Geraldine Lim
(All images courtesy of Running Into The Sun)
“Annyong haseyo, selamat malam, hello” were the exact greetings by Corinne Drewery, vocalist of British band, Swing Out Sister, along with keyboardist, Andy Connell. Better known for their Grammy nominated hit “Breakout” back in the 80’s, the dynamic duo finally made it to the shores of our sunny island with their long awaited, one-night only exclusive, The Breakout Concert.
Riding on the waves of beach parties and concerts like ZoukOut that took place earlier this month, Swing Out Sister performed by the beach at East Coast Beachfront area, 1-Twenty-Six, instead of being limited to the usual concert spots like Fort Canning Park or Singapore Indoor Stadium. With the sound of the waves crashing against the shore and sea breeze brushing across your cheeks, this alfresco bring-your-own mats concert venue definitely set the right atmosphere for the cinematic jazz pop duo.
However, while good love was on its way, local musicians Jack and Rai opened the show for Swing Out Sister and got the ball rolling.
After the release of their most recent album, Beautiful Mess, last year, Swing Out Sister has been busy touring Asia. Swinging by Singapore for the first time since the British group formed in 1985, the SOS calls from avid fans were finally answered. “What took us so long? I don’t know,” said Corinne, but the singer definitely had a good first impression as she was greeted by screaming fans.
The songs performed included “Surrender”, “Who’s Been Sleeping” and also from their latest album, “Butterfly”. It wouldn’t be The Breakout Concert without their hit song “Breakout”, and without any doubt, the song brought a moment of nostalgia along with it while many sang along.
The evening was smooth sailing until the concert had met with a few technical glitches. The all-time concert nightmare would be a faulty sound system or a short circuit, and unfortunately both happened. Halfway through their fourth number, the lights went off and the sounds failed, leaving the fans stumped.
In spite of the failed technicalities, the show went on as planned as the undying and persistent vocalist continued with her song. It was a moment of teamwork where the audience sang and clapped along while the singer and her back-up musicians pumped it up and tried their best to maximise their volume.
The lights and sounds failed but the band didn’t fail their fans. A cool-headed Corinne assures them, “We’re okay, don’t worry. We have fans like you here. We’re fine.” The high-spirited lady came across as someone carefree with her soulful dance moves until the end of the concert despite all that was happening that night.
In an attempt to save the situation by injecting humour, Irene Ang, CEO of Fly Entertainment, further assures the crowd exclaiming, “This blackout was planned so that the ugly people will not be seen. And for those who want to propose, do it now.”
The short circuit seemed to be a blessing in disguise as not only did it create an intimate atmosphere at the beach, it also gave rise to a balmy evening that will be etched in the hearts of the fans, as this will definitely be a once in a lifetime experience with Swing Out Sister.