Tag Archive for 'Beyonce'

Who wants to be in a girl band?

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by Christopher Toh
Published at 3:08 pm, June 10, 2010

Just received my copy of U2’s 360 At The Rose Bowl and was just about to watch it when this email popped up:

“FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: New Pan-Asian Girl Group to be developed by Top International Music and Entertainment Executives 

FarWest Entertainment in collaboration with original producer of the Spice Girls to develop “Project Lotus” for Global Distribution”

Yes, in the tradition of Wonder Girls, 4 Minute, Spice Girls, Girls Aloud, Sugababes and all those bubble-gummer groups. And it’ll be on TV too. Anyway, here’s what the rest of the presser had to say…

“10 June 2010, Singapore  – FarWest Entertainment, a new Asia based global media company founded by former Electronics Art executive Jon Niermann, is joined by Grammy Award winning producers Eliot Kennedy and Brian Grant to seek out the best female talents in Asia for launch into the international music scene… (I’ll skip the boring bits)…

Insert your face here
Insert your face here

Auditions in the major cities across Asia will commence on August 15, 2010. Five girls will be selected each from South East Asia, Japan, Korea, India and the Chinese territories, and the 25 finalists will be based in HK for an intensive training academy which will run from September 15 to  October 30, 2010.  They will attend clinics in singing, dancing, choreography, styling, stage performance, nutrition, physical training and media management. Each week, groups of five will perform live for a celebrity panel of judges and industry experts from Asia and the West, and one will be sent home from each country. At the end of the training, the final five members will form a new girl group (to be named later) and record an album at Eliot Kennedy’s UK studio. The entire recording process will be filmed for a special TV production.

Before the auditions, Kennedy will host a “writer’s camp” at Peter Gabriel’s studio in the UK from June 6 to 11, hosting of 20 of today’s top pop song writers including Gary Barlow from Take That, Alisha Dixon from Ace of Base, Lil Boots, and Jonathan Wang. They will start writing for the music tracks to be featured in the girls’ debut album…(blah blah blah)… Any girl aged 18-25 with “lead singer” quality and the ability to dance and to sing in English can also upload their video for consideration via the www.projectlotus.tvwebsite. To be able to play a musical instrument will be an added advantage… (blah blah blah)… The TV show will be broadcasted across Asia and also the US and Europe. Discussions are currently underway for rights to broadcast.  Their album and touring schedule will also be out first half of 2011. More information on Project Lotus can be found on its official website www.projectlotus.tv .”

Beyonce Knowles: From girl group member to pop superstar - nobbad what?
Beyonce Knowles: From girl group member to pop superstar – nobbad what?

I know what you’re saying… OMG! What will they think of next? Yes, our world of pop music has been reduced to this. This is the future of our pop culture. It’s already started. There’s no turning back. But hey, apply only if you want a fast track to being noticed and being a pop star. Seriously. Look at Taufik and Hady. They’ve now become one-word monikers like Bono, Mika and Madonna. They’re certified pop stars.

It you’re worried about artistic integrity and all that, er, you can always become a serious “artiste” later. (It’ll be a lot easier – just ask Beyonce!)


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S-Pop: The future of Singapore music now (part 4): Don Richmond

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by Christopher Toh
Published at 1:26 am, January 12, 2010

Hi Poparazziacs!

Yes, it’s been a bit of a while since we did this column, and it’s my fault that it hasn’t been as regular as it ought to be; but I promise that it’s going to be this year.

Well, we thought we’d kick off with someone who’s a little familiar but not so familiar at the same time. You probably know him as a producer, one half of Don and Drew, Mark’s brother or the son of Brian. But there’s more to Don Richmond than meets the eye. We got him to spill the beans about his music.

In five words, describe Don Richmond. The most extroverted introvert around.

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The introvert performing at Bar None for the Music Matters forum

 

You’re known for your production work with artistes as diverse as Budak Pantai to Mark Bonafide. But how would you describe your own music? I’ve always been a music fan from young. I take in whatever I hear around me regardless of any genre. There’s good and bad in everything. I take all aural influences and as I write, they get spat out in what is known as my music. My music is really the amalgamation of every genre of music I’ve heard since childhood: folk, hip hop, rock, pop, doo wop, country, rock and roll. It’s just a matter of songs taking on a life and genre of their own. I just write and let the songs dictate the rest.

 

Is that the musical direction you’re taking now? I try my best to serve the song as much as I can and don’t think too much about genre specific stuff. A song I wrote recently had elements of the Beach Boys’ harmonies coupled with Abbey Road influenced instruments with a hip hop attitude towards the mix. Whatever ingredient the song needs to materialise… I find it and resolve that.

 

What are your musical influences? Growing up in a household where music was our business definitely helped shaped my taste. I am very lucky to have loads of records on hand to listen to whenever I can. The Beatles, James Brown, U2, George Michael, Guns and Roses, Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson, Prince… The list goes on. I am still discovering old classics till this day and it gets me excited every time something unfamiliar gets unearthed. I am first and foremost… a huge fan of Music.

 

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What in your opinion is the most challenging thing about being a local musician? I think we still lack a healthy culture of seeking out venues and people who play original music and actually give them a couple of minutes of your time to just listen. We have people making a living in bars and clubs playing covers (a lot of close friends of mine are cover musicians) but there needs to be a cultural hunger to hear something that you can call your own. I’ve just been a little lucky to actually have a small bunch of people who like my music and will give me the time of day. The biggest challenge facing a local musician is to stand up and take what you want and not wait for someone to hand it to you. The days of record labels having a good A&R department is over. We need to know what we want out of this and be our own record label, marketing, promotion vehicle and still satisfy our instinct for our art. It’s a mountain to climb but on the bright side the power is completely ours now.

 

What is your plan for world domination? A mixture of cyanide and clever science… Oh wait… Did I just give out the plot to a really good Robert Downey Jr movie?

 

Your dad mentioned a remix of a song by an oldie local band The Cyclones’, called The Dew. Are you interested in remixing old local music? I was in the studio when my studio partner (Jason Tan) was re-mastering a series of old ’60s local music and it’s amazing to hear how good these bands actually were at that time. I will be honoured if I ever got a chance to remix an old song from our past.

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Is there anyone who’ve yet to work with that you’d like to? I look forward to all my collaborations. I will however get really greedy and say I would love to sit in and just watch U2’s The Edge craft his sonic architecture bit by bit, write a song with singer Ray LaMontagne and produce a song for Beyonce.

 

Will you be releasing a new album? Yes, I will be releasing another album in 2010. First single to be out in Feb and hopefully the album to be launched in June.

 

Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time? Waking up each day with ideas, penning them down and pushing the record button. I really can’t ask for more… anything more will just be very very sweet distractions.


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The Best and Worst of F1 Rocks

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by Christopher Toh
Published at 1:29 pm, September 28, 2009

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LIKE any event, F1 Rocks Singapore with LG had its fair share of highs and lows. As Charles Dickens might say, it was the best and worst of times. From inconsiderate fans to some searing shows, here then, are our awards for best and worst:

Best in show: A tie between A*mei, Gwen Stefani of No Doubt and Beyonce. A*mei’s fantastic vocals showed by she’s still considered to be one of Asia’s top singers.

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Meanwhile, Gwen showed that with a lot of hard work – and cash, admittedly - you too, can have two children and still look like one hot mother. Her sizzling performance was definitely the highlight of night #2.

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But if you wanted a scorching show, it was Beyonce’s closing set that did the trick. Despite being shorter than her usual shows, she still brought it on – with bootylicious moves, several striking costumes and a voice that was just above and beyond everything we’d heard previously. F1 Rocks? No, Beyonce – YOU rock.

 

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Most fan appreciative moment: During Beyonce’s finale, Halo, she stood on the top of the stairs onstage and intoned: “Singapore, I am…” Crowd: “BEYONCE!”

She said it again: “Singapore, I am…” Crowd: “BEYONCE!!!!! (doesn’t she know who she is)???”

Then she said: “Singapore, I AM… YOURS!” AWWWWWWW! We love you, too, Beyonce!

 

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The What-Were-You-Thinking award: Goes to Jacky Cheung, perhaps in a misguided effort to look “rock” for F1 Rocks, ended up wearing an outfit and a wig that looked like a reject from a cosplay party.

The I Am Robot award: The security guys, who were seriously either very blur or just confused. First, they kept repeating “move up/down, don’t block the stairs” to anyone and everyone, even to someone who asked them directions to the toilet. Then, they gave conflicting directions to VIP pass holders by telling them to go this way and that, making for one bunch of confused VIPs.

 

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The Active Ageing award: Goes to ZZ Top (above) and Simple Minds (below), who showed that life really does begin after 40. (So does arthritis and hypertension, but that’s another story).

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The Back To School award: To ex-F1 driver David Coulthard who mis-read 127.4 as “175″. Maybe that’s why he didn’t win as many races as he could.

Most Inconsiderate award: To smokers. Sorry, I know you need to puff and all, but come on, couldn’t you just hold off a bit, especially since people are already having to endure being thirsty in the sweltering heat and being crammed up against each other. We’re already sweaty and stinky, we don’t need the extra pollution, thanks. 

 

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Best F&B advertising: Billy Gibbon’sGretsch guitar, which, when flipped over had the word “Beer” stenciled in gold.

 

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The Forgiving Fashion Faux Pas award: The general rule has always been not to wear coloured underwear when wearing white, but if you looked like Gwen Stefani, we say “go ahead, make our day”. 

Best Sweat and Stinky moment: Gwen Stefani, inviting two fans to go up and towel her off.

Most Inconsiderate award #2: Those who didn’t know how to clean up after themselves, making Fort Canning Park look like Fort Canning waste dump.

 

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Best animalistic name: DJ Havana Brown (a Havana Brown is a type of cat in Australia, much like a Kucinta here in Singapore).

 

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The Keanu Reeves award: To Lindsay Lohan, whose wooden performance as host of the first F1 Rocks show (broadcast last night) can surely top anything by the “Cool Breeze that blows off the Pacific coastal mountains”.

Best Surprise: Beyonce, breaking out into Alanis Morisette’s You Oughta Know – complete with nasal twang.

 

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Best Cleavage award: Beyonce. Hands down. And no, that’s not a colourful euphemism – that’s an order.

 

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The Serene Award: Goes to this lady who could still sleep during Seb Fontaine’s rather loud DJ set.

 

 (photos: Andrew Timms – courtesy F1 Rocks Singapore, Janet Hsieh, Christopher Toh and courtesy Rich Host Photos)

 


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The making of F1 Rocks – the final lap

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by Christopher Toh
Published at 9:12 pm, September 22, 2009
If you're Richard Branson, you've possibly the best view in the house from the uber VIP area.
If you’re Richard Branson, this is the view you’ll have of the largest outdoor stage in Singapore.

IF you think putting a show like F1 Rocks is as easy as pie, think again.

Heading into the final 48 hours, Paul Morrison and Becky Morgan, the CEO and COO of All The Worlds, respectively, let us see what it really takes to make F1 Rocks, well, rock.

The answer: Sweat, and loads of it. I’m not just talking about the sweltering heat. The logistics alone for the largest outdoor stage ever assembled in Singapore are staggering: Between 100 to 200 people working everyday, erecting a stage that’s 15m by 40m by 25m, installing 600 light units, about eight mixing desks, 250 sq m of high resolution LED screens, 70 speaker boxes, about 14.5 km of cables transferring six megawatts of power… and that’s just the stage area!  

(They even calculated that each worker walks about 10km a day just up and down the hill. Which, if you look at the bright side, is not a bad way to lose weight and build muscle – although I’m not signing up just yet…)

Paul Morrison and Becky Morgan in da house
Paul Morrison and Becky Morgan in da house

At the top of the hill, another surprise: The Red Bull stage(below), built from cargo containers and decked out in the signature Red Bull colours, will also provide musical entertainment from the likes of Red Bull artiste Black Gold, DJ Ko Flow, MC Vijay Singh (no, not the golfer) and the UK’s Killa Kela.

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The Red Bull stage

 And then there’s the VIP and artiste hospitality. No, no one’s asked for all the blue M&Ms to be removed from the candy bowl, or for all the olives to be pitted, but you never know. I heard that someone even asked for a goldfish in their dressing room – no telling who though, but with uber VIPs like Richard Branson, true blue-blood royalty and Beyonce popping down, anything is possible.

And after everything’s over, they have to tear everything down again. Say what you like, these people work hard for their money.

Chandeliers (above) amidst the F1 decor (below), like the rigging made to look like the pylon towers
Chandeliers (above) and furniture specially brought in (below) for the VIPs and stars like Beyonce. No sign of goldfish yet though 

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Paul with a vintage gramophone brought in for the artiste's green room
Paul with the cool vintage gramophone in the artiste’s green room

 

 


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Jacky Cheung, Da Mouth revving to rock out at F1 Rocks

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by Christopher Toh
Published at 7:00 pm, September 21, 2009

One’s a Heavenly King, the other’s a newbie group.

But when we spoke over the blower to both Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung and Taiwanese group Da Mouth are going to be performing at the inaugural F1 Rocks Singapore With LG concert on Thursday. And it’s something that both artistes said they’re really looking forward to.

The Heavenly King promises a "rock" show
The Heavenly King promises a “rock” show

“It’s a privilege to perform along with Jacky, A*mei and Sodagreen,” said the Taiwanese quartet. “We’re very excited to be here.”

“Excited” is also what Jacky is feeling, who added that he still feels jittery when he performs. “For my show on Sep 24, I have been singing two or three times a day since the beginning of the month,” he elaborated on the blower. “Then I won’t forget the songs when I get nervous.”

Those who attended Jacky’s last concert here in 2007 might want to know that he’s promising a different show.

“It will be a pure rock show this time. There will be some rock ballads; and some heavier stuff,” he said, adding that he was trying to cater to the F1 Rocks theme.

However, Jacky said he might give the actual race a miss. “I’m not really interested in it,” he said. “I don’t think I have the patience to watch the whole race of cars going round and round.”

Da Mouth can't wait to rock out
Da Mouth can’t wait to rock out

However, the race is not the only thing that Da Mouth are interested in watching. “Beyonce! Black Eyed Peas! N.E.R.D!” they exclaimed when asked who they’d like to see.

“We love Pharrell Williams,” said the band. “And will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas is a great producer.

“Some people compare us with Black Eyed Peas, but I think that we’re only similar in that there’s three guys and one girl. Our style of music and all that are really different. “Will we get him to produce an album with us? Hmm. Only if he asks us – and even then we’ll probably have to think about it if he asks us! Ha ha!”

Riiiight, guys. LMAO and all that. Well, you’ll certainly have more than enough opportunity to bend their ears when they’re here, so as ex-F1 driver Alain Prost used to say, “If you see an opportuneetee, take eet!”

Both Da Mouth and Jacky Cheung perform Sep 24, from 7pm at Fort Canning Park. Doors open 5pm. Tickets from $175 still available from Sistic.


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