Loyal fans brave rain for Matt Bianco concert<\/p>\n
By Dini S. Djalal<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): \"I love Matt Bianco,\" said 17 year-old Desi,
\n\"He's so cute.\"<\/p>\n
Thirty-year-old Tom standing next to Desi sighed hopelessly.
\n\"What a dumb teenybopper. The singer's name is Mark Reilly, not
\nMatt Bianco,\" Tom said as he wiped the pouring rain off his face.<\/p>\n
And so two worlds collided at the Matt Bianco concert last
\nThursday night. Hundreds of loyal fans, young and old, flocked to
\nthe Senayan Stadium's outdoor stage to see the 10-year-old
\nBritish band's first performance in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
For some, it was the chance of a lifetime.<\/p>\n
\"I've been a fan for 10 years, but I've never seen them in
\nconcert,\" said Tom, a visiting jazz musician from California.<\/p>\n
Did the concert live up to his expectations?<\/p>\n
\"The sound could be better, and they could have played more of
\nthe older songs. And the rain definitely did not help. Why have
\nan outdoor concert during the rainy season?\" he asked.<\/p>\n
The downpour, however, had little effect on the crowd's
\nbuoyant mood. A few perfectly-coiffed beauty queens complained of
\ntheir smudged make-up, but otherwise the audience was among the
\nmost lively Jakarta has ever seen - thanks to the band's rousing
\nperformance.<\/p>\n
Jazz-Swing<\/p>\n
When Matt Bianco debuted on the U.K.'s pop charts in 1985 with
\nthe catchy Get Out Your Lazy Bed, the British media was quick to
\npigeonhole the trio. The \"Jazz-swing\" fad had their 15 minutes of
\nfame, and so did the artists tagged under this category: Sade,
\nEverything but the Girl, Swing Out Sister, and Matt Bianco. Years
\nlater, these artists either maintained their popularity, evolved
\ninto another genre (most likely non-retro pop), or vanished into
\nwhere-are-they-now territory. In some circles, Matt Bianco was
\nregarded as a has-been, following the departure of their female
\nsinger Basia.<\/p>\n
In actuality, Matt Bianco did not disappear, they just
\nmodified their sound. \"Matt Bianco is a mixture of different
\nthings, and jazz is only one of the things that we like,\" lead
\nsinger Mark Reilly told The Jakarta Post. Keyboardist and co-
\nsongwriter Mark Fischer adds, \"We're more up-tempo now, but it's
\nnot a conscious decision.\"<\/p>\n
The more up-tempo sound, however, was less popular than their
\njazz-swing tunes. This did little to put the band off. \"We've
\nnever wanted to follow up a hit single with more of the same. Our
\nmain priority is not making hits, but enjoying ourselves,\"
\nFischer said.<\/p>\n
Aware of the fickle tastes of English audiences, Matt Bianco
\nalso found new audiences, touring Italy and Spain. It's there,
\nsoothed by the warm winds of the Mediterranean, that the tropical
\nflavors of Matt Bianco's music found a home.<\/p>\n
These tropical flavors explains their popularity in Indonesia.
\nWhen the band played their old hit More than I can bear, the
\nentire audience sang along every word. \"I've wanted to see them
\nlive for such a long time,\" said 28-year-old Irna, \"I can't
\nbelieve that they're finally here in Jakarta.\"<\/p>\n
For Matt Bianco, however, their popularity came as a surprise.
\n\"Matt Bianco is popular here? Sounds good to us. This concert was
\norganized by our promoter, so we really don't know how well we're
\ndoing,\" said Mark Reilly. They were still surprised after the
\nconcert. \"We didn't know what to expect but it was a really good
\ncrowd,\" said Mark Fischer. \"We didn't even know if we had sold
\nany records!\" he added.<\/p>\n
Up-tempo<\/p>\n
Record sales look set to soar. Most concerts in Indonesia are
\ncharacterized by a passive audience, but Matt Bianco was called
\nback for a double encore of Lost in You, their latest single of
\ntheir newest album Gran Via. The encore was well-deserved, as
\ntheir sunny and up-tempo melodies got even the most glum faces
\nsmiling and swaying. Hits like Good times, Don't Blame it on the
\nGirl, and Dancing on the Street were played with great aplomb,
\nand greeted with teeny-bopper screaming and loud applause. When
\nMark Reilly announced, \"We've come to our last song of the
\nnight,\" the crowd booed loudly.<\/p>\n
In fact, without the rain, it would have been a perfect summer
\nfiesta. Rich sounds, infectious beats, great band camaraderie,
\nand a beaming front man, made for ideal concert ingredients. Mark
\nReilly's voice is nothing to write home about, but he puts a lot
\nof attitude into his performance. When he joined the back-up
\nsingers in a sensual lambada dance during Lost in You, the crowd
\nwent wild.<\/p>\n
That Reilly did not dominate the stage proves that Matt Bianco
\nis an exceptionally tight band, not a one-man show. The show's
\nmost memorable moment came during an incredible drum solo with
\nthe two percussionists, Tony Mason and Mark Jones. Trumpeter Lou
\nYates and saxophonist Chris Mulberry also played brilliantly.
\nYates' trumpet can be both melancholic, like it did for More than
\nI can bear, or let rip like a calypso party.<\/p>\n
More discerning fans, however, expected more.<\/p>\n
\"I waited throughout the entire concert for that trumpet solo
\n(during More than I can bear),\" said Choki, also a trumpeter. \"I
\nwas so disappointed that they not only shortened the solo, but
\nchanged it completely!\" he said. Other fans complained about the
\nbad sound. \"Sometimes, for Indonesian concerts, these promoters
\nneglect the quality of the sound system,\" said Liang, a graphic
\ndesigner. \"It may be the responsibility of the promoter, but the
\nartists can object if they really want to,\" she added.<\/p>",
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