Fun-filled Sun shines

SINGAPORE : If you asked anybody who was there at Stefanie Sun's concert on Tuesday night, chances are for every person who said they loved the show, there would be one who felt ambivalent about it. Yes, Singapore's pop princess presented a "slight return" (to use a Jimi Hendrix turn of phrase) of her stunning The Answer Is ... concert to the Compass Ballroom at Resorts World Sentosa.

As expected, the show was a scaled-down version of the concert she held last year at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, but despite the lack of gargantuan stage sets, it was no less energetic. As someone once said, size - in this case, the venue - didn't matter.

From the get-go she showed why she's still a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment scene, as her opening numbers - including the Indian-esque Mystique - popped and sizzled. Quite literally. Flames and confetti shot out of canisters - thought not at the same time, of course - surprising many who thought the Resorts World gig might be a tame affair.

Although it was a seated concert, Stefanie did enough to get the fans on their feet, especially on the faster numbers like "First Day". And when she sang her slower numbers like "My Love" and "Rainy Day", the intimate setting was just right to convey the emotion of the songs. She seemed touched when fans started singing along - and thanks to the size of the hall, they could actually be heard.

As a special touch - and seeing as this show was billed as a "Chinese New Year Gold Edition", she even walked through the aisles to give out hongbaos to her fans - something which pleased them no end, although the security guys seemed to be a little out of sorts when the crowd started rushing forward.

And for non-Chinese speaking members of the audience - ie, me (oh, alright, she could have been referring to the ang mohs sitting in front) - she even regaled with a couple of English numbers, Michael Jackson's "Heal The World" and "Black Or White", which actually sounded quite good, with guitarist Daniel Chai fiercely slashing through the opening notes of the latter.

Oh, you could harp about the fact that the hall wasn't filled to capacity, or that fans rudely rushed for seats in front once the lights dimmed, or that she didn't do an encore, or that the show didn't have the largesse as her concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. But fans didn't mind much.

"I didn't see the Indoor Stadium concert, but I really liked this one," said Shareen, who added at the smaller venue made the show more intimate and personal. "And I didn't even need to look at the TV screens because she's right there in front of me."

"I really liked the show," said another, "although I wish I could have got a hongbao too!"

Personally, I could have done with less of the flash and more of a straightforward performance - just her, the band and nothing else - but fans still enjoyed themselves. At the end of the day, that's what's most important, isn't it?

(taken from CNA, 18 Feb 2010)