George Lam and the symphony orchestra
Max Pavilion @ Singapore Expo
Saturday

Hong Kong singer George Lam may be soft-spoken when it comes to interviews but he had no problems belting it out and delivering a solid show on Saturday night.
The audience demographic at the concert reflected the 61-year-old’s longevity as a singer. The more than 5,000 fans ranged from those in their 30s to silver-haired supporters in their 60s.
The dapper and lithe Lam appeared in a velvet suit over a white shirt and dark tie and opened with the Barry Manilow classic I Write The Songs.
This segued cleverly into songs Lam had written for other singers, including Happy Birthday To Me for his wife Sally Yeh, as well as Shadow Of The Starlight for Paula Tsui and Still Remember That Time for Teresa Carpio.
The repertoire leaned heavily on Cantonese tracks, including Number Life, Mirage and Lonely Won’t Leave Me Alone, but he also showed his versatility with the bluesy rock of When A Man Loves A Woman.
He proved to be a canny showman, milking the drama of Guys Be Strong, the theme song from the gongfu flick Once Upon A Time In China, which he sang in both Cantonese and Mandarin.
Backed by a 30-piece symphony orchestra, he gunned for the high notes and also executed with a flourish the demanding fast tracks such as the cheesily entertaining Ali Baba.
During a medley of quick numbers, he lobbed tennis balls into the audience, pumping up the crowd which had been largely content to show its appreciation with scattered applause.
The first encore featured crowd-pleasing Cantonese cover versions of hits such as Billy Joel’s Uptown Girl, Starship’s Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now as well as Sarah Brightman and Jose Carreras’ Amigos Para Siempre (Friends For Life).
In between songs, Lam chatted with the crowd in English and Cantonese. He said that it was nice to be in Singapore as it was one of the few places where he could speak English and be understood.
The self-deprecating Lam also took a few digs at his age. He recalled that when he first came to Singapore to perform, “you had to cut your hair to come in”, referring to the 1970s when the authorities frowned upon men with long hair.
When an enthusiastic audience brought him back for a second encore, he joked: “You want some more? Old folks like me need to sleep early.”
While he may not be the flashiest of performers, he had an easy affability which endeared him to the crowd.
For the hit duet Xuan Ze (Choice), he picked a partner, Rose, from the audience. She turned out to be a big fan who had kept one of the tennis balls Lam had thrown at a concert at the Harbour Pavilion 10 years ago.
A beaming Lam gave her a kiss on the cheek and made her day with a small memento after their duet together.
“I hope I don’t have to keep this for another 10 years. Please come more often,” she said, a sentiment his fans would agree with wholeheartedly.
(ST)