All thanks to my friend Tang Yu Xuan (唐玉璇), managed to get a ticket to go watch Polygram Forever 2014 at Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Is an one night only concert in Singapore... another word, if you miss it... you missed it.
Reach around 8 pm just before the concert starts...
And managed to catch Yu Xuan inside the hall. Those who grew up listening to XinYao (新谣) will have noticed Yu Xuan's beautiful and smooth vocals in many of the Xin Yao era songs such as 《细水长流》. Currently Yu Xuan runs her own vocal school ETC Music, with a group of passionate and professionals vocal instructors cum performing singers. If you want to build your singing on the right note and start your hobby with a firm foundation, you should check out I.C.E., which is ETC Music's unique teaching methodology...
Waiting eagerly for the concert to start like a little kid, going around taking photos with familiar faces. Also a night for catching up with old friends who otherwise would't have a chance to meet them with all our busy schedules.
The Hall wasn't fully filled. But the spirit was high. Just too much nice singers we longing to watch on stage...
For people who grew up in the 80s (like me), can't deny how much Polygram's music affected our life and inspires our teenage-hood with those touching lyrics and familiar canto pop songs of that era. I still remember having a few Polygram compilation CDs purchased at some fast food chain (Was it McDonald or was it Burger King?) with a weekly release of a different compilation you can purchase with any meals. And in these compilation, you can "sample" nice songs from all different Polygram's Queens and Kings of that time.
The first to come on stage for the night was Shirley Kwan (關淑怡).
She still looks very amazing after all these years and she maintained her figure very well (much better than me maintaining mine...ermm....). She did matured a little bit than before but her charisma never reduces. She still giving out that diva aura when she sings on the stage. And if you think that looks is all she maintained, wait till she open her voice and sing.
She opened the night with big bang and did proud to the whole Polygram's team that follows. She indeed secured her position as one of the influencial vocal of Polygram during her era.
Something new to me being revealed by her tonight... Shirley mentioned that this is her first time performing in Singapore!!! Makes me wonder, will i regret if i didn't come tonight... i could have missed this moment watching her singing live in Singapore. And her coming tonight is also fulfilling a long awaited dreams for a lot of her Singapore's fans. Tonight, among the singers, Shirley Kwan still toppled everyone, having the best"feel" in handling her songs.
As Shirely was the first to start off the night, never expected her to stop just after a few songs. And seems like the audience just started warming up, she is leaving the stage, passing the baton to Daniel Chan (陈晓东)...
Sincerely, he still looks charming as ever, in fact age didn't really leave much traces on his appearance. Indeed he again proven himself as the idol singer (偶像歌手) of our era.... And yes, he maintained to be just an idol singer without much improvement in his vocal too. But again, comparing to the idol-style singers of this generation, he is doing very well, at least he can sing live. At least I enjoyed through his whole segment without feeling bored.... (unlike some other singer's concert i went awhile ago, i could not even finished 30 minutes and i have to walk out of the indoor stadium regretted spending my MRT tickets for going!!! oh... don't ask me who, k?)
What happened next can also be mentioned as a major highlight of the whole evening... he walked down the stage, try to interact with his fans after he got a bouquet of flowers from his fans...
His coming down the stage did created a little bit hoo-haa with all the young and old ladies all rushing to the front (ermmm... and a few uncles too), and caught the security off guard... and look... I managed to take a photo with him....
errr... too far right? hehehe....
I think his act of coming close to his fans is really a good move. Nowadays, the Chinese always uses a term "接地气" to describe someone being down to earth. And he live up to that description.
After Daniel Chan, the handsome lad of the 90s, next comes the demure lady (玉女派) of the 90s... Linda Wong (王馨平).
Gained a little bit of weight which I do understand, but she still looks as demure as she was in the 90s. This is the first time hearing her singing live... she did surprised me with her vocal, never expected she can sing so well since she never being singing for a long while ever since her marriage. But what surprises me more, is that she is such a sweet talker. Can talk so well to keep the audience captivated. Did tease around with words at a few uncles and she keep testing water, asking if we will be supporting her if she comes again.
And also to helping her to relay some messages... she was telling us that she is happily married. Nothing wrong with her marriage too. She is asking us not to speculate why she making a comes back, returning to the music scene. She also says after a long break, she realised she really loves singing.
And it is also a nice feeling to listen to her singing "别问我是谁" live since that is her signature piece. She did some new improvisation to the song towards the end part, making the song more relevant to the current music taste. And she is the only singer tonight that sing until herself in tears, showing us the emotional part of this "old demure lady" (老玉女). Overall can really see she is a sincere lady with a very sweet tongue. Will I buy her new release? Given her sincerity displayed on the stage tonight... maybe I will.
After Linda, here comes.... the highly anticipated Tat Ming Pair (达明一派). OMG... they are so cool...
"Tat Ming Pair is a Hong Kong singing group, which consists of Anthony Wong Yiu Ming, lead singer, and Tats Lau, guitarist and composer. The group was formed in 1985 and enjoyed success until 1990 when the group decided to disband."
Occasionally we still do see them sing together but never expect to see the two real persons live in Singapore.
They started their segment with very "high" electro music (电子音乐), together with very beautiful syncronised lightings as well as Anthony's funky stage charisma is really overwhelming. The style and mood are upbeat and really very "黄耀明" style... bringing up the whole mood of the night to a new height.
Couldn't stop laughing when seeing Tats Lau (刘以达) on stage. If you wondering who is Tats Lau (刘以达)....
You couldn't imagine behind this funny man that appears in so many comedy is really a very talented guitarist and composers who wrote almost all the songs of the early years of Tat Ming Pair. Even thou nowadays the lime light is alway on Anthony Wong (黄耀明) due to his active promoting of Gays rights, Tats Lau still proven to be charismatic in his own way on the stage (with his tummy, his guitar, and his funny mono-tone when he talks). I still laughing when i writing this blog thinking back his funny moments.
Anthony Wong basically owns the whole stage and got the whole stadium into his retro electron music.
For a 52 year old man, I must salute him for really well maintained and yet having a strong stage presence and super attractive showmanship. He still have that charm after all these years... or maybe the charm comes as he aged?
The finale of the night was the segment by Priscilla Chan (陈慧娴).
She came out with a brand new image... her 6-inch heels (which she having difficulty balancing and walking) with a very sexy dress and a golden hair.
Completely different from the Priscilla Chan fans used to know her during the 80s/90s. She didn't really catch me by surprise because I did watched her interview on TVBS entertainment news recently. She is also at the same time planning her world tour after her HK concert (who she invite Sally Yap [叶倩文] as her guest star). After a sudden disappearance after her marriage, she currently signed back under Polygram and announced her comeback during the concert.
Excited about her coming back while admire her courage to do so after such a long break. Some says she should stop during her peak, but again, if being in the music industry for almost 30 years makes her still wanting to continue her passion, why not? She claim she is going to sing till she is 70 year old, and i hope i be still around to witness to that.
And only tonight i realised... her birthday is same as mine! And she is turning 49 this coming birthday.
Tonight she continuously bringing us a few of her signature songs and of course, my favourite "Silly Girl" (傻女).
Really nice experience hearing her singing this song live given the fact that I never had a chance to hear her singing this song live... but if one expecting the same "feel" as what you saw on the karaoke mtv, you might be disappointed. As Priscilla matures, her interpretation of the song matures as well. And with her recent new image, it gives the song "Silly Girl" another new meaning.
While Priscilla Chan (陈慧娴) did managed to end the night with a high note, the only regret for most of us who went to the concert would have being the fact that the Polygram's singers didn't do a group singing at the end which we highly anticipating. It would be really nice to see the ex-Polygrams singers hand holding hand to sing some classics like "Friends"(朋友).
Nevertheless, is really a night of wonderful experience given the fact that its Shirley Kwan's first time doing a show in Singapore, witnessing Daniel Chan getting up close with his fans (and have my photos taken with him from a distance..hehhee....), hearing Linda Wong humorous sharing and emotional singing in tears, watching Tat Mings Pair jumping all over on the stage reminding us that we can still be charming at 52 and last but not least... listening to Pricilla Chan singing live <<傻女>> in Singapore (and realising we both shared the same same birthday). It could also be the only chance... as mentioned at the start of this blog ... This is a concert that if you miss it, you missed it.
What Event?: Polygram Forever, Live Concert in Singapore
When it happened?: 19th July 2014
Where it happened?: Singapore Indoor Stadium
Who?:
Shirley Kwan (关淑怡)
Daniel Chan(陈晓东)
Linda Wong (黄馨平)
Tat Ming Pair (达明一派;刘以达+黄耀明)
Priscilla Chan (陈慧娴)