The collection began with an array of overtly dark and boxy pieces with a rebellious edge, cementing Chalayan’s claim to fame as the man who can turn chaos into wearable fashion.

We (and the crowd) loved this oddly-structured but beautiful jacket with raw denim jeans, upturned at the ends just for that extra fashion statement.

Keeping in line with the simple theme of jackets and jeans, this look featured an interesting idea to weave in, literally, a scarf and coat folds into the structure of the jacket itself and paired it with denim skinny jeans.

The theme began to see a shift at this point with this model wearing a black knit with “peeling wallpaper” pants, with each piece painstakingly laser-cut out of silk and put together to create the effect. The attention to detail is apparent as the little red detailing on the jacket is paired with the exact same shade of eye-popping booties.

The “peeling wallpaper” got to take centre-stage in this outfit once again. What looked like chaotic art from a distance turned into breath-taking detailing as the model got closer and just in case you thought Chalayan was getting too precise and structured, a glimpse was caught of the side of the dress that was done up in a totally contrasting multi-coloured fabric of smooth texture.

Chalayan continued to play with the chaotic mixture of colours and patterns but paired them with a strong, structured fabric to get that well-finished final look. The pieces of fabric were masterfully put together with each and every seam in perfect place to create the final palette of colours that would frame the model.

A highlight of the collection was this simple and elegant piece, but like the preceding pieces, was underscored with an acute attention to detailing and seam lines to turn a simple fabric into a textured and layered garment.

The Audi Fashion Festival officially ended with the man of the hour himself stepping out onto the runway to take a bow for his artfully-crafted collection and the crowd responded with a well-deserved round of applause for Hussein Chalayan.

Tricks & Cider (“T&C”) is a local band which comprises of 3 girls and a guy who have gone off the beaten path to pursue their love for music.

On lead vocals and guitar is Victoria Ho who used to write for the Business Times, Karen Lee who used to work for P&G and DDB does back-up vocals, the keyboard and violin , Dawn Ho on bass guitar used to work at a big law firm but has since gone in-house; and finally, David Liu on drums is also an award-winning film maker.

The band embodies a ‘melodic, scrumpy pop’ appeal and is a result of the Tricks & Cider’s varied musical background from hip-hop DJing to broadway sensibilities. Their debut EP “Girl From Outer Space” is a rock anthem, with down-tempo acoustic grooves that will leave you hooked. Armed with passion and a thirst for musical nirvana, Tricks & Cider aims to push their boundaries and continue their musical journey through an exploration of various genres and influences such as classical music, funk and jazz.

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Left to right: Dawn Ho, Victoria Ho, Karen Lee, David Liu.

Popspoken: What inspires your music?

T&C: Encounters, personal interests and life experiences. For example: Post Recording Dreams (written by Karen) is about a collection of dreams, both uplifting and sobering. She had a dream about recording in a studio, and decided to explore the meaning of her dreams, people’s inspirations and what they do with it. House By A Hill (written by Victoria) is a love song about getting out of one’s isolation because you’ve discovered a reason to come out of your shell, and about pushing one’s horizons to explore more outside of your comfort zone.

Popspoken: How was the band formed?

T&C: We formed in 2011 when Victoria and Karen were looking for a bassist and drummer. They had been writing songs together for the past four years, and had a casual band set up with some other friends. They were also in a cover band playing the blues, but they wanted to find people to play and create original material with. It all came together with a suddenly tight deadline because they entered one of their songs into the Yamaha Asian Beat competition in 2011, and they got selected for the finals. So Dawn and Dave were roped in, and what started as a competition entry became something more special.

Popspoken: What is the future direction of your music?

T&C: We aim to keep pushing good melodies and solid tunes while exploring and incorporating different musical genres and influences. For example, Karen’s into R&B and classical music, while Dawn is a funk and jazz enthusiast. We want to keep growing as musicians and work our developments into our songwriting.

Popspoken: Which is your favorite track of your EP and why?

T&C: Girl From Outer Space, because it was our first polished original and was truly a combined effort. It was also the song that brought us together in the first place!

Viva la revolución

Mercedes Gonzalez, industry strategist and founder of Global Purchasing Companies put it plainly: “We’re an industry in crisis and we need a revolution”. The sales-driven universe that the industry exists in at the moment assumes that the consumer is a computer programme that will respond to pre-determined commands and this bubble needs to burst.

Existing brands and future fashion entrepreneurs will need to turn the current modus operandi upside-down by putting the consumer at the centre. Advertising will need to become only a support and not an altar upon which to place a product. It is necessary to understand the new-age consumer who is concerned about quality, ethical production, prices and an emotional connection with the product. This consumer’s attention is captured by design and innovation, not identical and generic pieces. She or he wants their personal voice heard, not suppressed in a sea of generality. This awareness of the consumer persona is at the heart of the retail revolution.

Ruth Marshall-Johnson, Head of Consultancy at WGSN speaks on the ‘millenials’, consumers who are 30 years old and younger, The ‘Millenials’ have new rituals and look for holistic engagement with brands and employers – the personal touch and connections

An A-list idea is worthless without an equally A-list team and strategy.

So you’ve got the whole innovation thing down and you’re teeming with ideas but without a good team whose mantra is “I’ve got your back” and a clear strategy, your ideas will not make it off of the sketch pad and Ann Kositchotitana, founder of the Front Row Group, having spent years in the fashion industry speaks of this from her own experience. The 5 people that your team cannot live without: a marketing guru, a top-notch merchandizer, a savvy commercial director, a dedicated product designer and an architect with a vision. Then comes the strategy that your brand cannot live without: knowing your product demand, knowing not to underestimate your customers and knowing not to overestimate yourself.

Don’t be anti-social (at least, not on the web).

Social media is takin’ over the fashion industry and any legitimate fashion brand without a Facebook, Twitter or Instagram account will want to hide its face in shame in this atmosphere. Of course this means that any human being with access to the internet can post their material online. The only way that a brand can succeed is if there is an active effort to stand out.

Social media is all about the personal voice that the modern consumer. We had the opportunity to speak to Daniel Saynt, CEO of Socialyte and his advice is that the key to getting the consumer to take notice of your brand on social media is a campaign with a personal connection – pushing a brand name but with a real persona or face behind it (take a page from the DKNY PR girl campaign here). This does not mean that traditional marketing is going to get thrown out the window. Daniel Saynt emphasizes that social media marketing runs upon some of the same principles that traditional marketing does so a foundation in traditional marketing is a must. He also assures us that there is no need for brands to worry that the social media channel is a fad that’ll go past its heyday soon. Social media has given the individual power and influence in marketing campaigns and there is just no way that a person in their right mind will give that up.

Brain-storming is so last season. Dream-storming is the new black.

Brain-storming kills design and so does the stifling corporate environment. Product designers excel in an environment that makes them feel at home at work. (Everyone’s probably going duh at this point but really, despite knowing this fact well, few are putting it into practice.) Brand leaders need to encourage their designers to dream, not think. The fashion industry is probably one of the lucky few where losing touch with reality pays (I mean, come on, if Karl Lagerfeld put on a fashion show on the Great Wall of China and Pierre Cardin put his models on camels, there’s really no need to even keep reality in question when it comes to fashion).

“The product is what matters the most. Even the stories can be very layered, what matters is you get an interesting object or garment.” – Hussein Chalayan speaking to Colin McDowell

It’s not the clothes. It’s the experience.

This is probably where the architect-with-a-vision buddy comes in real handy. Studies presented at the Summit taught us an important thing on consumer behaviour: a positive store experience makes people spend money (even if they sometimes came in with the intention not to). This experience is not to be confused with service, because there’s no excuse to consider good service as something optional. This experience is about the interior decor, the lighting, the arrangement and even the temperature. Just as much as you need to make your designers feel at home at work, you need to make your buyer feel at home in the store too.

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All images courtesy of Asia Fashion Exchange and Asia Fashion Summit.

They’ve done a lot the past year – they’ve released a self-titled debut 6-track EP with the help of local veteran in the theatre/composition scene Bang Wenfu, they went over to North America for the SXSW festival and toured the continent, they’ve recorded a track with renowned Grammy award-winning record producer Steve Lilywhite (think Dave Matthews Band, U2, The Killers, The Rolling Stones and more), and most notably, they’ve had to go through the Telepathy Game with us.

If you haven’t been exposed to Korean variety show Running Man and their hilarious Telepathy Game, we’ll do the finding out for you.

Personally, I’m not a fan of typical musician interviews. “What’s your source of inspiration?”, “What made you pick up music?”, “Who is your biggest influence?” are big yawn-yawns. For those of you who think the same way, you’ll be glad you came this way. In the video below, our first of Popspoken’s 5 Minutes With series, we’ll be asking The Sam Willows other sorts of questions, and making them show their true, uncool-but-still-cool, colours to everyone.

If you’re interested in catching these guys live (which you should, if you don’t want to miss out on good local music), you’re in luck. They’ll be playing for Music Matters on all three days of the festival, so you’ll surely be able to catch them!

The Sam Willows – Music Matters
22nd May, 11.50pm – Paulaner, Clarke Quay
23rd May, 11.30pm – Fern & Kiwi
24th May, 9pm – Fern & Kiwi

The Sam Willows official website is over here, and you can get updates about them over at their Facebook Page.

Gatsby‘s central theme revolves around a timeless and classic storyline of absurd wealth and riches and the downside of the American Dream. It transcends any generation and time. The film did no justice whatsoever to the beauty of the simplification of this great American novel. Milking it for a too-long 143 minutes, considering the original novel was under 200-pages, was at times, cringe-worthy.

Here are 5 reasons The Great Gatsby fell (kinda) flat:

1. Casting, Casting, Casting! Carey Mulligan was a HUGE disappointment. Following an illustrious list of Academy Award nominees, I was expecting Daisy to be her breakout role. But lo and behold! She seemed to be capable of only one expression – for happiness, sadness, anger, lust…the list goes on. Even Jeanette Aw has a wider range of emotions.
   

   Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan

2. Moving on…Tobey Maguire. Need. I. Say. More.
   

   Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway

3. The official Soundtrack. As a standalone, it could be good (read more here), but it does not encapsulate the 1920s-era sounds and vibe at all. What were they thinking by using all-too-famous modern day tunes like Crazy In Love and Back to Black?! If you are making a period movie, you damn well immerse the soundtrack with 20s influence! To hear Crazy In Love playing at 1920s party was just out of place.
4. The not-so-well-done CGI integration. The juxtaposition of  several moments in the movie between the set and the green screen was just too obvious. With the budget Gatsby had, I’m pretty sure they could afford to clean it up a little more.
5. The duration. Baz Luhrmann did an OK job with the film but since he decided to make it an almost 2.5hour drag, he would have needed a BAM! or WOW! moment. Sadly, there was none of such and the movie pretty much ended on the same plateau it started on. For someone responsible for iconic films like Moulin Rouge! and Romeo + Juliet, it was almost expected of him to translate the iconic novel into his trophy-piece alongside his acclaimed filmography.

Luckily, not all hope is lost. Leonardo DiCaprio single-handedly saved the show. He had a standout performance as Gatsby, and perhaps being alongside a less-than-stellar cast didn’t do him any harm. He fully embodied the part of a filthy rich millionaire with a dark secret to a tee.

Leonardo Dicaprio as Jay Gatsby

Another saving grace of Gatsby was the artistic direction. A brilliant job was done with the costumes and the portrayal of riches of the 1920s. With a personal love for the older decades, the dressing and New York City in the 1920s was magically brought back to the silver screen by Luhrmann. Any dreams of scoring an Oscar for Gatsby would probably come from these associated categories.

Catch the trailer for The Great Gatsby here

The Great Gatsby is showing in theaters now.

All images courtesy of Warner Brothers.

The past 4 days have seen fashion greats such as Ashley Isham x Kwanpen, Carolina Herrera, Collette Dinnigan, Tsumori Chisato, Gisellablu, Jun Okamoto taking the runway by storm. Homegrown talents like Ong Shumugam, Raoul, Zardoze, 20:TwoThree, Coupé-cousu, EvenOdd, KaeHana, Lion Earl, Mash-Up, RÊVASSEUR and WSDM  impressed the crowd with their collections.

It was unfortunate that the much anticipated appearance of Erin Heatherton (of Victoria Secrets’ fame) who was slated to walk the Raoul show had to be cancelled due to her sickness.

What we loved

Models in flats oozed unconventional sexiness as they strutted down confidently in Peter Pilotto’s eclectic prints. ‘Man Repeller‘ would have fallen head over heels with his collection which was tastefully executed.

Peter Pilotto

Pilotto’s collection placed an emphasis of the structural qualities; as seen from the strong shoulders and tapered pants.

Peter Pilotto

Bursts of colour in Tsumori Chisato’s collection were a sight to behold. Her use of bold colour-blocking well-complemented her use of quirky silhouettes and contours. Unwearable in sunny Singapore on a normal basis, but oh-so-chic.

Tsumori Chisato

Tsumori Chisato

The use of a turban was another feature of Tsumori’s look which lent an effortlessly elegant look to her models. Why should anyone have to fuss over hairstyling when a model’s luscious locks can be neatly wrapped up?

Tsumori Chisato

Simplicity is the way to go as seen from Desigual’s black and white number with a pink belt cinching the waist.

Desigual

What we disliked

Marketing gimmicks such as models making out on the runway. It is trite knowledge that sex sells but shouldn’t the focus be on the clothes instead? Sad to say, the lime green and gaudy red on the model failed to connect with us on any level.

Desigual’s show ended off with the models giving the guests a flower each. Which brings us to the conclusion that if a designer’s clothes can’t speak for themselves, they would have to elicit a response from the crowd by resorting to such gimmicks.

Not much good a party like this will be without some equally indulgent music

This was the soundtrack I envisioned when I first read The Great Gatsby way back. Jazzy, swinging, grandeur rimmed with golden despair.  The decision to have Jay-Z on board as producer reflects perfectly the tone of the movie-  wealthy hip hop musicians being the ultimate representation of this century’s decadent, shallow nouveau riche. Then there is Lana Del Rey (who did the single “Young and Beautiful”). Lana Lana Lana, where do I begin? The wealth, the looks, the vacuous overwhelming sadness and the plastic fame – she IS the movie/book. Other contributions from a stellar cast include Florence + The Machine, The XX, and Gotye, with Jack White doing a decently frenzied and emotive cover of U2‘s Love is Blindness. 

 The album encompasses the wide range of moods in the movie, updated for modern sensibilities, from the fever pitch and opulence of the parties (100$ Bills/ Bang Bang) to the creeping ennui and melancholy foreshadowing events (Young and Beautiful/Love is Blindness). It however does fall short in measuring up to Luhrmann’s highly stylised technicolor dreamscape, being somewhat tame when compared to the orchestral splendour of Moulin Rouge’s soundtrack.

picture credits : Yahoo Movies, Warner Bros. Pictures

Start squealing and fangirl(or boy)-ing because the smokin’ hot Fantastic Four celebrity, Jessica Alba will be hosting the Awards at Marina Bay Sands on 23 May with Entourage star, Jeremy Piven! Among these celebrities, there’ll be the Singapore Social Concerts on 24 and 25 May with performances from Aerosmith the legends of Rock, CeeLo Green the chubby guy who sang Forget You, PSY the chubby Korean guy who sang Gangnam Style and Carly Rae Jepsen. The star-studded lineup also entails one half of LMFAO, SkyBlu, Asian girl group Blush and Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Eric Benet.

Dubbed as the “Oscars of Social Media”, there has to be social media stars, no? YouTube sensations, Ryan Higa, Wrecking Crew, Marquese Scott and Tummy Talk, will be grace the Awards as well! Check out the shortlist of celebrities for the Social Star Awards below!

If you haven’t gotten tickets for the Social Star Concerts, do it while you still can! After all, the greatest stars on Earth only pops by Singapore as often as they aim to fail in life. Get our drift? Good. Now go get your tickets from Sistic!

Alternatively, you can try your luck and win one of three pairs of tickets here: http://on.fb.me/147WOUw - Contest ends 19 May 2359, so hurry!

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Venue: The Meadow, Gardens by the Bay

Date: Cee Lo Green, Psy, Blush & Carly Rae Jepsen (24 May 7pm), Aerosmith (25 May 8pm)
Prices: 24 May - S$150 / 4 x ticket bundle* – $540 ($135 per ticket) / Event Day – S$165
25 May - S$165 / 4 x ticket bundle* – $594 ($148.50 per ticket) / Event Day – S$180

*4 ticket bundle offer expires on 17 May

Full event details: http://www.starcount.com/concerts/line-up

Never fear! PSY the Flower Guy is here! Doesn’t this costume look so Oriental-flora-esque? All those holes in this shirt. That face paint mask. Hilariously silly or plain adorable, we can’t make our minds up. But he would’ve fit right into our National Day Parade with this one.

PSY sheds the pants and pulls a Single Ladies Beyonce, except Beyonce is class and PSY is, well, clown. And that’s what we love about him. It’s no surprise he has a penchant for bright colours. But leotards? We just can’t stop laughing.

Here comes the silver lining. Or a leotard lined with silver. Completely. Oh those sexy legs. It shines way brighter than that costume, it’s making us blind.

And in this picture, PSY does the Oreo.

So that’s what’s hiding beneath his suits and leotards and whatever ridiculous… Oh wait. His fake abs are making him so constipated, he looks as if he’s about to turn into the Hulk and destroy the roof.

At last, the great finale. SPARKS. LEOTARDS. AND PSY.

What’s PSY going to turn up with when he comes to Singapore on 24 May for the Social Star concert? A tutu? A GaGa meat dress? Or a birthday suit? The only way to find out is if you catch him at the show!

Good news! We are giving away THREE pairs of tickets the concert of your choice:
(1) Carly Rae Jepsen, Cee Lo Green, Psy, Blush (24 May, 7pm)
(2) Aerosmith (25 May, 8pm)

Venue: The Meadow, Gardens by the Bay

Simply check out our Facebook post for instructions to win: https://www.facebook.com/popspoken
Winners will be chosen at random and announced on 19 May, 11.59pm. Seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity now!

Image Credits: PSY/Facebook, Hallyu 2 Hawaii, Huffington Post

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Other acts coming down include AEROSMITH (25 May, 8pm), Carly Rae Jepsen, Cee Lo Green and Blush (24 May, 7pm)

Get your tickets from Sistic now!

Venue: The Meadow, Gardens by the Bay
Date: Cee Lo Green, Psy, Blush & Carly Rae Jepsen (24 May 7pm), Aerosmith (25 May 8pm)
Prices: 24 May - S$150 / 4 x ticket bundle* – $540 ($135 per ticket) / Event Day – S$165
25 May - S$165 / 4 x ticket bundle* – $594 ($148.50 per ticket) / Event Day – S$180

*4 ticket bundle offer expires on 17 May

Full event details: http://www.starcount.com/concerts/line-up

It’s the rock legend Aerosmith! They’re coming with a concert at the Social Star Awards in this itty-bitty country of ours on 25 May. And we’re so beyond stoked there are no words, none at all. It doesn’t matter if you’re an Aerosmith newbie, although under a rock is no place to call home, get ready for a brand new obsession. As for those hardcore hard rockers, get ready for the awesomest walk down memory lane. So whip out your Mullets. We’re going back to the ‘80s with 5 of our most favourite Aerosmith tracks.

1. Walk This Way feat. Run DMC

Not only is it the weirdest yet most amazing collaborations of all times, it’s also the funkiest Aerosmith track that has all the right rock elements with the perfect hiphop twist. And when Steven Tyler does his trademark screechy singing at the chorus, sweet son of sam, there is no way anyone can find fault in this song.

2. I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing

Come on, raise your hands and sing with us, “Don’t wanna close my eyes. I don’t wanna fall asleep cause I’d miss you babe. And I don’t wanna miss a thing.” Every single lyric of this song pierce through our souls and touches us on every possible level. You know what, we’ll just let the track speak for itself.

3. Dream On (Live version)

We know it isn’t exactly Aerosmith on stage. But Steven Tyler just kills it every time he gets it on with this song. Steven Tyler is like wine. He actually looks and sounds better as he age. The live versions of Dream On rock ten times harder than the studio recordings. J Lo’s the best proof for this one. She looks like she could fall off her seat anytime. And that signature scream-singing at the end. Two words. ‘Nuff said.

If you don’t want to miss a thing about Aerosmith in Singapore, walk this way to the Social Star concert on 25 May at 8pm and all your dreams will come true. Really. Don’t miss it!

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Other acts coming down include Carly Rae Jepsen, Psy, Cee Lo Green and Blush (24 May, 7pm)

Get your tickets from Sistic now!

Venue: The Meadow, Gardens by the Bay
Date: Cee Lo Green, Psy, Blush & Carly Rae Jepsen (24 May 7pm), Aerosmith (25 May 8pm)
Prices: 24 May - S$150 / 4 x ticket bundle* – $540 ($135 per ticket) / Event Day – S$165
25 May - S$165 / 4 x ticket bundle* – $594 ($148.50 per ticket) / Event Day – S$180

*4 ticket bundle offer expires on 17 May

Full event details: http://www.starcount.com/concerts/line-up

The Awards, fondly hailed as the “Oscars of Social Media” will be hosted by the stunning Jessica Alba. Seven Superfans have been given a chance to win an all expenses paid trip to Singapore to join the Superstars on the red carpet on 23 May, and at the Singapore Social Concerts on 24/25 May featuring performances from Aerosmith, Carly Rae Jepsen, PSY and others.

Even though Starcount has already identified the 7 Superfans, it is not too late for other fans to join the party. Download the Starcount App on Android or IOS and join the Fan Charts of your favourite stars, for the chance to win follows, mentions and google hangouts from your favourite Stars, and to show the world, and your idols, how big a fan you are. And so to prep you up before you blindly exclaim you’re his biggest fan, here are the top 5 things you may not know (but need to know to be his biggest fan) about CeeLo Green.

5. CeeLo Green is an orphan.

Death took his father away from him at the tender age of 2. And when he turned 18, his mother passed away after being paralyzed by a car accident for 2 years. The teenage orphan fell into a depression because of that. But what’s an artiste if he hasn’t got an inspirational tragedy-turned-victory life story to tell, no?

4. He sang in TLC’s Waterfalls.

Remember that ‘90s R&B girl group? How about their greatest Grammy-nominated single, Waterfalls? CeeLo sang backup vocals to this song and we’re not kidding. Coincidentally, his collaboration of My Life with hiphop group, Slaughterhouse, features the lyrics, “Now don’t you niggas go chasing waterfalls”. Oh how I wonder who wrote that riveting line.

3.  Forget You was written in a total of 2 hours!

It was a collaboration between CeeLo Green and the Grenade star, Bruno Mars, both signed under Elektra Records. Despite being internationally known as the ultimate breakup song, CeeLo wrote it to spite his record label because “he couldn’t please them”. Can you imagine him churning out a hit single in 120 minutes, the duration of an average movie? Now that’s talent, right there.

2. CeeLo has a pink bird.

This bird is a Moluccan cockatoo he named Lady. Isn’t it gloriously adorable? Too bad it couldn’t sit on CeeLo’s shoulder on The Voice anymore. Apparently this species of cockatoos are endangered and prone to self-mutilation, especially when they’re kept as pets. Animal rights activists from Born Free demanded that he removed the cockatoo before anything serious happens. It’s a pity though. Lady looked like she was enjoying the limelight.

1.  CeeLo’s white cat does not belong to him.

Such a shocker! Purrfect was the white and fluffy Persian feline’s name. They looked so “purrfect” together on The Voice, we thought they were made for each other, owner and pet. But no. It was all a big, fat, furry lie. In fact, the cat was rented from Benay’s Bird & Animal Rental. But being that lovable, Purrfect does not come cheap. With all that newfound stardom and a Facebook and Twitter page of her own, CeeLo’s lap cushion earns itself about $350 per day.

Image Credits: Techmediatainment, iGossip, Al Lindstrom

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Get your tickets from Sistic now!

Venue: The Meadow, Gardens by the Bay
Date: Cee Lo Green, Psy, Blush & Carly Rae Jepsen (24 May 7pm), Aerosmith (25 May 8pm)
Prices: 24 May - S$150 / 4 x ticket bundle* – $540 ($135 per ticket) / Event Day – S$165
25 May - S$165 / 4 x ticket bundle* – $594 ($148.50 per ticket) / Event Day – S$180

*4 ticket bundle offer expires on 17 May

For those who’re hearing their name for the first time, Tegan & Sara are Canadian twins who’ve been around the music scene for over a decade, starting off with acoustic singer-songwriter style songs and, more recently, moving on to a more electronic feel.

The concert started off with a stellar performance by an local electronic artiste who goes by the stage name weish, working with loops and a vocoder to single-handedly belt out full-sounding songs to a really supportive audience. It kind of felt like we were watching a really dark version of Imogen Heap at the time.

After a long wait, the crowd started going crazy the moment Tegan & Sara stepped onto stage with their band. They hyped things up immediately, playing songs off their new album Hearthrob like Drove Me Wild, I’m Not Your Hero, Goodbye, Goodbye and I Couldn’t Be Your Friend. I was more a fan of their earlier, more acoustic work, and was ecstatic when they changed their guitars to acoustic guitars and went into Back In Your Head and The Con, and then moving back and forth between their new stuff and their old.

As mentioned before, their banter was amazing. People were almost literally on the floor with laughter when they recalled how they encountered a taxi uncle who asked them where they were from, and when they said “we’re in a band” he began to Google them while driving. He even went to the extent of reading the contents of their Wikipedia page to them along the way!

In the midst of all the hilarity, I’d say that they definitely managed to keep the energy sky high throughout the entire concert. They got a little bit of pitchy at parts, but it’s always the raw performances that make watching them all the more amazing.

My favourite part of the whole show was definitely the encore set – it was a stripped down affair, with just the twins singing Call It Off, Nineteen and best of all, an entire medley of all their previous works. What better way to please the fans and their requests than an epic medley?

After the medley and before their very last song Feel It In My Bones, Sara seemed so touched by the energy of the crowd that she actually promised everyone that they’d be back for another show within a year. Check out the video posted below to see what they said, and also to check out the medley that was really well-put together!

I’ll definitely be seeing them when they next come back – will you?

“This partnership is an important step for our growth strategy in Singapore and is definitely a celebration that calls for a Carlsberg”, said Mr Bart Lim, General Manager, Carlsberg Singapore. “With our extensive portfolio of beer brands, it is only fitting that we expand our distribution network to better serve our consumers by bringing our portfolio of draught brews to them at their preferred locations.”

Plaque presentation by Mr Bart Lim to commemorate the Carlsberg and Harry’s partnership
(Left to right: Mr Philip Walters, Group CEO, Harry’s International, Mr Bart Lim, General Manager, Carlsberg Singapore)

Besides Carlsberg Green Label, the portfolio of beers that will now be available on tap include Kronenbourg 1664 Lager and Blanc, Connor’s Draught Stout, Tetley’s Smooth Flow, Grimbergen Blonde and for the first time in Singapore, the popular Somersby Apple Cider will also be available on draught.

The partnership between Carlsberg and Harry’s International is a significant milestone for Carlsberg bringing about several operational and strategic synergies.

Harry’s International, one of Singapore’s iconic lifestyle bars is renowned for providing comfortable live sports viewing experience with quality food and beverages. It currently operates 26 premium bars across the island, targeted at the PMEBs (professionals, managers, executives and businessmen).

Consumers will be able to enjoy Carlsberg’s portfolio of draughts in all Harry’s bars in Singapore from 25 April 2013 onwards.

While Korean food boasts strong and tangy flavours that might not be for the faint-hearted, those who have milder palettes will be pleased to know that the new Sarang Korean bistro caters to the local preferences without giving up the familiar Korean flavours that are associated with soul food. In the Gangnam District of Seoul, the dynamic and trendy youths have influenced the dining culture where streets are filled with al fresco contemporary bistros and cafes where crowds flock to see and be seen. As a reflection of its Korean roots, the newly rebranded Sarang is the first Korean bistro in Singapore nestled amidst the hustle and bustle of the metropolitan streets on the 7th floor of Orchard Central, overlooking the island’s cityscape.

Like contemporary architecture, its al fresco dining quarters is roomy and open with trees and wooden tables, benches and booths from Korea to give the impression of dining in the park. In the day, soft sunlight peeks in the al fresco area and after dusk, mild lighting housed in cage-like structures hang form trees and the booths to add to the ambience. If you’re afraid of the sweltering weather that we’ve been facing recently, fret no more. The ever thoughtful owners of Sarang installed huge fans like those you see in the MRT stations so that diners will be able to enjoy dining outdoors in comfort and ease. You could almost say that dining at Sarang is… a walk in the park (pun intended).

Sarang: Picnic setting in the day

Sarang: Chic al fresco bistro setting at night

Sarang is the first dining establishment to embrace the Korean Tapas concept. It is a step away from the smoky Korean BBQs toa launch a modern take on classic Korean cuisine and drinks by fusing both Korean and Western concepts together.

Tapas

Spoon Pizza – Share this with your friends with spoons, communal style!

The spoon pizza was a personal favourite of the night. The unique combination of oozy cheese and potato left a heavenly warm and moist feeling in the mouth. We would have preferred if the volcanic chicken topping was inside the dish as it seemed as though it was two separate dishes. We’re sure the volcanic chicken could’ve done with some cheesy potato lovin’.

Okonomiyaki Pajeon – Japanese inspired Korean pancake topped with fish flakes

Ginseng Chicken Terrine

Main Courses

Best beer grub: Nachos with Cheese

This isn’t the typical Nachos with Cheese you find in the cinemas. Besides the toppings you would find in a Mexican styled Nachos starter such as tomatoes and jalapenos, the Korean counterpart comes with tender marinated beef with generous heaps of cheese and mayonnaise. And yes, we washed it down very satisfyingly with the Korean beer.

Even the servers are in popular korean-style checked shirts!

Big Bang Bulgogi Burger

While we’re all for fusion food, this Korean-Western mash up known as the Big Bang Bulgogi Burger (try saying that 5 times quickly) was not particularly successful. Bulgogi beef is usually cut into tender, thin strips that are as well loved as thick patties from its Western counterpart. Thin strips however, do not satisfy in the burger-to-meat ratio and we found that too much bun left our mouths feeling pretty dry while the meat was all falling out. The beef on its own though, was lovely.

Sarang’s signature dish: Army Stew

Volcano Chicken

Meat Platter – Everyone loved the pork belly

Ending a very satisfying meal with the Korean dessert Hotteok

Besides that, Sarang also introduces Korean cocktails in its menu as opposed to the traditional alcoholic beverage staple of Soju (rice based, clear and colourless) and Makgeolli (pronounced Mak-ko-li; an alcoholic beverage from a mix of wheat and rice, usually a cloudy off-white colour) to compliment its Tapas and Mains. While you enjoy your drinks and food, Sarang also has a mega screen that may feature Korean shows or pictures of Korea to stir that wanderlust within you.

Sarang’s cocktails are infused with fruity flavours from Yuzu, Watermelon and Kiwi that’s so refreshing you wouldn’t think there’s alcohol inside!

Sarang’s the ideal gateway to Seoul, without having to leave the country at all. So why don’t you heed PSY’s advice and bring your “mother father gentleman” down to try today?

(Photo Credits: Sarang)

Sarang Korean Bistro

181 Orchard Road, #07-01 Orchard Central

Sun – Thu: 12:00 – 22:00

Fri – Sat: 12:00 – 23:00

The 3h-laughing fit inducing show in a nutshell is a brilliant, unadulterated, uncensored and witty display of pure comedy. Performing to a sold-out crowd at Klapsons The Boutique Hotel, Bryan O’Gorman, Jacques Barrett and Silky all had their unique style and I loved the entire “no-holds-bar” attitude that was omnipresent. Bryan was definitely a crowd favorite and my personal favorite as well. His charisma and ability to capture the audience right from the get-go is a recipe for success. Jacques’ “I’m just a bloke from Australia” vide immediately connected with the audience and he could only soar from there. Silky’s had quirky sense of humor which didn’t cue laughter from the audience on a couple of occasions but was still kick-ass.

Special mention should be given to a local stand-up comedian, Fakkah Fuzz, who served as the opening act for the night’s entertainment. One-third of the Sons of Singapore, the Malay jokester did not disappoint. Cheekily poking fun at local races and stereotypes, it was clear that he was not afraid to offend. Mocking racial stereotypes with punchlines like “In Singapore, if your house is broken into, it is very easy to tell which race is responsible.”, he struck a cord with local audiences right from the start of his short 10-minute set.

Well, Jonathan Atherton (former 91.3fm DJ) opened up the show and served as the emcee for the night. By how he opened he show, it set the tone for what was to come.

“I serve only as the Australian foreplay for the multiple orgasms that you are going to get tonight”

And this was how he introduced the last act

“The last act of the night Jacques Barrett. He is the last act because…well, here, it because he coming on last. Not because he is special.”

Living up to every inch of what was to come, the three international comedians held no regards for the taboos and laws of Singapore for that 3 hours. With frequent tongue-in-cheek and unabashed humor, they kept the crowd entertained thoroughly. Making jokes from race to homosexuality and things I probably shouldn’t speak of here, it was clear that the trio were experienced and not afraid to offend or make mistakes. A couple of moments a couple of jokes fell flat with the audience as the context was not right and with a flick of the switch, they managed to turn it around.

One of my pet peeves at stand-up comedies is people who take things too seriously. I mean it is a stand-up for a reason. If you can’t take the offending jokes and insults, may I gently ask you to leave the room. Heck, do us a favor and don’t even bother buying a ticket the next time round. (There was this annoying man seated behind me boo-ing incessantly).

Not to be undone by that annoying gentlemen, there wasn’t a short of people who put themselves in the firing line of the comedian sharp jokes and becoming the butt of the jokes. One of the comedians (Silky) even sang an impromptu song with lyrics about a man who attempted to crack a joke about him! All in good fun!

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The show runs through 12 May and you can get your tickets at http://www.thecomedyclub.asia/

Comedy Central Asia is now available on SingTel mio TV (Ch 324) and StarHub TV (Ch 516 & 563).

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