2013 Spring Wave Music Festival
The Meadow, Gardens by the Bay
Last Saturday
Spring Wave swept into Singapore for the first time last Saturday.
And the popular Taiwanese music festival brought with it a swell line-up of artists, including indie queen Cheer Chen, rocker Wu Bai, popster Jam Hsiao, smoky-voiced Joanna Wang, pop-rocker Chang Chen-yue and home-grown singer Olivia Ong. Each performed a set between 30 and 40 minutes long.
According to the organiser, Taiwan’s Friendly Dog Entertainment, 5,000 people attended the concert.
First among the headliners to take the stage at The Meadow at Gardens by the Bay shortly after 3pm was Ong. Dressed in a black and white sleeveless top and a yellow skirt, she offered some breezy pop to help beat the heat.
She sang her own material such as ballad When The Seas Run Dry And The Stones Go Soft and covered English pop numbers such as Venus. She also tested fate with Let It Rain but the weather held.
The early birds who braved the sun came armed with umbrellas, caps and wet wipes. One group came with its own shade.
Mr Sun Jianhang, 26, from Shenyang and working in the logistics industry here, brought along a blue and orange tent. This was the result of experience gleaned from attending past festivals, such as the Strawberry Music Festival in China, he said.
Teacher James Wong, 41, was there with three friends and they came well equipped with mats, food and even card games. He said: “The concert is a very long one. To outlast it, we thought we had to be more prepared.”
Apart from the line-up of artists, there was also a showcase segment for the Singapore Press Holdings- organised Singapore Entertainment Awards 2013 (see other story).
Taiwan’s Bai An was the only regional artist present to collect her trophies for Most Popular Regional Newcomer and Singapore Entertainment Awards Media Award – Newcomer of the Year.
She graced the stage in a little black dress and performed three songs from her debut album of electronica pop, The Catcher In The Rye (2012).
The Singapore singers on hand to receive their prizes were Ming Bridges for Best Local Singer and Best Local Album, as well as The Freshman duo – comprising Chen Diya and Carrie Yeo – for Best Local Lyrics.
Singer Wang, dressed in striking green, took the stage next. From Coins, “a sarcastic song about spending money”, to lilting ballad Apathy, she entertained with her brand of kooky musical story- telling. She even turned American rock band Soundgarden’s Black Hole Sun into a whimsical ditty.
Rocker Chang then turned the dial up to party mode. With his infectious sing-along hits such as Love’s First Experience and Freedom, he had the crowd up on its feet and dancing happily along.
He was dressed in what looked like a light khaki safari suit and he cheekily shook his bum as a farewell gesture after his final number.
In contrast, the vibe for indie queen Cheer Chen’s set was mellow and chill, thanks to the sensitively wrought ruminations of tracks such as Jealousy and Travel With Sound. But the versatile musician proved that she could also pick up the pace when she had a go on the drums.
It was left to consummate showman Hsiao to really work the crowd and he did so with ease, pointing to fans when he sang “miss you, you, you” from Can Only Miss You.
He powered through rock numbers Princess and Holmes and sassed his way through Michael Jackson’s Black Or White.
Even the light drizzle could not dampen the mood and it gave Hsiao the opening to quip: “It’s raining so I have to go.”
Six hours after Ong, veteran rocker Wu Bai came on stage. He closed the evening with an invigorating blast of music, taking the audience from an explosive Volcano to anthemic Minnan number No. 1 In The World. The concert ended close to 10pm.
He revelled in the outdoor setting and acknowledged every segment of the crowd, from those in front to “those on the left of the left”.
At his command, he also set off the Mexican wave on the sea of green. And the fans roared in delight.
Among them was teacher Bernice Tan, 24, who said that it was a good experience overall. Given the variable weather, she added: “Maybe they can have some shelters if they have another one in future.”
While Spring had come and gone for the concertgoers, for those planning to boogie at the late-night dance party, there was still another Wave to ride.
(ST)