Never Gonna Give Together Forever Up!

Debbie Gibson. Rick Astley. Singapore. I'm sold.

So as soon as I saw the email notification from SISTIC that Class 95 fm in Singapore is organizing a concert featuring Debbie Gibson, Rick Astley and Johnny Hates Jazz, I mentally booked my flights and bought my concert tickets. All those time, when I was practising those dance moves on Electric Youth, never would I thought I get to see Debbie Gibson in concert. And let me tell you about Rick Astley, when I was 7 I thot he was the cutest thing on earth (turns out he still is heheh). Regardless this was a few decades too late, I'm not going to miss this.

Concert was at Fort Canning Park. My sister and I, arrived 30 minutes before 8pm. Only to discover there was a long line to enter the concert. When I say long line, I meant looooooong line. Imagine, queueing up from KLCC all the way to Pavilion. Actually I didn't even get to see the end of the line, because we went straight up front, dengan muka selamba badak, and just cut in. Amazed that the 2000 odd people outside, patiently queue and not a single word of utter anonyance! If kat sini, dah selamat dah semua organizer kena pijak. Ada ke concert nak start, beribu lagi orang kat luar. Satu je entrance opened. (It reminded me of a concert not long ago in Bukit Kiara). They were stressing about safety and all, but what about them selling xxx amount of tickets in the first place when they know that the place can only accomodate x amount of people only. Aiyoo.

When we got in, the whole area was already packed. Everyone was prepared for a leisure night out, already spread their tikar and blankets on the grass, picnicking. OH MY.. thank god we sneaked in. There's no way those people outside can get in. The organizer told everyone that this is a STANDING Concert and not a sit down concert. Everyone gladly got up and squeeze in tighther. Again. Amazed. If kat sini, dah runtuh dah stage tu kena terajang dengan semua orang. I just wish that the concert were in a bigger venue so that it does not inconvenient anyone.

I stood 98% of the night from 8pm till almost midnight. Sweating and thirsty the whole time. Nasib tak muntah. Dah pukul 11.45 tu dah macam pening-pening lalat la jugak. Hehehe.

But I'm willing to forget all of this because the concert is simply AWESOME! It's like going to karaoke with 7000 people. Singing without a care in the world. Before the start of the concert, they play slide shows? Montage? Of things that had happened, movies and songs that were famous, toys that were first introduced each year thruout the 80s. The crowd keep on cheering at everything because they are all so familiar. Who doesn't know Madonna songs, Top Gun movie, Transformer and Teenage Ninja Turtle cartoons, Nintendo, shoulder pads... list goes on and on.

So first up was Johnny Hates Jazz. I only know two of their song (partly because I googled them before coming) - Shatered Dreams and Turn Back the Clock. During the rest of their set, I amused myself by checking out other people. Hehehe.

Next, Debbie Gibson. Though she just turned 40, she's all superfit and toned.

However, to my terkejutness, she sounded like Britney. Even looked like Britney during her first two albums. I pretend to not hear this and sang along to Electric Youth, Out of the Blue and Foolish Heart. Then came Lost in Your Eyes. Screeeammmmmm! She got the crowd to sing the first verse and everyone put their heart and soul into it. I suppose those lost teenage years came flashing back to everyone. Hahahahah.

She completed her set with Dancing Queen. Why? I have no idea. I was a bit disappointed that Debbie did not sing We Could Be Together and those songs from a more recent album like For Better or Worse and Didn't Have the Heart. Baru full blown jiwang karatz. But of course this is an 80s concert, so it's ok.

Next up, the cute, the cheeky, Rick Astley. He kick things off with Together Forever. Screaaaammm. He sounds great if not better. He thrown in a couple of his greatest single: She Wants To Dance With Me and Strong Strong Man (suddenly I like this song very much). Thenm to my delight he sang 'When I Fall in Love'. Hulamak...tercair kejap. This is my favorite part of the concert I would say (with Debbie's Lost in Your Eyes a close 2nd).

I can't believe he used to look like this:

Now he looks like this:

Finally, he closed of the great night with the song that was behind the Rickrolling phenomena - Never Gonna Give You Up.

With that, I've officially been - Rickrolled!