Upbeat Underground – A Fred Perry Subculture Night

Thu, 2 Dec 2010 @ Velvet Underground

On 2 December, 400 people including culture shapers and street-style advocates – Tracy Phillips from Present Purpose, Wayne Lee from Juice, Jasmine Tuan from Blackmarket and Alvin Tan from Phunk Studio, braved the rain to make their way down to Velvet Underground to celebrate urban street cultures and the brightest of our homegrown talents Inch Chua & The Metric System, Breakbeat Theory and Caracal.

Here’s some a rundown of the night’s activities:

Performance Highlights (in order of performance)

- Inch Chua & The Metric System kicked off the night with a potpourri of acoustic tunes and electronic beats

- Sultry vocals and sexy synths from Breakbeat Theory

- Caracal brought the live act segment of the night to a climax in a delivery of an explosively rocking performance moving the crowd with intense bass lines, honest lyrics and a bonus rendition of “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers.

- Hong then warmed up the dance floor with his signature electro indie tracks bringing the party spirit to an all-high

Other Activities

- Fred Perry Style Scouts roved Velvet Underground spotting the two most prepped up guests of the night. The selected two include a surprise visitor from England, drummer of indie rock band Babyshambles, Adam Ficek and avid Fred Perry shopper who is a familiar face at Fred Perry stores islandwide, Mrs Zaidi B. Each partied the night away with their friends and a bottle of 42BELOW to call their own.

Fred Perry Subculture Night is supported by 42BELOW and Velvet Underground.

About Fred Perry Subculture Night

Fred Perry Subculture Night is a local music initiative to promote the brightest music talents in Singapore and the best of our streets alongside Fred Perry, one of the first streetwear labels to establish a strong association with urban street cultures and music.

Read more about Fred Perry’s global music initiative Subculture at www.fredperrysubculture.com

(Sham 69. From left to right, Al Campbell, Tim V, Ian Whitewood, Dave Parsons)

Apart from the Buzzcocks, Singapore has not had the privilege of playing hosts to any of the original wave of English punk bands that emerged in the late 1970s. Well, that oversight will be partially corrected when Sham 69 roll into town to play a one-night-only gig at Home Club (virtually the ‘go-to’ place for all things indie in Singapore). However, as with many bands still rocking on from the 60s and 70s, personnel changes are inevitable and only Dave Parsons remains from the original lineup. Completing Sham 69 circa 2010 are Tim V (vocals), Ian Whitewood (drums) and Al Campbell (Bass Guitar). In an email interview, lead singer Tim V, got upfront and very personal with the Power of Pop.

Why is Sham 69 still playing and recording, after more than three decades?

SHAM 69 has always primarily been a live band and a band that shunned the Art school crowds that emerged during the birth of Punk. The inner city kids that couldn’t afford to buy clothes from Malcolm and Vivienne’s shop had what I would could call more earthy and sincere reasons to rip up burn and destroy…as they still do today. The thing is most of the urban kids could identify with the music and the lyrics like myself I grew up on the streets of South London and unless you stood your ground you’d be trodden on. So having a band like SHAM 69 shouting the odds was a good shield and being a fan like I was I had faith. So with all the shit that has gone down with SHAM and Punk N Oi over the last 30 years it’s still relevant. Things had to change and like with most things attitudes and sincerity in the band slipped for a bit, but now its back on track and 100% boots and braces. In the cities of the UK theres still shit and a lot more cultures settling in the UK and with that comes ignorance and racism. For me its about saying to those..dont be divided by this bullshit its not about Race its not about whos won the fucking X-Factor or Pop Idols its about Rich n Poor..thats where the fight is and that’s where SHAM 69 will be…that’s why we are still here and still making music!!!!

Former singer Jimmy Pursey was probably the face of Sham 69, how is the band able to convince audiences that this is still Sham 69 even without Pursey?

HAHA well he ain’t anymore I AM!!!!…HAHA..No Jimmy is the face that everyone ‘remembers’ is more the point. There’s one thing that everyone seems to have either ignored or just became blinded to and that’s the ‘punk’ ideal. Punk was never about idols never about creating false gods…it was about having the right attitude to evolve to create and destroy falsehoods and stagnant systems. The bad things that happened to SHAM 69 in the 70s was that like with many bands, they got mesmerised by fame and fortune…haha probably more fame than fortune…oh ok FAME THEN!!!…but with that it’s easy to lose the point and whilst the rest of the band were preening in front of magazine cameras and TV appearances Jimmy was also commanding the press limelight…take a look at most of the bands covers and press…its all Jimmy. What had happened is that Jimmy fell into the fatal trap of believing his own hype and the fact he went on a one man mission to jump on every bandwagon since from Alternative dance to Agit prop proves he’s a glory seeker…sad but true. The car crash that was SHAM 69 finally ground to a halt when fans were leaving in droves smashed to pieces by what they saw as fakery and bullshit. It took a lot of soul searching by the rest of the band to say let’s reform and Dave did that in 1983 along with Ian Whitewood who’s still the drummer today…Jimmy came back after he tried to front the Sex Pistols…which didn’t work and so the circus that is SHAM 69 carried on but it wasn’t long before things fucked up again. So I’m not saying I’m the new messiah cos I fucking ain’t, but with me what you see is what you get. After getting booed in the early days and then now having people saying I’m the best thing ever to happen to SHAM…I’m both flattered and angry. The reason is that those critics that say we want Jimmy.Which are no more may I add..half of them are too young to have even seen Jimmy and those others never ever saw him before. I’m not Jimmy I’m MEEEE!!! As such I have given my heart to a band that is a MOVEMENT not a platform for fucking wannabees….

Sham 69 was formed in a very different musical climate in the 70s, how does it continue to be relevant in the fractured music scene of 2010?

GOOD QUESTION….well as I said it was a lot different then as it is now…nowadays Punk and Oi go more hand in hand, but the scene can be fractured at times and bitchy…but that’s human nature it happened then and it still happens today. Mind you in them days it was easier to get on than it is today…labels then were 10 a penny, now they are harder to get deals with and don’t last long. There’s a lot more heart I think today with labels starting up through pure love rather than money and DIY promoters…but the scene is tough as quick as it’s up its crashing down. The thing is SHAM 69 has evolved NOW and we are pushing the boundaries with new songs and new ethics you have to but above all we live in the same streets living the same fucking shit…so it cannot help but be relevant. The thing is the very same system that peddles out shite like Take That and other crap has in turn swallowed and now controls a huge portion of the mindset of nations…like ‘ you see those chimps banging biscuit tins with boxes over their head, well there’s the next big thing’..and so a nation goes in droves to buy the new CD…that is the power we are dealing with…a subliminal mind fuck. The commercial powerhouse works in many ways and it does in the alternative scene with shite like EMO and what I like to call catalogue anarchy…but as things have been exposed with the world’s financial climate and things becoming more costly for everyone…I think kids are seeing through things a lot more and becoming more cynical. I don’t think people see Avril Lavigne and Good Charlotte as radical….haha.

We are seeing more kids getting into old school and more kids starting up bands with the ethic of bands like SHAM 69 and that’s great. It’s when you see interviews like the one in the UK national newspaper THE INDEPENDENT when they interviewed the JONAS BROTHERS about what music they like and they said SHAM 69….that’s when things are getting bad…haha

Where has the re-constituted Sham 69 performed since the split in 2006, and what has the response been so far?

CHRIST…it’s a case of where we haven’t been…the MOON?? We haven’t been to the MOON……now there’s an idea…do you think they’ll like us there..I’d imagine some prefer we’d stay there…NO SERIOUS…well the first thing is that we have played places that SHAM 69 have NEVER EVER BEEN TO before such as Singapore. The most poignant for me was to play Belfast as since the song ULSTER the band wouldn’t go there for the fear of reaction….fuck that says I…no I said we must and sing that very song…we did and they loved it…so there you go…goes to show that 30 years on what was the worry. No I think places like China, Brazil and Russia have stood out a lot but we have done sold out tours in most places like Japan, USA…we have covered three-quarters of the globe in what many have hailed as a huge step for SHAM 69. The audiences have been mad and it’s been too mad at times but the usual stage invasions still take place but we try to be ready for them. The thing is wherever the band plays you have to expect the unexpected. However we ain’t 18 now, we are older so we take things more seriously. But one thing that I am very passionate about and that’s the fans sees us as sincere..I ain’t a fucking rock star and I respect them as much as they respect me. I wanted to bring the SHAM 69 back to a grassroots politic and I think I have done that. The band has toured extensively around the world and in that time we have rebuilt many bridges and a lot of new ones.

How did the opportunity to perform in Singapore come about? Are you surprised to be playing in Singapore in 2010?

Well though it pains me to say it the reason why we are playing Singapore was it was originally part of a Asian Tour where we was to take in China, Indonesia and Malaysia and Singapore. The thing is that the geezer who was promoting and co-ordinating the tour turned out to be a shyster and a conman…and so many who had put a lot of effort and time and more important their own money had lost the lot. It was through the efforts of Wan Shah from the band Generation 69 (WEST HAM SHIT)..HAHAHA…no Wan had all but given up and then out of the ashes he said could we still do a Singapore show for this year…so he and a guy called Tony Feizal have been working to get to this point. Yes as I sit here in London I’m looking out the window at all the snow and ice and thinking…well its Millwall at home Saturday and Singapore next Saturday…life is sweet!!!

What can fans in Singapore expect from the Sham 69 gig on the 11th December? Do you have any message for your fans?

WHAT CAN THEY EXPECT…HMMM that’s a tough one!!! Well apart from seeing the best looking guy on the planet….pause for vomit…no…serious.. Well they can expect a fucking great night. We will be doing all the old stuff as well as songs from the new album..the major thing is like many fans say after the shows that ‘we came here expecting bad and left feeling glad’ and I can only say that is the feeling pretty much everywhere we always put 110% into the show and we WANT the fans to have a great time and let rip.

A MESSAGE: Well a message…all I will say is this…I’ve been in the biz for 35 years and I’ve been there and bought the t-shirt I’ve shared a bed-sit with Sid Vicious and got pissed with movie stars..but one thing I’ve learnt is that education is king. Never believe the hype or the lies unless you’ve faced it head on. Find and seek the truth and above all have total respect for yourself first before you respect others, if you don’t your never gain peace of mind..if you don’t have that you don’t have nothing…I’m looking forward to meeting and greeting the fans as I am them and they are me….see ya down the front!!!!!

Tim V xx

Limited Pre-sale tickets of SGD $38 will only be sold until Thursday 9th Dec 2010 at 8pm at these outlets:

1) Home Club, Clarke Quay, The Riverwalk, #B1-01/06

2) Ignite Productions, 73 Bussorrah Street

3) La Vanita, 3 Coleman Street, #02-25, #02-36 Peninsula Shopping Centre

After that, you can get it at the door for SGD$45.

Official Site

THE CULTURAL DESERT

“In March 1978, months into his job as minister for culture, the late Mr Ong Teng Cheong found himself facing MPs who despaired that Singapore was a ‘cultural desert’.” Straits Times article, 2006.

32 years later, is this still true? Well, let’s narrow our focus to Singapore-English popular music (“pop music”) – is there a pop music culture in Singapore? Well, taking culture as shared beliefs on society, politics and human nature – the prominent shared social belief about pop music in Singapore is – rather crudely – that foreign pop music is good, local pop music is crap. This belief also extends to the value attributed to foreign pop songs over local pop songs.

Therefore, in general, Singaporeans would rather listen to Singaporean musicians playing note perfect copies of a foreign pop song, rather than a local pop song. This fact is evident once you step into any of the nightspots in Singapore. Invariably, there will be a Singapore band playing copies of foreign pop songs. Singaporeans are not interested to listen to Singaporeans playing their own original pop songs.

What happened to shape attitudes in this manner? I have a theory, of course (but you knew that already).

You know the story, back in the 60s, there was a vibrant pop music scene in Singapore. Singaporeans flocked to tea parties, feted Singaporean bands playing Singaporean pop songs. The singles and albums sold well, the musicians were celebrities and Singaporeans did not consider their countrymen to be inferior.

But come the 70s something changed radically. The authorities did not understand rock music with its drugs and free sex associations and so moved to wipe out any trace of its influence on Singaporean youth. Even superficial connections like long hair were roundly stamped out. Rock musicians were the scum of the earth, the dregs of society – it was synonymous with being a drug addict, hooligan and a waste of life. The derogatory term “band boy” entered our vernacular. No parent in their right mind would want their child to be a rock musician.

This socially engineered attitude would pervade Singapore until the late 80s, when relaxations on local media allowed foreign rock music influence to return to our shores. So now, you could find foreign rock music on local TV and radio, an appreciation of foreign rock music was developing. Of course, in the 90s, a full blown local rock music revival saw many local pop songs on the TV and radio, unprecedented since the 60s. The influence of the press (Chris Ho’s Pop Life column, BigO magazine and local radio) managed to bring local pop music to a cult-ish level, with albums selling about 2000 to 4000 copies.

Fast forward to the 2000s and a shift in policy to rebrand Singapore as a vibrant, global city – suddenly grand prix, casinos and arts promotion are the order of the day. Appreciation of foreign rock music is at its height with 2 to 3 well-attended gigs happening a week (I can only remember David Bowie once in the entire 80s!) and cover bands dominating the pubs and clubs circuit.

But what about poor old local pop music? Still in the doldrums because, by and large, Singaporeans cannot accept other Singaporeans as artistic, creative people. Cos to be artistic and creative in Singapore is to be economically unproductive and an attitude to be rejected and even destroyed. Singaporeans have been educated (socially engineered) to be compliant employees and not independent, creative thinkers. Why do you think that the most successful Singaporean entrepreneurs tend to be the ones who had “less education” – y’know “drop-outs”? Freed from the shackles of our education system, these uneducated folk take risks and think “outside of the box”.

This cuts both ways. One, our musicians generally place limits on their own creativity and two, the Singaporean audience will not support or appreciate them as artists. Chicken and egg, really. Singaporean musicians think they are not good enough (and do nothing about this) and the Singaporean audiences think that Singaporean musicians are not good enough, as well.

That all said, we have actually progressed to such an extent that Singaporeans are able to accept local musicians as competent enough to play covers! Remember, there was a time where even this was not thought possible. But now, this fact does not raise eyebrows anymore. So does this mean that there will come a time when Singaporeans will accept original local music? Anything is possible of course but the way forward is really for Singaporean musicians to engage the private and public sector and audiences both locally and overseas by honing their craft in anyway possible.

Haha gotcha right? You thought that this would be yet another gripe from this morose old fart, expecting everyone and their dog to do us poor musicians a favour! Well, no point fussing over things you cannot control but instead spend time and effort (and money!) on things you can control – your music! Here comes the sales pitch – I believe that I can help you improve your music, if that’s what you want as well. If you are serious, drop me an email – info(at)powerofpop(dot)com to discuss how this can be achieved, for a reasonable price of course. Nothing is free in this world, my friend. I will be waiting, as usual.

…still there’s more…

I am old enough to remember when MTV was not beamed into Singapore households. A dream channel a pop culture-deprived Singaporean individual could only fantasize about. All we had were grainy second or third generation videos of our favorite US or UK bands smuggled in video cassettes from overseas. Then, we would copy these videos and distribute them around to like-minded friends. What a difference almost thirty years makes! Now MTV focuses on reality TV shows, which is not surprising when you consider the amount of music videos floating around the internet nowadays. It’s not the same believe me. Music videos used to be so precious and valuable. Here’s why…

BUGGLES – VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR

The first music video played on MTV all those years ago was a #1 hit in the UK in 1979 and remains one of my favorite pop songs. There is nothing really special about the video itself, I guess it all about how fresh the idea of music video was back then. Singer Trevor Horn would go on to be a top producer while his partner Geoff Downes became a member of Asia. Hurm.

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B0000257O9[/amazon-product]

MEN AT WORK – WHO CAN IT BE NOW?

This Aussie new wave band certainly knew how to exploit the new format. Highly influenced by the Police, this catchy song (and fun video) raced all the way to #1 in the USA. It’s follow-up Down Under also followed suit. Not bad for a new band eh? The band’s 2nd album did well too but internal strife and lack of momentum did not manage to sustain them beyond that.

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B00009AHSO[/amazon-product]

THE CARS – YOU MIGHT THINK

The Cars’ unique blend of power pop and synth pop styles already made them a very marketable band. Add in those imaginative videos and the combination is lethal. The band has been apart for decades but is reportedly recording a reunion album now. Where would Weezer be without The Cars, eh?

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B00005Y1XY[/amazon-product]

DIRE STRAITS – MONEY FOR NOTHING

By 1985, MTV has became big enough for bands to feature it in hit songs. Case in point, one of the biggest 80s bands Dire Straits’ megahit Money For Nothing (feat Sting, as they say nowadays), with the famous “you play the guitar on the MTV” line and the music video highlighting the MTV logo. What a case of win-win for both the band and MTV.

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B00000DGUY[/amazon-product]

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B00005KH2H[/amazon-product]

Ah the golden age of MTV you might say, never to return. PoPTV hopes to feature only the most intriguing videos here (instead of run of the mill promo videos) and so if you come across any of worth, please drop us a line at info(at)powerofpop(dot)com. We’ll be waiting…

In his introduction to his seminal book, The People’s Music (see below), rock writer (the late) Ian MacDonald opined, “the essentials of modern popular music were laid down during a period of less than ten years and that, but for some technical innovations leading to various musical diversions (such as reggae, rap/hip hop and sequenced dance music), nothing intrinsically new has appeared since then, all musical mini-revolutions in the last twenty years being prefaced in the products of the sixties, the foundation decade for all that’s followed.” (Emphasis added)

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]1844130932[/amazon-product]

It’s hard to argue with the above assertion. It would not be difficult to listen completely to the popular music of the 60s, 70s and maybe 80s without bothering to listen to any new music in 2010 and find immense satisfaction and fulfillment. With that in mind, an assessment of modern popular music must by necessity be carried out through the lens of the past. Thus, although it is impossible for any modern band/artist to create anything new, in that sense, it’s what a band/artist does with the music of the last fifty years (and even beyond) that determines whether they are of any value or worth.

This careful determination is what is attempted here at Power of Pop and with Blurb-O-Rama, where reviews are concise and stripped down to the bare elements. We hope that in this way, you may be able to make informed choices concerning the music you may choose to support (whether by way of CD acquisition, download or ticket purchase). With that in mind, read on…

DAVE STEPHENS Time Will Tell (Self-released)

I love an artist that is into music for the music. Y’know, where the artist is not trying to be hip or cool but is honestly trying to convey his or her passion and craft into these love bites we call songs. This approach encapsulates singer-songwriter Dave Stephens. Time Will Tell is Stephens’ third album and suffice to say that Stephens is that rarest of breeds – the loving care and respect with which he treats the musical legacy that frames his work sends chills down my spine. Stylistically, Stephens distills the music of the 60s/70s and imbues his own personal take on what pop-rock music should be. So songs like Time Will Tell, Mr Wonderful, Hangin’ On and all the rest dwell on strong melodies, organic instrumentation/arrangements that recall the Beatles, Badfinger, Raspberries, Billy Joel, Wings, Bread and their numerous acolytes. Highly recommended. Official Site

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B004B2M4J8[/amazon-product]

FUTURE OF FORESTRY Advent Christmas, Volume 2 (Credential)

Yuletide hits as interpreted by Radiohead! Well, not really but it’s hard not to get that impression when you listen to this EP of indie rock treatments of traditional Christmas songs. Whilst I guess we should laud the attempts to update these “oldies”, I am a little jaded by the sonic approach of Future of Forestry and am finding it cliched (think recent Coldplay). You know what I mean, atmospheric synths, emotional vocals, faux-classical keyboard patterns, electronic drums and so on. For older music lovers, U2, Jeff & Tim Buckley, Aphex Twin and common denominator Brian Eno, spring quickly to the mind. Strictly for fans only. Myspace

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B004AQ57MQ[/amazon-product]

MATT RYD Looking For Home (Self-released)

Funny thing about singer-songwriter Ryd is that superficially, he utilizes much of the same musical touchstones as emo bands too in terms of melodic/harmonic content, especially. Which normally offends and annoys me no end but Ryd chooses to present the content in more traditional pop-rock formats, which works for me. This gives Ryd’s music a fair chance in appealing to a wider audience. A couple of rather commercial songs evident here eg. Healed (already featured on Scrubs TV series), Marianne and Impression. Not for all tastes, I wager, but even the classic pop-rock lovers might want to check out Matt Ryd. Official Site

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B0042NFD62[/amazon-product]

… and there’s more…

There’s just too much music, that sometimes good stuff falls through the cracks of all the pop culture madness that we try to cover here at the Power of Pop. That’s where Blurb-O-Rama comes in to give you a gist of what’s out there in the modern rock wasteland that you, dear reader, may want to investigate further. If not us then who?

THE ACORN No Ghost (Bella Union)

Indie folk is one of my “in-things” when it comes to modern rock. So like Fleet Foxes and J Tillman (to name but two examples), the Acorn plays with traditional folk instruments to create an indie-alternative vibe. Offbeat and quirky are words that sit side by side with arcane and rustic on No Ghost, the Acorn’s latest foray into the earthier side of rock and pop music. A bit more electric fuzz than on previous recordings, it must be said, adds colour to the already intriguing picture. Official Site

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B003VB5DJI[/amazon-product]

ANAIS MITCHELL Hadestown (Righteous Babe)

Ah. A “folk opera” based on Greek myth. A bit too pretentious and pompous for something as down to earth as folk? Whatever the concept (or conceit), one cannot deny that the music is top drawer. Although it’s singer Mitchell’s name on the banner, it’s very much an ensemble piece (very musical theatre, it must be said) and guests include Justin (Bon Iver) Vernon, label owner Ani DiFranco and many others. Not for the casual indie pop listener, though. Official Site

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B0034JIOWK[/amazon-product]

THE CHEMISTRY SET This Day Will Never Happen Again (Dead Bees)

This indie-psychedelic rock outfit from UK, channels rather brilliantly the first wave of psychedelia circa 1967 and recalls the likes of Pink Floyd, the Move and the Creation with its uncannily faithful pastiches. It’s all there for the 60s pop enthusiast to savour – the jangle, the riffs, the trembling organs, the epic mellotrons, the vocal harmonies and most importantly the genre-appropriate melodies. Groovy to the max! Myspace.

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B0042KQTA4[/amazon-product]… still there’s more …

POPLAND – THE FINAL GIG: TIMBRE @ THE SUBSTATION

For those who missed the final Popland gig last Sunday, PoPTV brings you the entire gig in several videos. Enjoy…

I Can’t Explain (The Who Cover)

Never Liked the Beatles

There She Stands

Feel the Same Way

The Hip Song

Hold On

Beautiful

Dumb Thing

Camouflage

Then You Turn Away

Here

Thanks to Rachael Teo for videography and to Paddy Chng for uploading all the videos at Youtube.

SYLVIA RATONEL S/t (Universal)

In a recent interview, Singapore Idol runner-up Ratonel remarked, “I think the Singapore market is slowly growing, and more accepting for local artistes. But you cannot deny that it is a small market.” Arguable, since Singapore’s population is now hitting 5 million and is technically no longer a “small market”. No, it’s not the numbers that is the issue but the anti-local music Singaporean mindset.

Relax, I am not about to maul the young girl of Euro-Filipino heritage – what’s the point? She’s an Idol, not an artist, so this review is going to judge her within that limited context. Based on that very narrow scope, I’d say that it’d give Singapore Idol exactly what they want, if you know what I mean. However, it must be said that it is not quite as strong as Sezari’s album although the dance, hip hop numbers and ballads will please the mainstream set.

Don Richmond’s production is heavy on synthesized sounds with eyes firmly on the dance floor (definitely more so than Sezari’s album – perhaps this is reflective of the producer’s preferences?) Who knows? And when local rapper ShiGGy Shay makes his appearance on the pleasing and punchy version of Fly, the album veers into the whole realm of Singapore hip hop, which is a bizarro reality in itself.

Good enough for its purpose, I suppose, all things considered…

One major gripe though – it’s IMPOSSIBLE to read the liner notes because for some reason it’s silver text printed on gold backgrounds! I mean, seriously, WTF!?!

Full text of the interview with I Am David Sparkle that formed the basis of the TODAY article.

I Am David Sparkle is Amran Khamis (AK), Djohan Johari (DJ), Farizwan Fajari (FF) and Zahir Sanosi (ZS).

Singapore bands rarely exist for more than 3 years but you are about to release your 2nd album. What is the secret behind your perseverance?

ZS: A lot of patience, dedication and hard work.

FF: Also, I think it has a lot to do with the band’s genuine interest in wanting to write and play music. Anything beyond that has always been a bonus.

The members of IADS all have day jobs – how do you juggle working life with band commitments?

ZS: Most of the time practice timings and planning is done in advance. Everyone in the band is super busy with their own day jobs/profession but it is always nice to have our 4 to 6 hours a week of Sparkle time to let loose, whether it’s a rehearsal day or just hanging out, gossiping or sharing ghost stories…

AK: Since playing in Sparkle and making music is important for us, we sacrifice other things in order to make this happen. Throughout our time together, there have been lull periods for the band and really busy ones too. It’s just a matter of planning and executing our schedules to whatever else that is happening in our lives too. It is very hard juggling everything, but it’s worth it!

What is your songwriting and recording process? Does any one member dominate creatively? Does anyone outside of the band provide feedback?

DJ: We would sometimes write songs based on a riff or a part anyone of us comes up with and improvise as we move along. We have feedback from friends about our songs, but it’s seldom the case of “Hey you should make that part longer, etc”. Our record label also does provide some constructive feedback during recording production, which does help along the way.

AK: Songwriting as with other creative processes depends on many factors – the original inspiration, the mood or emotion or message that we want to convey, the eventual arrangements based on what direction we would like to achieve, etc… So it’s not an easy, static, formulaic process. We take it as it comes, and see what happens. Sometimes we like what we get out of it, sometimes we don’t. The ones we do, we keep them as the songs we record and play.

Your new album is called ‘Swords’ – what were the new songs influenced by? Could you describe (from your point of view) what the songs on ‘Swords’ sound like?

DJ: ‘Swords’ is a compilation of previously unrecorded tracks as well as newer songs which we have written along the way. Some of the songs in this album are also a little more aggressive as compared to the (2007 album) ‘This Is the New’. The band has been ardent fans of loud and heavy music, so in a way ‘Swords’ is our interpretation of that interest. That being said, the Sparkle feel is still there in some softer tracks.

ZS: Pretty much the sound has changed and basically the whole album is also about the struggles and achievements of the band. Every song is a different story each time. ‘Swords’ is loud, yet therapeutic and calm, and will still make your head explode before eating you up… I think.

What can your fans expect from the album launch – Swords Are Drawn? How long will the set be and will you be playing songs from your previous album and EPs? Will there be any guest appearances? Costume changes?

ZS: People who come to the show will see a lot of dance moves like a spiritual-in-trance session, a lot of bright lights, crazy visuals and awkward moments… haha! I think the show will run until we are tired and definitely we will be doing some old songs. If Jade Seah comes for it, we can only hope that she’ll run up to us and give us a peck on our cheeks during our encore. That would beat our original idea of wearing robes and riding horses as part of the stage act.

DJ: We are very fortunate to have Brandon Tay of Syndicate (celebrated audio/visual collective), which we are fans of, to provide visuals for our set. He’s also going to hook up some motion sensor infra-red stuff to track our movements and generate visuals, so that’s really interesting. The set is going to be about an hour long. I doubt there would be any costume changes, but we did have an early idea of playing in robes for our set! There’s also talk about having guest appearances, but nothing’s concrete. For now, we’re just focusing on tightening up our set.

IADS is one of the few Singapore bands that has toured overseas – what is the experience like playing before audiences in Malaysia, HK and USA compared to Singapore? Any horror stories?

ZS: It’s nice to travel and be around great bands and people. Their hospitality is always excellent and a lot of big indie bands that we play with also have no rockstar attitudes – they carry their own gear, set-up on their own before rocking out, and always have time for drinks and a chit-chat with us and their fans. That said, I also really love the energy and effort by some Singapore bands and music collectives here like B-Quartet, Amateur Takes Control, Impiety, Plain Sunset, Syndicate, Great Spy Experiment and so on, all of which have also been playing overseas.

Our horror stories are more related to the paranormal – most of us in the band are avid fans of “Misteri Jam 12” (a midnight mysteries ghost storytelling radio programme on Malay radio), so yeah we all love to spook ourselves silly with ghost stories, even while on tour.

DJ: The experience of playing overseas is awesome. It’s more like a holiday, spending time with good friends and having a good time. Our horror stories are mostly literally ghost stories. In a past tour to Kuala Lumpur in 2007, we had stayed in a hotel which was supposedly haunted and there were some paranormal activities sensed by our in-house paranormal detective, Mr Farizwan.

FF: Haha! Yeah the ghosts did keep us on our toes. Coming back to the question, most of the people in our audience in Singapore are all our friends, so it’s pretty nice to be performing in front of complete strangers once in awhile, who at the end of it all sometimes become our friends too.

AK: I just wanted to say that we have been lucky to have had our various tours profiled so people know about them, but quite a few other Singapore bands have also played internationally on the quiet as well… What they have done or are continuing to do have helped pave the way for and inspire what we do, and similarly we hope that we can do the same for others as well.

After the launch, what are your plans to promote ‘Swords’, both locally and overseas?

ZS: Right after the launch, we are scheduled to tour Indonesia (Jakarta, Bandung, Jogjakarta and Bali) from 4 to 14 December and Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur and Penang) from 17 to 20 December.

DJ: We’re looking forward to playing Indonesia and Malaysia with their respective bands, which are nothing short of awesome. We are also branching out as a visual and art collective since most of us here are practicing artists and designers, and with that we hope to have a further reach outside the music community.

AK: Those are the immediate plans for us this year, but we will continue with touring the region next year and maybe a bit further away in Europe, should plans and funds work out for us. Interested sponsors, anyone?

Swords Are Drawn, Dec 3, 9.30pm, Esplanade Recital Studio. Tickets at $25 from Sistic.

TWISTED SISTER Live At Wacken: The Reunion (Eagle Vision)

This American hair metal band combined the shock rock of Alice Cooper, the influence of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (Motorhead, Judas Priest) and the glam image of the New York Dolls to produce an idiosyncratic but highly popular brand of metal. After huge commercial success and criticism from parental/religious groups in the early 80s, the band split up in 1987.

This DVD intercuts concert footage of the official reunion at Wacken Open Air 2003 (one of the biggest in the world) with interviews of the band members (Dee Snider, Eddie “Fingers” Ojeda, Jay Jay French, Mark “The Animal” Mendoza and A. J. Pero) discussing the journey of the band from the 1987 break-up to the 2003 reunion.

To be honest, I was more interested in the band interviews than the concert footage as it is also instructional to witness how bands split and then come back together again. In addition, to consider how a glam metal band can age gracefully is something worth studying as well. Remember, this is a band which wore make-up and androgynous clothing (20 years ago) and with the members now in their 50s (!), it’s an altogether bizarre situation.

Purely for diehard fans and rock scholars (like yours truly), this package also comes with a live CD entitled Live: Past & Present, which is self-explanatory.

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B00417HVC8[/amazon-product]

Well, it took two decades for English band The Charlatans to kick out the jams in our home town but I think most will agree that it was well worth the wait. Consisting mostly of punters in their 30s and 40s, it was strictly a crowd of 90s-era “kids” who filled up the *SCAPE Warehouse (between 450-500 people, I reckon) and thus, the 90s hits went down best e.g. The Only One I Know, One To Another, Weirdo, North Country Boy and Tellin’ Stories.

This is the second time, I’ve been to a gig held at the *SCAPE Warehouse (first time being Copeland) and while the sound was slightly punchier this time (not by much, mind), overall the sound mix was murky and muddy (and I was standing very near to the desk!), with the keyboards having a hard time being heard above the distorted din of bass and drums. Which was a tad disappointing as any Charlatans fan will tell you that the keyboards arrangements are integral to those groovy psych-soul sounds!

Personally, I enjoyed the new songs off the last two albums (viz. You Cross My Path & Who We Touch) – Oh Vanity, Smash the System, Your Pure Soul and My Foolish Pride – notwithstanding the crowd being non plussed somewhat. A pity because I believe that the band’s strongest material is on these two albums.

The inevitable encore saw the band risk-taking with the opening track off Who We Touch, Love is Ending and the 2010 version of Sproston Green, from its debut album, Some Friendly. The enthusiastic audience lapped it all up, I’m pleased to report, including yours truly who was dancing along in the only was he knows how – badly… heh.

Despite the poor sound, the good vibes emanating from the stage was good enough to make this concert a resounding success. An excellent night’s out for everyone concerned.

Picture courtesy of Aloysius Lim/PhotoPitAccess.com

SAJAMA CUT Manimal (The Bronze Medal Rec/Aksara Rec/Shining Rec)

I love pop music. Y’know, “pop music” as written and recorded in the 60s/70s, when producing something artistic and distinctive with tunes, lyrics, instrumentation and arrangements was the order of the day. Power of Pop was established to highlight bands and artists – past or present – who lived/live the reality of 60s (and 70s) infused music making.

I must confess that I have never had much of an interest in the Indonesian music scene but thanks to music blogger Eric Wijanata (check out his blog, Death Rockstar), I have learned the error of my ways. Right off the bat, Eric introduced me to Jakarta band, Sajama Cut, whom Eric described as the best indie rock band in Indonesia. And he was not exaggerating in anyway!

The band viz. Marcel Thee (Vox, Guitars, Electronics) Dion Panlima Reza (Guitars, Keys, Vox) Randy Apriza Akbar Thoha (Bass, Vox) Andreas Humala Simanjuntak (Keyboards, Synth, Samplers) Banu Mahari Satrio (Drums), Hans Citra Patria (Perkusi, Sampler, Electronics) has released three albums in its close to decade-long existence and parlays an eclectic musical approach into a pleasing concoction of pop confections.

And so on new album, Manimal, the band take all the best pop elements the world has ever known (Beach Boys harmony vocals, 60s chamber pop, 70s soft rock, 80s post-punk, 90s psychedelia) and delivers an almost perfect pop amalgam – unforgettable melodies, melancholy vibes and knowing instrumental references.

Amazing songs all – from the sunshine pop opening of Painting/Panting to the haunting synth-drenched Street Haunts, Manimal is an album to be savoured from start to finish, with enough goodies in between to keep every truly obsessed pop lover engaged for a very long time. It’s almost the end of 2010, and I am so glad that I have discovered one of the albums of the year.

Highly recommended. But you already knew that…

Official Site | Myspace

We (Pat, Ray, Tim and I) will be POPLAND for one more time tomorrow (21st Nov) night at the Timbre @ The Substation from 7.15pm to 8pm. It’s been an absolute blast jamming with the guys these last three weeks and I think it’s going to be a grand old show, loud and bittersweet at the same time. For us, it’s been about catching up, talking nostalgically about the gigs we’ve done before. So I am hoping that it’ll be the same for anyone who has seen POPLAND live from 1995 to 2002. Come on down and share with us your memories. If you have any of THE CROWD or POPLAND CDs (or even WATCHMEN!), bring them along and we’re gladly deface them for you!! Come down armed with cameras to record us for posterity (videos even). I will probably bring with me a couple of Groovy CDs in case anyone does not have a copy yet. See me after the show – $10 cheap! Then we’ll autograph it for you. Yes, boys and girls, it is going to be a special reunion for us all.

I just want to take this opportunity to thank Danny Loong and Edward Chia (and Seow Yee) for allowing POPLAND to hijack Timbre’s 5th Anniversary celebrations in this manner! If that was not enough, we also have great S-ROCK bands like the GREAT SPY EXPERIMENT, ZERO SEQUENCE and B-QUARTET on the bill as well!!!! What more could you ask for, music lovers?!

Do come up and say ‘hi’ – it’ll be great fun…

Why YOU should not miss the Charlatans this Tuesday 23rd November at the *SCAPE Warehouse: -

1. Cool 60s Britpop vibes

2. Singalong melodies

3. Irresistibly danceable grooves

4. Tim Burgess’ fringe

5. Hip songs like Oh Vanity!

You could say that the Charlatans fall somewhere in between the late Madchester scene and 90s Britpop. BUT whatever labels you wanna place on the band’s music, there is no denying the sheer hip shaking appeal of those stone cold grooves, mun. Here’s two for the price of one video – One To Another/The Only One I Know.

Add to the above, fine songs like North Country Boy, Weirdo, My Foolish Pride, My Beautiful Friend (and many more) and the case for your attendance is compelling. Yeah!

So what are you waiting for? Tickets are available at SISTIC. Tell you what, get your tickets, see you there and we can all dance together GLEE style. Heh! Singapore band West Grand Boulevard will open! Don’t forget also Meet & Greet Session at Topman ION Orchard (#B3-02) on 22 November at 7:30pm!

Official Site

5 more days to the Charlatans’ performance in Singapore. Opening for the English band will be our very own West Grand Boulevard.

Also…

Tickets available at SISTIC. Not to be missed!

Here ya go, indie fans.

Get tix from Friday 19 Nov from www.sistic.com

EARLY BIRD: $99.50 THEREAFETER: $109.50

(+$3 Sistic booking fee for both)

Online Booking: www.sistic.com

Phone Booking: (65) 6348 5555

Or at any Sistic outlet around Singapore.

Lineup – The Temper Trap, !!! (Chk Chk Chk), Foals, Holy Fuck, Ladyhawke, Warpaint, Beach House, Deerhunter, Yeasayer.

The Temper Trap played an acoustic set at the recent press con for the festival. Video below.

Official Site

Press release: -

Kevin Lester’s debut album, LETS TALK ABOUT KEVIN LESTER, has been released. The album is available for FREE download at http://www.thelioncityboy.com. At the site, click “Buy Now”, and type in “0″ USD to download the song or album for free. It will prompt the fan for his email address, and the free download link will be sent to his/her email.

The album features 8 original tracks, with features by P.Cess of Thaitanium, SonaOne from Kartel Records, Vanessa Fernandez, Syaheed of Bedsty and a few fellow band members of SIXX.

Press release from Quite Great Communications

Out of nowhere, Stacey Jackson a mother of four has gate-crashed the dance music charts and her infectious new dance floor-filling anthem I am a Woman is truly a call to arms for yummy mummy’s everywhere!

Fresh from achieving an unprecedented position for an unheralded artist in the Music Week Club Charts with debut single I Hear a Symphony the question on everybody’s lips in the music industry is ‘who the %*@# is Stacey Jackson?!?!’ and Stacey’s story is an inspiration to anyone who wants to chase their dreams.

After raising four children, the 41-year-old Chelsea-based housewife decided to rekindle her passion for music and performance and ‘I am a Woman’ is a call to arms for ladies everywhere and a rallying cry to get sisters doing it for themselves.

Fresh from Stacey’s anthemic debut single I Hear a Symphony miraculously flying up the Music Week Club Charts to sit alongside tracks by Kylie and Lady Gaga after being tipped by the Guardian’s music writers and going down a storm with UK DJs, I am a Woman will guarantee that you will be hearing the name ‘Stacey Jackson’ everywhere soon.

Not since Cher’s Believe has a record come from the leftfield to cause such a stir within the über-cool world of dance music and Stacey’s story is an example to women everywhere that it’s never too late to strike out on a limb and reach for the stars.

Now with her new single I am a Woman Stacey has set her sights on world domination and with momentum building behind her music it looks like nothing can stop her!

41 year-old mom of four?! Totally cool. Review of I Am A Woman to come. In the meantime, enjoy I Hear A Symphony.

PopTV makes you keep on falling in love, over and again.

Creep featuring Romy Madley Croft of The xx – Days

Director: Warren Fischer

The plain reason why I was jumping around on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Creep first surfaced with an introductory video, coincidentally called “Intro” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j26TrnsHt2I), which featured a whole lot of swirling hair. Both females in the group ae named Lauren, one member is actually Lauren Flax, who had collaborated with Sia on her international hit, You’ve Changed, making it a dancefloor sensation.

The female vocalist of The xx was roped in for this debut release from Creep, giving the song a futuristic, space-y feel. The xx fans, go mad now. I say, NOW.

www.myspace.com/wearecreep

Ellie Goulding – Your Song 
(Elton John cover)

Album: Bright Lights

A classic from a legend in front and behind the grand piano gets covered by one of the most vulnerable sounding pop vocalists around. May not be anywhere near the original (I have reached that stage in life, where originals go way deeper than covers), but it is still an honourable effort from this young songstress. This is already touted as a UK Singles Chart Christmas #1 contender, with it being over a month away from the holly festive season.

http://elliegoulding.com/

Keri Hilson – Pretty Girl Rock

Album: No Boys Allowed

Director: Joseph Kahn

Another one for the ladies, another song for empowerment.

I believe Keri Hilson has truly found her own style with this first single release off her upcoming album, though, ironically, she is seen here in this video portraying various icons of the past. See if you can distinguish the original from the imitations.

www.kerihilson.com/reveal/

Lykke Li – Get Some

Director: Johan Söderberg

We are all prostitutes.

www.lykkeli.com/

(CJ)

Hard to believe that UK neo-soul singer ROX is a mere 22 year old. She sang like a veteran at her tidy showcase at TAB on 5th November. Her self-assurance is amazing and even though she was backed by only one guitarist/keyboard player, that did not stop her from grooving like she was backed by a full band. Whether handling dance numbers or ballads, ROX delivered them in the same manner – much aplomb.

Dressed in a hot black outfit, she cut a stylish figure with her red ‘fro, she was totally in her element from the moment she stepped on stage. Calm and confident, she connected with the crowd easily and effortlessly, singing the songs from her acclaimed debut album. And when she decided to belt out the songs, she hit those high notes with such precision and power, it was a sheer joy to revel in that soulful goodness.

I would dearly to hear ROX with a proper backing band to give her the tasty rhythm that voice deserves. That said, it was a memorable gig and definitely another feather in TAB’s cap. Kudos to all concerned!

Luke Chow is a singer-songwriter from Hong Kong, whose music recalls the post-punk revival earlier in the decade – Franz Ferdinand, Maximo Park and the like. Luke will be playing an acoustic show in Singapore. Do check him out.

When: Fri Nov 19 2010  8:00 PM

Where: Home Club, , SG, SG, SG

Details: Support from Nick Chim and Siti Zahidah

Official Site

Laneway Festival, one of the foremost indie rock festivals in the Asia-Pacific region will make its debut appearance in Asia in 2011. And in Singapore as well. The press con was held yesterday afternoon at the New Asia Bar where organizers Chugg Entertainment announced that bands like !!! (Chk Chk Chk), Beach House, Deerhunter, Foals, Holy Fuck, Ladyhawke, Warpaint and Yeasayer will be performing at the Fort Canning Park on 29 January 2011.

Topping the bill will be highly rated Aussie band The Temper Trap, who (surprise surprise) was present at the press con to deliver an excellent (albeit short) acoustic set. Already expectations are sky high for this unique music festival. No quibbling with the lineup, I am looking forward to Foals, Beach House and of course, The Temper Trap though in truth, every band is an intriguing choice.

But of course, my main concern was about the possibilities of a Singapore band being on the bill. Sadly, none will be featured. Reasons were given – not sure if I buy them – so I will reserve comment for now. One massive reservation I do have is the venue – Fort Canning Park is a horrible venue. It is sloped and therefore very uncomfortable and the sound is very poor. But at the moment, it seems to be the biggest venue space we have in Singapore. Hurm.

More details to be announced, including ticket pricing. Stay tuned.

More pix of The Temper Trap

FINAL FANTASY Heartland (For Great Justice)

Don’t be confused. Final Fantasy is the name singer-songwriter-multi-insturmentalist Owen Pallett chooses to record under. Yes, he is a big fan of the video game, naturally. Pallett’s music is not easily described or pigeon-holed but I guess if I had to, I would define his music as experimental, avant garde, neo-classical, electronic pop. Mostly, it is challenging songwriting and arrangements of the top artistic order.

There is a chamber pop feel about many of the songs with strings and horms applied liberally but interpreted through the lens of synthesized rhythms, from drum and bass, as well as jungle, to Phil Spectoresque basic. Truly ambitious, Pallett is never satisfied with simple instrumentation but instead concentrates on dense sonic textures that recalls the genius of Brian Wilson.

In fact, much of Heartland evokes such diverse musical influences (Yellow Magic Orchestra, XTC, Scott Walker, The Blue Nile, Divine Comedy, Van Dyke Parks and Aphex Twin) that its eclectic approach will send the serious music lover dizzy. Suffice to say, Heartland is an accomplished album that is testament to the power of pop as an art form!

Pallett will be perform his unique music at the Esplanade Recital Studio on 7th January 2011 at 7.30pm. Tickets on sale at SISTIC. Yet another Greenhorn Production. Not to be missed!!

Official Site

[amazon-product alink="0000FF" bordercolor="000000" height="240"]B00348007S[/amazon-product]

Let me make this clear – the Singapore (English) music scene will live or die by its ability to produce good original music. Not by how well bands reproduce Top 40 material. That is why I was so encouraged by the wonderful acoustic performance by Lunarin yesterday afternoon at the Library @ Esplanade.

Consisting of many songs not recorded for Lunarin’s sophomore album Duae (have you purchased it yet?), the band (aided and abetted by Nat Soh and Victor Ong on violin and cello respectively) revealed a different side of their musical prowess. One where melodies shone through, with an approach that sounded more like a chamber music recital than a rock concert.

I loved the new songs Ghost and 22 and the re-intepretation of Midas and could imagine them being inserted into film and TV, without even having to mention radio. It’s definitely a direction Lunarin will have to consider seriously and I understand that there are plans to record these excellent acoustic songs for an EP release.

One issue I must address is that of Linda Ong’s voice. People who are looking for perfect pitch over unique vocal expressions should really just stick to GLEE and auto-tuning overkill! Where would the likes of Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Lou Reed or Patti Smith (to name but few) be with this kind of retrograde mindset. Pardon my French, but FUCK OFF or learn how to appreciate Linda’s distinctive vocal stylings. Seriously.

Ah yes, I had the distinct honour of opening for Lunarin and the pleasure of introducing Vanessa Faith (my 2010 Noise apprentice) and protege Debra Khng as well. I extremely pleased that Van’s Good Things and Deb’s All Of Me went down very well. That’s what it’s all about folks – ORIGINAL SONGS!!! Keep an eye on both girls in the months ahead…

Me? I played mostly new songs and it was exhausting to keep my concentration focused on delivering them right rather than cruising through the usual “old” comfortable songs. Very happy with the audience’s response, it must be said.

Set-list

Imagine (John Lennon cover)

Little Red Dot

Damaged

Easy

Liars in Love

Beyond the Ashes

My One & Only.

One week to the Popland reunion at Timbre @ Substation from 7.15pm. Can hardly wait!

… still there’s more …

What words can I use to adequately describe the experience of being at a Flaming Lips concert? Wild. Creative. Mind-blowing. Innovative. Bold. Fucking awesome? Yes, all these adjectives and more. Much more. For me, the one thought in my mind was echoed by one of my fellow audience members who shouted at the band – “So happy!” And there you have it.

From the moment the band launched into Worm Mountain and singer Wayne Coyne rolled himself onto the freaking out crowd in his bubble with colourful balloons and confetti flying around, everyone in the concert hall knew that they were witnessing something different, infinitely unique.

And that was the beginning of almost two hours of thrills and spills as the band ran through songs mainly from 2002 onwards. The only exception was its mondo bizarro hit – She Don’t Use Jelly (from 1993) – which the audience sang along to with great gusto and glee – it’s really something else to hear thousands of people singing “VASELINE!”!

The sound at the Marina Bay Sands Expo Hall was uneven, it must be said, not quite matching the quality of the psychedelic visuals we were being treated to. But props to Steven Drozd (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Michael Ivins (bass) and Kliph Scurlock (drums) for providing the epic soundtrack to the organised chaos. Special mention for multi-instrumentalist Drozd (who used to actually play drums!), the man is one talented mofo, carrying the weight of the live sonic direction firmly on his shoulders. Kudos, man.

But the centre of attention was of course, Wayne Coyne. Perpetually grinning, Coyne was the ringleader of this zany circus and he was in control always. Hyperactive and always concocting some other device to keep us fans entertained, perhaps one of my favourite moments (amongst many!) was when Coyne wore huge gloves which shot out lazer beams! Trippy! And when he hit those beams at the mirror ball, the resulting kaleidoscope of green particles of light was psychedelic heaven itself. Yeah!

Not forgetting the music – we sang along to Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Part I, made weird noises to I Can Be A Frog and marveled at the sheer magnitude of those progressive rock masterpieces viz. See the Leaves, Pompeii Am Gotterdamerang (sung by Drozd!!!!) and Silver Trembling Hands. Alternative rock versions of Pink Floyd that split the sky! Or something like that?

Incredibly, the band had more to give with an amazing encore of The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song and Do You Realize?? Again the balloons and confetti were shot into the audience and the energy levels for the Yeah Yeah Yeah Song hit the roof! Dancing along to “With all your power” – I was astonished at how the Lips managed to translate serious themes like power and responsibility into an infectious ditty in this manner. But as good as everything was up to that point, the band touched hearts and souls with Do You Realize?? Stretching out the moment as band and adoring audience all sang as one about beauty, unity and an appreciation of life. Whoa! Yes that’s the word – WHOA!

As we left the venue, dazed and smiling, my good friend Song (Great Spy Experiment) asked me if that was the best show of the year? Try best show of the century perhaps! How can anyone possibly top that? Outside the hall, fans were still singing “Do You Realize??” and cheering each other in the process. Wow! Testament to the power of the Flaming Lips to leave an impression.

So. Thank you, Messrs Coyne, Drozd, Ivins and Scurlock! Thank you, Untitled Entertainment (and April Lam)! I will personally never ever forget the night the Flaming Lips came to Singapore and transported us all to another dimension of sights and sounds. The greatest gig of the 21st century thus far…

N.B. Yes I do realize that the Raveonettes opened the evening with a noise-pop fest that entertained and inspired but to say that its performance was totally eclipsed by what was to follow would be a massive understatement. Perhaps an injustice to the Raveonettes but that’s just a fact of the matter.