Seven days and the Magic refuses to fade away.

A bit of retromania, an ounce of yesteryear heroes and a dash of the latest rage. Voilà!  A perfect recipe. An entertainment line-up with universal appeal. And why not? When the world is looking at the year's mega-event and you have enthusiasts from diverse walks of life figuratively coming under one roof, you got to please 'em all!

2012 Singapore Grand Prix. A three day event when the atmosphere is nothing but electric. That of course if you leave aside the build-up.

The final day race will forever remain etched in the memory of Formula 1 fans,

Why? A snapshot before we embark on the musical blitz …

Lewis Hamilton shocker! Lap 23 and the 2008 world champion and McLaren-Mercedes driver retires from the race after his gearbox failed.

Seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) crashes into Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso-Ferrari) halfway during the race: Schumacher recently got penalised with a 10-grid placing for the Japanese Grand Prix.

Bruno Senna (Williams-Renault) and Felipe Massa (Ferrari) clash: No penalty for Senna but he retired from the race after reporting a loss of power.

F1’s youngest double champion: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) claimed his second win of the year in front of McLaren's Jenson Button (McLaren-Mercedes) with Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) finishing third. Vettel, who also won in Singapore last year is now chasing a world title hat-trick.

And: Paul di Resta (Force India-Mercedes)'s took a notable fourth and Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) was fifth.

Getting back to the entertainment aspect…musical entertainment to be precise, Asia's reigning R&B king Jay Chou, had the ladies swooning on the opening day. Moreover, the stellar line-up comprised a distinct range right from superlatives such as The Pretenders who gave a sprightly performance and Chrissie Hynde,  sure lived up to the rocker chick persona. One of the beloved groups of a bygone classic era, Bananarama, who is now a duo, gave a taste of the 80's. Not to forget, pop-rock superstars Maroon 5 whose thrilling performance had female fan screaming and getting boisterous at the mere sight of front man Adam Levine. Moves Like Jagger with a snippet of Gangnam Style, surely sent the fans into a tizzy!

Raising the benchmark on the final race day, we had Noel Gallagher (the backbone of the legendary band Oasis)and his band Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds. 2012 Singapore Grand Prix spectacularly wrapped up with amazing fireworks display, but not before the much anticipated performance by Billboard's Woman of the Year – Katy Perry who was the perfect icing on the F1 cake! Making a grand entry standing on top of a racing car, her performance was nothing short of energetic. Her fans had already swamped the fan zone with banners and fun gear from 2 P.M. even though the performance was at 10.30 P.M. ! She surely didn’t let any of her fans down with an electrifying show.  

However, the performance of Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds at the Padang stage, playing material from his critically acclaimed and successful self-titled debut album truly enthralled me, along with the Oasis / Noel fans who had gathered since early afternoon.

At around 6.40 P.M., just when the gathered fan's eagerness was hitting a crescendo, a recorded sound clip of AKA... What a Life! (The Amorphous Androgynous Remix) began to play. Shortly thereafter, Noel and friends walked onto the stage calmly and composedly to start off with one of Oasis' underrated songs (It's Good) To Be Free. It did feel that Noel was now free to do anything with the High Flying Birds. This laid a solid foundation to play a few tracks from the band's self-titled debut album. The first two psychedelic rock track were Everybody's on the Run and the catchy  Dream On.

If I Had a Gun… which is a slower track, had fans relish every bit of it. Followed by, The Death of You and Me which sure felt like a revisit to The Importance Of Being Idle.

Much to the delight of fans (after chanting hysterically for quite some time), the audience was treated to a "Noel-ised" version of Wonderwall, which was followed by a thunderous applause. (I Wanna Live in a Dream in My) Record Machine, reminiscent  of his great work on Oasis masterpieces was lapped up by fans.

AKA...What a Life!, which in Noel's own words is a "disco-tune" gave a distinctive feel to the concert followed by Oasis' Talk Tonight.

After a pounding (Stranded On) The Wrong Beach, the band played three consecutive Oasis tracks, starting with the soulful Half the World Away. To this point, the F1 engines on the track started roaring deafeningly and Noel didn’t seem too happy about it. One of my personal favourites Little by Little (the music video of which has Robert Carlyle in it) was played next. Now the crowd wanted Supersonic and Don't Look Back in Anger. But given the tight timeline (the F1 race was to start within a few minutes), the last song played was the epic Don't Look Back in Anger. The mass singalong was a highlight which will stay in our heads for a long time even though the concert was crisp and short.

Oasis or no Oasis, Noel Gallagher can still deliver memorable and quality tunes. Here's hoping he breaks some new ground on his second album.  

Megadeth Live in Singapore 2012

THE BACKDROP…

I have always been skeptical about the performance of a band, especially if it is the last show of the last leg of a particular world tour. Not that there is going to be anything drastically different but I can totally empathise with the performing band's stand-point. It is but natural for the energy levels to dip after a gruelling tour for rock bands. And things aren't easy when a band is not in its youth (no offence to Mustaine and gang) and has reached a divine status through an illustrious multi-decade career, raising the bar consistently. After all Rock Gods do have limitations to their super strengths, even though ardent fans like us would like to believe otherwise.

So Megadeth, was finishing the last leg of TH1RT3EN World tour in Asia by performing in Singapore. As soon as the word spread, I was undoubtedly ecstatic and I hurried to buy my ticket. The more I stared at the ticket, the more I started thinking about this being the last concert of this tour. Would it be energetic or somewhat watered down? And this contemplation went on for weeks. I would like to believe my apprehensions were conveyed to the band founder, guitarist extraordinaire at a subconscious telepathic level, because at the concert, one of the first things he said was, "I am saving the best for the last". There it was, the perfect assurance from Mr. Mustaine.
  

But before I write about the performance, a few lines on the setting. The moment I reached the venue in my trusted rusted Rust in Peace t shirt, I felt I was onboard a ship observing two seas from different times merging into one. There were some fresh waves from a  green sea and some mellow waves from a seasoned sea. This is one of the best things to happen when you go for a concert involving a legendary band. Their sheer clout to unite old time rockers to the yuppies. There were even some characters who stood out. I can distinctly remember a bloke wearing a Metallica leather jacket  with spikes on the shoulders. But I chose to give him benefit of the doubt thinking he was in a way paying tribute to the indisputable role Mustaine played in Metallica's early fame. Anyway he sure knew how to headbang, which was evident later. Thankfully I didn't see anyone wear any pop-rock band t shirts. So Far, So Good...Shortly, Mustaine and gang burst onto the stage (Fort Canning Park is the coolest venue in Singapore to hold a rock concert) almost on time with...this I have elaborated upon  in section III.

ABOUT THAT SHOE…

There was a short break where the band went backstage during the concert. Now there are some crucial elements that make a concert memorable, sometimes good, sometimes not-so-good. But there are times when it's difficult to slot the incident into either of these two categories. When a not so good incident turns into a fun element only due to the frontmans' absolute charisma and showmanship.  So this is what transpired when the band was backstage during a short break.

Someone in the audience must have had an itchy corn on his foot, cause he ended up hurling a shoe on the empty stage. Megadeth returned for their set and I am sure the band was least flattered. I was expecting some serious stuff but Dave picked up the shoe looked at the audience and expressed his disappointment. He kind of gauged which section the shoe must have come. Staring at that section, he spat into the shoe and threw it off stage. "I hope I won't be put into a prison for spitting", he quipped. This had the audience in splits. (Mustaine sure knew a thing or two, as in Singapore, you can be arrested for spitting). Mustaine didn't lose the opportunity to berate the "show thrower", telling him to "be quiet" and asking the crowd, "Did you come here to listen to him or me???"

Now that's the way to handle a sticky (no reference to the spit) situation with class. Mustaine made the hilarious growly face and did point at the suspect and cracked a couple wise ones, much to the amusement of the audience. Dave Mustaine, my respect for you went up one notch high!

HOW IT ALL BEGAN AND EVERYTHING ELSE...

This being Megadeth's second performance in Singapore, the first time being in 2007, Mustaine surely had gauged the pulse of the audience by this time.

Megadeth exploded onstage with Never Dead, with Mustaine confidently sporting a white shirt and his signature all black Dean VHMT.. The riff when heard live is surely " violent and in your face," as Bassist Dave Ellefson had put it in an earlier interview. This was followed by Head Crusher, the performance of which was clearly an indication of the crushing things to come.

Hangar 18 was next up which truly transported me back to my college years as it’s from my favourite 1990 album Rust In Peace. Hanger 18 has some of the best solos in history. Period. The live performance was awesome with the guitar dueling and solid drumming by Shawn Drover. Marty, we missed you but Chris Broderick did some commendable job.

This was followed by Trust and She-Wolf from the 1997 Cryptic Writings album. Then we were back in 1990 when two songs - Dawn Patrol and Poison Was the Cure from Rust In Peace were played.

When Mustaine asked the crowd if they could speak in French, there were no prizes for guessing what was coming up.  "à tout le monde, à tous mes amis, je vous aime, je dois partir" filled the park as everyone sang À Tout le Monde.

Angry Again, a fan favourite was played with much gusto. Then we went into the TH1RT3EN mode with Whose Life (Is It Anyways?) and Public Enemy No. 1, which I had been patiently listening for almost a year when it was released in September 2011. I was truly and eagerly waiting for a live version. I wasn't disappointed. But I have to confess that the music video is too cool and I could just think of it.

Thereafter, another fan favourite, Symphony of Destruction, which drove the fans into a complete state of frenzy.The chant of MEGADETH…MEGADETH…in between the killer riffs of Symphony of Destruction is still buzzing in my head. The Mosh Pit was in full overdrive. The usual trait of head bangers making sure that everyone around them is their best friend was naturally ubiquitous.

  

After "Symphony" was over, the all-familiar bass riff to "Peace Sells" pierced through the park ambience and a surge of electric energy buzzed through the audience. Midway through the song, we were graced with the presence of the band's mascot, Vic Rattlehead. Surely not letting us down, Vic looked mega-suave and pointed at all of us. 

The band returned onstage for an encore to play Holy Wars medley with In My Darkest Hour, The Punishment Due was terrific. I sure wish they had played Tornado Of Souls.

So the legends performed a 14-song set to the delight of thousands of screaming metal fans, including yours truly.

I personally  would have liked at least fifteen more minutes of play. But then again, I would have liked even those fifteen minutes to go on for another fifty minutes.

Mr. Mustaine, you sure lived upto your promise. Megadeth saved the best for the last!

Garbage Live in Singapore 2012: The Day Garbage Smelt Sweet

So it all started on a lazy afternoon back in 1995 when a friend happened to pass on a Garbage CD to me. Being a bit apprehensive about the band's name, I borrowed the CD reposing my faith in the fact that Butch Vig was the band member. (Butch being the producer of the Nirvana album Nevermind). So I heard Garbage's eponymously titled debut record and Shirley Manson's vocals just made me sit up and take notice. And the album had such great tracks that I was  compelled to  follow this band's offerings for the next decade. In 2005 the band went on an indefinite hiatus.

After a long gap of seven years, when Garbage launched their fifth studio album Not Your Kind of People, a supporting tour was inevitable. After all, fans all over would be more than keen to see Garbage "reunite". Garbage had not played a live concert since 2005 (discounting the one-off concert in 2007) and for the Asia leg of this tour, they were playing in Singapore! Couldn't get more exciting than this.

The concert day...and it rained a bit in the afternoon. Was it some kind of sign that today was the day best suited to hear "Only Happy When It Rains" live?

Fort Canning Park as the venue, and the 3,000-strong crowd was mostly older but the decibel levels for audience reaction were still quite impressive.

As Butch Vig, Duke Erikson and Steve Marker descended upon the stage and cranked up the drums and guitars, Shirley Manson looked as ravishing as I had envisioned her to be. They launched into their first number with the grungy Supervixen. This was followed by power-packed performances of Paranoid, Shut Your Mouth and Metal Heart. And this where I realised, no they have not lost their touch, not even by an ounce. Not that I am complaining, but I kind of expected one of their greatest hits Stupid Girl to be played later on. But Garbage can afford to do this due to their impressive back catalogue. The applause after this track was as expected: Loud.

Shirley struck the right chord with the audience by confessing that the first time Garbage played here was in 1996 and that was the first time they felt like they were rock stars!

The trip hop Queer, the rocking Why Do You Love Me? and Control (from their newest album), which is vintage Garbage, kept the audience busy. Soon after, Shirley sang Madonna's Erotica chorus before progressing into the gloomy #1 Crush. Cherry Lips raised the tempo as the crowd chanted Go Baby Go.

The newer offerings were wisely interspersed with older material to keep the audience engaged. The songs from the new album were quite impressive. And as Shirley described this album to be seen as a "declaration of love" that brought the band back together.

Blood for Poppies, the lead single from the new album was played to a warm reception. I couldn't help but notice that the "oh oh oh" bit is somewhat redolent of  Laura Branigan's 80's hit song "Self Control". This was followed by the popular track Special from 1998's Version 2.0 and Big Bright World from the new album.

Milk, a dark and haunting classic was followed by the new track Battle In Me.  With its effective stop-start riffs, this new song evoked memories of Garbage's early works.

The critically acclaimed Push It and Only Happy When It Rains had the crowd going literally crazy.

The three song encore comprised synth-heavy uptempo Automatic Systematic Habit, the ballad Not Your Kind of People, both from the 2012 album and the superb Vow, which is the band's debut single, way back from '95.

Flame-haired Scottish siren Shirley Manson was a bundle of energy as she strutted, prowled and gyrated on the stage. Not to forget her remarkable vocals. The band delivered a top-notch performance of 20 songs, devoid of any gimmicks and retained the alt rocker aura.

This evening Garbage smelt sweet and how!

Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival...It's Mooncake time!

The Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhongqiu Jie) is a traditional Chinese festival that is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, around the time of the autumn equinox. Some of the other names for this festival include: Moon Festival, Mooncake Festival, Lantern Festival and Festival of Reunion. 

The Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on September 30 this year, is a time when farmers celebrate the end of the summer harvesting season, and when family members gather to appreciate the beauty of the autumn moon. Spectacular is the evening, when families eat mooncakes and sip on a pot of tea while gazing up at the moon, which is at its maximum brightness for the entire year. There are many stories that are associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival. The most popular is about the legend of Houyi and Chang'e, the Moon Goddess of Immortality. 

One of the most common traditions associated with Zhongqiu Jie involves making and eating mooncakes: sweet round cakes. This festive food used to be only consumed during Mid-Autumn Festival which made the event known as Mooncake Festival.

Mooncakes used to be only consumed during this time of the year until the festival became a month long event. Traditional baked mooncakes are filled with lotus paste and egg yolk in the middle which signifies the moon and either served round or square.

Over the years, Traditional mooncakes have slowly evolved from an age-old Chinese delicacy to something as stimulating as ice cream cake. Ice cream moon cakes are a creative and contemporary version of the traditional moon cake. The emergence and popularity of ice cream moon cakes is a result of the union of the traditional and the contemporary. 

Ice cream mooncakes thrill both traditionalists and those looking to try something new and unique.

Iconic ice cream maker, Häagen-Dazs has unveiled a splendid selection of 4 different flavours - White Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate and Strawberry Chocolate. All 4 flavours have a crispy praline base and a Mango Sorbet ‘yolk’ in the centre to symbolise the full moon.

Furthermore, this year Swensen's launched their popular ice cream mooncakes in 6 flavours - Durian Royale, Yummy Yam, Strawberry Fields Forever, Mocha Almond Delight, Cookies 'N' Cream Dreams and Sticky Chewy Chocolate.

So get into the spirit of the Mid–Autumn Festival, by not just enjoying traditional mooncakes but also ice cream mooncakes!

Looking for a perfect getaway for short holidays…explore Brunei!

  Brunei, with its luxuriant and pristine rain-forests and richness in flora and fauna is a paradise for nature lovers as well as for ecotourism.

So where exactly is Brunei located? 

Brunei is located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia. Apart from its coastline with the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the state of Sarawak, Malaysia.

Blessed with some of the largest oil fields in Southeast Asia, Brunei is the only sovereign country on the island of Borneo. Borneo has long been a top diving destination, attracting divers, naturalists and photographers with its stunning coral reefs and spellbinding aquatic life, beautiful beaches and warm, tropical climate. 

The Brunei Bay wrecks are regarded as the most interesting and accessible wreck dives in the region. Their close proximity to city accommodation and air links as well as convenient boat access, makes taking in a few dives convenient and quick when visiting Brunei.

Brunei is an alluring and exciting escape for any traveller, who can enjoy off the beaten track activities. Also one can get immersed in Brunei’s history, living cultures, extremely rich biodiversity and stunning views.

The best way to get there?

Royal Brunei Airlines  currently operates two daily flights between Singapore and Brunei. 

One of the major highlights of Brunei is the Ulu Ulu Resort, which is nestled in the middle of the vast Ulu Temburong National Park Rainforest, on the banks of the Temburong river and Belalong river. The Empire Hotel & Country Club is a sprawling luxury integrated resort with unique architecture, amenities and 21-carat gold fittings. It has a signature golf course designed by legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus. Here one can find all the facilities expected of a six-star establishment – large bedrooms with breathtaking views of the ocean, a variety of restaurants serving an assortment of Asian and international cuisines, a vast private beach offering a wide choice of water sports, and gorgeous saltwater and freshwater pools.

From natural beauty, spectacular scenery and diversity to outdoor adventure sports and unique shopping experiences, Brunei has it all.

So go ahead…an adventure beckons you...explore this hidden jewel

View from the Canopy Walkway in Ulu-Ulu Temburong National Park.

Canopy Walk.

Speed Boat.

Canoe.

Ulu Ulu Resort.

Good action movie but a disappointing Bond movie (Originally written on 16 August 2007)

Being dissected a zillion times, I am sure you are no stranger to this topic. The eternal debate whether the latest Bond flick, Casino Royale is the best one in the series and whether Daniel Craig is the best Bond ever! It's been almost a year since the film was released and the topic has been done to death.

What triggered this write-up was me watching the movie for the second time on a DVD at home a few days back and I had to purge this demon once and for all. The movie when viewed for the second time, unveiled a lot of important details which I conveniently ignored during my first viewing in a theater in November 2006. Blame it on the excellent hype created and the whole curtain of curiosity woven around Daniel Craig. Not that I came out of the theater with a great deal of satisfaction back then, but the second viewing really threw some light on the whole subject.

Getting back to my second viewing and the observations I made…. Firstly, since the movie opens with the back to basics formula showing how James Bond gets his license to kill (obtains his 007 status) one realizes that the cold war era aspect- an essential part of the earlier Bond movies- has become expendable …quite strange…but then the producers had to start off somewhere….fair enough. Secondly, there is no spectacular opening sequence as is the trademark of all the earlier Bond movies. Disappointed with this, I consoled myself by thinking maybe this is the new style. But if they wanted to change the stylization of the movie opening, they might as well have started the movie with the credits and the soundtrack. Why get into the "classic" opening action sequence in the first place which was so lame.

As the movie continues, there were breathtaking (the chase scene in Madagascar which ends up at the Nambutu embassy) and decent amount of over the top action sequences which followed and I wasn't complaining, but then as I was mid-way, I started missing certain crucial components that form the crux of an enjoyable Bond movie...no Bombshells...there is one called Solange (Caterina Murino) who gets killed just when the temperature was about to rise...what a shame. The main heroine Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) is probably the most boring of all the Bond babes...no oomph... no sex appeal...yes she does look pretty but Bond movies aren't supposed to have PYTs...what a shame (again). No gadgets...the villain doesn't come across threatening at all... …maybe the producers wanted that factor to be toned down a bit but it was one of the many things which were muffled (what a shame…again and again and again).

Surprisingly, also the main Casino scene (remember its "CASINO" Royale) was quite drab and clearly looked like it was set up in a studio. No doubt there were some interesting moments but the movie really drags towards the end which is really frustrating.

And finally, Craig Daniel. I had seen the gangster flick Layer Cake in 2004...the movie was slick and Craig was excellent in it...there is no doubt that he is a very fine actor, but being a fine actor doesn't make a fine Bond. Again, one would comfort himself by saying it was about time a new look was introduced to the franchise and the actor in question Craig was definitely an odd candidate when announced but a dicey bet. All in all, I really felt that he did a decent job as James Bond but sadly somewhere has failed as he just can't encompass what Sean Connery had...being rugged, sophisticated, charming, suave and of course witty…all in one. There are many times when he looks charming and most definitely rugged all the time but he just doesn't make it as a great Bond...he does look like a mean killing machine but that's all there is!

Craig Daniel makes a decent Bond but he is certainly not the best Bond.

Agreed that the Bond movies had become quite jaded and hence the producers went against the grain…experimented and have given a much needed shot in the arm to the series…which is the good news…but the bad news is by doing so they have clearly lost direction. Casino Royale is way too buttered up and has very little Bond spirit. There are certain elements you just can't choose to ignore ...you can infuse modifications but not let go of the essential Bond ingredient: Fantasy! Because at the end of the day, the Character is Bond…James Bond not Jason Bourne!

Casino Royale is a good action movie but a disappointing Bond movie.