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These veteran performers are still rocking 
the nights away

The music scene in Singapore has never looked better, with homegrown acts increasingly capturing the hearts of Singaporeans and 
even of those abroad.

SINGAPORE - The music scene in Singapore has never looked better, with homegrown acts increasingly capturing the hearts of Singaporeans and 
even of those abroad.

Gentle Bones, for example, held two sold-out nights at the Esplanade Concert Hall in June — a feat relatively unheard of in the past for local acts — while The Sam Willows played to a 2,500-strong crowd at their debut concert at The Coliseum at the Hard Rock Hotel Singapore in July.

Both released their EPs earlier, which have done well on the iTunes and Spotify charts across Asia. Acts such as the HubbaBubbas and Sezairi have also released their own 
EPs recently.

But young talent aside, the Republic is not short of veterans in the scene, who have been churning out music for decades, often live.

One such band is Jive Talkin’. Best known for its enthusiastic and entertaining sets at the Hard Rock Cafe in the 1990s, it returned to the Cuscaden Road venue last year after a hiatus of 14 years.

During the years in between, Jive Talkin’ was the resident band at bars such as Bar None and The Pump Room. Band leader Raffy Aspier admits that “going back to Hard Rock Cafe is like coming full circle; it’s a great feeling, like coming home”.

The band has been together since 1991 and consists of Raffy, 59 (lead vocals, percussion), Jeffry Brown, 51 (lead vocals, saxophone), Zoul Zuq Iruall, 45 (lead vocals), Eduardo Ramoso, 56 (keyboard), Din Safari, 58 (bass), Addy Rasidi, 41 (lead guitar, vocals) and Fairoz Samil, 42 (drums). Gigging together for 25 years, they still do it because of sheer passion.

“It’s all about the love of performing on stage and, most of all, the audience and fans who still keep coming to watch us perform; that’s what keeps us going,” Raffy said.

One of the reasons why Jive Talkin’ has stayed a crowd favourite could be because they move with the times, constantly adding new tunes to their repertoire.

“We choose these new songs by the number of requests we receive and also depending on the popularity of the songs,” Raffy explained. “And we rehearse in HRC (Hard Rock Cafe) once a week after we end our set, after the customers leave.

“We don’t plan or have a set list on stage, we select our repertoire according to the reaction and the type of audience we have on the dance floor. Songs are chosen on the spot.”

Changing Audiences

Another veteran live performer is Douglas Oliveiro — or simply known as Douglas O — who has been performing in Singapore for an impressive 47 years. He is best known as the former frontman of six-man band Energy in the 1980s and 1990s. Oliveiro’s charismatic and sometimes raunchy performances made him a hit in the live music scene.

“It’s basically loving the music,” said the veteran rocker, on what keeps him going. “That was my first aim, I never thought it would last this long. I always get on stage and give 200 per cent. I’m always focused and committed, and anything else that comes with that is a bonus.”

The 60-year-old is currently performing at The Berlin Bar & Restaurant at Chijmes, as part of its resident band, John Molina & Krueger with friends, belting out tunes from the likes of Journey, Def Leppard and Bryan Adams. With his vast experience as a live performer, he certainly knows a trick or two about getting the audience’s attention, even today, when people are glued to their gadgets most of the time.

“We have to get them to be part of our act,” said Oliveiro, who also co-hosted nostalgic music variety show Rollin’ Good Times in the 1990s. “You know, you’re here, we want to give you entertainment but you can’t sit there and play with your handphone. It’s a bit more difficult to try to get around it now but I think that’s what makes it interesting. There has been a total change in the clubbing scene.”

This is a sentiment echoed by Raffy: “In the past, audiences are more attentive and they appreciated good quality music, but now, most younger audiences are busy with their mobile phones than really listening to the live music.”

It is almost impossible to talk about Oliveiro and not mention the fact that he was once voted the sexiest man in Singapore in a poll by a local newspaper, a title that he admits today he finds rather mortifying.

“You know, that was one of the most embarrassing things,” he said, laughing. “You’re up on stage, you do your moves, and if that comes across as sexy, I think that’s fine. But it’s a little bit embarrassing at times, when people go, ‘oh you know this man used to be the sexiest man in Singapore’.”

Nostalgic Tunes

The band that Oliveiro performs with also sees its namesake get on stage from time to time. Despite over 20 years experience in the live entertainment scene, Molina, 46, still finds the motivation to get up on stage today.

“Performing to me is a creative process,” said Molina, who is also the managing director of the venue. “It’s all about putting musicians and music together which, to me, is intangible and beautiful at the same time.

“Today, performing is in some ways even more satisfying. The Berlin Bar has a great atmosphere and an exceptional sound system, which I have spent many months perfecting myself; I can chose when I want to perform and I have full creative freedom.”

Molina also acknowledges the effect that technology has on the live music scene, albeit with regards to how it has helped musicians.

“The live music scene has gone through a lot of changes and the most notable change is technology,” he said. “The use of iPads for example ... now, you can look up any song at any instance; in the past, you had to memorise all the lyrics and chords for all the songs you had to perform.”

Thankfully, the yearning for nostalgia never changes, so crowds are still flocking to watch these veteran performers entertain them, as they dance the night away.

“Those who supported us during our 1990s Hard Rock days surprisingly are back to watch us again and (they) request songs that were their favourites during the 1990s and we still play those songs,” said Raffy. “I guess it’s like a reunion, so that’s a good reason for people to come and watch us.”

 

Catch Jive Talkin’ at Hard Rock Cafe, Cuscaden Road, every Thursday and Friday; Douglas Oliveiro performs at The Berlin Bar & Restaurant at #B1-06 Chijmes on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays; John Molina performs at The Berlin Bar & Restaurant from time to time, as well as all sets on the last Friday of the month.

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