Music comes aLive!

by Nicole Ho

The fountain stage at Clarke Quay was packed with avid screaming K-Pop fans. PHOTO BY: Benjamin Ng Wei Jie

Music – everyone loves it, but no one really has the exact same music taste. Most people usually prefer sticking to their own music, but when it gets to the point where you’re sick of what you’re hearing on your playlist; it happens – let’s face it, how do you look for new music? Some people search through the endless ‘suggested songs’ list on YouTube while others put on a playlist from the web and see how it goes. But really how often do you find yourself skipping the song lists?

Music Matters Live has been around in Singapore for 5 years now where bands from all around the world take part, catering to everyone’s music likings and preferences over a period of 4 days. This year, bands from the Philippines, Nepal, Australia and even Russia – just to name a few gathered together where more recognised bands played on the main fountain stage at Clarke Quay while up and coming bands play at the bars.

Dominic Lau’s lively persona fit his role for the event to a tee, engaging the audience at just the right amount while at the same time hosting the event. It did not seem like a music festival at first – at 7pm, all the audience (or passers-by, at this point) could still see the logistics crew making sure all the equipment on stage works. As the programme progressed, the sky turned darker and colourful lights lighted the entire venue. More people strolled in to watch, all swaying their bodies with the music and head banging for the heavier sounding sets, whether they knew the bands or not.

The K-Pop fans would not be forgotten at this event. In fact, KPOP NIGHT OUT @ MML was meant just for the music lover! Held at every MML event since 2013, it is a segment which features bands from South Korea, each possessing their own very distinct sound. The crowd were fired up, with fans dancing and raving to the beat while the first band, Kingston Rudieska kicked the segment off. In the middle of their set, the power tripped, all electronics stopped working and the sound and lighting got cut off! However, the members of the band were able to overcome the adversity and used only their voices and instruments to hype up the otherwise awkward atmosphere, long enough for the crew to fix the issue. The crowd wasn’t fazed by the situation and kept on singing along. The other bands include Glen Check, Idiotape and all girl group Sonamoo.

As this was going on at the main fountain stage, there were acts going on concurrently at various bars along Clarke Quay. The crowd and atmosphere at these venues, despite having a smaller audience, were as happening as the main stage – fans of the artistes sang and jumped along to the music energetically and relentlessly.

Gentle Bones, a local singer-songwriter, was one highlight of this year’s event. He has come a long way, from playing at Shuffle and Paulaner at last year’s Music Matters, to acquiring the main stage this year. For his set, the entire space in front of the stage was packed with screaming fans, guys and girls alike. They were energetically screaming his name and “I Love Yous” were being shouted. After his set, the crowd scrambled to where he was, fighting for a position to be first in place to snag a picture with Joel Tan, the man behind the moniker.

The next time you’re looking for new music, be sure to look out for the next Music Matters Live event and have it marked down in your calendar (and get your friends to do that too). It is a fun way to explore music you would never thought you could like in a comfortable and familiar environment, and did we mention that the event is free, too? For more information about the event, log on to http://musicmatterslive.com/