I wasn’t really into French music, so I was quite apprehensive when I had to cover a performance by a female singer from France, as part of the Mosaic Festival in Singapore.

Well, I was certainly in for a huge aural treat that night.

On 21 Mar, as the lights dimmed, Melaine Pain walked out onto a small stage set up for her at the Recital Studios in the Esplanade.

The French singer introduced herself in French before she started spinning a record on her tiny turntable. Accompanied by the background vocals of her pianist, she performed her first song of the night, Little Cowboy.

Pain made use of old records, a tambourine and a synthesiser to produce several raw and intimate tunes to entertain the audience. She covered God Save the Queen by the Sex Pistols and also got the audience to participate by stomping their feet to the rhythm of her music, My Name.

Pain effortlessly charmed the 200-strong audience with her alluring and breathy vocals, switching between French and English songs. Despite the minor glitches that happened, the whole performance was a pleasure to watch. There was a certain child-like innocence about Pain that draws the audience towards her.

The entire show was an intoxicating mix of the whimsical and reminiscence of an afternoon spent in Parisian cafes. However, the performance was only an hour long, instead of two.

As she ended with If You Knew, a jolly English song with piano accompaniment, Pain thanked the audience. “Merci Beaucoup,” she said as she took a bow with her band. She left the stage as the crowd rose to a standing ovation.

Merci Beaucoup, Melanie Pain, merci beaucoup indeed.

Set List:
Little Cowboy
Ignore Moi
Bruises
Adieu Mon Amour
La Cigarette
God Save The Queen
Peut-Etre Pas
My Name
Everything I Know
Sans L’Ombre De Toi
Celle De Mes 20 Ans
A Quai
One Silver Dollar
Je Ne T’Oublierai Pas
If You Knew

Pictures
Images courtesy of the Esplanade Co Ltd.