Tammy Lui
After 40 years in the music business, multi-Grammy-Award-winning Nile Rodgers may be best known as a disco icon, but the influential American producer-guitarist is very relevant to much younger listeners, having performed with and or produced for the likes of Adam Lambert, Daft Punk (‘Get Lucky’) and Lady Gaga.
CHIC feat Nile Rodgers is coming back to Singapore to headline the first of 2 nights of the inaugural Neon Lights festival on Nov 28 and 29. Irish multi-platinum-selling singer-songwriter Damien Rice is doing the honors on the second night. His last performance in Singapore was nearly 10 years ago in 2006.
The 2 acts are among the 39 music performances handpicked from over 15 countries, across 5 continents, forming the lineup for the festival, which is billed as the first major music and arts destination festival of its kind. What will get music fans excited is that many acts, including Ride, Songhoy Blues, SOAK, The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Broods, and Kid Koala, will be making their first appearances in Singapore when they play at Fort Canning Park.
Event organizers, known for recent events like Irish music and arts festival Electric Picnic and this month’s Harvest- A Civilised Gathering in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, promise a stellar multi-sensory experience for audiences of all ages and interests.
Other than musical performances, audiences can look forward to dance, visual art & design, theatre displays, spoken word acts (leading up to the Singapore National Poetry Slam Championship) and even comedy acts.
Still, organizer Jennifer Jennings tells UrbanWire, at the end of the day, Neon Lights is still primarily a music festival for people passionate about great music from all decades and genres. With the action spread across 6 stages– ‘Neon Lights Stage’, ‘Neon Gardens Stage’, ‘Club Minky’, ‘Cloud Factory’, ‘Lit Up @ Neon Lights’ and ‘Easy Street’, audiences will find a veritable buffet of music, from soulful reggae, electronic pop to classic folk, in addition to children’s activities, poetry reading and even drag comedy from all corners of the park.
Along with the band CHIC, a 9-time nominee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which has shaped the sounds of many accomplished ‘80s bands like Duran Duran, and The Smiths, another act we will be looking out for is “shoegazing” English alt rock band Ride, which is celebrating their 25th anniversary this year.
Apart from the nearly 40 music acts and other art forms, we’re promised good food and fun activities for the rest of the family as well, making it a well-rounded event for any diverse group looking for something for everyone.
Neon Lights will run from 1pm till late on both days. Tickets for the festival are still available. Youth sale prices start at $90 for a day pass and $150 for a 2-day pass. You can get your passes at www.neonlights.sg/tickets.