The Black Eyed Peas - Black, Blue & You Tour
Singapore Indoor Stadium
How does a band dispel those pesky break-up rumours? Simple. Just deliver a stomping good show.
That was exactly what The Black Eyed Peas did at their gig on Monday night.
The concert started with the well-known opening theme for 20th Century Fox movies as searchlights swept dramatically across the excited capacity crowd of 8,000.
And then the guys pranced onstage, strutting, rapping, singing and playing off one another on hits such as My Humps and Shut Up.
Boasting an easy, infectious energy, they struck up a quick rapport with the crowd. Shout-outs of “Singapore” were met with thunderous response.
They also had fun filching some classic guitar riffs, including Guns N’ Roses’ Sweet Child O’ Mine and The White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army.
This goofy playfulness lies at the heart of their appeal. And it extends to newly minted pop star Fergie’s sexiness – which is PG rather than R21-rated, and explains the throngs of children and teenage fans at the show.
She did her solo numbers, such as Glamorous and Big Girls Don’t Cry, wearing a tiara and a cheeky cheerleader costume. “I put on my little girlie outfit for you,” she teased.
It’s precisely her solo-career success that has fuelled rumours that the hip-hop collective is headed for a break-up, though all the members have embarked on their separate projects.
will.i.am turned the endless speculation into a joke, attempting the question “Are the Black Eyed Peas splitting up?” in a variety of mock accents.
The answer was a definite “The Black Eyed Peas is never gonna break up”.
To prove that individual successes were no threat to the group, will.i.am performed I Got It From My Mama from his new album, Songs About Girls.
Taboo and apl.de.ap had their solo turns as well, and everyone had a chance to shine.
The satisfying encore featured three classic Peas anthems – Pump It, their breakthrough hit Where Is The Love? and Let’s Get It Started.
As the crowd danced away and sang along enthusiastically, it was clear that the Peas had ignited a party in the stadium.
(ST)