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!