Leg injury cramps Creed’s Manila gig but band soldiers on

By Yugel Losorata

Creed's concert Sunday night (Nov. 11) at the Smart Araneta Coliseum almost ended without Filipino fans hearing the band's most popular songs—no thanks to a mid-concert leg injury that overtook lead singer Scott Stapp.

Stapp's leg cramped up in the middle of Creed's performance which forced him to make an unplanned exit. Members of Creed's entourage escorted Stapp off the stage after the tenth song. The rest of the band segued into an impromptu instrumental ad lib as the crowd awaited Stapp's return.

Before leaving the stage, the singer told the crowd, "Nothing can stop us. Have faith. For those of you who pray, pray for me."

Sources said Stapp's leg joint popped as a result of his physically draining stage moves. It took just about 10 minutes for the frontman to stride back onstage to loud applause from the audience.

Anxious minutes

The injury that halted the night's continuous flow of heavy distorted guitars and Stapp's distinctive vocals were anxious moments for fans who, up to that point, were still waiting for the group to perform their most familiar tunes. It seemed unthinkable that the night would end up bitin.

Then, when Scott returned, the cliche "save the best for last" was proven right.

With the aid of a stool he half-leaned on so he could remain standing, Stapp told the audience, "Thank you for your patience." He then turned to the band and said, "Let's do it again." Creed ripped back into "What's This Life For," which the band had already played after Stapp hobbled off stage.

Beautiful Manila

Before doing their last song for the night, the group played the highly admired track "One," setting up everyone for the rock radio smash hit "Higher" off the album "Human Clay" and which was ranked 95th in "the greatest hard rock songs of all time by VH1."

"Good to be finally here. Thank you for waiting Manila," noted Stapp, who often praised the sweetly in-tune sing-along crowd with the word "beautiful."

Though the Big Dome was not filled to the rafters, those who were around would not let the band go without singing their mega hits. "We want more!" they chanted, after the band left the stage.

Ending on a high

Creed then returned to perform their much-awaited tracks. Stapp introduced "With Arms Wide Open" as "having a special bond with children." On "One Last Breath," he allowed the crowd to sing some of the lyrics. Finally, deserving as the concert capper was "My Sacrifice."

While you could feel the fans try their damndest to remain pumped up throughout the show, they left the concert breathless and on a high after that final succession of big arena hits.

Stapp had weathered his injury. And the night will be remembered not for how badly he fell on his knees, but on how he and the band carried on with flying colors.

The Manila setlist

1 — Are You Ready
2 — Torn
3 — Wrong Way
4 — What If
5 — Unforgiven
6 — My Own Prison
7 — Thousand Faces
8 — Bullets
9 — Say I
10 — Faceless Man
11 — What's this Life For
12 — One
13 — Higher

Encore
1 — With Arms Wide Open
2 — One Last Breath
3 — My Sacrifice