Crowd Lu 2010 Singapore Live
Dragonfly, St James Power Station
Last Saturday
The crowd embraced him like an old friend the moment Taiwanese singer-songwriter Crowd Lu stepped on stage.
He was togged out in his signature geeky look – bowl-cut hairstyle, oversized black-rimmed glasses, T-shirt, shorts, socks pulled up to mid-calf and canvas shoes, and he hailed the audience with his favourite interjection, an animated “Yeah!”.
As the 24-year-old did at the Esplanade in February last year, he again delivered a feel-good show that had people singing happily along. If anything, it was an even more intimate performance this time, as 800 standing fans were packed into the cosy venue that was Dragonfly.
Backed only by a percussion musician, Lu played the guitar and took on songs from his two albums, opening with the new record’s title track, Seven Days.
His voice was bright and brimming with sincerity, drawing you effortlessly to his heartfelt tales about love and life.
His optimistic brand of tuneful indie pop has won him a fervent following, particularly among the young, and the fans at the show were mostly in their 20s with several sporting “Oh Yeah!” T-shirts. They sang along with gusto, even though the lyrics were not displayed on screens as they usually are at Chinese pop concerts.
The 75-minute gig felt less like a performance and more like a gathering of friends as the endearing Lu engaged his fans. He invited those with questions to raise their hands and ask away and also shared stories about his life and the inspiration behind the songs.
We learnt that his optimistic streak came from his family and when he started writing songs, he wanted people listening to them to feel the same positive vibe. He urged: “When you smile, your heart opens up, just try it.”
This led into I No, on which he declared with conviction as his falsetto soared: “So it’s decided, we want to use smiles to face what’s ahead/Even if nightmares surround the entire world/Please don’t leave, love is always/By your side”.
The obliging singer also sang Happy Birthday to one lucky fan and, on request, tossed off a couple of Minnan tracks, including the anthemic To Win You Must Fight and rock band Mayday’s classic ballad Zhiming Yu Chunjiao (Peter & Mary).
Fans were treated to a new song as well, Come With Me To Qingkang To The Highlands, a lovely ballad about escaping to a beautiful spot 5,000m above sea level.
The set ended with the joyous Zai Jian Gou Gou (Goodbye, Pinky Swear), which triggered exuberant dancing from a few fans who had mastered the moves from the music video.
Lu came back for two encores and ended the evening with the title track of his debut album, 100 Ways For Living.
Looking at the sea of rapt faces, it was hard to tell who was more wrapped up in the moment, Crowd or the crowd.
(ST)