The Star Online: Entertainment: Music
The Star Online: Entertainment: Music |
- Three major acts slated for Arthur's Day
- George Benson's still a thrill
- Metallica prove their mettle
| Three major acts slated for Arthur's Day Posted: THERE are more reasons for music fans to rejoice as the Arthur's Day celebration returns with three international acts. Headlining the show, which will be held on Sept 27 at The Welcome Centre in Sepang International Circuit, are American rock band The All-American Rejects, British-Irish boy band The Wanted and singer-songwriter Five For Fighting (yes, there is just one guy). The All-American Rejects played not one, but two shows in Kuala Lumpur back in August 2009. Lead singer Tyson Ritter and company loved Malaysia so much after performing at the MTV World Stage, that they returned for a full-scale concert in October the same year. The quartet released its fourth studio album Kids In The Street last year. Pop music sensation The Wanted is also looking forward to its third appearance in Malaysia. Last September, the boys performed a showcase in Sunway Lagoon, Petaling Jaya. Formed in 2009, The Wanted consists of Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness, Max George, Nathan Sykes and Tom Parker. Five For Fighting is the stage name for John Ondrasik. The only solo act to perform at Arthur's Day this year is famous for the 2001 hit single Superman (It's Not Easy). Five For Fighting's current single is What If from his upcoming sixth studio album Bookmarks. Since 2009, Arthur's Day is held to pay homage to Irish brewer Arthur Guinness, the founder of the Guinness Company. Tickets to Arthur's Day are priced at RM98 (early bird price valid until Aug 31), RM118 (Sept 1 onwards), RM138 (door sale), RM238 (mosh pit) and RM8,000 (cabana lounge). Log on to www.myticket.asia to purchase tickets or call 03-8080 8700 for enquiries. This event is only open to non-Muslims aged 18 years and above. |
| George Benson's still a thrill Posted: At 70, George Benson continues to rule the stage. GEORGE Benson showed why he is still a much sought-after performer at his concert here on Wednesday. Backed by a five-piece band, the 10-time Grammy winner was in his element from the word go, performing his unique blend of R&B, jazz, funk and tracks from his latest album, Inspiration: A Tribute To Nat King Cole. Benson's one-night performance at the packed Plenary Hall, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, was part of his Inspiration Tour Featuring The Greatest Hits Live. Once the youthful-looking 70-year-old walked on stage, there was no stopping him as he led the audience on a stroll down memory lane with numerous hits such as Weekend In LA, Breezin, Unforgettable, Love x Love, In Your Eyes, Turn Your Love Around, Kisses In The Moonlight, Inside Love (So Personal) and Feel Like Making Love. The audience hummed along and knew all the lyrics to every song he sang! There was hardly a break between songs and talking was kept to a minimum as Benson delivered his pieces with soul and played the guitar with gusto. After all, he started singing on the streets when he was eight and all the young girls would swoon. Nothing has changed except that the girls have matured into women and Benson has taken his act to bigger venues. His delivery was so polished that his voice sounded no different from his earlier recordings. Couples in the audience were holding hands, people got up to sway and romance was definitely in the air as Benson took them on a love journey. No Benson concert is complete without his signature Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You and he rendered this with utmost soul; it brought out my goose bumps. When he sang Gimme The Night, it was a cue to get up and dance and that's what the audience did. Benson then put his hands up and left the stage and most of us assumed it signalled the end of the first half. It had only been 65 minutes, surely the concert couldn't be over? A member of his entourage then introduced the band and the artiste. Benson came back (encore, maybe?) wearing an all-black attire and belted out This Masquerade and On Broadway. By this time, nary a soul was seated. Delighted, Benson upped his groove before thanking the audience and walking off. When the emcee took the mike to deliver the closing protocol for the royal guests, the crowd screamed for more, drowning out her voice. Stunned, the poor woman looked around the stage and remarked, "Majlis dah bersurai! (The event is over.)" Disappointed, the crowd screamed louder. "Hey, saya tak boleh buat apa-apa! George Benson dah habis concert (Hey, I can't do anything. George Benson's concert is over)," said the exasperated emcee. Benson never made another appearance and the lights came on. It would have been nice if he had come back for an encore. But when you're a septuagenarian, I guess a 90-minute concert still deserves a standing ovation. |
| Posted: After more than three decades of creating life-changing music, heavy metal masters Metallica are all fuelled up to face the future. METALHEADS in Malaysia had another reason to rejoice, as Metallica, one of the world's biggest metal bands, graced our shores for the first time last Wednesday to play to a packed stadium filled with fans who have waited years to watch them live in action. A few hours before the concert, we sat down with frontman James Hetfield as he revealed refreshing and introspective anecdotes about the band. "The Asia Tour's been great. After 32 years of touring, it is remarkable to come to a new country like Malaysia. There's always a first, even at my ripe old age of 50," he laughed. Although laid-back in demeanour, his sheer presence was magnetic. You couldn't help but be drawn to his calm and controlled disposition. After all, this is the voice and founder of Metallica before us. Without missing a beat, he compared the difference between their younger, mayhem-making days and the Metallica of today. "Now, we're all about going out there and play for our large (Metallica) family from around the planet, and to put a smile on people's faces. It's different, and we're not afraid to be honest about how we feel at this age. Musically, we're not catering to anyone except ourselves," he said. As the interview proceeded, this new-found maturity became evident as he preferred to focus on self-reflection. "Being artistes and explorers, we're writing music for ourselves. We need to write music that we like to hear. What we have done and what we'll continue to do is to be honest with ourselves. And if you don't, you'll get resentful and you'll lose your sense of self," he reflected before continuing, "the fans we like to attract are the ones who are open-minded, and who like to experience new things in life, not just musically. That's the beauty of being in a band. We love what we do." The band, made up of drummer and co-founder Lars Ulrich, 50, guitar virtuoso Kirk Hammett, 51, and the newest addition, bassist extraordinaire Robert Trujillo, 49, has also discovered that maturity is doing wonders for their musical development. "Back when we were writing the early albums, it was mostly an experiment, an adventure even." More than three decades and 10 studio albums on (including a collaboration with Lou Reed), Hetfield, who is also the band's chief creator behind its million-dollar riffs, explained how Metallica conjured those magical riffs that have endeared themselves to millions of fans worldwide. "There are different ways for those riffs to happen. For me, the writing, or being in the mood to write ... it just happens. It depends on what mood I'm in. It depends on what guitar sounds I have. A lot of times, the guitar sound has to move me in some way. It's not just me. It's coming from something. I'm just a messenger here, and things are coming through me and it's a good feeling. "Or, Lars could just play a beat and I'll come up with, say, 20 riffs, and it feels right. We care for that gift by continuing to write." Having sold more than 110 million albums worldwide, Metallica are not about to rest on their laurels as they delve into a new realm of artistic expression in the form of their first 3D movie, Through The Never, scheduled for release next month in the United States. However, the seed for the movie was first planted 10 years ago – by IMAX, no less. "They wanted to capture the energy of a Metallica show. We felt honoured. It was a couple of ideas combined – of wanting to do a movie to capture the best of Metallica on stage, from all the way back to Kill 'Em All. We're going to capture the essence of our shows, for example the crosses from Master Of Puppets, the coffins from Death Magnetic, and filming all that with 3D. We've also included a storyline. It's about one of the roadies of the show who gets sent on an adventure. In short, it's like two movies in one, actually," explained Hetfield, who is proud and happy with the end result. "It's a huge risk for us. Throughout our career, we have discovered that everything good is usually a risk. But it's totally worth it," he said. How does Metallica deal with the unrelenting demands of touring? "We have to be honest about our physical, mental and spiritual limits. We can't be on the road for three months at a time anymore. We have families at home, and we need to care for both family and the band. But this is a gift that we have." As with most bands worth their salt, success is also measured by how they overcome their obstacles. Having endured the trials and tribulations of time, Hetfield confided that the biggest challenge the band had to overcome was internal conflict. "I think that's the number one killer of most bands. You can have everything – lots of fans, popular albums – but if you're not happy within, it's terrible. It's like a marriage. It's not easy. But the more work you put into it (marriage), the more love you get out of it. So, that's the key for being in a band," he emphasised. The atmosphere took a lighter turn when the subject of a new Metallica album arose. "It's a great rumour," Hetfield laughed. "We're always writing in our heads. The new movie and the Asia Tour have been keeping us very busy, so, not yet, though there's a lot of material." That perhaps will give fans renewed hope that maybe, just maybe, the four horsemen will ride back to our shores to stage another spectacular show. |
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