to move forward with the project.
“I’ve been his business partner and manager for more than two decades, so my instinct is always to protect his interests,” she said.
“But I knew [Buendia] felt trapped by how people perceived him—the mythology, the things said about him. He never really had the chance to explain himself. So as a filmmaker, I made sure of two things: creating a safe environment where they could reveal their truth and honoring that truth by not adding or subtracting, just weaving it all together in a cohesive way,” she added.
Healing Through Music
Buendia also reflected on the lingering pain from the 2022 elections and expressed hope that the documentary, along with the band’s music, could offer some healing.
In 2021, he tweeted that the band would reunite if then-Vice President Leni Robredo ran for president in 2022.
“As artists, we don’t have as much power as those in government. But in our own little way, I hope our music and this film can help fans get through the disappointments of the election, just as we did. It’s one of the reasons we put up the show in the first place,” he said.
The one-hour, 40-minute Combo On The Run, produced by DVent Pictures and WEU and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, will premiere today in more than 150 cinemas nationwide for a limited run until Sunday, March 23.
