Stones back in S'pore after 38 years

Stones back in S'pore after 38 years

The Singapore audience was luckier than that in Hong Kong, as
rock legends Rolling Stones still managed to perform a two-day
concert there last week, despite the Iraqi war and the current
flu epidemic.

The band canceled their concert in Hong Kong, slated for
Friday and Saturday, due to the outbreak of Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

The concert in Singapore was the first since their 1965
performance at the Singapore Badminton Hall, which brought a wall
tumbling down.

"The people were nice the last time we came. We had lunch with
the British governor general," guitarist Keith Richards told The
Straits Times in a phone interview prior to the concert.

"I remember hearing the sound of firecrackers. I was thinking:
'Oh no, what's happening? Later, they told me it was Chinese New
Year."

Arriving in Singapore on two private jets, Richards and gang
stayed at the Ritz Carlton Millenia hotel, booking a block of 70
rooms.

The band has a crew of 120-plus, whose job included unpacking
10 40-foot containers -- each weighing 100 tons, which included a
180,000-watt sound system.

Two 300-ampere generators were ordered, each of which had the
capacity to power one Housing Board block.

But the results were excellent as the sound was loud and
clear.

The fee for the two-day gig was reportedly more than S$3
million.

Tickets per seat were sold at S$100, $151, $226, $351 and
$500. It was a little bit awkward that no festival class was
provided, as all of the audience was seated (although as the
concert started, almost everyone stood up).

On the high ticket prices, Richards responded to comments as
to whether the band could scale down their stage act, lowering
costs and allowing promoters to bid more sensibly.

"Thank you for the suggestion, but I never see the Rolling
Stones show. I'm on the other side. But I don't think our show is
elaborate," he said.

"We want to see people when we tour, we are not there to blind
them with lighting. I get up to play, I'm a musician, I'm
critical of myself."

Despite the high ticket price, the two-day gig drew an
audience of thousands, and at least three fans in wheelchairs.
Some of the audience seemed not to be able to find babysitters as
they had brought their children along, obviously not enjoying the
show.

Indonesian fans were also evident, some of them in a group
arranged by a travel agency.

Vita Justicia from Jakarta-based Sapta Tours said the agency
arranged the trip for 54 people, each of whom had paid up to
US$365 for a round-trip ticket and one night's accommodation, and
S$151 for a concert ticket.

"No, we were not the only agency to offer a concert package,"
Vita told The Jakarta Post.

Some Indonesians, die-hard fans and wealthy, opted for the
front seats at the highest price, like businessman Sia Tie Ping,
for instance.

"I'm a huge fan. I saw them in concert once in 1982 in Hong
Kong," said Ping who stayed at the luxury The Fullerton hotel.

Celebrities were also seen, such as actress Ria Irawan, who
once was photographed together with Mick Jagger while riding a
bicycle, when he came to Jakarta in 1988 for a solo concert.

Director/photographer Jay Subijakto, meanwhile, showed up in
tribute to Jagger, who once hired Jay as official photographer
for the 1988 concert.

"There were not many stage photographers at that time, so I
was chosen. One of the photos can be seen now in Jagger's book A
Life on the Road," Jay told the Post.

It was a memorable experience, although Jay regretted the low
payment he received at the time.

"I took 20 rolls of film and had to hand them over straight
away. For that I was paid US$300, with no royalties," he said.

But how was Jagger then, was he nice?

"I didn't talk to him: I wasn't confident enough," Jay said.

-- Hera Diani