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