David, slicker than the average pop star

David, slicker than the average pop star

Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

British pop phenom Craig David really cares about his teenage fan
base, for that must be the explanation why only teen-focused
media were invited to cover his concert here on Tuesday night.

(The prerequisite from the sponsor, a cigarette brand, I
presume?)

Local promoter Nepathya and Warner Music Indonesia decided to
wait until the last minute to announce that a very limited number
of media would receive press IDs.

By then, tickets were sold out, except, of course, from the
scalpers swarming around the concert venue of Bung Karno Sports
Complex's Indoor Stadium in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

I am not a fan of the 22-year-old British singer/songwriter.
But Bono is so fond of him that he added a verse from David's hit
Walking Away into U2's classic One, in the group's performance
last year. So, I thought, maybe he deserves a shot, even if it
meant buying a ticket at almost double the price from a scalper.

Forced to break the law and jeopardize some principles of
integrity -- well, those are issues I will have to resolve with
the promoter and the record company later.

Darn it, Bono got it right, as the concert was excellent and
David gave a hot performance that night.

Backed by a group of musicians, including DJs and backup
singers, David brought a vibrant club atmosphere with his
seamless mix of R&B, pop, hip hop and garage, to a faithful
audience of 10,000.

There were no dancers, towering stage props and glittery
costumes, only his lithe and sweet voice that ran from falsetto
to low notes, crooning an impressive and unsterile set of 14
songs.

Yet, he was not showy with his voice, looking relaxed and
confident, even without his trademark ski cap.

Sporting a plain white T-shirt with white pants -- and running
off backstage to change the top every four songs -- he kicked off
the concert with the upbeat title track from his latest album,
2002's Slicker Than Your Average.

The second song, 7 Days, a hit from 2000's multiplatinum debut
album Born to Do It, showed David he has a solid fan base in this
country -- they knew the song by heart.

"You're amazing. It's amazing to be here," he told the
cheering audience in a thick British accent.

He then did a piece of American hot rapper 50 Cent's hit In Da
Club, before singing What's Your Flava?.

Hailing from Southampton, David is slicker than your average
young pop stars who rely on good looks and dance more than
singing ability, and whose songs are often just bad covers of old
hits.

David ventured into the music business after winning the first
place in a songwriting contest back in 1996, which led him to
score a club smash with Artful Dodger on Re-Rewind.

At the tender age of 18, he released Born, which sold over
seven million copies worldwide and made him the youngest-ever
British male artist to achieve a number one hit in the UK for the
single Fill Me In.

The album went on to become one of the 2001's most popular and
acclaimed releases, spending more than 60 weeks on the Billboard
200 and garnering gold, platinum and multiplatinum status in over
20 countries.

Born also handed him an assortment of awards, including a 2001
Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, and was
nominated again the next year in the same category.

Last year, David released his much-anticipated follow-up
Slicker, an album that continues to meld many genres into
irresistible and unique sound.

The sophomore effort includes a collaboration on Rise and
Fall; a song built around the melody of Sting's 1993 hit Shape of
My Heart, who also lends his voice to the new recording.

"This next song tells about how you can really be a good
friend with a girl without being her boyfriend," David asserted
on stage before belting out Hidden Agenda.

He crooned, he rapped, he moved his body (moderately), he
talked about world peace (the introduction for World Filled With
Love), and he used that velvety voice to introduce the band and
the singers.

The encores included the acoustic version of Rendezvous where
David was only accompanied by a guitarist.

"As much as I love Rendezvous, can you do something to the
guitar to lift up the vibe?" he asked the guitarist, before the
latter did what he was told and David rapped like mad.

The concert wrapped with the very song that first brought him
to the masses: the upbeat Re-Rewind. Everyone went mad and the
DJs ran around like crazy, as David sang "Re-e-wind when the
crowd say bo selecta" before thanking the audience and saying
goodbye.

And I was glad the concert was worth the moral tussle of
dealing with a scalper. But as for the promoter and record
company, I'm not done with you yet!