Ketcho blog..(cont'd)

Attended Jeff Chang's concert last weekend, for those who know me long enuf, i'm a fan of him..for the longest time..

Before i rave about his voice..let me kao beh about the venue first..It was the 6th concert of his that i've attended, all of which were held at SIS previously..this was the first time it was held at the bird-dun-lay-egg-exhibition hall-diguised-as-a-concert hall..

I had paid good money, some $130 of it(which was the second most ex)..and i expect a decent seat with a decent view, complete with decent sound system..turned out the seat was the kind of chair that you find at a chinese restaurant(and i'm not talking about tung loks), no arm rest, not much cushioning..and the seats were on level ground, which meant all i can see most of the time is the head directly in front of me! And the sound system is just of acceptable standard..Oh, and did i mention i spent 15mins queuing to get in the carpark and another 15mins trying to park? In the end, i just parked at an empty spot, which wasn't even a lot, mind you..I'm still upset 2 weeks later..

Anyway..when the concert started, when his first notes floated across the hall..all freyed nerves were soothed..and i was transported back some 10 years ago..when he was THE pop star of the moment, when his songs can be heard on the radio every now & then..

But..when i caught the first glimpse of him(rem i can only see the head in front of me?), my jaws dropped slightly..tat was a err..erm, interesting hairstyle..

Nevertheless, he was always one to deliver 'ting jue' rather than 'shi jue'..and soon again, i was lost in his ballads..

Life, 17th Mar 2008

Jeff Chang's artful ways

'What followed was not your typical Chinese pop concert. As Chang delivered his love ballads, masterpieces from canonical Western art were shown, from Bottiecelli's The Birth of Venus down to Edvard Munch's The Scream.

Still, all of the staging and production would have been for nought if Chang had not delivered as a singer.

And deliver he did as the prince of ballads dug into hig big bag of hits and pulled out one familiar favourite after another, including Bie Pa Wo Shang Xin and Ai Ru Chao Shui.

Apart from a moment or two of strain, he showed excellent control over his pristine tenor pipes over the 2.5 hours show.

His heyday might have been in the 1990s but he still has his fans. The 7000 capacity crowd comprised those in their 20s and 30s(yep, i think i fit the 'profile')

He might not have the most electrifying stage presence and he might not have the slick dance moves, but he nevertheless fashioned an entertainming show from the unlikely combination of Chinese pop and high art.

You could also read the presentation as Chang making a case for his songs as art. Before each number, the title was displayed and the composer and lyricist duly credited.

You might not agree, but there's no denying that the crooner has accumulated an impressive body of well-loved classics over two decades.

And that's no small achievement.'

Ketchup Blog..

Time to catch up..on my sleep..my life..oh, and my blog too..

Had a pretty packed week: day rides, nite rides, recces, meetings, courses..if i were to get paid for every hour i 'worked', i'd have earned enough for a month in this week alone..but alas, i'm a self-employed which does not enjoy such 'luxuries'..

Think my weariness showed on my face when a colleague remarked 'u look very tired hor?'

Took 2 days to recover from an overnight event..think age is coming up on me too..

H B Wei!

As per past 2 years' tradition..i shall wish my long-time pal, Wei happy birthday thru my blog..so..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAL!