this is a gift, it comes with a price

Oh this whole week has been a blast. Went for Muse on Wednesday and was treated to an unbelievable performance by them. They never let up and gave us one hell of a concert. The same could be said of Florence + the Machine and The xx who performed to a sold out crowd yesterday at a monster on a concert.




Photo courtesy of ariddesert.


The announcement came on, asking everyone to get seated to get ready for the start of the concert. As The xx came out, people started getting out of their seats and streamed to the front of the stage. Seeing that no one was taking any action, more went to the front as well, and me and friend obviously went to the front too. The xx dove into Crystalised. I can't remember what the setlist was, it got lost somewhere but I recall Crystalised, VCR, Basic Space, Infinity, Shelter, Islands and Night Time. There was Intro too I think. Anyway, I think they were surprised at the reception they were getting, and I was as well. Most would think (or at least I did) Singaporean fans are the most staid bunch one could expect, but the crowd obliterated that stereotype. Most were cheering wildly for The xx as they performed their pretty short but fantastic set. Initially, I stood in front of the speakers and the bass almost made my heart skip more than a couple of beats - it almost drowned out Croft's voice at certain points, so we had to move back to the aisle away from the speakers before my ears popped and to hear the vocals better. Seeing Jamie Smith work that sampler in the flesh left me awestruck in some ways. I mean damn can that thing make those sounds but seeing Jamie with his hands all over it was neat stuff. Of course, vocal interplay between Croft and Oliver was superb, Oliver's droll translating to how he speaks too. Even with the mic, it was a tad hard to make out what he was saying. That said, the trio delivered a punchy and awesome performance despite the less than stellar sound system, much to everyone's delight. They definitely got the crowd going, who were all set and left wanting for Florence + the Machine who were due after the intermission.




Photo courtesy of friend's friend.

So intermission over, everyone was back in the hall waiting for F+tM to come out, cheers erupted, shouting "Florence, Florence!" Then "the Machine" came out, comprising Robert Ackroyd (guitar), Christopher Lloyd Hayden (drums), Isabella Summers (keyboards), Mark Saunders (bass) and Tom Monger (harp). Where was Florence? She was nowhere to be seen! Cue more cheers as the crowd went semi-manic, unable to contain the overflowing excitement for her. Point to note, now even more people were crammed in the front. And finally she came out with this odd sort of dress/robe, held together by a button in the front and wearing a sort of Lady Gaga-ish swimsuit top(?), but tastefully covered by that huge flowing robe which she used to great effect throughout. Just the sight of the red hair was more than sufficient to send the crowd into overdrive, don't talk about when she starts singing. Launching into My Boy Builds Coffins, she gave us brief glimpses of her vocal prowess. Here's the setlist,

My Boy Builds Coffins
Kiss With A Fist
Hurricane Drunk
Lungs
Drumming Song
Cosmic Love
If I Had A Heart
Blinding
Ghosts
Hospital Beds
Howl
Dog Days Are Over
You've Got The Love
Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)

If I Had A Heart was a short cover of Fever Ray's song, which I vaguely heard. Thought I was wrong, but yeah seems like I heard it right. She showed Singapore her stratospheric vocals, which soared above and over everything else, literally carrying the entire crowd. I mean, the 5 of them backing her were excellent, but Florence was outstanding, almost eclipsing her backing band. Her vocals and onstage "dancing" drew all attention to her. It was almost as if the backing band faded into the background gracefully while she just dazzled and wowed everybody (I am not taking any credit away from the band as they fully deserve props for supporting Florence wonderfully, just saying what I felt during the concert). That was epitomised by the moment when the whole concert hall went dark, save for one spotlight on her, perfect moment which I failed to capture since my PnS was crappy and it said "Memory Full". I don't feel like going on about how my dslr batt was flat and forgot to charge which I could only blame myself for as something gained from it was being able to soak in the entire atmosphere and indulge myself in everything this flame-haired ingenue is capable of. You see, other than singing, she engaged the crowd which was something The xx didn't do as much. Her antics throughout the entire performance revealed something about her. She was almost shy/reserved and had this intriguing child-like naivete but yet spontaneous and effervescent, and every bit the singer. I believe singing sets her free, much like a butterfly breaking out of it's cocoon and spreading it's wings. You see, someone right in the front had a Polaroid and took a portrait of her and as she got close, he/she gave it to her. She loved it so much and was delighted like a small girl who received a doll. Later, she got borrowed the Polaroid from the same person, to take a picture of the crowd for keepsake, but due to the lights being turned off, she got a black photo which she realised only a little later to which she pouted. So she had to borrow the polaroid again, and the crowd shouted "lights!" and the photo turned out just fine this time. Plain adorable and fun, she was pretty much the power-packed chanteuse that charmed the socks of everyone present. She even stopped to pose for a photo for the person with the polaroid. There were more little antics that endeared her to everyone, but I won't go on describing them. Lastly, much envy to the person (polaroid camera guy/girl) who got her drumstick which she personally gave. Oh, the green eyes.

I enjoyed every bit of the gig. The xx showcasing their minimalist lo-fi (which totally did not sound lo-fi with the ear-smashing bass), coupled with the whispery, almost lulling vocal interplay between Oliver and Romy. Perfect way to start the night. Starkly contrasted by F+tM who soared to great vocal heights, almost operatic, showing why her debut album wasn't named "Lungs" for nothing, at the same time charming the crowd with her antics and pretty deft show(wo)manship. A thorough blast which rounded off my week perfectly.


Couple of vids of the gig.

Florence + the Machine - Kiss With A Fist

Florence + the Machine - Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)

The xx - VCR

The xx - Crystalised