To Protect
Aaron Matthew Lim
Aaron Matthew Lim, co-director of local music school Intune Music, has released his first solo EP.
One imagines that his past students will be poring over it to see if his practice lives up to his preaching.
It is a decent effort, with the last track, A Change Of Heart, making the biggest impact. This is an emotive ballad bolstered by the plaintive strains of the erhu.
There is an attempt to show some range over the three tracks with the inclusion of the upbeat soft rock of Palette: “I stand on the rooftop/ Drawing in the blue skies for you/
Van Gogh’s heaven/A palette of brilliant colours.”
The title track is a more conventional ballad that is a little too middling though.
Lim has clean, pleasant vocals, but as they are not immediately distinctive, he will have to rely on strong material to make the grade.
(ST)
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Lupin The Third
Ryuhei Kitamura
The story: Lupin III (Shun Oguri) is part of an elite group known as The Works. After the head is killed, fellow thief Michael Lee (Jerry Yan) goes into hiding with a priceless Cleopatra necklace. To get back the necklace from the ruthless Pramuk (Nirut Sirijanya), Lupin and Michael have to work together to penetrate the security fortress known as The Ark. The team includes femme fatale Fujiko Mine (Meisa Kuroki), computer expert Pierre (Kim Joon) and sword-wielding warrior Goemon (Go Ayano). Based on the popular manga by Monkey Punch, which made its first appearance in 1967.
Quite the international cast has been assembled for this crime caper. Oguri (Gokusen: The Movie, 2009) and Kuroki (Space Battleship Yamato, 2010) are from Japan, Yan (Meteor Garden, 2001) is from Taiwan and Kim (Boys Over Flowers, 2009) is from South Korea. A number of Thai actors are also cast in supporting roles.
But in terms of wattage, it is less glittery than the all-star ensemble cast of the similarly themed South Korean thriller The Thieves (2012). As it turns out, Thieves was also lighter on its feet.
Part of the problem here is the overly broad tone.
The bumbling inspector Zenigata (Tadanobu Asano) is constantly getting thwarted and his response is to yell
“Lupin!” in frustration. One can imagine that this works with manga with exaggeratedly illustrated characters almost spilling out of the page. But with live action, the effect is merely cartoonish without being impactful.
The story also takes too long to play out, and without any real surprises in the unfolding either.
A top security system with formidable digital defences? No problem, a character banging away furiously on a keyboard will soon figure out a way in.
The stilted English conversations which crop up from time to time do not help matters.
There are some enjoyable elements though.
They include Oguri grinning cheekily as Lupin, suavely togged out in the character’s trademark red velvet blazer and black leather pants. And having a heist take place at the fictitious Hougang Museum of Art – the movie jetsets across several countries – could raise a smile of recognition.
Watching Goemon take on a villain driving an SUV was fun as well. If it is going to be cartoonish, it might as well be over the top.
(ST)
Ryuhei Kitamura
The story: Lupin III (Shun Oguri) is part of an elite group known as The Works. After the head is killed, fellow thief Michael Lee (Jerry Yan) goes into hiding with a priceless Cleopatra necklace. To get back the necklace from the ruthless Pramuk (Nirut Sirijanya), Lupin and Michael have to work together to penetrate the security fortress known as The Ark. The team includes femme fatale Fujiko Mine (Meisa Kuroki), computer expert Pierre (Kim Joon) and sword-wielding warrior Goemon (Go Ayano). Based on the popular manga by Monkey Punch, which made its first appearance in 1967.
Quite the international cast has been assembled for this crime caper. Oguri (Gokusen: The Movie, 2009) and Kuroki (Space Battleship Yamato, 2010) are from Japan, Yan (Meteor Garden, 2001) is from Taiwan and Kim (Boys Over Flowers, 2009) is from South Korea. A number of Thai actors are also cast in supporting roles.
But in terms of wattage, it is less glittery than the all-star ensemble cast of the similarly themed South Korean thriller The Thieves (2012). As it turns out, Thieves was also lighter on its feet.
Part of the problem here is the overly broad tone.
The bumbling inspector Zenigata (Tadanobu Asano) is constantly getting thwarted and his response is to yell
“Lupin!” in frustration. One can imagine that this works with manga with exaggeratedly illustrated characters almost spilling out of the page. But with live action, the effect is merely cartoonish without being impactful.
The story also takes too long to play out, and without any real surprises in the unfolding either.
A top security system with formidable digital defences? No problem, a character banging away furiously on a keyboard will soon figure out a way in.
The stilted English conversations which crop up from time to time do not help matters.
There are some enjoyable elements though.
They include Oguri grinning cheekily as Lupin, suavely togged out in the character’s trademark red velvet blazer and black leather pants. And having a heist take place at the fictitious Hougang Museum of Art – the movie jetsets across several countries – could raise a smile of recognition.
Watching Goemon take on a villain driving an SUV was fun as well. If it is going to be cartoonish, it might as well be over the top.
(ST)
Monday, September 22, 2014
For close to three hours, legendary Taiwanese composer Liu Chia-chang, 73, celebrated his music with a sold-out crowd of 8,000 fans at the Singapore Indoor Stadium last Saturday night.
He had hits in 1960s and 1970s with songs such as Dream Behind The Curtain, I Found Myself and Plum Blossom. Backed by a 50-strong team of musicians, which included a full string section, he sang these and more. He also performed a track called Orchard Road, written when he was last here 30 years ago.
In between numbers, he cracked jokes about his age, quipping at one point: “If you sing along, I can save some strength.”
Guests such as Taiwan’s Bobby Chen Sheng, Hong Kong’s Teresa Carpio and Singapore’s Mavis Hee lent their voices to some of his most enduring hits, with Seagull and Memories Can Only Be Reminisced among them.
Seated among the audience were several big names, including screen goddess Lin Ching-hsia.
(ST)
He had hits in 1960s and 1970s with songs such as Dream Behind The Curtain, I Found Myself and Plum Blossom. Backed by a 50-strong team of musicians, which included a full string section, he sang these and more. He also performed a track called Orchard Road, written when he was last here 30 years ago.
In between numbers, he cracked jokes about his age, quipping at one point: “If you sing along, I can save some strength.”
Guests such as Taiwan’s Bobby Chen Sheng, Hong Kong’s Teresa Carpio and Singapore’s Mavis Hee lent their voices to some of his most enduring hits, with Seagull and Memories Can Only Be Reminisced among them.
Seated among the audience were several big names, including screen goddess Lin Ching-hsia.
(ST)
Mayday
2014 Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix, Padang Stage/Last Friday
You can count on Taiwanese band Mayday to wind up the crowd when the racing winds down.
The roar of engines at the 2014 Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix had subsided but the quintet soon had the crowd of 40,000 roaring in approval when they came on at 11.10pm.
They kicked things off with a string of fast-paced rock tunes, such as OAOA and Sun Wukong. Stageside fireworks fired up the crowd even more.
Then, like racers taking a bend, they slowed things down for their first ballad, Starry Night. As lead vocalist Ashin crooned, coloured lights played across the stage.
Five songs into the set, he greeted the lightstick-waving fans and announced: “Treat this as a large-scale Mayday concert.” This flagged off a massive live karaoke session as the crowd chimed in on I’m Not Willing To Let You Be Alone.
Mayday are regular visitors to Singapore and their last concert here was at the Singapore Indoor Stadium last June. At their dedicated shows, the sets and effects are fancier. The last time round, specially designed lightsticks were even programmed to be in sync with the songs.
The F1 gigs are more stripped-down affairs but, in a way, the back-to-basics vibe can be just as entertaining. All you need is an act with a huge catalogue of hits and one that is willing to go all out. Mayday are known for that, once turning a free showcase here, for those who bought their CD, into a full-on, two-hour-plus concert.
Last Friday night, they played for close to two hours, dishing out hits old and new, from Tenderness to Battle Array Song to Sad People Don’t Listen To Slow Songs.
To rev up the crowd, Mayday packed the set with faster-paced numbers such as Jump and DNA, and the audience showed their L.O.V.E. for the band during the fan favourite In Love-ing.
At first, on the uptempo tracks, the guitars could clearly be heard, but the vocals sounded murky. Things improved as the night wore on, or perhaps I had become used to the sound mix.
Apart from Ashin, looking fuller in the face, holding court, other members of the band also had a chance to shoot the breeze with their fans.
Guitarist Stone won the crowd over with his attempt to speak in English: “We’re really exciting today because there’s a great race there.”
And for those encountering the band for the first time, he urged them to check out Mayday on Google and YouTube.
To those who were late to the Mayday party, Ashin quipped: “What were you doing before today?”
Bassist Masa, whose idea of Singlish seems to be Filipino-accented English, kept it short and sweet.
Guitarist Monster hoped “we won’t lose out to the roar of the engines tonight”, while drummer Guan You called Singapore a second home, a sentiment the band had expressed before.
Ashin said at one point: “Do you miss Mayday a little? After we finish all our songs, you’d miss us even more.”
Right on cue, the group performed their hit ballad, Suddenly Missing You So Much, during the encore. No doubt fans will be feeling that way soon enough.
(ST)
2014 Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix, Padang Stage/Last Friday
You can count on Taiwanese band Mayday to wind up the crowd when the racing winds down.
The roar of engines at the 2014 Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix had subsided but the quintet soon had the crowd of 40,000 roaring in approval when they came on at 11.10pm.
They kicked things off with a string of fast-paced rock tunes, such as OAOA and Sun Wukong. Stageside fireworks fired up the crowd even more.
Then, like racers taking a bend, they slowed things down for their first ballad, Starry Night. As lead vocalist Ashin crooned, coloured lights played across the stage.
Five songs into the set, he greeted the lightstick-waving fans and announced: “Treat this as a large-scale Mayday concert.” This flagged off a massive live karaoke session as the crowd chimed in on I’m Not Willing To Let You Be Alone.
Mayday are regular visitors to Singapore and their last concert here was at the Singapore Indoor Stadium last June. At their dedicated shows, the sets and effects are fancier. The last time round, specially designed lightsticks were even programmed to be in sync with the songs.
The F1 gigs are more stripped-down affairs but, in a way, the back-to-basics vibe can be just as entertaining. All you need is an act with a huge catalogue of hits and one that is willing to go all out. Mayday are known for that, once turning a free showcase here, for those who bought their CD, into a full-on, two-hour-plus concert.
Last Friday night, they played for close to two hours, dishing out hits old and new, from Tenderness to Battle Array Song to Sad People Don’t Listen To Slow Songs.
To rev up the crowd, Mayday packed the set with faster-paced numbers such as Jump and DNA, and the audience showed their L.O.V.E. for the band during the fan favourite In Love-ing.
At first, on the uptempo tracks, the guitars could clearly be heard, but the vocals sounded murky. Things improved as the night wore on, or perhaps I had become used to the sound mix.
Apart from Ashin, looking fuller in the face, holding court, other members of the band also had a chance to shoot the breeze with their fans.
Guitarist Stone won the crowd over with his attempt to speak in English: “We’re really exciting today because there’s a great race there.”
And for those encountering the band for the first time, he urged them to check out Mayday on Google and YouTube.
To those who were late to the Mayday party, Ashin quipped: “What were you doing before today?”
Bassist Masa, whose idea of Singlish seems to be Filipino-accented English, kept it short and sweet.
Guitarist Monster hoped “we won’t lose out to the roar of the engines tonight”, while drummer Guan You called Singapore a second home, a sentiment the band had expressed before.
Ashin said at one point: “Do you miss Mayday a little? After we finish all our songs, you’d miss us even more.”
Right on cue, the group performed their hit ballad, Suddenly Missing You So Much, during the encore. No doubt fans will be feeling that way soon enough.
(ST)
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Turn Back & Smile
Tay Kewei
Miss Kelly
Kelly Poon
The quest to be the next Stefanie Sun of local Mandopop continues with new releases from Tay Kewei and Kelly Poon.
Tay’s previous two full-length albums comprised largely English covers. This time around, she strikes out as a full-fledged Mandopop singer-songwriter, having had a hand in writing nine of the 10 tracks.
Heart Shaped Hole is an emotive number and while the title track is more upbeat in sentiment, it remains firmly in ballad territory. They are a bit too safe and middle-of-the-road though. Good thing that Tay has a textured warm voice that helps to lift the songs.
Things pick up with the lazy lilt of Nostalgia and the easy-breezy acoustic number Missing You. And she picks up the pace as well on Unforgettable, which mixes a dance beat with the plaintive wail of the erhu.
Tay plays the stringed instrument and the smart use of traditional Chinese music elements is one of the most interesting things about this album. The final song starts off with a solo erhu passage and gets to a rousing chorus that has a triumphant Tay feeling Victorious.
In stark contrast, Poon seems to be feeling anything but triumphant after trying to break out for almost a decade.
The hurt and self-doubt spill over on the ballad Clown: “I feel like I’m a clown/Always performing for a disdainful you/Discarded dignity/Behind the smiles/I try hard to give the most exciting solo show/How ridiculous.”
It turns out that the track, co-composed by Poon with lyrics by her, is one of the most moving things she has ever done.
Unfortunately, the EP is not consistently strong. Lover gives Coco Lee’s ballad I Am Still Your Lover an acceptable, but not essential, dance track makeover. And the sole English number Why Goodbye merely sounds dated.
Still, it would be a pity to miss this entirely.
(ST)
Tay Kewei
Miss Kelly
Kelly Poon
The quest to be the next Stefanie Sun of local Mandopop continues with new releases from Tay Kewei and Kelly Poon.
Tay’s previous two full-length albums comprised largely English covers. This time around, she strikes out as a full-fledged Mandopop singer-songwriter, having had a hand in writing nine of the 10 tracks.
Heart Shaped Hole is an emotive number and while the title track is more upbeat in sentiment, it remains firmly in ballad territory. They are a bit too safe and middle-of-the-road though. Good thing that Tay has a textured warm voice that helps to lift the songs.
Things pick up with the lazy lilt of Nostalgia and the easy-breezy acoustic number Missing You. And she picks up the pace as well on Unforgettable, which mixes a dance beat with the plaintive wail of the erhu.
Tay plays the stringed instrument and the smart use of traditional Chinese music elements is one of the most interesting things about this album. The final song starts off with a solo erhu passage and gets to a rousing chorus that has a triumphant Tay feeling Victorious.
In stark contrast, Poon seems to be feeling anything but triumphant after trying to break out for almost a decade.
The hurt and self-doubt spill over on the ballad Clown: “I feel like I’m a clown/Always performing for a disdainful you/Discarded dignity/Behind the smiles/I try hard to give the most exciting solo show/How ridiculous.”
It turns out that the track, co-composed by Poon with lyrics by her, is one of the most moving things she has ever done.
Unfortunately, the EP is not consistently strong. Lover gives Coco Lee’s ballad I Am Still Your Lover an acceptable, but not essential, dance track makeover. And the sole English number Why Goodbye merely sounds dated.
Still, it would be a pity to miss this entirely.
(ST)
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
The Purge: Anarchy
James DeMonaco
The concept of letting criminals run wild legally for a specified 12-hour period was first presented in last year’s The Purge. Then, the action was largely confined to one particular house and household.
The sequel takes to the streets and the view is not a pretty one. Apparently, a prerequisite of going on a crime spree seems to be dressing up in ghoulish masks and the like. This is Halloween on steroids.
Anarchy does not really do anything fresh with the concept but merely assembles a ragtag group of characters who are forced to rely on one another in order to survive the night. There is a girl who keeps asking pesky questions and an impetuous guy who keeps doing stupid things, all in the name of propelling the story forward.
More could have been done with a surreal sequence of rich folks hunting humans for sport in a dark maze. It is a concept familiar from films such as Battle Royale (2000) and The Hunger Games (2012) but it remains chilling to see class warfare made literal.
(ST)
James DeMonaco
The concept of letting criminals run wild legally for a specified 12-hour period was first presented in last year’s The Purge. Then, the action was largely confined to one particular house and household.
The sequel takes to the streets and the view is not a pretty one. Apparently, a prerequisite of going on a crime spree seems to be dressing up in ghoulish masks and the like. This is Halloween on steroids.
Anarchy does not really do anything fresh with the concept but merely assembles a ragtag group of characters who are forced to rely on one another in order to survive the night. There is a girl who keeps asking pesky questions and an impetuous guy who keeps doing stupid things, all in the name of propelling the story forward.
More could have been done with a surreal sequence of rich folks hunting humans for sport in a dark maze. It is a concept familiar from films such as Battle Royale (2000) and The Hunger Games (2012) but it remains chilling to see class warfare made literal.
(ST)
The Longest Week
Peter Glanz
The story: Conrad Valmont (Jason Bateman), was born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth, living a carefree life in a luxe hotel. One eventful week, he gets tossed out of his suite, falls for the lovely Beatrice (Olivia Wilde) and finds his long-time friendship with Dylan (Billy Crudup) tested.
This is not a Wes Anderson film.
But judging from the soundtrack featuring French pop songs to the wry voice narration to the moments of perfectly art-directed whimsy, one could have sworn that it was the American director at work. The elements are, after all, strongly suggestive of Anderson’s signature style found in movies such as Moonrise Kingdom (2012) and The Royal Tenenbaums (2001).
Whether writer-director Peter Glanz is an Anderson imitator or admirer, the result is a pleasant enough piece of good-looking fluff.
Given that the protagonist, Conrad Valmont (Bateman), is a self-absorbed man-child, this is no mean feat. Conrad has been seeing a psychiatrist for years, but the only illness he is suffering from is chronic glibness. And after meeting Beatrice, he learns that his best, and possibly only, friend Dylan (Crudup) is also interested in her, but goes after her anyway.
What could so easily have been an insufferable over-privileged character becomes a sympathetic one you actually root for, thanks to the casting of Bateman (from TV’s Arrested Development).
Even when the material is weak, as in Identity Thief (2013), the actor can be counted on to brighten up the screen.
Here, he brings a deftly balanced mix of charm and humour to the role of Conrad and adds just a dollop of snarkiness, without laying it on too thick.
The script has its share of bon mots and witty moments. When Dylan wears a unisex scent for a date, Conrad asks if he actually wants to smell sexually ambiguous.
While Bateman and Wilde (Tron: Legacy, 2010) make for a cute couple despite her enormous fake lashes, which can be a little distracting, the more moving relationship is actually the competitive and mutually envious friendship between Conrad and Dylan.
The film is ostensibly set in New York, though it is less clear when it takes place, as no one seems to own a mobile phone. In a way, that feels right, since The Longest Week takes place in a fantasy world anyway, one that is lovingly burnished until it gives off a soft, seductive glow.
(ST)
Peter Glanz
The story: Conrad Valmont (Jason Bateman), was born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth, living a carefree life in a luxe hotel. One eventful week, he gets tossed out of his suite, falls for the lovely Beatrice (Olivia Wilde) and finds his long-time friendship with Dylan (Billy Crudup) tested.
This is not a Wes Anderson film.
But judging from the soundtrack featuring French pop songs to the wry voice narration to the moments of perfectly art-directed whimsy, one could have sworn that it was the American director at work. The elements are, after all, strongly suggestive of Anderson’s signature style found in movies such as Moonrise Kingdom (2012) and The Royal Tenenbaums (2001).
Whether writer-director Peter Glanz is an Anderson imitator or admirer, the result is a pleasant enough piece of good-looking fluff.
Given that the protagonist, Conrad Valmont (Bateman), is a self-absorbed man-child, this is no mean feat. Conrad has been seeing a psychiatrist for years, but the only illness he is suffering from is chronic glibness. And after meeting Beatrice, he learns that his best, and possibly only, friend Dylan (Crudup) is also interested in her, but goes after her anyway.
What could so easily have been an insufferable over-privileged character becomes a sympathetic one you actually root for, thanks to the casting of Bateman (from TV’s Arrested Development).
Even when the material is weak, as in Identity Thief (2013), the actor can be counted on to brighten up the screen.
Here, he brings a deftly balanced mix of charm and humour to the role of Conrad and adds just a dollop of snarkiness, without laying it on too thick.
The script has its share of bon mots and witty moments. When Dylan wears a unisex scent for a date, Conrad asks if he actually wants to smell sexually ambiguous.
While Bateman and Wilde (Tron: Legacy, 2010) make for a cute couple despite her enormous fake lashes, which can be a little distracting, the more moving relationship is actually the competitive and mutually envious friendship between Conrad and Dylan.
The film is ostensibly set in New York, though it is less clear when it takes place, as no one seems to own a mobile phone. In a way, that feels right, since The Longest Week takes place in a fantasy world anyway, one that is lovingly burnished until it gives off a soft, seductive glow.
(ST)
Thursday, September 11, 2014
40th Anniversary Collection
Dick Lee
This year marks the 40th anniversary of all-round entertainer Dick Lee’s first album, Life Story (1974). Since then, he has put out more albums, penned musicals, broken into the Japanese market and written hit songs for top pop stars such as Sandy Lam, Jacky Cheung and the late Leslie Cheung.
There is plenty of ground to cover for an anniversary collection and two discs are just not enough to do his body of work justice.
The focus here is on his own albums, so there is material from The Mad Chinaman (1989), Asia Major (1990), The Year Of The Monkey (1993), Transit Lounge (1999) and the title track from Life Story.
Broadly, the songs fall into two categories: Singaporean pop and ear- worm balladry. Lee was wrestling with the question of what is Singaporean pop early on. He incorporated familiar imagery from fried rice to Tamil movies, built upon traditional folk songs and old favourites, mixed in ethnic instruments and added smatterings of Mandarin, Malay and Tamil into the melting pot.
He also created one of the most beloved National Day songs, Home, included here as a gently heart-tugging number from Life Deluxe (2010).
In the process, he helped to define the sound of Singapore pop.
Lee also had an unerring ear for melody. Paradise In My Heart, collected on Everything (2000), was a hit in English for Tracy Huang in 1986 as well as a Cantonese hit for Lam in 1990.
At his 40th anniversary concert at the Drama Centre Theatre on Aug 31, he also crooned Canto hits, Chase, sung by Leslie Cheung, and Love Is Eternal, written for the Jacky Cheung musical Snow.Wolf.Lake (1997). He also sang a duet with his former wife Jacintha Abisheganaden on songs from her first album Silence (1983), which was composed and produced by him.
It would have been perfect if there was an extra disc to fit in all this material as well as the Japanese children’s show theme song he referred to during the concert, and perhaps a choice selection of his work in musicals such as Beauty World (1988), Hotpants (1997) and Forbidden City: Portrait Of An Empress (2002).
Okay, maybe two more discs.
Until We Meet
Claire Kuo
Taiwanese cutie pie Claire Kuo (below) has a sweet persona and a pleasant voice, but the combination has not made for very exciting albums. The choice of material here is at least stronger than usual, thanks to songwriters such as William Wei and Lala Hsu.
On the opening ballad penned by Wei, Not Over You, she croons with a hint of regret and bravery: “Learn to be my own companion, learn not to cling/Not hard, eventually get used to some things, vanishing into thin air/But can I hold on to some memories.”
On the gently lilting My Little Safe Place, a search for a little forest leads unexpectedly to a joyous chorus of la-la-las.
Kuo may not be lucky in love on this record but at least she puts a brave front on it. On the upbeat Shine Your Way, she asks defiantly: “Who says singlehood equals to loneliness plus sighs?”
It is a welcome show of spunk from a singer who plays the little woman yearning for love too often.
(ST)
Dick Lee
This year marks the 40th anniversary of all-round entertainer Dick Lee’s first album, Life Story (1974). Since then, he has put out more albums, penned musicals, broken into the Japanese market and written hit songs for top pop stars such as Sandy Lam, Jacky Cheung and the late Leslie Cheung.
There is plenty of ground to cover for an anniversary collection and two discs are just not enough to do his body of work justice.
The focus here is on his own albums, so there is material from The Mad Chinaman (1989), Asia Major (1990), The Year Of The Monkey (1993), Transit Lounge (1999) and the title track from Life Story.
Broadly, the songs fall into two categories: Singaporean pop and ear- worm balladry. Lee was wrestling with the question of what is Singaporean pop early on. He incorporated familiar imagery from fried rice to Tamil movies, built upon traditional folk songs and old favourites, mixed in ethnic instruments and added smatterings of Mandarin, Malay and Tamil into the melting pot.
He also created one of the most beloved National Day songs, Home, included here as a gently heart-tugging number from Life Deluxe (2010).
In the process, he helped to define the sound of Singapore pop.
Lee also had an unerring ear for melody. Paradise In My Heart, collected on Everything (2000), was a hit in English for Tracy Huang in 1986 as well as a Cantonese hit for Lam in 1990.
At his 40th anniversary concert at the Drama Centre Theatre on Aug 31, he also crooned Canto hits, Chase, sung by Leslie Cheung, and Love Is Eternal, written for the Jacky Cheung musical Snow.Wolf.Lake (1997). He also sang a duet with his former wife Jacintha Abisheganaden on songs from her first album Silence (1983), which was composed and produced by him.
It would have been perfect if there was an extra disc to fit in all this material as well as the Japanese children’s show theme song he referred to during the concert, and perhaps a choice selection of his work in musicals such as Beauty World (1988), Hotpants (1997) and Forbidden City: Portrait Of An Empress (2002).
Okay, maybe two more discs.
Until We Meet
Claire Kuo
Taiwanese cutie pie Claire Kuo (below) has a sweet persona and a pleasant voice, but the combination has not made for very exciting albums. The choice of material here is at least stronger than usual, thanks to songwriters such as William Wei and Lala Hsu.
On the opening ballad penned by Wei, Not Over You, she croons with a hint of regret and bravery: “Learn to be my own companion, learn not to cling/Not hard, eventually get used to some things, vanishing into thin air/But can I hold on to some memories.”
On the gently lilting My Little Safe Place, a search for a little forest leads unexpectedly to a joyous chorus of la-la-las.
Kuo may not be lucky in love on this record but at least she puts a brave front on it. On the upbeat Shine Your Way, she asks defiantly: “Who says singlehood equals to loneliness plus sighs?”
It is a welcome show of spunk from a singer who plays the little woman yearning for love too often.
(ST)
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Life Of Crime
Daniel Schechter
The story: Trophy wife Mickey (Jennifer Aniston) is kidnapped by Louis (John Hawkes) and Ordell (Yasiin Bey) for ransom. But unknown to the bumbling criminals, her husband Frank (Tim Robbins) is already planning to leave her for his mistress Melanie (Isla Fisher). Based on Elmore Leonard’s novel The Switch (1978).
The bar has been set quite high for Elmore Leonard adaptations with films such as Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown (1997), Barry Sonnenfeld’s Get Shorty (1995) and the ongoing TV neo-western drama Justified.
Director Daniel Schechter (The Big Bad Swim, 2006) throws his hat in the ring with Life Of Crime, but comes up a little short.
The elements of a black comedy crime thriller are there, but the sum of the parts is a not-quite-satisfying whole despite a game cast trying their best.
Aniston (We’re The Millers, 2013) is sympathetic as the wife faced with her husband’s infidelity and the certain knowledge that he will not want to pay the ransom. Robbins (Thanks For Sharing, 2012) is spot-on as the boozy, blustery bully of a husband who is compromised by his dodgy business dealings.
And Fisher (Confessions Of A Shopaholic, 2009) is the bimbo mistress who is smarter than one might expect. When the kidnappers contact Frank, who is in the Bahamas with her, via telephone, she suggests unplugging it. It is a smart move given that the show is set in the 1970s, way before the advent of pesky mobile communication.
Despite having a husband and a married admirer Marshall (Will Forte from Nebraska, 2013), it is ironic that the person nicest to Mickey turns out to be her captor Louis (Hawkes from The Sessions, 2012). There is a gentleness in the interactions between the two that feels unforced.
As ransom negotiations drag on, the plot starts twisting and turning like a pretzel.
The pacing is a little too leisurely though and the double-crossings and dealings feel too low-key. This is one of those instances where the volume could have been pumped up more: Life Of Crime needed to be darker, funnier and more violent.
It all builds up to a delicious twist in the final scene, but as Melanie remarks at one point: “Let’s be honest, the whole thing could have been set up better.”
(ST)
Daniel Schechter
The story: Trophy wife Mickey (Jennifer Aniston) is kidnapped by Louis (John Hawkes) and Ordell (Yasiin Bey) for ransom. But unknown to the bumbling criminals, her husband Frank (Tim Robbins) is already planning to leave her for his mistress Melanie (Isla Fisher). Based on Elmore Leonard’s novel The Switch (1978).
The bar has been set quite high for Elmore Leonard adaptations with films such as Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown (1997), Barry Sonnenfeld’s Get Shorty (1995) and the ongoing TV neo-western drama Justified.
Director Daniel Schechter (The Big Bad Swim, 2006) throws his hat in the ring with Life Of Crime, but comes up a little short.
The elements of a black comedy crime thriller are there, but the sum of the parts is a not-quite-satisfying whole despite a game cast trying their best.
Aniston (We’re The Millers, 2013) is sympathetic as the wife faced with her husband’s infidelity and the certain knowledge that he will not want to pay the ransom. Robbins (Thanks For Sharing, 2012) is spot-on as the boozy, blustery bully of a husband who is compromised by his dodgy business dealings.
And Fisher (Confessions Of A Shopaholic, 2009) is the bimbo mistress who is smarter than one might expect. When the kidnappers contact Frank, who is in the Bahamas with her, via telephone, she suggests unplugging it. It is a smart move given that the show is set in the 1970s, way before the advent of pesky mobile communication.
Despite having a husband and a married admirer Marshall (Will Forte from Nebraska, 2013), it is ironic that the person nicest to Mickey turns out to be her captor Louis (Hawkes from The Sessions, 2012). There is a gentleness in the interactions between the two that feels unforced.
As ransom negotiations drag on, the plot starts twisting and turning like a pretzel.
The pacing is a little too leisurely though and the double-crossings and dealings feel too low-key. This is one of those instances where the volume could have been pumped up more: Life Of Crime needed to be darker, funnier and more violent.
It all builds up to a delicious twist in the final scene, but as Melanie remarks at one point: “Let’s be honest, the whole thing could have been set up better.”
(ST)
The Two Faces Of January
Hossein Amini
The story: Rydal (Oscar Isaac) is a Greek-speaking American working as a tour guide in Athens in 1962 and scamming tourists on the sly. He meets the elegant Chester (Viggo Mortenson) and his much younger, pretty wife Colette (Kirsten Dunst) at the Parthenon and is soon drawn into their world. But hiding behind that well-to-do facade are secrets in Chester’s past threatening to catch up with him. Based on Patricia Highsmith’s 1964 novel of the same name.
Any film that incorporates the engineering intricacies of the Parthenon and the bull-leaping frescoes of the Knossos temple complex on Crete island is one that I would have a soft spot for, due to a personal fascination with ancient Greece.
Also, Rydal promisingly makes a remark early on about the cruel tricks that gods play on men. It seems to set up the movie as some kind of epic Greek tragedy, even though the title is a reference to the two-faced Roman god of beginnings and transitions, Janus.
Hossein Amini, best known for his Oscar- nominated screenplay for period drama The Wings Of The Dove (1997), makes his directorial debut here. January is handsomely filmed, but saddled with slow pacing.
It is a good thing that he has a top-notch cast here filling out the core triangle of characters.
Mortenson (A History Of Violence, 2005) has a threatening volatility seething beneath an elegant exterior while Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis, 2013) keeps you watching as a man who gets embroiled in something bigger than he bargained for, calculating every step of the way if it is worth his while.
Dunst (Melancholia, 2011) is the woman caught between them and is, by turns, playful, exasperated and vulnerable.
What is interesting are the three sets of relationships among the characters.
Chester and Colette are a couple but their relationship is an unequal one skewed by age and the power that comes from wealth. Rydal is drawn to Colette and their mutual attraction sends Chester into a downward spiral of suspicion and paranoia.
Meanwhile, the relationship between Chester and Rydal is not entirely competitive.
Their paths had crossed in the first place as Chester reminded the latter of his recently deceased father.
The pace picks up towards the end and there is a poignancy to the resolution of a movie that is more intimate character drama than grand crime thriller.
(ST)
Hossein Amini
The story: Rydal (Oscar Isaac) is a Greek-speaking American working as a tour guide in Athens in 1962 and scamming tourists on the sly. He meets the elegant Chester (Viggo Mortenson) and his much younger, pretty wife Colette (Kirsten Dunst) at the Parthenon and is soon drawn into their world. But hiding behind that well-to-do facade are secrets in Chester’s past threatening to catch up with him. Based on Patricia Highsmith’s 1964 novel of the same name.
Any film that incorporates the engineering intricacies of the Parthenon and the bull-leaping frescoes of the Knossos temple complex on Crete island is one that I would have a soft spot for, due to a personal fascination with ancient Greece.
Also, Rydal promisingly makes a remark early on about the cruel tricks that gods play on men. It seems to set up the movie as some kind of epic Greek tragedy, even though the title is a reference to the two-faced Roman god of beginnings and transitions, Janus.
Hossein Amini, best known for his Oscar- nominated screenplay for period drama The Wings Of The Dove (1997), makes his directorial debut here. January is handsomely filmed, but saddled with slow pacing.
It is a good thing that he has a top-notch cast here filling out the core triangle of characters.
Mortenson (A History Of Violence, 2005) has a threatening volatility seething beneath an elegant exterior while Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis, 2013) keeps you watching as a man who gets embroiled in something bigger than he bargained for, calculating every step of the way if it is worth his while.
Dunst (Melancholia, 2011) is the woman caught between them and is, by turns, playful, exasperated and vulnerable.
What is interesting are the three sets of relationships among the characters.
Chester and Colette are a couple but their relationship is an unequal one skewed by age and the power that comes from wealth. Rydal is drawn to Colette and their mutual attraction sends Chester into a downward spiral of suspicion and paranoia.
Meanwhile, the relationship between Chester and Rydal is not entirely competitive.
Their paths had crossed in the first place as Chester reminded the latter of his recently deceased father.
The pace picks up towards the end and there is a poignancy to the resolution of a movie that is more intimate character drama than grand crime thriller.
(ST)
Thursday, September 04, 2014
Crown/Clown
Will Pan
Dancer-singers get no respect, so bemoans Taiwan-based Will Pan. But he is not going to take it lying down.
This is his 10th album and he is going to rise above the naysayers. He turns criticism into a dance track on Clown: “I’m a clown, you say/You see through me, you say.”
Then he unleashes a riposte: “I sing and dance/Humorous mambo dance steps tease your heartbeat/Applause swells, screams, everyone’s smiling/ Wipe away the tears/I’m a clown and proud of it.”
He also disses the haters on I Swagger The Most: “You complain that I’m shallow but I’m on your Instagram/I admit to being a little narcissistic, make you hate a little more each day.”
Some arrangements sound dated, though, and the slower-paced numbers still show up his voice. But props to him for taking on the party poopers.
Girls
Sun Shengxi
Looks like Taiwanese- Korean singer Bii is getting some bicultural competition. Chinese-Korean Sun Shengxi placed sixth in singing contest Chinese Million Star last year and this is her music debut.
A clear highlight here is Live With You, a track which holds my attention whenever I chance upon it on the radio. The ballad, composed by Lala Hsu with lyrics by David Ke, is a good showcase for Sun’s lightly husky pipes. She croons: “From loneliness moving out, living together with you, I don’t have much baggage, except for my focus on you.”
She composes, writes lyrics, and shows range and assuredness. Shouldn’t Shouldn’t sounds like a hit power ballad and Your Who drips with attitude.
People might not be asking “Sun who?” for long.
(ST)
Will Pan
Dancer-singers get no respect, so bemoans Taiwan-based Will Pan. But he is not going to take it lying down.
This is his 10th album and he is going to rise above the naysayers. He turns criticism into a dance track on Clown: “I’m a clown, you say/You see through me, you say.”
Then he unleashes a riposte: “I sing and dance/Humorous mambo dance steps tease your heartbeat/Applause swells, screams, everyone’s smiling/ Wipe away the tears/I’m a clown and proud of it.”
He also disses the haters on I Swagger The Most: “You complain that I’m shallow but I’m on your Instagram/I admit to being a little narcissistic, make you hate a little more each day.”
Some arrangements sound dated, though, and the slower-paced numbers still show up his voice. But props to him for taking on the party poopers.
Girls
Sun Shengxi
Looks like Taiwanese- Korean singer Bii is getting some bicultural competition. Chinese-Korean Sun Shengxi placed sixth in singing contest Chinese Million Star last year and this is her music debut.
A clear highlight here is Live With You, a track which holds my attention whenever I chance upon it on the radio. The ballad, composed by Lala Hsu with lyrics by David Ke, is a good showcase for Sun’s lightly husky pipes. She croons: “From loneliness moving out, living together with you, I don’t have much baggage, except for my focus on you.”
She composes, writes lyrics, and shows range and assuredness. Shouldn’t Shouldn’t sounds like a hit power ballad and Your Who drips with attitude.
People might not be asking “Sun who?” for long.
(ST)
Wednesday, September 03, 2014
But Always
Snow Zou
Each time the star-crossed lovers An Ran (Gao Yuanyuan) and Yongyuan (Nicholas Tse) have sex, something calamitous happens. You begin to suspect that Gao’s husband, actor Mark Chao, had final script approval.
The sad thing is that the laughable “sex equals doom” theme is probably the most interesting thing in what has got to be one of the laziest and most literal romances ever. The name of Tse’s character means forever and, when he kissses An Ran in one scene, they are standing right next to Robert Indiana’s pop-art sculpture of the word Love.
As this soppy and sappy mess of a story drags its feet through Beijing, New York and much dull dialogue, only Tse’s cheeky grin and Gao’s pensive visage offer fleeting moments of solace.
(ST)
Snow Zou
Each time the star-crossed lovers An Ran (Gao Yuanyuan) and Yongyuan (Nicholas Tse) have sex, something calamitous happens. You begin to suspect that Gao’s husband, actor Mark Chao, had final script approval.
The sad thing is that the laughable “sex equals doom” theme is probably the most interesting thing in what has got to be one of the laziest and most literal romances ever. The name of Tse’s character means forever and, when he kissses An Ran in one scene, they are standing right next to Robert Indiana’s pop-art sculpture of the word Love.
As this soppy and sappy mess of a story drags its feet through Beijing, New York and much dull dialogue, only Tse’s cheeky grin and Gao’s pensive visage offer fleeting moments of solace.
(ST)
Disney's Planes: Fire & Rescue
Bobs Gannaway
There is a reason why the Planes franchise does not come under the marquee Pixar or Walt Disney Animation Studios brands. The spin-off from the Cars films is pitched squarely at the under-10 set and is hence produced by DisneyToon Studios, which does mostly straight-to-video titles.
In this sequel to last year’s Planes, Dusty Crophopper (Dane Cook) is forced to give up racing and has to learn to fight fires instead. Bet on the cropduster plane getting his certification and learning some positive lessons along the way, not to mention saving the day with some heroic manoeuvre.
While the fire scenes are generally well executed, the story fails to muster much surprise or excitement. And the corny, punny humour is unlikely to raise laughs among older moviegoers.
All I can think about when the gungho firefighting utility vehicles are introduced is: These would make for a nice range of toys.
So what’s next for Disney? Ships?
(ST)
Bobs Gannaway
There is a reason why the Planes franchise does not come under the marquee Pixar or Walt Disney Animation Studios brands. The spin-off from the Cars films is pitched squarely at the under-10 set and is hence produced by DisneyToon Studios, which does mostly straight-to-video titles.
In this sequel to last year’s Planes, Dusty Crophopper (Dane Cook) is forced to give up racing and has to learn to fight fires instead. Bet on the cropduster plane getting his certification and learning some positive lessons along the way, not to mention saving the day with some heroic manoeuvre.
While the fire scenes are generally well executed, the story fails to muster much surprise or excitement. And the corny, punny humour is unlikely to raise laughs among older moviegoers.
All I can think about when the gungho firefighting utility vehicles are introduced is: These would make for a nice range of toys.
So what’s next for Disney? Ships?
(ST)
Cafe.Waiting.Love
Chiang Jin-lin
The story: College freshman Si-ying (Vivian Sung) gets a part-time job at a cafe where barista Abusi (Megan Lai) is trying to make the perfect cup of coffee for the lovelorn owner (Vivian Chow). Meanwhile, as Si-ying pines away for Zeyu (Marcus Chang), she becomes friends with A-Tuo (Bruce), a sunny senior who does weird things such as dragging a head of cabbage on a leash.
After the commercial and critical success of You Are The Apple Of My Eye (2011), it was only a matter of time before another of popular Taiwanese writer Giddens Ko’s novels received the big-screen treatment.
The people behind this movie are clearly hoping for lightning to strike twice given the myriad connections to Apple.
While Ko does not direct this adaptation, he does serve as the film’s producer. Chiang Jin-lin, who makes his directorial debut here, was executive director for Apple.
Cafe.Waiting.Love (2004) was Ko’s first novel and it is also similarly youth-oriented.
Rather than trotting out Kai Ko and Michelle Chen from Apple, an appealingly fresh-faced cast has been assembled.
Sung is the cutie-pie with attitude as she will not hesitate to speak up when she witnesses injustice; Lai the cool and unflappable barista; and mono- monikered Bruce is winningly sunny and wholesome as the guileless A-Tuo.
For older audiences, there is the bonus of seeing the ageless Chow on screen again four years after the lesbian drama All About Love (2010), even if her storyline is not as interesting.
At the box office, lightning might indeed have struck twice for a Ko-branded project. Since opening in Taiwan and Hong Kong on Aug 15, Cafe has earned NT$165 million (S$6.9 million) and HK$14 million (S$2.3 million).
But compared to Apple, the story here is more fantastical and outlandish. A-Tuo’s gauge of true love depends on his ability to conjure up sausages and steaming hot beancurd from behind the head of his object of desire. And his circle of acquaintances includes an actor (Li Luo), whose mob roles have led to him acting as a real-life peacemaker for bickering gangsters.
While there remains a sweet innocence at the core of Cafe, as in Ko’s other tales, however ridiculous things get, the new film feels more scattered and stretched out because it tries to cram too much in.
Apple is definitely the more focused and cohesive film between the two.
The following is as good a test as any of how Apple and Cafe stack up: The movie adaptation of Apple led me to pick up the book, but I am less compelled to do so after watching Cafe.Waiting.Love.
(ST)
Chiang Jin-lin
The story: College freshman Si-ying (Vivian Sung) gets a part-time job at a cafe where barista Abusi (Megan Lai) is trying to make the perfect cup of coffee for the lovelorn owner (Vivian Chow). Meanwhile, as Si-ying pines away for Zeyu (Marcus Chang), she becomes friends with A-Tuo (Bruce), a sunny senior who does weird things such as dragging a head of cabbage on a leash.
After the commercial and critical success of You Are The Apple Of My Eye (2011), it was only a matter of time before another of popular Taiwanese writer Giddens Ko’s novels received the big-screen treatment.
The people behind this movie are clearly hoping for lightning to strike twice given the myriad connections to Apple.
While Ko does not direct this adaptation, he does serve as the film’s producer. Chiang Jin-lin, who makes his directorial debut here, was executive director for Apple.
Cafe.Waiting.Love (2004) was Ko’s first novel and it is also similarly youth-oriented.
Rather than trotting out Kai Ko and Michelle Chen from Apple, an appealingly fresh-faced cast has been assembled.
Sung is the cutie-pie with attitude as she will not hesitate to speak up when she witnesses injustice; Lai the cool and unflappable barista; and mono- monikered Bruce is winningly sunny and wholesome as the guileless A-Tuo.
For older audiences, there is the bonus of seeing the ageless Chow on screen again four years after the lesbian drama All About Love (2010), even if her storyline is not as interesting.
At the box office, lightning might indeed have struck twice for a Ko-branded project. Since opening in Taiwan and Hong Kong on Aug 15, Cafe has earned NT$165 million (S$6.9 million) and HK$14 million (S$2.3 million).
But compared to Apple, the story here is more fantastical and outlandish. A-Tuo’s gauge of true love depends on his ability to conjure up sausages and steaming hot beancurd from behind the head of his object of desire. And his circle of acquaintances includes an actor (Li Luo), whose mob roles have led to him acting as a real-life peacemaker for bickering gangsters.
While there remains a sweet innocence at the core of Cafe, as in Ko’s other tales, however ridiculous things get, the new film feels more scattered and stretched out because it tries to cram too much in.
Apple is definitely the more focused and cohesive film between the two.
The following is as good a test as any of how Apple and Cafe stack up: The movie adaptation of Apple led me to pick up the book, but I am less compelled to do so after watching Cafe.Waiting.Love.
(ST)
Monday, September 01, 2014
Sodagreen Air World Tour
Singapore Indoor Stadium / Last Saturday
Has it really been 10 years?
Taiwanese band sodagreen once sang Shi Nian Yi Ke, literally Ten Years One Moment, and it has been one long glorious moment since they released their first single Air back in 2004.
They have grown from an indie outfit with an uncertain future to one of Mandopop’s biggest bands whose popularity continues to grow. Their show this time was their largest in Singapore yet as they played at the Indoor Stadium for the first time before an audience of 6,000.
Lead vocalist Wu Ching-feng had caught a cold but it did not affect his distinctive nasal, high-pitched and crystalline pipes one bit. And drummer Shih Chun-wei (Hsiao-wei), who injured his foot skateboarding, banged on valiantly.
Nothing was going to stop the band from celebrating their 10th anniversary here.
Things got off to a rousing start with the rocking Fever, followed by two firm fan favourites, Little Universe and Little Love Song. The latter, in particular, was greeted with much excitement as it is a ballad that the band have rarely performed in recent years as Wu had wearied of it.
Musically, the band have never been one to keep still and they took the opportunity to refresh familiar songs with new arrangements.
The lilting joyousness of Daylight was dressed up with a coat of synth-and- drums that gave it a psychedelic flavour.
Production was top-notch from the video imagery to the lighting effects to the rotating raised platforms and it was always in service to the material. Each song was given given the space to reveal its truth and beauty.
One dramatic highlight was seeing Wu on a platform in mid-air, suspended against a backdrop of a night sky with flickering stars. Tinkling the piano, he gave a spare and moving rendition of Faye Wong’s Sky. Apart from the gorgeous melodies and Wu’s unforgettable singing, sodagreen’s songs are also known for their poetic lyrics that take on everything from urban discontent to meditations on the seasons and yearnings of the heart. And the words had pride of place on a centrally placed screen right above the stage.
But on the thrilling fast-paced numbers such as Theory Of Relativity IV, even flashing the lyrics on the screen did not help fans.
Wu quipped: “Hard to follow, right? I once said I wouldn’t sing this past 30, what’s it doing on this tour?”
It was yet another fun incident in the Wu Ching-feng variety show, in which he teased band members mercilessly (“Who is here for Chia-kai’s body? I’ll return you your money,” he says, referring to guitarist Liu Chia-kai, and kept the audience laughing with his dry humour and cutting observations. He could also be suddenly earnest, cajoling the crowd to pretend to be happy when he announces that it is time for the final song – just so he could know what that feels like.
There is no question, though, that sodagreen are a full-fledged band and not just the Wu Ching-feng show. Bassist Hsieh Hsin-yi, guitarists Ho Ching-yang (A-fu) and Liu, keyboardist Kung Yu-chi (A-kung) and Hsiao-wei have a hand in creating and shaping the band’s output.
And they are all accomplished musicians as well, often on more than one instrument. A-kung not only wowed the crowd with his violin-playing skills, he also danced up a storm towards the end of the three-hour show.
The day of the concert happened to be Wu’s 32nd birthday but he shushed fans who tried to get a birthday song going. He explained that he hated birthdays, in part because he was not sure exactly what he was meant to celebrate. But he added poignantly that he felt alive every time he sang on stage.
When sodagreen sang Flying Fish in a darkened hall, the audience provided the percussion by clapping rhythmically along. We are all sodagreen and we are all alive.
(ST)
Singapore Indoor Stadium / Last Saturday
Has it really been 10 years?
Taiwanese band sodagreen once sang Shi Nian Yi Ke, literally Ten Years One Moment, and it has been one long glorious moment since they released their first single Air back in 2004.
They have grown from an indie outfit with an uncertain future to one of Mandopop’s biggest bands whose popularity continues to grow. Their show this time was their largest in Singapore yet as they played at the Indoor Stadium for the first time before an audience of 6,000.
Lead vocalist Wu Ching-feng had caught a cold but it did not affect his distinctive nasal, high-pitched and crystalline pipes one bit. And drummer Shih Chun-wei (Hsiao-wei), who injured his foot skateboarding, banged on valiantly.
Nothing was going to stop the band from celebrating their 10th anniversary here.
Things got off to a rousing start with the rocking Fever, followed by two firm fan favourites, Little Universe and Little Love Song. The latter, in particular, was greeted with much excitement as it is a ballad that the band have rarely performed in recent years as Wu had wearied of it.
Musically, the band have never been one to keep still and they took the opportunity to refresh familiar songs with new arrangements.
The lilting joyousness of Daylight was dressed up with a coat of synth-and- drums that gave it a psychedelic flavour.
Production was top-notch from the video imagery to the lighting effects to the rotating raised platforms and it was always in service to the material. Each song was given given the space to reveal its truth and beauty.
One dramatic highlight was seeing Wu on a platform in mid-air, suspended against a backdrop of a night sky with flickering stars. Tinkling the piano, he gave a spare and moving rendition of Faye Wong’s Sky. Apart from the gorgeous melodies and Wu’s unforgettable singing, sodagreen’s songs are also known for their poetic lyrics that take on everything from urban discontent to meditations on the seasons and yearnings of the heart. And the words had pride of place on a centrally placed screen right above the stage.
But on the thrilling fast-paced numbers such as Theory Of Relativity IV, even flashing the lyrics on the screen did not help fans.
Wu quipped: “Hard to follow, right? I once said I wouldn’t sing this past 30, what’s it doing on this tour?”
It was yet another fun incident in the Wu Ching-feng variety show, in which he teased band members mercilessly (“Who is here for Chia-kai’s body? I’ll return you your money,” he says, referring to guitarist Liu Chia-kai, and kept the audience laughing with his dry humour and cutting observations. He could also be suddenly earnest, cajoling the crowd to pretend to be happy when he announces that it is time for the final song – just so he could know what that feels like.
There is no question, though, that sodagreen are a full-fledged band and not just the Wu Ching-feng show. Bassist Hsieh Hsin-yi, guitarists Ho Ching-yang (A-fu) and Liu, keyboardist Kung Yu-chi (A-kung) and Hsiao-wei have a hand in creating and shaping the band’s output.
And they are all accomplished musicians as well, often on more than one instrument. A-kung not only wowed the crowd with his violin-playing skills, he also danced up a storm towards the end of the three-hour show.
The day of the concert happened to be Wu’s 32nd birthday but he shushed fans who tried to get a birthday song going. He explained that he hated birthdays, in part because he was not sure exactly what he was meant to celebrate. But he added poignantly that he felt alive every time he sang on stage.
When sodagreen sang Flying Fish in a darkened hall, the audience provided the percussion by clapping rhythmically along. We are all sodagreen and we are all alive.
(ST)
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