Sherlynn Ong
“This is not the typical classical concert. You can do anything you want. You can dance on stage, you can flirt with Stjepan,” said Luka Sulic, one half of 2Cellos.
2Cellos, as the name suggests, consists of 2 cello players – Croatians Stjepan Hauser and Luka Sulic, who rose to fame after their YouTube cover of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” went viral. Drummer Dusan Kranjc joined them in 2011 after they were signed to Sony Masterworks, releasing 2 albums so far, 2Cellos and In2ition.
And judging from the banter onstage, it was indeed not a typical stuffy classic concert with serious classical musicians. The candid and familiar vibe was probably due tothe group being in Singapore previously, having opened for Elton John back in November 2011.
“Next time, he’ll be opening for us,” Sulic cheekily remarked.
The virtuoso cello duo 2Cellos proceeded to wow a 3,500-strong audience at the Star Vista and rocked the stage with a classical rock n roll set.
The show opened with “Benedictus”, a gentle and softnumber, before transiting smoothly to U2’s “Where The Streets Have No Name”, complemented with a heavy bass.
The charismatic duo soon got the audience clapping along as they delivered their lively rendition of Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida”, and even dedicated Sting’s “Shape Of My Heart” and Muse’s “Resistance” to the ladies in the house.
The once classical electric cellos now sounded more like electric guitars and basses as the night went on. Together with drummer Kranjc on stage, the trio delighted Michael Jackson fans with “Human Nature” and “Smooth Criminal”.
The rock concert experience went up a notch with a 80s revival complete with dramatic flashing lights and hit songs from popular bands like AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, and The Rolling Stones.
It was a night for showmanship as well. Hauser got on his feet and delivered excellent crisp solos (a feat considering the cello is usually played while sitting down). In his enthusiasm, he even held the bow in his mouth and hit his cello to give a rhythmic beat for his performance.
Sulic was equal to the task with a few short solos while standing up, and was met with applause and screams of encore from the hyper audience.
The lovefest continued with the trio back on stage performing The Rolling Stones’“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”, AC/DC’s “Back in Black”, and for a second encore, Sting’s “Fields of Gold”.
“We’ll have to play a slow song. We’re tired and it’s time for bed,” Sulic said in jest.
2Cellos brilliantly redefined the classical music experience – it is not for a niche audience, but rather can be enjoyed by the masses in a masterful crossover with well-known songs.
Also, a cover of AC/DC’s You Shook Me All Night Long? Oh, they did shake me all night long.
Photos courtesy of Alvin Ho/LAMC Productions
Setlist:
- “Benedictus”
- “Where The Streets Have No Name”
- “Viva La Vida”
- “Shape of My Heart”
- “Resistance”
- “The Book of Love”
- “With or Without You”
- “Human Nature”
- “Smooth Criminal”
- “Welcome to the Jungle”
- “Thunderstruck”
- “Voodoo People”
- “Technical Difficulties”
- “Purple Haze”
- “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
- “You Shook Me All Night Long”
- “Highway to Hell”
- “Satisfaction”
- “Back In Black”
- Fields of Gold