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SINGAPORE : This was the concert of the year, at least in my books.
It was fourth time around for The Click Five in Singapore who brought their Modern Minds & Great Times World Tour to a screaming, sell-out crowd.
Performing ‘live’ is what The Click Five do best and the Boston five didn’t just live up to their tag of Band of the Year given by radio station 987FM, they delivered it in style.
This was clear from the moment the concert began with an opening video done by Charlie Guese, younger brother of lead guitarist Joe Guese. The silhouettes of the band set young hearts racing and climaxed with The Click Five in the flesh to the tune of Flipside.
Clad in skinny jeans, the boys looked sharper than the hugely participative crowd’s ear-splitting screams.
It wasn’t hard to guess why the finger-snapping lead singer, Kyle Patrick, was the hottest item of the night.
Like a seasoned performer, the newest member of The Click 5 was constantly teasing the crowd with sexy “oohs” and “aahs” while coaxing the crowd to join in the fun of the performance. Problem was, many girls were too busy swooning at the charmer’s nifty footwork and boundless energy.
Song after song, the pulsating pace of The Click 5 ran non-stop till they switched midway through the concert to perform a cover of I’m Looking Through You by The Beatles. It was a hark back to the sixties, where The Click 5 draw much inspiration from.
In introducing their new song, There You Are, the band gave it their all in an incredible performance. Kyle and keyboardist Ben Romans gave a good, slow build-up to what the audience was holding its collective breath for... the rock explosion. And when it came, the explosion in the crowd was just as electric.
Ben stoked the delirious frenzy, thumping his fingers on the keyboard like a man possessed, as Joey commanded the drums like his life depended on them.
Joey also stole the show during the solo spot for each member. His spellbinding drum solo and intense concentration seemed to transport him to a stage other than the one in little Singapore.
To the strains of Pump It Up,– “the man you feel in your bones” Bassist Ethan Mentzer – played the bass with a microphone stand while Ben “Mad Scientist” Romans shimmied and strutted around flamboyantly, wowing the audience with his head-banging antics standing on his keyboard.
By the end of the concert, almost everyone was on their feet, grooving to the final song of the evening, Headlight Disco.
For a select few however, the night was not over. There was time for a Click 5 Meet and Greet session for a lucky few who had bought their latest CD and found a backdoor pass tucked inside. As luck would have it, I bought a CD at the concert without any expectations. But lo, a golden ticket lay inside, for a chance to meet The Click 5, for a second time in one day.
My earlier encounter at the Gallery Hotel was less brief and an eye-opener into what makes The Click 5 tick.
While Singapore is a pit-stop for some acts, The Click Five pay special attention to Singapore.
“We love it here” said drummer Joey Zehr. “We think of Singapore as a base, a home away from home in Asia, just that we have been here so much and we have so many friends here, and it’s definitely one of our most successful markets here.”
The pressures of being on the road showed in Joey and lead guitarist Joe Guese, during their interview but the passion of performing and music runs deep. Fighting off fatigue they shared their appreciation of touring as back up or opening acts for bands such as KISS and Fleetwood Mac.
“We’ve really had cool opportunities playing with different bands … and learning how to tour cos there is an art to touring… and more than anything you get the inspiration from it.”
Their latest album “MODERN MINDS AND PASTIMES,” has been described by the group as a nod to Ray Charles’s classic 1962 album, “Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music.” They also say it’s as a reflection of their eclectic mix of styles dating back to the ’60s and everything in between in their ‘Modern Minds’.
It’s clear, the era before the lads were born is an age of influence.
As homage to the 60s, the quintet chose to look like the Beatles on the cover of their first single. Later, their first album featured a Beatles take with Just the Girl. And when asked who they’d like to perform on stage with if given the chance, the answer … the Beatles.
“We’d love to’ve been around for the Beatles years” said Joey. “In the present, we’d love to do something with Paul McCartney.”
The graduates of the prestigious Berklee School of Music are clearly masters of pure music. While admitting that technology has made recording easier for performers of today, Joe made clear “you don’t use technology as a crutch”.
Joey adds, “(Technology) can start to hurt your vibe because you get things too perfect… I think we’re getting to a place where our records are sounding more natural. This record is definitely a step forward in that direction, and I think we’ll just continue to go there, where it becomes more of a ‘live’ thing.”
The “more organic” mode of record production may include flaws, but based on their fan following and live performance at the Indoor Stadium, The Click 5 seem pretty perfect so far.
- CNA
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