davina
Joined: 19 Feb 2002
Posts: 245
Location: Malaysia
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 Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2004 06:08 |
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Jamiroquai in Singapore: A Fanatical Funk Odyssey PART 1+2
Hey everyone,
Thanks to Meike, I've retrieved once again my rabid fan journal of my experience at the Singapore 2002 concert. I did this for a Malaysian teen portal which I was working for at that time. Looking back at it after almost 3 years, I shake my head at the sheer groupie style of writing and the lengths I went to to accommodate to both fans and non-fan readers: explaining every intricate detail, providing introspect in italics and even sketching an "artist's" impresssion. I left all 4 parts uncondensed and unedited to retain the true essense of my state of mind at the time of typing (naturally at the expense of my current self-composure). So sit back and enjoy, or stand up and look revulsed: here is my fairly - just fairly! - long interpretation of a wierd and wonderful Tuesday evening.
(To view the full album with large 'n' lovely high-resolution pictures, check out http://kinkyzebra.multiply.com/photos/album/2)
Jamiroquai in Singapore: A Fanatical Funk Odyssey (Part 1)
by Davina
Uploaded 1st Feb 2002
"Make sure you've got everything!" my aunt says.
"Yup, I do!" I reply.
After saying my goodbyes, I follow my other aunt across the overhead pathway to the other side of the road. My aunt flags down a taxi quite easily, opens the door and asks: "Kallang Theatre?"
The driver nods. I thank and say bye to my aunt, get in, and as I am off, wave back at my cousin who is waving from the house.
And thus, I begin the embarkment of my own funk odyssey.
It is Tuesday, 22nd January 2002. I am in Singapore to watch Jamiroquai in action at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Although I have only been a fan for just over two years, I think I have collected enough albums, taped enough shows, downloaded enough bootleg mp3s and - a finishing touch - traveled enough miles from K.L. to Singapore to label myself hardcore.
I check if I do have everything. Wallet? Check. Camera? Check. Banners? Check. Flashlight? Check. CD inlay? Check. Silver pen? Check. Glow st- Holy dang, I forgot my Glow sticks!! They started to glow by accident on the bus journey here, so I kept them in my aunt's freezer, and they're still there!! Oh man, stupid cr*p. oh well, I hope my banners get enough attention without them.
The taxi guy points outside, once to the left and again to the right. "This one is Kallang Theatre, and this one opposite is the Stadium."
You never get taxi drivers like this in Malaysia.
As he stops the vehicle right outside the theatre, I thank him and pay him the respective amount. He drives off, leaving me alone in between two gargantuan buildings. No sign of a Caucasian girl and Malaysian guy in sight. Hmmm, maybe Sula and Brian haven't arrived yet.
Jamiroquai lovers are extremely hard to come by in Malaysia. My last resort for a travel companion: somebody from the internet. Just weeks before the concert date, I posted up a message in the official J'quai forums announcing my plans, and hey presto, I got an email the very next day from a Swiss girl called Ursula. After constant contact with each other, she and a Malaysian friend, Brian, arranged for a meeting point: Kallang Theatre - the side facing the stadium.
I look at my watch: yup, I'm right on time! It's 5pm. Exactly three more hours to go. I decide to take a look around the stadium first.
I cross the road and approach the area with paranoia. There's barely a soul in sight... just the odd person and there. Am I at the right place? There's a small group of people on my left. maybe other fellow fanatics! I feel extremely disoriented at this point, so I wander to a section that has a long railing... hmm, this is probably where the cue starts... okay, that's a start! I turn to - wait. I hear the faint strains of some bass... are they... are they... they are rehearsing!!! I can hear them rehearsing! My heart beats along to the bass as I run down to the end of the railing, where there is a small room with glass doors. Ah, yes! I can hear them pretty clearly from here! They are rehearsing 'You Give Me Something', the second single off their latest album, A Funk Odyssey. I press my hands against the glass and peer into the room. There is a table to the right with boxes of tour merchandise; there are T-Shirts, tour books and other items pinned to the wall. I sigh at the price tags... $20. $20. $30. All in Singapore dollars. That's double the amount in Ringgit.
As much as had wanted to get my hands on at least one of the items, I reluctantly decided there and then not to spend a cent on merchandise. Despite having enough cash on hand, I already had spent a bomb on the ticket itself, getting to Singapore, and shopping the previous day - I couldn't have afforded to spend even more. Besides, mum and dad would've flipped had I done so.
There's a guy sitting near me, directly opposite to the room, enjoying the vibes. Another fan? Probably.
Then out of nowhere, a girl clad in a red beanie and an orange Buffalo Man t-shirt runs over to where I am. "Hey, you guys wanna go over there? Jay Kay might be coming!"
My eyes grow to the size of saucers. "Really? How do you know?"
"Yeah, the whole band is here except Jay Kay! So I think he's coming soon!"
The guy seated on the floor declines the offer, and I accept.
"You wanna save your place first? I've left my bag here, I'm the first one!"
I grab the essentials from my bag, leave the bag next to hers and follow her in a semi-jog. We talk along the way.
"You JUST missed the rest of the band! They arrived about half an hour ago!"
"Oh, MAN!"
"Don't worry, you haven't missed Jay yet! There's some other guys waiting too! Come!"
Jason Kay, nicknamed by the press as the 'Cat in the Hat', is the frontman of one of the most successful acid jazz/funk/dance acts of all time. Famous for his wacky hats, slick dancing-on-air moves and impressive collection of designer cars, Jay & Co. have been entertaining worldwide audiences for the past 10 years, and are still going as strong as ever. Why do I admire Jamiroquai? For a number reasons, only a few I will list: The environmental and humanitarian messages featured in their first albums inspire me. Their music can be given a genre by itself. Their vibes grow on me. And yes, I will admit that Jay Kay's cheeky smile never fails to charm gullible little hormone-charged girls like yours truly.
The girl takes me to the same small group of people which I took note of when I first arrived at the scene.
I introduce myself to all of them. "I like your pants!" one of them says, and I excitedly give my thanks.
Indeed, my cowprint pants did do a much better job at making a statement than I did.
I meet 2 guys who hail from Malaysia too - one of them, Anand from Subang, bearing a striking resemblance to Wes Borland in my opinion. "Naw, people have told me I look like Seth Green," he replies to my comment. Yeah, it could work either way!
As I get acquainted to the batch, I see a girl and a guy come into view. Sula and Brian! I hug Sula and shake hands with Brian, and introduce them to the other fans. And all of us talk as though we are long-lost friends.
It felt really good to know that Jamiroquai was, for the first time in my life, far from being an avoided topic in a conversation with strangers.
A bus comes cruising into the carpark. "Oh my god, it is HIM? Get ready get ready get your cameras ready!" everyone shouts. To our dismay, only a few crew members step out of the vehicle. We boo quietly amongst ourselves and laugh.
Some of the girls, including me, gang up together to try and find the ladies'. After combing the whole circumference of the stadium, we finally stumble upon it. The adjacent men's door has a very poorly-interpreted graffiti image of the Buffalo Man posted on top. Eheheh, cute.
We run back, afraid of missing out on any chance encounters with the band. But alas, nothing much has happened in our absence.
A crow perches itself atop a nearby tree and starts cawing. For others, it's an unimpressive sight. But for us Jamiroquai fans, we gaze at it in awe.
"It's a sign!" one guy exclaims.
All of us start singing in unison the first few lines off Track 7 of a Funk Odyssey.
"Black crow, black crow, tell me where you really go. When you fly into the sunset, high in evening sky..."
The crow, apparently offended at our off-tuned wailing, flies off.
I don't take notice of how much more time flies by, but out of nowhere, a strapping young lad walks into our view and says hello. I am so taken by surprise that for a moment there, I think he's another fan.
"Oh, hi!!"
My heart drops into my shoes. It's Nick Fyffe, the bassist of Jamiroquai!
The fans start forming a small crowd around the bassist and he wastes no time in taking pictures and signing autographs.
One of the first things that is brought up in conversation is Nick's dead funky electric blue shoes.
The beanie girl, Reibel, points at his feet and says, "My dad has the EXACT same shoes!"
Nick laughs. "Really?"
"I'm not joking!"
"Oh, you have a pretty cool dad, then!"
Just minutes later, another man emerges from the Stadium.
"Oh, hello Rob!!"
It's Rob Harris, the guitarist! He approaches us with a warm smile. Hyperventilating (but not openly showing it), I grab hold of my camera, silver pen and CD inlay.
It's time for Nick to sign my inlay. He asks for my name and I gladly give it to him. "Nice name!" he says.
I know.
As he signs, I can't come up with anything to say. I do, eventually. And unfortunately, it's downright corny.
"Can I just say four words to you?"
"Yes, and what would they be?"
"I...dig...your...bass!"
Yes, I still kick myself every time think about it.
"Why, thank you!" Nick replies in a flattering tone.
He happily obliges for a picture, and right after, all the fans there get together for a group picture with our guitar-playing idols.
It's my turn with Rob. He looks at the blue streak in my hair.
"You look like a Duran Duran fan!"
I laugh and sing out loud, 'Girls on Film!' Rob doesn't seem to take much notice as he looks for a flat surface to sign my inlay.
"Do you think it would be a good idea to sign on my pants?" I ask him after that.
He looks at my black-splodged jeans, and says, "Save them."
"Save them?"
"Yeah, so you can wear them again. It always seems like a good idea at the moment, but then after that, you'll regret it."
"But I could wear them and have something... extra!"
"Nah, when people look at them it'll be like, "Who's Nick? Who's Rob?" "
Whilst asking another fan for her opinion, Rob looks at my pants again and says, "...I'd save them."
"You'd save them?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. But a picture would be good enough!"
"Haha, sure!"
I pose with him, and he says softly, "For the girl with nice hair."
Aw, shucks.
"Oh, and watch out for the banners!" I point to my folded banners that are lying nearby.
"Watch out for the banners? Okay. so long as they're not rude... like 'Go home' or something."
"Haha, I can't guarantee you that!. How was the trip here?"
"Erm, not very nice. We had to walk."
Another fan, Ivan, asks Rob where he's been to in Singapore, and Rob replies Quay Harbor, and that they ate some Mediterranean food somewhere downtown.
"You guys have to come down to Malaysia." I cut in.
"Malaysia?"
"Yes, I came all the way from Malaysia to see you guys!"
Hopefully Rob remembered to tell Jay. 
Me and a few other fans proceed to engage in some more casual conversation with Nick and Rob, like where the guys are staying in Singapore (they don't let that slip. However, a fan asks them if they're staying at the Westin, and they say 'Yes, we are staying at the Westin! Yes, we are!" and nod eagerly), and I ask them about them visiting the official J'quai forums (which I do more often than not).
"Yeah, I've heard that I've written something in there, like I come from Liverpool! That's not true!" Nick chips in.
"See, if we do write something in there, nobody will believe that it's us. Toby (the keyboardist) wrote something in there a while back, and it was hot talk for two months with everyone saying 'That's not him!' 'Yes it is!' 'No it isn't!'"
I ask for a picture. Rob and Nick happily oblige, and they do a bit of mild fooling-around for my camera. My camera clicks a bit too early! I apologize profusely; the guys far from mind, and they do the same thing again. Rob and Nick seem to treat each other like brothers. I've read somewhere before that they are very close buds, and now it clearly shows.
Me and a few others then start talking to Nick.
Nick tells us that the band is going to go back to their hotel soon for a press conference and then they are to return to the Stadium later, right before the show.
"Can somebody get a car?" Ivan jokes.
"Is there going to be an after-party anywhere?" I ask.
"No, we're all going to bed!"
"Oh man, don't go to bed! This is Singapore!" Elzena, another fan, laughs.
"You know, I've heard a lot about you guys having crazy parties, where everyone gets naked and get drunk and... mate and..." Ivan inquires and trails off.
"If we ever had any of those parties, we'd never invite you... Mate? We're not monkeys! Monkeys mate. Human beings do... something else."
"More like shagging?"
"Yeah, we're all shagging each other." Laughs abound.
I ask Nick about his bass playing. He says he's self-taught, although in the beginning he did take classes, something he didn't like.
"When you start learning scales, you're almost kinda like held in by it... they give you chords, and they give you the scales, and that's what you learn, and that's it. I just always got on better learning stuff by myself."
My eyes constantly stray from Nick to see another member come into the picture. Toby, the keyboardist, seems to not pay too much attention to the fans loitering around. He heads straight for Rob and another crew member to engage in some friendly banter.
Toby Smith is the only current member of the band that has been with Jay Kay since the very beginning. Being Jay's right-hand man, his contributions have been essential in creating the unique sound of Jamiroquai. And it was because of this that I wanted his autograph very, very badly. I wanted to shout out "Hi, Toby!" but he seemed busy talking, and I wanted to listen to Nick, too. To approach Toby or continue talking to Nick? Decisions, decisions...
Nick proceeds to talk about what he and the guys do at Jay's home (kingdom, more like!) They jam a lot at Jay's Chillington Studios, which Nick explains where most of the material for the new album was written. Nick talks about having barbecues, playing with Jay's dogs and having sleepovers (he says there have been times when the guys "worked through 'til about 4 or 5 in the morning" and wake up at lunchtime the next day!)
"How on earth do you spell Lugar?" I ask.
One of those odd questions that require you to know the answer first before you know how to write it out.
"L, u, g, e, r... although there's never been a time when I've had to spell it out."
"Where's the name from?"
"It's a gun."
Sorry, forgot to tell you earlier that Luger is Jay's german shephard.
"How long have you been playing the bass for?"
"Oh, for about 9 years."
Or was it 12 now? Or was it neither? Sorry, my memory has failed me.
"...But I learnt to play drums, first of all. See, my dad's a musician. So it was drums first, and then guitar. I played the trumpet for a while too."
It seems like it's time for the band to leave for the hotel. The bus is waiting for them, and all the other band members have emerged from indoors. No sign of Jay Kay (who presumably never came). However, I do spot Sola Akingbola, the percussionist, and Derrick McKenzie, the drummer. The fans waste no time in flocking to them with their cameras, pens and 'signable' items.
They're in a rush, so I approach Derrick and ask if he has time for one more autograph. He hesistates; his arms are full with papers and files. He then says "Okay, a quick one." He puts his stuff down and signs my CD inlay on the floor. Nervous and tongue-tied, I do the same thing I did with Nick. Only that this time, I sound even stupider.
"I, um, dig... your... beats."
My foot can't reach my head anymore. Somebody slap me instead.
As soon as I think he dismisses any form of sound coming from me, he replies a quick 'Thank you', picks up his stuff and heads towards the bus.
Where's Sola? ACK! He's already boarding! Dang.
Nick is one of the last members to board, as he's walking backwards. He's up to something. I saw him fiddling around with a camcorder a few minutes ago, and now it's on. He's filming the fans!
A Japanese fan told me before in the official forums that Nick and Rob are easy to meet, as they always bring around their camcorders to film their audiences. Right on the dot, Michi. Thank you!
"Bye guys!" Nick says.
Some of us caught in the view wave furiously and shout "BYE!" back.
We continue waving until the bus almost disappears out of sight.
All of us jump around with excitement! I whine about not getting an autograph from Toby and Sola. Ivan tells me that he heard that it would have been difficult to get anything from Toby anyway, as he seemed a bit cocky. "I heard that somebody asked him for an autograph earlier, and he just said that he was busy."
Guess I didn't miss out on too much, then.
A shout from Reibel brings me back to my senses.
"Come! Let's go back to the cue!"
By the time we approach the cueing area, a line has already started to form. It makes me wonder if these guys know that they just missed the chance of meeting the band. A handful of us take our places in front that our bags have so graciously reserved. I grin mischievously as I look at the cue behind me.
It's 6 o'clock. It feels like we've just talked with the band for hours, but in reality, it was more of about 15 minutes. I feel extremely contented with myself: coming 3 hours before the show was definitely worth my waste of time. If the banners don't work at the concert, then it's okay. I'm happy with my share of luck already.
"Anyone for soggy onion rings?" Reibel offers the fans around her.
I take one, and I offer back my own small bag of chillied tapioca chips.
This is my dinner.
Two more hours to go. We'd better fill up ourselves with something... Besides, I'm gonna need all the energy I can get to jump, scream and do whatever else a Jamiroquai fan is supposed to do at a concert. I bite into another chip and almost choke on my anticipation.
-End of Part One-
Next Week:
Silver spikes, jumping off jumbo speakers and a Malay song(!): Davina jams with Jamiroquai in Singapore. Get ready to check out the concert review in Part 2!
Jamiroquai in Singapore: A Fanatical Funk Odyssey (Part 2)
by Davina
Uploaded 15th Feb 2002
Part 1 saw Davina getting chummy with a few members of Jamiroquai. Now the time has come for her to unleash the fanatic in her as the stadium doors open...
Now before you go on, please take note that that not everything in here is chronologically accurate. Most of this account has been extracted purely from memory... human memory, may I add. So I apologize in advance for any mix-ups. All's forgiven already? Hey, thanks! Now let's move on - time's a wastin'!
The glass doors finally open at about 7.30pm. The chat factor in the cue-line heightens to climatic proportions. Anand, Wen Sheng and Ivan tell Elzena and I to reserve a place in the stadium while they buy some merchandise at the booth. Elzena and I look into the stadium and we are about to enter when a security guard asks us what I have in my bag. I show him my water bottle, wallet and tapioca chips "Sorry, no food allowed. Leave it on the table there." I do so.
"So I can go in now?"
"Yes."
I thank him and run past him, relieved that he didn't ransack my bag. I dip my hand into it, pet my camera and smile.
Elzena and I are the first to enter the stadium - its sheer size is intimidating and inviting at the same time. We squeal with delight at the totally empty front row, and we break into the fastest sprint that our bodies could possibly be capable of. The security guards on either side of us shout out "Don't run!" Elzena and I reduce our pace, saying to ourselves "Okay, don't run, don't run." The moment we pass the guards, we resume to our 100-metre dash and laugh. We reach the front row, grab the railing do all that girly jumping around, saying our 'Oh My God!'s and such.
By the way, refer to Part 1 if you wanna fill yourself in on the other fellow fans I mention in this article, or if you would just like a clearer overview of what I'm talking about on a whole.
The guys soon join us, and the rest of the crowd comes in slowly. A bit too slow, in fact, and I start to worry about the possibility of poor ticket sales. Jamiroquai fever is omnipresent: there are several sightings of homemade/ official 'buffalo man' T-shirts and Jay Kay-style, over-the-top hats. To my far right are three girls, all wearing large, bushy and seemingly custom-made buffalo hats, complete with flashing horns! Cute.
The Buffalo Man famously represents Jamiroquai with its crescent-shaped horns, flared legs and head tilted at a most endearing angle. It has graced the covers of all the Jamiroquai albums except 'A Funk Odyssey'. It has appeared in all shapes and sizes on many of the single covers, too. Fans have posted their own creative impressions of the man all over the internet - I've even come across an animated one that smokes! Sweeeet...
Part of the railing extends out like a catwalk into the standing area. Its purpose seems quite obvious, and Elzena and I talk excitedly about what may happen during the show.
As the stadium starts to fill up, some crew members come on stage to adjust some equipment. Some people start cheering for them and they smile back. One crew member puts water bottles around the stage. Elzena tries to make out the brand, expecting something like Evian. But it is far from it. "VIT? Cheapo! Cheapo water!" she laughs.
At one point, a guy is seen loitering at the far side of the stage. And he seems to be holding a viewcam. It's Nick! A few of the fans who see him start screaming, and the bassist continues filming.
"Quick! Where's your banner?" Ivan, standing next to me, asks.
"Oh yeah! Quick, quick!"
We grab my banner that says 'WHAZZUP, MUTHA-FUNKERS!' and we frantically wave it in Nick's direction. Ivan's wild screaming catches Nick's attention. He points at my banner and laughs! The security guards standing in front of us look at it and start talking to each other. Ivan and I quickly put the banner away before they do anything drastic to my work of art.
Rob is also just barely seen at a couple of points before the show. He sees us in the audience and gives us a smile of approval.
Half the stadium is apparently full. I introduce myself to other fans standing around me. A few are taken aback by my over-friendliness (including myself!), but talk back with shy warmth.
A well-built man comes into view and goes behind some turntables that have been set up at the side of the stage. The fans cheer for DJ Roy "The Roach" Marsh, a longtime friend of the band. He proceeds to play the funkiest house music that I've ever heard in a single session. He warms up the crowd with club favorites like Basement Jaxx and Daft Punk. I start jumping like I'm on a pogo stick whenever I hear something that I like or know or both. 'Starlight' by the Supermen Lovers come on and Elzena, Ivan and I start getting extremely excited. I jump around high enough to catch the DJ's attention, and he smiles to himself. With Elzena to my left and Ivan to my right, the three of us then form this little dance sequence with our arms, waving them to the left, the right and then up high.
"Staaaaaaah, Liiiiyeeeeet, Haaaaaaaave, What chu neeeeeeeeeed!" we sing the chorus out loud. I'm already on a high and the concert hasn't even begun...
'The Roach' entertains the crowd for about 45 minutes and finishes off to thunderous applause. The time? About 8.45pm. The stadium is pretty full by now, but people are still coming in!
The press people come into the scene and hang around the narrow area between the fans and the stage. "Oh no!" Me, Ivan and Elzena moan. They're gonna block our view! We get acquainted to a reporter, who says that the press is only allowed to take pictures of the first three songs and then they will be ushered to the back of the audience. We silently sigh with relief.
About fifteen minutes later, when everyone is just about to get restless, the stadium lights dim. The stadium roars. Within a few minutes, the main members of Jamiroquai come out one by one: bassist Nick Fyffe, guitarist Rob Harris, percussionist Sola Akingbola, drummer Derrick McKenzie, and keyboardist Toby Smith, together with additional keyboardist Simon Carter and backup singers Valerie Etienne, Hazel Fernandez and Lorraine Macintosh. They wave at the crowd and arm themselves with their respective instruments. The band starts playing the intro to 'Twenty Zero One', and the crowd goes crazy. But... where's Jay? He eventually pops out, silver spiked crown and all, and the crowd's cheers become more deafening than it already is. The crowd's pent-up feelings of anticipation are released as is blasts the lyrics back at Jay. Jay wastes no time in showing off his slick trademark moves, and there are so many camera flashes around that they seem to merge into one continuous light.
The song finishes, and Jay greets his fans. 'How you doin' Singapore?" He asks and audience replies with screams. One of these screams is exceptionally loud, and it's coming from Ivan! Jay points at him and says "YEAH!" and Ivan screams even louder! "This one's for all the cosmic girls," he says after that, and the band performs 'Cosmic Girl'.
After that, Jay explains to the audience a bit about the next song. "This next one is one we did with a lovely lady called Beverly Knight... She can't be with us today, so we'll do it with the help of these lovely ladies!" as he points to the three back-up singers behind him. The band then kicks into even higher gear with the disco-flavored 'Main Vein'. "Have you been trying to FUNK around with my mind, lately?" Jay sings with all-out angst, in his song dedicated to tabloid snoops.
The press soon disappears out of our lovely view after the song, and the house beats of the popular 'Little L' kick in. It is one of the most well-received songs of the late evening, with the entire stadium double-clapping in unison for the catchy chorus.
Coming quickly behind is Jamiroquai's latest single, the effervescent 'Love Foolosophy'. The percussionist Sola then carries on the beats to make them merge into another song. "Hey DJ, let the music play, I wanna dance 'til the morning light..." the backup singers croon. The fans soon know that 'this boogie is for real', as Jay wiggles his way around the stage singing 'Canned Heat' from the top of his lungs.
The band then breaks into 'Titan', aka 'Electro Tune'. This is a non-lyrical version of 'Everybody's Going To The Moon', the band's contribution to the sci-fi animated flick 'Titan A.E.'. This is the only instrumental performed during the concert, making it the best time for Jay to show off his physical talent. Careening around the stage in his own special fashion, he effortlessly switches from robotic jerks a la 'Supersonic' video, to bodily twists and turns that would put any contortionist to shame, to nimble-footed leaps and bounds, cutting the air with razor-sharp precision.
Jay Kay finishes his dance kneeling in the middle of the stage, head held down. He stays motionless, feeding off the energy of the audience for a several seconds. He is interrupted with a recording of that famous classical piece 'The Blue Danube'. He looks up, looking apparently surprised with a silly grin on his face. He gets up and starts swaying his body from side to side, conducting the audience to sing along to the tune. The audience initially doesn't get it, and only start singing along just as the bizarre musical interlude comes to an end.
Thereafter, Jay Kay introduces the rest of the band to the audience; cheers ensue after each name is called. Drummer Derrick McKenzie is the last one to me mentioned. He shows off some beats that leads into a most amusing pirate's ditty, with Jay putting on a gruff voice and a bow-legged stance! The crowd cheers the band on, and Jay spoils the fun by quickly cutting the song short. "Don't get us started!" he laughs.
The band gets serious again with a funked-up rendition of 'Bad Girls', a song originally sung by 70's disco diva Donna Summer. The back-up singers easily pull off the 'Toot toot... Beep beep!' vocal effects without it sounding corny. And just as predicted earlier, the 'catwalk' comes into play. Jay steps down from the stage to get chummy with the crowd, shaking hands, giving high-fives and getting in close contact with some who must now be thanking themselves for waiting long enough in cue to get into the first rows!
Jamiroquai proceeds to play a non-album song - definitely a potential bootleg gem. "Welcome to our Funk Odyssey!" Jay and his soulful backup singers cheerfully chant for the chorus. Many fans there are apparently clueless about the tune, and surprisingly, I am one of them! That doesn't stop it from catching on nevertheless. "It's called 'You May Think'!" Anand enthusiastically shouts into my ear from behind me. (Thanks mate, you've put me to shame!)
After the song, a female fan right next to me shouts out, "Can I have your hat?" Jay gives her a mockingly scornful sideways glance, smirks and replies, "No... not unless you've got ten grand."
The Native-American inspired headdress you see Jay wearing in the 'Little L' video is worth a hefty ten thousand sterling pounds! The spikes are made of pure silver, and are pretty heavy to carry around on your head. The hat Jay wore in Singapore looked flimsier, and seemed to be a modified version for concert purposes. It had a cheap glint in it... like it was made of aluminum or stainless steel.
The hat topic pops up again soon after when he ridicules himself for wearing such a thing at seething temperatures while performing. "My stupidity amazes me sometimes," he quips, and the audience laughs along with him.
The band now comes to one of the highlights of the night for fans that go way back - a revved-up version of 'Space Cowboy'! And just like in the album version, Jay performs his 'whisper scat', a sort of breathy version of a human beat-box. Creating intricate rhythms with short, sharp intakes and outtakes of breath, Jay amazes the crowd with the sheer power of his lungs, and garners screams from male and female fans alike; hearing and seeing it live is an extremely strange turn-on.
There are many other surprises in store for the old-skool fans throughout the show, but one of them is more of a shocker than a surprise! While some additional equipment is being arranged on stage and Rob and Nick re-tune their guitars, Jay promptly breaks into the first lines of a very recognizable song: "Isn't she lovely... Isn't she wonderful?..."
Jay Kay - singing a Stevie Wonder song?!?
For the past decade, Jay has desperately fought to earn his own name in music as critics have been constantly pigeonholing him as a mere Stevie Wonder wannabe.
Oh well, it's good to know that Jay's not afraid to take the mickey out of himself every now and then.
Then out of Jay's mouth comes something that we would have never expected to hear, especially now with his new computerized approach to his music. "We're gonna have a bit of a jam session now... which is what the 'Jam' in Jamiroquai is all about!" Upon which Sola kicks into a most impressive percussion solo. In the midst of his performance, Sola sings something that I am about to pass off as something African, but I reconsider after noticing the rabid response of the audience. "He's singing in MALAY!" somebody behind me shouts. I listen more carefully... and indeed, it is Malay, the traditional folk song 'Dayung Sampan' to be exact! Good one, Sola!
I actually know the tune, but a Mandarin version of it. It's one of my dad's favorites.
Throughout the show, Jay takes full advantage of the two large speakers on either side of the stage, occasionally sitting on them, standing on them (imagine the great view from there!) and even jumping off them! For Sola's solo, he is seen draped across the left speaker, lying atop it in a poseur-like manner, with Toby walking over to him to engage in some casual chit-chat. Jay hops off later, takes a green plastic bottle to center stage and analyses it with childlike wonder. He opens it, takes a small sip, and grimaces! He runs to the back to take his already-opened bottle of water and sighs with relief after taking a few much-needed gulps.
A concert definitely isn't without its mellower moments, and Jamiroquai cools things down with two Funk Odyssey ballads performed separately, 'Corner of the Earth' and 'Black Crow'. After the former, a loud sound bursts from the speakers. Jay cringes, and after realizing that it's not his bad, he asks the other members. "Toby, did you do that? Rob, did you?" They all shrug, and the show goes on.
As the concert draws to a close, Jay asks the stadium, "Has anybody seen the movie 'Godzilla?'" He then crouches down, fingers outstretched into claws, and playfully plods around the stage, creating seismic booms with every footstep taken (courtesy of Toby's nifty keyboard).
The black backdrop then lights up with a hundred 'stars', the stage lights up an eerie green, and Jay and Co. perform an explosive version of their song from the Godzilla soundtrack, 'Deeper Underground', with Rob performing a ripping electric guitar solo that whips the crowd into a frenzy.
The fun seems to end a bit too soon, as the British funk outfit thanks Singapore and departs the stage. The audience is left yearning for more, and our fanatical chants soon pay off when the lads and ladies reemerge for an unforgettable encore. The crowd-friendly 'Alright' gets everyone in the stadium clapping their hands and singing along to the chorus, accompanied at one point only by Derrick's hard drum beats.
Just as all of us think it's over, Jay says, "Okay, now we're going to do a different version of 'Alright'!" Eh?! A double dose of Alright? This ain't right! Wait, it is right - in fact, it's very alright! The funktified version of 'Alright' extends the encore session by another five minutes and confirms the crowd's place in seventh heaven.
Some fans in front row are lucky enough to get their hands on a sweat-saturated towel which Jay throws down. (Part of it is now left in the safe hands of Reibel! Good on ya, soul sista!) Jay also kicked his 'cheapo' VIT bottle into the audience earlier in the show, but it unfortunately it landed just out of reach on the other side of the front row railing.
What became of it, I didn't stick around long enough after the show to find out. I pray that it wasn't forgotten about.
"We'll see you guys in AUTUMN!" Jay's parting words are, and the fans can't believe their ears. They use whatever is left of their energy to give the band a final earsplitting ovation.
Let's pray that he keeps his word...
The concert finishes at about 11 p.m. For a full two hours, Jamiroquai raised the roof and brought it tumbling down again, figuratively leaving Singapore Indoor Stadium in a smoking rubble. The fans emerge one by one, unscathed but still in a state of giddy shock.
My thoughts of the concert in general? Had I not read news in the press, I would have never known that Jay took to the stage with a sore throat - from the beginning to the very end, he seemed to deliver each line with robust passion. So hats off to him - or rather, hats on!  Each of the other members also stood unparalleled in their individual performances. It would have been nice if the band covered at least one hit from their debut album - the furthest they rewound was to the second album with 'Space Cowboy'. And what of 'Virtual Insanity'? Maybe they left it out in fear of it turning it into overkill. But they more than made up for everything with superb showmanship. One thing's for sure, Jamiroquai has definitely gotten my vote secured for them being one of the finest 'live' bands around. And with the hope of their return in October, I can't complain too much, can't I?
-End of Part 2-
Next Week:
What has gotten Davina pinching herself silly to this very day? Her clichéd dream becomes a far-fetched reality... You canNOT afford to miss this! Watch out for Part 3 of the Xfresh 'Jamiro-files'!
For Parts 3 and 4, go to http://www.jamirotalk.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1984 |
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