Earlier this month, Gab Valenciano flew back to the country to join his family as part of his dad Gary Valenciano’s repeat concert Gary V Pure Energy: One More Time happening on December 20 and 22.

“It’s going to be very special for all of us. I think it’s going to be extra emotional. This is one of the things. We grew up watching my dad. We grew up performing with my dad and for the idea of it being the last, I feel like it’s going to be very, very memorable. It’s going to be bittersweet but we’re going to give it our all as always,” he shared during an intimate press gathering last December 11 at the Mango Tree Cafe in Greenhills, San Juan.

Gab said that having his whole family included in the production with his older brother Paolo directing the show, younger sister KIana as the opening act on the first night, and his mom Angeli behind the scenes, there is a big advantage to everything on their side.

“I think the one word that pops into my mind is familiarity. You know when you’re so comfortable with each other, sometimes the lines are blurred from what’s work and what’s not work. But again, at the end of the day, for over three decades, we have grown up around this so it’s become very natural for us just to talk about work and it doesn’t feel like work. It’s fun. It’s engaging.

"But you realize later on na medyo nakakapagod din. And I think that’s a good trade off for me. Rather than people screaming at each other and fighting. To be fair, of course sometimes we have heated arguments. Creative people have their own thoughts, ideas, and opinions because they want to do it differently, they collide. But ultimately, in the final product, you’ll see what we all worked hard on,” he explained.

Having joined showbiz with his dad more than a decade ago, Gab admitted he wanted to carve out a name for himself abroad where he wasn't constantly living under his dad’s shadow.

“I think the most pressure was when I was in showbiz. That was in 2009-2013. It was tough for me because I knew I wasn’t going to be in showbiz forever. I always knew that I was going to study abroad. But I guess it was that comparison when we both perform. Singing for me is not really a passion. I don’t really go out of my way to want to sing. That was the toughest part because people were saying, ‘Hindi ka naman kumakanta!’ I would cry to my dad. I would go, ‘Mom, dad, I don’t want this. They don’t understand that this is not what I want.’ That was probably the most pressured that I’ve ever felt.

"But at the end of the day, I feel that it kind of like propelled me to the point where yung adversity quotient ko and how I handle hardship really somewhat expanded. Because the pressure from other people became my driving force. I feel like now I’m more driven by myself in terms of what I want for myself instead of other people’s expectations of me. So that time was really the most challenging because  we were in the same industry, we were doing the same thing in the same shows, externally also. But it wasn’t crippling for me. I just did my thing and tried to be excellent where I could be and I let God do the rest,” he explained.

Watch Gary V Pure Energy: One More Time  on December 20 and 22, 2024, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City. Tickets are available through TicketNet Online at www.ticketnet.com.ph and by emailing tickets@garyv.com. 

Prices start at ₱750 for General Admission, with Upper Box seats at ₱2,000, Lower Box B at ₱5,000, and Lower Box A at ₱6,000. For fans seeking a closer view, Patron tickets are priced at ₱10,000, VIP tickets at ₱12,500, and Platinum seats at ₱15,000.