7 September 2009
Showing posts with label Concert. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Concert. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
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Thursday, September 3, 2009
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Rising Pixie
Published in Sunday People, New Sunday Times
30 August 2009
Rising Pixie
Fresh-faced Pixie Lott from Essex pooh-poohs comparisons to Lady Gaga and Duffy by showing she is a force to be reckoned with, discovers MAX KOH
BRITAIN has surely seen a flurry of rising female artistes — Amy Winehouse, Duffy, Estelle and Adele, to name a few in these past few years alone.
And now comes Pixie Lott, 18, who has been compared with the likes of trendsetter Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. But the rising star recently impressed the crowd at the MTV World Stage in Sunway Lagoon with her brand of soul-tinged pop.
“It is a real honour to be compared to the likes of Lady Gaga and Duffy. But I think I do offer something different,” says a slightly tired Pixie the day after her show.
“I suppose that because I am new, I am being compared to more established artistes in order to gauge who I really am,” she adds.
Her first single, Mama Do (Uh Oh, Uh Oh), has sky-rocketed to the top of the iTunes and UK Singles chart, and her debut album, Turn It Up, is due out on Sept 15.
So, who is Pixie Lott?
“That has been one of the hardest questions to answer. The best people to ask are my friends. I'm afraid I'll come across as cocky If I answer them myself,” she says with a laugh.
But Pixie then begins to throw out adjectives that she thinks will best describe herself, such as “ambitious, spontaneous, fun, and positive”.
“I am a person who will dare to do anything, especially when dared to.”
She recalls the times when she would sneak out of her house for parties without her parents’ knowledge.
Her nightly escapades were eventually found out when her mum saw pictures of her at parties posted by friends on Facebook.
“I made sure I was careful and didn’t take any pictures or anything like that. Can you believe that my mum has a Facebook account?”
Pixie was born Victoria Lott, and got her nickname because her mother thought she was a “tiny, cute baby”, like a fairy.
She started singing in church and went on to study at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. Pixie has appeared in the West End production Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and BBC One’s Celebrate The Sound Of Music as a student.
At 15, she turned up for an audition after reading the advertisment in The Stage. She found a manager.
After recording a few tracks, she then caught the attention of Grammy-winning producer and songwriter L.A. Reid who flew in to London to hear her sing.
“I was going to sing the song he liked on the CD but it wouldn’t work,” recalls Pixie.
“Instead, he asked me to sing the song I auditioned for my manager — Mariah’s Carey Hero.”
Pixie was then signed to Reid’s Island Def Jam Music Group, but after a change of managers and a bidding war, she signed to Mercury Records in Britain and Interscope Records in the US.
Pixie got to work with some of the finest songwriters and producers including American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi, RedOne (man responsible for Lady Gaga’s string of hits), Greg Kurstin (Lily’s Allen songwriting partner), and Toby Gad (who worked on Beyonce’s If I Were A Boy and Fergie’s Big Girls Don’t Cry).
Before Turn It Up is out, Pixie is already kicking up enough publicity with her YouTube channel where she showcases her vocal prowess on covers by Kings of Leon (Someone Like Me) and One Republic (Apologise).
Recently, she has also been hailed by Britain’s Sunday Times as one of the “best and most naturally gifted female singers this country has produced in years.”
“It amazes me each time I hear something like that. I count myself really blessed and fortunate to have things like that said about me,” says Pixie.
The concert here marks the end of her Asian promotional tour and she beams as she talks about home and her friends.
“Oh yes, I do miss my friends like crazy, and my bed, and my room. My friends have never stopped texting me but it’s really hard to keep track when you’re on the road,” says Pixie who skipped the after-party to spend time with her family and friends, including one who happens to be here in Malaysia.
But her eyes are still fixed on her prize. “I love doing this, as I want to inspire people as how my idols such as Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston have inspired others. My goal is to keep building myself up and make a long-lasting career.
“Just the other day, I was at a Take That concert where 80,000 fans came to see the show.
“I think that would be my goal for now.”
30 August 2009
Rising Pixie
Fresh-faced Pixie Lott from Essex pooh-poohs comparisons to Lady Gaga and Duffy by showing she is a force to be reckoned with, discovers MAX KOH
BRITAIN has surely seen a flurry of rising female artistes — Amy Winehouse, Duffy, Estelle and Adele, to name a few in these past few years alone.
And now comes Pixie Lott, 18, who has been compared with the likes of trendsetter Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. But the rising star recently impressed the crowd at the MTV World Stage in Sunway Lagoon with her brand of soul-tinged pop.
“It is a real honour to be compared to the likes of Lady Gaga and Duffy. But I think I do offer something different,” says a slightly tired Pixie the day after her show.
“I suppose that because I am new, I am being compared to more established artistes in order to gauge who I really am,” she adds.
Her first single, Mama Do (Uh Oh, Uh Oh), has sky-rocketed to the top of the iTunes and UK Singles chart, and her debut album, Turn It Up, is due out on Sept 15.
So, who is Pixie Lott?
“That has been one of the hardest questions to answer. The best people to ask are my friends. I'm afraid I'll come across as cocky If I answer them myself,” she says with a laugh.
But Pixie then begins to throw out adjectives that she thinks will best describe herself, such as “ambitious, spontaneous, fun, and positive”.
“I am a person who will dare to do anything, especially when dared to.”
She recalls the times when she would sneak out of her house for parties without her parents’ knowledge.
Her nightly escapades were eventually found out when her mum saw pictures of her at parties posted by friends on Facebook.
“I made sure I was careful and didn’t take any pictures or anything like that. Can you believe that my mum has a Facebook account?”
Pixie was born Victoria Lott, and got her nickname because her mother thought she was a “tiny, cute baby”, like a fairy.
She started singing in church and went on to study at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. Pixie has appeared in the West End production Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and BBC One’s Celebrate The Sound Of Music as a student.
At 15, she turned up for an audition after reading the advertisment in The Stage. She found a manager.
After recording a few tracks, she then caught the attention of Grammy-winning producer and songwriter L.A. Reid who flew in to London to hear her sing.
“I was going to sing the song he liked on the CD but it wouldn’t work,” recalls Pixie.
“Instead, he asked me to sing the song I auditioned for my manager — Mariah’s Carey Hero.”
Pixie was then signed to Reid’s Island Def Jam Music Group, but after a change of managers and a bidding war, she signed to Mercury Records in Britain and Interscope Records in the US.
Pixie got to work with some of the finest songwriters and producers including American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi, RedOne (man responsible for Lady Gaga’s string of hits), Greg Kurstin (Lily’s Allen songwriting partner), and Toby Gad (who worked on Beyonce’s If I Were A Boy and Fergie’s Big Girls Don’t Cry).
Before Turn It Up is out, Pixie is already kicking up enough publicity with her YouTube channel where she showcases her vocal prowess on covers by Kings of Leon (Someone Like Me) and One Republic (Apologise).
Recently, she has also been hailed by Britain’s Sunday Times as one of the “best and most naturally gifted female singers this country has produced in years.”
“It amazes me each time I hear something like that. I count myself really blessed and fortunate to have things like that said about me,” says Pixie.
The concert here marks the end of her Asian promotional tour and she beams as she talks about home and her friends.
“Oh yes, I do miss my friends like crazy, and my bed, and my room. My friends have never stopped texting me but it’s really hard to keep track when you’re on the road,” says Pixie who skipped the after-party to spend time with her family and friends, including one who happens to be here in Malaysia.
But her eyes are still fixed on her prize. “I love doing this, as I want to inspire people as how my idols such as Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston have inspired others. My goal is to keep building myself up and make a long-lasting career.
“Just the other day, I was at a Take That concert where 80,000 fans came to see the show.
“I think that would be my goal for now.”
Sunday, August 23, 2009
0
Feel the heat
Published in Sunday People, New Sunday Times
23 August 2009
Feeling the heat
MAX KOH
Kasabian wowing the pool-struck crowd
TORRENTIAL rain could not deter the sonic wave in Sunway Lagoon as thousands descended into the man-made pool for the MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia concert last Saturday.
Arriving as early as 3pm, fans were looking forward to watch their favorite acts — Kasabian, All-American Rejects, Boys Like Girls, Hoobastank, Pixie Lott, Ray Gun and Estranged — perform live.
About 15,000 occupied the man-made pool, which was drained for the first time to host the event.
“I couldn’t believe it when I came here and saw that we were going to play in a swimming pool but it is awesome,” said Hoobastank lead singer Doug Robb before the show.
The concert kicked off on time at 6.30pm as homegrown Estranged roused the crowd with a hard-hitting set of four songs including Slave With Us, Ketika Ini, Yang Pernah and its latest In No Time. The songs got the head-bangers going.
Disappointingly, the band did not play Itu Kamu, their seminal hit that garnered them an Anugerah Indusri Muzik award, probably because of the limited stage time given.
Massachusetts-based Boys Like Girls hit the stage next with a tantalising offering of its current single, Love Drunk.
It is obvious that girls like Boys Like Girls, as they screamed and sang along to their lyrics, especially the ballad Thunder and The Great Escape.
Girls loved Boys Like Girls.
By this time, the crowd was beginning to swell for upcoming British band Ray Gun who proved to be a pleasant surprise of the night. The band churned out four funky songs including its single, Just Because.
Fusing the funk-rock of the 70s with 80s dance-rock sensibilities, the band got the crowd dancing in no time.
The rose among the thorns, Briton Pixie Lott, certainly held her own against the boys as she effortlessly sang three songs, injecting a dance-pop vibe to an otherwise rock-saturated show.
The 18-year-old proved she’s more than just a copycat of Lady Gaga and native Duffy.
American band Hoobastank took to the stage next and rocked the crowd with My Turn, followed by the ballad, The Letter.
The Oklahoma band who recently released its fourth album For(n)ever, sprung the biggest surprise of the night when it played an impromptu version of Ray Parker Jr’s Ghostbusters.
Being a child of the 80s, I enjoyed that tasty offering to bits and was also happy that most of the audience knew the words to the song. I almost expected the Marshmallow Man to appear at the concert.
Hoobastank then ignited the biggest sing-along of the night with The Reason.
Hoobastank in action
In between sets, there were long pauses but the crowd was kept entertained with live Twitter updates that appeared on the screen.
That was rather clever on part of the organisers although the phone connection was horribly intermittent.
An amusing Twitter update included one that asked whether the Hoobastank’s lead singer is Chinese and no, he is not.
All-American Rejects was up next and performed its Billboard Top Ten hit, Dirty Little Secret, followed by I Wanna, Swing Swing (its first hit), The Wind Blows and Real World.
The band got the most cheers and crowd participation, probably because of the glitter dust-covered frontman Tyson Ritter, who pranced onstage with flamboyant style.
At one point, he climbed the stage’s scaffolding in true rock star form when performing Gives You Hell, as well as singing into two microphones for another song.
Most of the concert-goers began to leave the venue after that performance. Their loss as they missed a rock-solid set by headlining act Kasabian.
The rock-and-roll band proved by it’s extremely popular in Britain when it performed Club Foot, Fire, Vlad The Impaler and L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever).
The night ended with a big bang literally, as fireworks lit the sky and the fake volcano “erupted”.
You can catch the televised version of the concert on MTV Asia on Aug 28.
Minor gripes during the event include the long sound checks between acts, and the grossly overpriced food and drinks sold at the venue.
But it was a terrific concert.
23 August 2009
Feeling the heat
MAX KOH
Kasabian wowing the pool-struck crowd
TORRENTIAL rain could not deter the sonic wave in Sunway Lagoon as thousands descended into the man-made pool for the MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia concert last Saturday.
Arriving as early as 3pm, fans were looking forward to watch their favorite acts — Kasabian, All-American Rejects, Boys Like Girls, Hoobastank, Pixie Lott, Ray Gun and Estranged — perform live.
About 15,000 occupied the man-made pool, which was drained for the first time to host the event.
“I couldn’t believe it when I came here and saw that we were going to play in a swimming pool but it is awesome,” said Hoobastank lead singer Doug Robb before the show.
The concert kicked off on time at 6.30pm as homegrown Estranged roused the crowd with a hard-hitting set of four songs including Slave With Us, Ketika Ini, Yang Pernah and its latest In No Time. The songs got the head-bangers going.
Disappointingly, the band did not play Itu Kamu, their seminal hit that garnered them an Anugerah Indusri Muzik award, probably because of the limited stage time given.
Massachusetts-based Boys Like Girls hit the stage next with a tantalising offering of its current single, Love Drunk.
It is obvious that girls like Boys Like Girls, as they screamed and sang along to their lyrics, especially the ballad Thunder and The Great Escape.
Girls loved Boys Like Girls.
By this time, the crowd was beginning to swell for upcoming British band Ray Gun who proved to be a pleasant surprise of the night. The band churned out four funky songs including its single, Just Because.
Fusing the funk-rock of the 70s with 80s dance-rock sensibilities, the band got the crowd dancing in no time.
The rose among the thorns, Briton Pixie Lott, certainly held her own against the boys as she effortlessly sang three songs, injecting a dance-pop vibe to an otherwise rock-saturated show.
The 18-year-old proved she’s more than just a copycat of Lady Gaga and native Duffy.
American band Hoobastank took to the stage next and rocked the crowd with My Turn, followed by the ballad, The Letter.
The Oklahoma band who recently released its fourth album For(n)ever, sprung the biggest surprise of the night when it played an impromptu version of Ray Parker Jr’s Ghostbusters.
Being a child of the 80s, I enjoyed that tasty offering to bits and was also happy that most of the audience knew the words to the song. I almost expected the Marshmallow Man to appear at the concert.
Hoobastank then ignited the biggest sing-along of the night with The Reason.
Hoobastank in action
In between sets, there were long pauses but the crowd was kept entertained with live Twitter updates that appeared on the screen.
That was rather clever on part of the organisers although the phone connection was horribly intermittent.
An amusing Twitter update included one that asked whether the Hoobastank’s lead singer is Chinese and no, he is not.
All-American Rejects was up next and performed its Billboard Top Ten hit, Dirty Little Secret, followed by I Wanna, Swing Swing (its first hit), The Wind Blows and Real World.
The band got the most cheers and crowd participation, probably because of the glitter dust-covered frontman Tyson Ritter, who pranced onstage with flamboyant style.
At one point, he climbed the stage’s scaffolding in true rock star form when performing Gives You Hell, as well as singing into two microphones for another song.
Most of the concert-goers began to leave the venue after that performance. Their loss as they missed a rock-solid set by headlining act Kasabian.
The rock-and-roll band proved by it’s extremely popular in Britain when it performed Club Foot, Fire, Vlad The Impaler and L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever).
The night ended with a big bang literally, as fireworks lit the sky and the fake volcano “erupted”.
You can catch the televised version of the concert on MTV Asia on Aug 28.
Minor gripes during the event include the long sound checks between acts, and the grossly overpriced food and drinks sold at the venue.
But it was a terrific concert.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
0
Kingston Hits Town (gua.com.my)
by Max Koh
19 April 2007
Teenage sensation Sean Kingston, who was in town recently as part of his ‘Beautiful Girls World Tour’ to promote his self-titled debut album, had a showcase at Zouk KL.
The 18-year-old Jamaican American reggae singer and rapper got the crowd worked up as he sang some of his big hits “Beautiful Girls”, “Me Love” and “Take You There”. Unfortunately, as he only performed for half-an-hour, some came away feeling short-changed. He sang six songs and left the crowd wanting for more, if not cheated out of the RM80 that they paid to get into the club.
Nevertheless, American Chinese rapper Jin, who was featured in ‘2 Fast 2 Furious’, made the buck worth the bang as he impressed audiences with his adroit vocal acrobatics and sharp free styling. Word y’all. Now who says Chinese boys can’t rap? He was the night’s opening act.
Earlier that day, Kingston appeared at Menara Maxis for a meet and greet with fans. During the press conference, 40 lucky Maxis customers got to meet their young idol. In a short interview session with the press, Kingston said he was happy that people were showing him love and buying his albums. He also revealed that he is working on a new album.
“I am currently working with Timbaland on my new album. I also hope to work with people like Kanye West, Pharell, Flo Rida, Ne-Yo and Fergie,” said the Miami-based performer.
Recently, Kingston covered Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry” on The Today Show. The video which was subsequently posted on YouTube has to date received over 336,000 views.
What many people don’t know is that his grandfather used to produce songs for the legendary Marley. Therefore, he claims to be the real deal.
“I am glad to be part of the music and doing this,” said Kingston whose real name is Kisean Anderson. He changed his second name to ‘Kingston’, as it is the capital city of Jamaica and he thought his real name sounded lame.
Well, Anderson or Kingston, the boy sure knows how to get the crowd moving. With two crew members and a DJ, he hit the stage running with the song “Me Love”. He then performed some songs taken from his album such as “Kingston”, “I Can Feel It” and “There’s Nothing”. He got the most cheers, of course, when he performed “Beautiful Girls” before ending the short love affair with the slow and uplifting “Dry Your Eyes”.
Kingston performed the next day at Coco Banana, Sunway Pyramid.
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