At the Indoor Stadium

At the Indoor Stadium

10/6/2001

tonight, I sat through an Evening with the Corrs. While I'm not a big fan of the Corrs, went because Ms. Tan had gotten tickets for us in Feb. Must say that the crowd was really "Class 95.0". There were many expats (and their noisy children)and we were just about the youngest people there. While the Corrs are fine musically and have some singable stuff, I really think that they've become super commercialised and can't do a live gig with style. In spite of the attempted banter with the audience, they're "on cue" beginnings and endings and they're lack of genuine committment to the music left me feeling that they should just stick to being heard on CDs. What's the point of watching them live if all they're going to do is reproduce they're CD stuff.

Highlight of the evening was when everyone "spontaeously" stood up when the Corrs burst into their "encore" piece "So Young". It was a scripted spontienity. First of all, everyone knows that they can't walk off without playing their greatest hit. Second, there's this part of the song where they're "supposed" to get the audience to "clap along". It was all just cliche. I refused to stand and sat thinking these thoughts. (Not the first time, also refused to stand during Teachers' Day Rally during the "spontaneous" applause") Irony, LCE who was with us said I was a "spoiler" (she meant it playfully) for not behaving "on cue". Precisely. I DID NOT behave ON CUE.

Nothing yet to beat the Eric Clapton concert in the Indoor Stadium in 1990. Was one of the first concerts held in the Indoor - and by the Git God himself! Although I was in the midst of Os I still went (had something insignificant like A Math left I think) and because was too poor had to sit right in the furthest corner of the BALCONY! But it was superb man! I mean, for the Corrs concert people only like stood up to "clap along" right at the end - but for Clapton, just the opening riffs - and everyone was on their feet - I think everyone who played Guitar was there. And there were these mega Jams - not like the fixed set pieces the Corrs do - ten minute solos and trading licks! Still remeber the whole band - Steve Ferone, Nathan East, Greg Philingaines - super. And there was this mega encore right at the end. And the cool thing was - it wasn't like the Corrs where you knew they would come back. For Clapton - it was really long before he came back - smoking a cigarette and doing his trademark "stick the cigarette in guitar thing". And even after the encore, the audience just stayed behind - just stayed behind for like a real long time, hoping that he would come back ... and he didn't. Just left. And all this was before he released the Unplugged album and before "Tears in Heaven". That was a real concert.

If only U2 would come - still haven't found what I'm looking for.