[Writer’s story]
2011 marks the first Sundown Festival I’ve ever attended. In all honesty, it was pretty amazing considering it’s also the first concert I’ve ever attended with artistes coming from Korea, Japan and Taiwan.
The weather was all but good before the concert with gray clouds filling the sky. An hour before the start of the concert, rain poured mercilessly as ponchos and umbrella filled the standing area. Luckily, it stopped as fast as it came. By the time the concert started, the air was high with humidity with a few occasional breeze. It wasn’t the ideal weather for an outdoor concert, but at least it wasn’t pouring.
The emcees for the night were YES933’s deejays, Li Teng and Peifen, and I’ve got to say their on-stage partnership was kind of refreshing considering how most events I’ve attended were hosted by Ah Ken. They prepped the crowd by giving away S.T.A.G.E’s clapper through a short shouting competition and before all of us knew it, ViViD was ready to rock the stage.
I’m no J-Rock person, but I’ve to give it to ViViD as they blew me away with their live music. It was obvious they were very used to such concerts as they hyped the crowd easily They started with 夢～ムゲンノカナタand continued with a few of their signature songs such as カケラ (a song composed by member IV) and Crisis. It’s no wonder they were chosen to start the concert as in no time, the crowd was jumping along with Shin as he gave his all while singing. ViViD ended with an encore stage of their latest single, Fake, a song which I highly recommend.
The exit of ViViD brought in the next artiste, Zhang Yun Jing. She’s commonly known for her androgynous style and deep voice For someone who comes out from a competition background, her singing abilities is not to be underestimated. Her first song for the night was 义气, followed by 让我照顾你. I was really impressed when she whipped out her guitar to perform 相反的我 because it’s no easy feat. In addition, she pulled it off really well and I was not the least disappoint. She ended off with a remake of Harlem Yu’s春泥. Her rendition takes on a really different feeling and I really liked it.
When the only Korean artiste for the night, Teen Top, made their appearance, everyone cheered endlessly. For those who have attended Korean Music Wave earlier this July, you would be familiar with this group. And to be honest, I prefer their performance during Sundown Festival because the dance steps were more synchronised and I can hear the voices of all members clearly.
The boys started out with Supa Luv and continued with Angel, a song sang in recognition for the fans who came to the event that night. No More Perfume On You from their latest EP, Roman. was also performed and I have to admit that I really like this dance routine a lot. Another sentimental track Brushing was sang as the boys walked to the extended stage to greet their fans. They encored with their debut track Clap and you could vividly hear the audience singing along with them.
Hebe put on a no-frills performance that night, captivating the audience with her clear, flaw-free singing. Clad in white, she really looks like an angel that night and she bares her soul to sing My Love, LOVE, To Hebe, 还是要幸福 and 寂寞寂寞就好. Sometimes it’s such simple and direct singing that makes the performance memorable.
That night ended off with the Dancing King of Asia, Show Luo. His on-stage charisma charmed the audience the moment he appeared. As a veteran performer, he knows very well how to make everyone excited. With 精武门, 爱风头 and 一支独秀, he got the crowd wanting for more as he ended the concert with Only You. His performance was indeed the highlight of the event.
Sundown Festival 2011 came to a closure on a high note. With the success of 2011, I’m sure everyone will be in for a feast next year when the event is back, probably bigger and better.
A big thanks to Red Spade, SPRG and all the staff for organizing such a successful event!
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