After The Stranglers left the stage, the emcee introduced a British DJ duo known as The Eye Candy Twins. Clad in impossibly tight white tank tops, the blonde pair dished out remixes of popular anthems like “Mr Brightside” by The Killers. Unfortunately, their song transitions were awkward, and their campy gyrations to Madonna didn’t exactly boost their credibility either.
Thankfully, 1980s pop icon Cyndi Lauper soon emerged. Backed by a ‘live’ band, Lauper was initially unrecognizable thanks to a long black wig. However, her raspy but powerful voice was unmistakable. Powering her way through classics like “All Through The Night”, “I Drove All Night” and “True Colours”, Lauper was a dynamo onstage. Displaying an easy confidence, she performed an amusing duet with reggae star Shaggy on “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”, but strangely chose not to sing “Time After Time”, one of her biggest hits.
Next up was rock band Sugar Ray. Dressed in a black vest and shades, vocalist Mark McGrath bore a striking resemblance to Hollywood actor Ethan Hawke. The band launched into high-energy numbers like “Answer The Phone” and “Falls Apart”, while songs like “Someday” and “When It’s Over” had the audience singing their hearts out. Displaying typical rock star demeanour, McGrath even revealed the band’s hotel room number in a blatant bid for groupies. However, Sugar Ray’s set was marred by member DJ Homicide, who punctuated the show with songs by other bands that Mark McGrath would sing along to in karaoke fashion. Moreover, unlike Cyndi Lauper, Sugar Ray did not showcase any new material.
Before the Pet Shop Boys went on stage as the closing act, the emcee decided to become a DJ. Unfortunately, his lack of technical finesse was painfully obvious, resulting in several awkward instances of dead air. After midnight, the Pet Shop Boys finally appeared.
Amplifiers and drum sets were cleared off stage, lending a minimalist feel that was signature of the electro-pop icons. A huge projection screen was also constructed, serving as a canvas that complemented Chris Lowe’s sonic soundscapes to great effect. With a top hat and black suit, Neil Tennant was clearly in his element, crooning crowd favorites like “Se A Vida É (That's The Way Life Is)” in his trademark nasal voice.
The Pet Shop Boys also performed songs from their latest album “Fundamental”, such as the catchy “Minimal”. Two energetic dancers and a trio of soulful backup vocalists added much vigour to the set, which closed with a rousing rendition of “Go West”. At this point, everyone in the audience had their hands up in the air, proving that sometimes, Singaporeans really just wanna have fun.
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