Can't Stop this magic - 2014 CNBlue 'Live' Can't Stop in Singapore

After experiencing their inaugural Blue Moon concert in Singapore last April, I've been praying hard that the boys will keep their promise to bring their music back to the SG Boice. I'm mighty glad they did.

If there's anything to learn about the boys from the band through their concerts, it'll be their personalities. Off or onstage, I don't see a distinct difference in their personas. Yonghwa is optimistic and always the crowd pleaser, Maknae Lee follows in his hyung's footsteps to provide fan service, Minhyuk always tries his best at providing fan service (although no one really blames him for giving none because he's simply too busy working the drums) and Jonghyun is, well, Jonghyun. Unwavering even when the crowd screams his name or prepares birthday banners for him (his birthday falls on April 15). *awkward silence* His voice is simply angelic and his guitar skills are top-notch, but after having observed the stark difference between Jonghyun and Yonghwa during both concerts, I think I prefer sticking closer to Yonghwa. The band leader can write a book on stage presence and fan service, simply because he dishes out all the little antics conceivable just to invoke waves of exclamation from the entire stadium. And the fans lap it all up.

The concert compacted 23 of their new and older songs neatly into a 150-minute set, barely giving themselves and the fans breathing space. They may speak just a handful of English, but their interaction with the crowd transcended the boundaries of language. The work put into crafting every CNBLUE song allowed every feeling to come through, whether you understand the lyrics or not. Delve further into the lyrics (translated, of course), and you will experience the myriad of emotions written into every track. Hearing every song getting its rework during the concert magnifies it all a thousand times over.

While we are aware of the fact that our Jonghyun is not a fan of any form of fan service, he pays his dues through his pristine voice when he sang "Love is", a beautiful number lamenting the harsh realities of love and how we all dive into love despite knowing the pain it will cause us. Cherry over the icing, I'd say.

If there's anything to learn about being a perfect fan, I would say the SG Boice comes out tops in every aspect. The way they organised the fan support (food and other items provided to the artiste during their stay in Singapore), the fan projects and the giveaways brings shame to all other fanclubs that are waging naive internal wars among themselves. KUDOS TO THE CNBLUESGFC.

It's been some time

Initially, I wanted to start off with an apology for not posting religiously. Then again, it's not like I'm living off the viewership of this blog, so screw the apology.

Been up to a dozen different things over the past 2 months, with the main bulk of non-office hours spent on the race against time to prepare for our wedding solemnisation and striking stuff off my bucket list before marriage life takes over. But then again, it isn't like anything is going change apart from the new ring on my finger, is it?

Bucket List Item: To the land of cosmetic shops

To be honest, I had agreed to go on my maiden trip to Korea with the besties only because I thought that it would be cool if all of us could go on an overseas trip together before we got married. The one of us chose to drop out of the idea because she had but just 9 months to prepare for her entire wedding. That crushed half my enthusiasm for the trip, and I would have dropped out too if it hadn't been for the fact that I had splashed a good amount of money on the airfare and accommodation. Plus it wouldn't be nice to go back on your promise, right?

But the trip was a true eye-opener, no less. Shall reserve my raving and ranting in a separate post, lest I choke up page.

Bucket List Item: Hail the Blue Moon

Please let me live this fangirl moment before I become too old for this.

I got the wind knocked out of me when my K-pop junkie sis told me that CNBlue was heading to Singapore as part of their Blue Moon World Tour. I've never looked at CNBlue the same way as the other Korean music groups, for the simple reason that they live off their own individual musical talent, and come together as a group to create beautiful music. I didn't know a single word of Korean prior to knowing CNBlue, but their music flowed through to me like it knew no boundaries. It was a truly beautiful night to remember this lifetime, because I got to watch these amazing boys work their magic at the Indoor Stadium. 고마워요. :)

(Credits: Lee Jong Hyun)

Bucket List Item: Murder on the Dance Floor

So... I'm currently into this thing called Zumba, which is a brave feat for someone who has two left feet. It sounds somewhat frivolous, but every session never fails to leave me breathless but dying for more. So apparently I've taken up K-pop dance lessons, but my two left feet and goldfish memory does not seem to agree with me on this, especially after struggling through the first session. We shall see how the next 8 lessons progress (if any).

Bucket List Item: Run Unleashed

The Nike Women's Run was a timely reason for me to drag myself out for regular runs in view of the ROM. With my colleagues and 8,000 other brave women, we conquered the whole 5 km, stretching from Gardens By The Bay East to the Marina Barrage to the Gardens West and back. I managed to shave 10 minutes off my previous run record, though the timing I clocked was still short of ideal. Oh well, there's always next year. :)

David Choi Live in Singapore @ Hard Rock Cafe

I got tired of gifting boring Valentine's Day presents - flowers, chocolates, self-made photo frames, jewelry, exorbitantly priced meals, so on and so forth. By a stroke of good luck, Youtube darling David Choi did me a huge favour by gigging in Singapore again. Since Hubby digs WongFu and gang, I just had to bring us one step closer - to David Choi's gig at Hard Rock Cafe last night.

Every vocalist loves nothing less than a full band, an enthusiastic audience and a cosy venue for their gig. I would die a happy person if I had a gig like David's. The crowd last night was beautiful, and echoed just about every lyric to every song. And thank you for bringing your CDs to us, because I need your beautiful songs to accompany my wedding march. :)

I just wanna hold you

I just wanna kiss you

I just wanna love you all my life

I normally wouldn't say this

But I just can't contain it

I want you here forever right here

By my side

We all have to grow old, but I'll only do so with you

I had the most amazing birthday week.

The entire nation was rustling to a restless rhythm last week when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge came to town as part of their SEA tour. It's one of the many times when I thank this job of mine for giving me the chance to strike off one item on my bucket list.

 The event brought the British community out in full force - as well as the Royal Couple's Singaporean fans - to welcome them at Strathmore. I was just across the media pit and was lucky enough to snap this beautiful shot of an English mother bringing her toddler out to catch a glimpse of the Royal Couple,  together with a zealous fan of the couple posing for a shot for the ST Online camera.

The crowd - and media alike - were thrown into a frenzy. Because the whole community was waiting for this once-in-a-lifetime chance.

I'll have to admit; I'm still starstruck. There was definitely something so magical about the Duke and Duchess which kept everyone so awed. The small gestures they exchanged, the way they glanced at each other, how they always complete each other so well... Everything about them took my breath away. Kate was contented in a Raoul blouse-and-skirt and her L.K. Bennett pumps, of which the latter has been prudently worn over and over again on many occasions. And it wasn't difficult to spot her sapphire wedding ring even from a distance - a reminder of her humble upbringing yet royal marriage. This experience will be the one I will bring with me as a reminder to always stay frugal and thankful no matter how temptations lurk. Thank you, William and Kate.

Of course, my very own prince in shiny armour planned me a lovely birthday.

This is the umpteenth time I've said this - I'm suckers for simplicity. I'm a habitual skeptic, so bombastic shows of affection are nothing but hot air to me. Instead, I crave the bare basics because I need the fundamentals to keep myself grounded in this flamboyant world of change; it is often easier to lose one's footing and fall head first into a freak show than to stay sane and logical.

Since my birthday gift from le Fiance this year is a bowling ball, it made perfect sense to spend some time improving on my mediocre skills. Haha. Nevertheless, I believe it's a blessing in disguise; it gave us another level on which we could bond and interact.

Plus I was treated to an ear feast at Jane Zhang's concert. 

The concert would have been more memorable if it hadn't been for the lazy audience, who remained unmoved and reserved throughout the concert. Having been a performer myself, Jane's disappointment was visible despite her stellar performance. Nevertheless, she executed every song beautifully, pitch-perfect and nothing short of stunning. One guy even took the opportunity to propose to his girlfriend. Despite the crusty old-fashioned proposal, we both cried tears of happiness for them, only because it takes one to know another. And she said yes, too. :)

Then le Fiance let me loose at Brewerkz - another item to strike off my bucket list. I haven't seen him allow me to drink in public so willingly before, and I was truly appreciative of that. I'm definitely getting better, judging by how we could hold intelligent conversations past midnight.

I'm well-fed, thankful and geared up for this next leap before our year-end vacation.

Weekend blues

The past weekend was filled with surprises, love, mishaps, and basically every possible emotion I could endure within 48 hours.

Saturday morning was spent tutoring, largely giggling at the little pronunciation mistakes made by my tuition kid. He's brilliant, probably the wittiest of all the kids I've tutored, and probably the most privileged of them all; he has a MacBook Pro, a white room full of white furniture, a white Yorkshire terrier and parents who love him to death. And he's barely 8. I wonder if he knows the existence of five stones and hopscotch.

S.H.E concert was brilliant!

2007年的《移動城堡》，讓我感受到了姐姐們的現場演唱功力及舞臺魅力。自從那天就一直盼望能看到她們再次站上室内體育館的那天。這次除了圓了我的夢，能和比我更愛姐姐們的老公一起看《愛而為一》，簡直是美夢成真。也許是命運和姐姐們的意願，把那麽愛我的老公帶進我的世界裏。:)

三個小時的演唱會上，姐姐們總共唱了40多首耳熟能詳的經典好歌。除了自己的歌曲，她們也以KTV方式演唱了《簡單愛》、《紅豆》等其他歌手的歌曲。姐姐們也不忘體現“亞洲第一女王天團”的華麗稱號，換上了一件件華麗卻帶性感的小洋裝，讓在場的8000名歌迷們大飽眼福。

在個人單元中，ELLA更是拉開了尺度，不止是大跳性感舞，還唱了自己為自己寫的原創歌曲。雖然歌詞淺簡易懂，卻反映了ELLA自信滿滿的一面。

這演唱會也能算是我一個小小的記事簿，因爲幾乎每一首歌對我來説都有特別的意義。《說你愛我》是進歌謠時試唱的歌曲;《戀人未滿》是曖昧時期的歌曲;《五月天》是差點得和老公的一首歌;《你最近還好嗎》是回想起往事的歌曲... 而且還請了許多資深的音樂人來擔任BAND的頭號人物，包括小芬姐和吉他奇才Jerry C.

雖然因爲隔壁有天團五月天在開場的關係而被媒體拿來比較，但是那又何必呢~？S.H.E有她們的粉絲，五月天也有他們的粉絲，難道娛樂圈裏除了比賽，也只是比賽嗎~？他們都有各自的好，而且也都是天團，爲何非得那麽做不可~？

從《移動》至今，相隔3年的姐姐們，成熟了，漂亮了，變得更性感了，歌聲也越唱越嘹亮。但唯一不變的是她們對彼此和對歌迷們的愛以及對音樂的堅持與執著。她們也許接下來就不會有太多的機會再同台演出了，但相信那種永不熄滅的熱忱會一直燃燒著。

And then I lost my phone on the taxi, on the way back from the concert. It wasn't just about losing a phone; it was about losing 2 years of memories cast in bytes, as well as the contacts of people I have loved and worked with. It's about pacing up and down at 2 am in the morning as I deactivated my SIM card and called the cab company (which could do nothing and put Jack on endless hold 3 times). *Sigh* Oh well. And to top it off, I lost my EZ link and matric card together with my phone, which doubly sucked. Oh well. In life, you gain some, you lose some.

At least dinner with Jack's family went pretty well. We visited his cousin and their pretty little bundle of joy! The darling had a lovely crown of ebony hair, and looks like a sweet blend of her parents. If only we could break out from the reality of baby formula and diapers...

While I continue to mourn over the loss of my old phone and my bombed bank account (which I just excavated 200 bucks out to buy a new phone with), it's mugging period to keep the mind off unhappy stuff.

Rock and Talk Show 2010

The best way to declare the end of the holidays and prep oneself for the battle to come? Thrust oneself into the best seats in the Indoor Stadium with Jack in tow. :)



Admittedly, I wasn't really enthusiastic about the concert; I think age is slowly catching up. *dodges those pillows* I remember being blown away by the Wooden Men concert in April 2008, simply because there was so much music and so much innovation to breathe in. The band was more dynamic and surprises largely jumped on the audience in a pleasant way. The Rock and Talk Show, true to its title, is basically rock 'n' roll, rock and talk. More than anything, David had played up the retro, 1970s theme for the entire set.

David and the Singapore Youth Talent Choir

I felt that in the process of trying very hard to adhere to a theme similar to Opus 69, a large portion of the audience might have been taken aback by the sudden addition of classics like Procol Harum's A Whiter Shade of Pale and works of English artistes who have inspired David during his music journey in one way or another. What took me by surprise was the ease David exuded while performing those English numbers, and yet struggled to rediscover the feel for his own songs. He even managed to get most of the people on their feet and moving although most of us have never heard of some the English tunes he performed. And David could probably rival any respectable rock artiste on the guitar, electronic or not.

This concert, David's band stole half the attention, I swear. This was where I saw Kheng Long tame a multi-pedal keyboard with ease, enjoyed the way the drummer unleashed himself on the magnificent drumset, and how David and his guitarists take over the stage with their superb skills. David's never short of surprises, and we can see why, because none of his concerts ever sounded the same.

Picky me will have to point my accusing finger at David's lacklustre vocals for bringing down the show a little; he had to modify the high notes to accomodate his seemingly-shrinking vocal range, and that kind of took half the fun away. I'll probably give it a 3.8/5.

Mayday D.N.A Concert, 29/8/2009

My right eardrum is still slightly ringing. But, oh well, that's just a consequence for all the adrenaline of 'live' concerts.

We had booked the tickets at the early bird price, thanks to Jack's cousin, who was hollering every single line of lyrics, crisp and clear, all through the concert. That's what all die-hard fans do. Jack and I weren't big fans of Mayday, but with all the praises from attendees and media of their 回到地球表面 concert, we bought the tickets with the hope of witnessing their prowess on the Indoor Stadium stage as well.


Only for the fact that none of us anticipated that we would both fall sick. Jack was still nursing a bad throat, while I was done with 6 Biogesic tablets at the time we entered the concert hall.

Anyway, Star Lounge was waaaay cool! They had a mini buffet, and gave out free refreshments to Star Pass holders (like us!). Can't believe I haven't been utilizing such VIP privileges even though I've been a Star Pass holder since February last year.

Like David's concert, Mayday made great use of laser effects, and played with Physics alot. Like how they made 怪獸's guitar reflect those laser beams off his guitar, or how that magnificent stage had little pockets of surprises at every corner. While they're certainly unrivalled in the Mandopop arena as the SuperBand of the century, the concert had failed to leave something significant in me. Perhaps it's because I haven't been a great listener of their songs, or maybe I had been too choosy when it comes to the re-arrangement of songs for concerts. David has taught his fans to expect fresh arrangements to songs during concerts because it wouldn't make a difference if I had listened to the CD instead. It didn't really drive a message in entirety home for me. No doubt would Mayday score in terms of the wholesomeness of the 4-hour concert, but the little spark plug just seems to be missing from this rock engine.

But I have to give it up to them for the high interactivity the band had with the stadium crowd. Apart from the extended walkways for the crowd to grope the band members as they walk past (lol), every band mamber had full involvement with the crowd. Plus their signature songs were ever-so-impressive, like 終結孤單, 溫柔 and my favourite 擁抱.

Two sick cats, and the view from the Star Lounge

Overall, It's a 3er out of 5 for me. It captured me for the pyrotenics, selection of songs and special effects, but not with the emptiness it left me to fill even after 4 hours of blaring music and countless encores.