Marina Bay Countdown. New Year's Eve. The day when old
acquaintances be forgot and never brought to mind. I was there to
cover the event, but I arrived late to get a good spot for the
fireworks. Never mind then, I proceeded to the stage, disappointed
but still eager. At 1900hrs the first band came on, and I was on
right in front. Wow.
They blew the crowd away, and large groups of people began to
gather around the stage. The music was brilliant, with renditions
of alternative rock like U2's Vertigo. The lead singer (below)
couldn't believe the atmosphere.
Then, the band's secondary singer and guitarist (below) delivered,
with heart-wrenching emotion, Soul Patrol's Chasing Cars. That was
a beautiful piece of music, I couldn't help but sing along.
The band ended their performance with Bryan Adam's Summer of 69,
driving the middle-aged audience wild. The lead singer didn't have
Bryan Adam's raspy voice, but his exuberance was exciting to
watch.
The band left, and the audience was told that the next group would
come at 2030hrs. At the meantime, Daphne Khoo from Singapore Idol
and Juz B from Project Superband gave their performances at another
stage, which I couldn't get to. I used this time to attempt to find
some spots for the fireworks later, but it was too packed. I rushed
back to the stage, just in time to catch the next performance by a
new group. I didn't recognize the music; all were rock music.
It was the shaggy old guitarist's (below) turn to deliver a
romantic song, which I couldn't identify. Blues or Country, I
couldn't tell. But it was spectacular to hear.
The group's performance ended on a high note, when I began to feel
a slight drizzle. I continued my coverage.
Then, it rained. I managed to catch the last performers before I
feared for my equipment. By then the crowd was impossible to break
through, and they were crazy with excitement and ecstasy.
As I left, I couldn't help noticing that I had no photos of
fireworks so far. But I didn't regret it at all, because I knew
that I have captured the sights of the sounds on New Year's Eve,
and what a day it's been.
