This isn’t a summary of all the gigs that happened in 2012 or my opinion of the best ones. These are the ones that I can personally say were memorable to me. No event is the same for everyone. We all take home a unique emotion every time we watch a gig and create our own set of memories of it. Below are twelve photos of the 12 gigs that I was able to go to in 2012. I would have added more, but a dozen great gigs is more than anyone could ask for to tell an interesting story.

By Yugel Losorata

Over the past six months, the Gerard Salonga-led ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra has been as busy as a flight of bumblebees.

Granted, the holiday season provided the extra boost, but ever since the orchestra was formed, the musicians not only bonded quickly, Salonga said, “we hit the ground running.”

Since June of 2012, the Kapamilya-backed orchestra has booked notable gigs including Icons at The Arena: Masters of OPM, which featured Gerard’s sister Lea Salonga, Gary Valenciano, Martin Nievera, Jose Mari Chan, Basil Valdez, Freddie Aguilar, Piolo Pascual, Bamboo and Arnel Pineda, among many others.

[ALSO READ: Lea Salonga thanks Anne Hathaway for Vogue interview mention]

They also backed up Aiza Seguerra’s Bente Singko, the singer’s 25th anniversary concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, and paid tribute to composer John Williams at the Meralco Theater in September.

As its “house” orchestra, the ABS Philharmonic was also on hand for the famed wedding scene of the

Watching  ‘Shake Rattle and Roll’ films can be tough. For one, there’s less screen time for every story. Thus the viewer is less emotionally-invested in the characters and even in the supernatural beings.

Second, episodes sometimes dive into the ‘killer’ scenes immediately and the story-telling aspect always ends up the victim.

Last, since there are a lot of actors to watch, performances are usually hit-and-miss.

‘Shake Rattle and Roll 14: The Invasion’ unfortunately is no different. However there are a lot of great moments and these scenes make the entire movie worth it.

[Related: MMFF Continues To Rake In Ticket Sales]

‘Pamana’

Donald (Herbert Bautista), Myra (Janice de Belen), Faye (Arlene Muhlach) and their ‘radical’-speaking cousin (Eri Neeman) find out that they will inherit P20-M from their dead uncle. But there’s a catch. They will get it in a month and only the surviving family members get to share the money. Also, they will receive his old comics featuring iconic supernatural

Reggae-hiphop act Iyaz is spending the final evening of the year here in Manila as he leads a star-filled set of performers at the Countdown to 2013 show at the Eastwood Mall Open Park later tonight.

The singer-songwriter behind the hit songs "Replay" and "Solo" chatted with the Philippine press Saturday afternoon at Richmonde Hotel in Ortigas and said he was thrilled to be part of the celebrations.

"I promise to bring energy and lots of interaction with you guys while doing what I do best. That is, entertaining people," said the international act who collaborated with the country's very own Charice for the latter's hit single "Pyramid."

All-star gathering

The Eastwood New Year Countdown, to start at 6 pm, will also feature some of the country’s biggest musical acts like Ely Buendia, Up Dharma Down, General Luna and Urbanation.

Iyaz, real name Keidran Jones, says fame hasn’t changed him. "For me I appreciate fame and find it very positive. I can

By Francis Brew

Giniling Festival launches new EP in a shoe store. (Photo by Francis Brew)Outside a small shoe store inside the trenches of Trinoma, a young crowd gathers. No, they did not show up for a shoe sale. They came to attend the launch of Giniling Festival's EP "Effico."

Though mall regulations required the band to play behind the store's glass door, it didn't stop vocalist Jeje Santos from connecting with the hundred or so people who showed up, a tiny fraction of their 49,000-plus fans on Facebook.

READ! Rock legends take to New York stage for storm Sandy victims

Giniling Festival launches new EP in a shoe store. (Photo by Francis Brew)

Behind Jeje, guitarists Bombee Duerme and Jebs Mangahas play metallic riffs on their Stratocasters as bassist Lec Cruz locks down tight grooves with drummer Marco Ho.

Prog rock at its best

Prog rockers Giniling Festival (Photo by Francis Brew)The band barrels their way through the songs in "Effico," threatening to rattle footwear off the  display shelves.

Giniling Festival's seamless musical brand of tribal-into-classical-into-metal-into-God-knows-what (prog in the best sense of the word) overlaid with humorous yet socially critical lyrics

Manny Pacquiao's loss to Juan Manuel Marquez on Sunday set the online world on fire with opinions, speculations, comments and many unanswered questions.

[Related: Pacman finally caught by the 'ghost']

There was only one thing that didn't need a lot of explaining: wife Jinkee's frantic wails and worried eyes when she saw her husband lying face down on the ring.

A wife trying desperately to reach her husband, shedding tears of panic, showed the world the reaction of a wife driven by love.

For Jinkee Pacquiao, that love appears to be one that knows no end.

A tested love

Certainly, it's been tested time and again under the glare of a merciless spotlight.

From the time they married in 2000, when Manny was still an amateur boxer, until today, Jinkee has endured unimaginable wealth, success and also pain.

While raising four children, Jinkee has seen Manny change and be changed by his phenomenal success. She has seen him throw his hat in the political ring.

[More: Despite defeat, Pacquiao gets praises

If Sir Elton John's setlist for his recent concert in Malaysia  is any indication, the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Saturday, Dec. 8, will reverberate with generation-defining hits.

The Rocket Man promised as much. "My show in the Philippines will include many of my biggest hit singles, as well as several well-known and much-loved album tracks," he said in an interview.

For his one-night-only Manila leg of his 40th Anniversary of the Rocket Man Tour, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer certainly has truckloads to choose from: he has had more than 50 Top 40 hits, including his 1997 tribute to Princess Diana, "Candle in the Wind," which at more than 30 million copies is the biggest selling British and U.S. single ever.

A 45-year partnership

Credit should be shared with Bernie Taupin, of course, John's longtime lyrist. The pair is one of pop history's most enduring songwriting teams, having been collaborating since 1967.

Yet, there's this one intriguing detail in their work routine that music