Wed 22 Aug – New Order
My first time at Fort Canning Park. I was expecting an indoor venue where music like New Order, or even Massive Attack, would find a better home in. But it's a grass area where people drink and sit. Woodstocky.

The set list was pretty much the same as their other tour. Taking a few minutes break in between songs actually made the experience slightly up and down. A bit of a shame. Closed with Love Will Tear Us Apart and a background "Forever Joy Division". Eih?

Now that I've been to a few concerts in Paris, I am reminded to note a very important issue:

You are short. The French are much much taller.

It would have been nicer had I gotten the seated areas. Being the petite Asian that I am, all I could see were the back of people's bodies, not even heads. My neck was sore from looking up most of the time, trying to catch a glimpse of anybody on stage. I saw the background art and a few heads but that was that.

But soundwise, it was great. I saw one…

If I closed my eyes, I would've mistaken the sound I heard to be coming from a stereo system, except the speakers were as big as my house. SW and his gang did not deviate much from the recordings, no improvisations (that I heard, anyway) and everything was well timed, even to the 10-minute3 break. But the sound and the acoustic was excellent : it was all worth it. I was far back in the balcony but it was okay. PT's music is to be listened to, not seen. Oh, and he wore his shoes this time.

It is just a stone's throw away from where I live. Less than five Metro stops and during warm evenings, I much prefer to walk there. But both Porcupine Tree and Yes came during chilly weather. First time I attended a concert of a mid size arena, I remember Victoria Theatre in Melbourne for Al Jarreau twenty years ago. But L'Olympia had better acoustics. Steven Wilson's Porcupine Tree was my acid test. The sound was clear, with the loudness set just about right. But then, it could just be PT's way of doing things. Because as much as I love…

Wed 11 Nov – Yes What's so precious for me is that this might be my only chance to see Yes, if not for the ageing members of Yes but also my time in Europe is only temporary. They opened with Siberian Kathru which was the one song I looked for more than anything. Overall, I would say the concert was about Steve Howe and friends. More to come