Recent Music

I hadn't been to a rock concert in a long while. In fact, I couldn't remember the last time I was at a concert of any kind. A right-at-the-back-row viewing of Jeremy Monteiro at the Esplanade comes to mind. Since last November however, I was all set and committed to watch two bands perform at the Indoor Stadium, Muse and The Killers. The latter cancelled a few days before they were due to bang the drums on our shores. Ten of us who were going to attend as a complete row of paying fans were duly disappointed. Muse however showed up from their Big Day Out adventure in Australia and didn't decide to 'take it slow' as they flew over Alice Springs. They were awesome. Loud and true to form, Muse showed they could almost perfectly transform CD music to on-stage magnificence. The crowd was all set for the anthemic melodies of Time Is Running Out, Uprising, and the classic finale, Knights Of Cydonia, with arms in the air and vocal chords straining to sing along to Matthew Belamy's peerless exhortations. It was quite awesome. Kudos to the back section of floor ticket concert goers who probably could see little beyond the video walls, but we're equally, if not more, wild. (I could see and praise them from my lofty vantage point. )

All my Muse concert pixes, plus 1 video >>


Moving away from the live genre, let me talk about Glee. This TV show is like a combination of High School Musical, American Idol and The Hills, perfectly set into the best heartwarming comedy to grace TV sets. Here's the thing: everytime I hear their rendition of Don't Stop Believin, I tear up. I dunno why. It happened twice in one day! It's a great song though. The staid, solid renderings of Steve Perry transformed into a chirpier yet more potent, sharper sign-of-the-times anthem for the disillusioned masses. A song of hope. The Journey version was out in the early 80s when problems were a little different. This Glee cover speaks to a wider band of audience, from kids who need a pick me up to those who were kids in the 80s and now have no job or home. It's powerful. Close your eyes and feel it. And cry.



Last but not least, this post includes a description of my music purchases from HK. It was a weird, unscripted agenda during the visit to cold and grey HK but HMV was having a sale. After all the girls had scowered the mall and judged it inconsequential. I was bored and entered this heavenly realm. I bought
- Acolyte from Delphic
- Music For Men from Gossip
- Absolution from Muse
- a 3cd dance compilation from Cream
The first two bands are electro rock bands that are making the rounds in the UK and acclaimed to the next big things. Muse is of course Muse. I went to the concert without any music from them, just what I heard on radio and on YouTube. So I figured I'd pay homage. The last album was a no brainer for me because I grew up on UK flavoured dance and house. I told the girls that "this is my Miu Miu" because they spent the day before raving about their purchases of expensive baggage.

That's about the size of it.