POST-PUNK IMPERIALISM
Metric (viz. Emily Haines, Jimmy Shaw, Joshua Winstead and Joules Scott-Key) came to Singapore and made the Esplanade Concert Hall appear to be a victorious homecoming. Such was the extent of the band’s appeal that its Singaporean fans were on their feet screaming when the lights came down BEFORE Metric took to the stage!
And the band did not disappoint and right from the opening salvo of the magnificent “Artificial Nocturne” the band (and especially lead singer Haines) had the crowd eating out of its collective hands. It was impossible to ignore live wire Haines in her slinky hot pantsuit, a fireball of kinetic energy never keeping still for a single moment and delivering each note in tune perfectly! Truly a sight to behold.
Refreshingly, the band never rested on its laurels basing almost its entire set mostly on its latest album – Synthetica – as tracks like “Youth Without Youth”, “Breathing Underwater”, “Speed the Collapse”, “Dreams So Real” and the title song itself had the rapt audience singing along, to the obvious delight of the band.
This gave the band the opportunity to cherry pick from its back catalogue as songs like “Empty”, “Help I’m Alive”, “Dead Disco” and “Stadium Love” raised the roof and had all in the Concert Hall in raptures. Haines played her part superbly, as her choreographed moves always seemed appropriate and natural with Shaw playing the foil, demonstrating his own talent on the guitar.
In a blink of an eye, the set proper was over as the band evacuated the stage to the sound of screeching white noise careening against every nook and cranny of the Concert Hall. The obligatory encore brought the intensity to feverish levels as “Monster Hospital”, “Gold Guns Girls” and an intimate acoustic version of “Gimme Sympathy” closed a memorable night. The band members lingered on to take their bows and it was obvious that everyone at the Concert Hall was totally satisfied with what they had witnessed.
One of the best gigs ever at the Esplanade Concert Hall – an experience that will live long in the memory for the full house. Kudos to Metric for giving its all and to Greenhorn Productions for yet another amazing concert! More and more!!!
Photos by Joanna Kwa
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