Post by cutie on Oct 15, 2002 15:27:54 GMT 8
Man of many talents, but...
By Yeoh Wee Teck
IT was obvious that pop star Wang Lee Hom was out to impress at his first solo Singapore concert. Look at the different music genres he dished out on Saturday - pop, rock, jazz, ballads, dance and classical.
At one point, he even exposed his nipples, albeit accidentally (maybe not?), when he was dancing furiously shirtless under an open vest.
And for good measure, the 26-year-old also played the piano, violin, guitar and drums.
In the latter, he was spun 360 degrees while playing the drum. He can add daredevil to his list of achievements.
This stunt had fans gasping but it appeared gimmicky, like a low-maintenance Disney thrill ride.
Lee Hom Live In Singapore saw 6,000 people - even some from Malaysia, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan - making their way to Singapore Expo Hall 1 for a two-hour plus night with their idol.
You would think that someone of Lee Hom's music background (he graduated from Williams College in Music and Berkley College of Music in Boston) would be more suited for the opening of the Esplanade, which was held at the same time.
Especially since the singer does have a tendency to go on quite a bit about his 'craft'.
But there he was instead, hair flipped a la F4's Jerry Yan, wearing tight shredded pants that gave generous views of his thighs, dancing dismally, sharing the stage with smoke machines and fireworks.
And for all the glitz and the mastery of his music, he failed to maintain rapport with the audience.
He limited his contact to spurring on his lovelorn female fans (when someone shouted 'I love you', he was overly eager to find the source).
REBELLIOUS FANS
Audience interaction is not his forte.
But do the fans mind? Obviously not.
Encouraged by Lee Hom's request that they come forward to dance, the mostly female group rushed forward, screaming.
Who would have thought that fans of such a tepid star could be so rebellious.
Security staff asked that they return to their seats, but they continued dancing and screaming.
But their defiance was short-lived.
Pretty soon, they were back at their seats, their battle of wills lost.
Chastised, the fans only stood or moved stiffly in their seats.
Perhaps they were increasingly bored as Lee Hom, popular for his slow songs, experimented too much, probably in a misguided effort to be diverse.
I remember seeing Lee Hom perform in a media showcase in 1997.
It was a heartfelt affair with just him and the piano, crooning the sincere love songs he had written.
It was his first promotional tour here and we were introduced after his performance.
Over drinks, I recalled he said that it's all about the music.
Fame must have made his priorities different.
Saturday night, it seemed it was more about showing off than anything else.
