Shut Up And Listen concert | 3/5

SINGAPORE — It was a night for hard rocking of all flavours as headliners Anberlin, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (RJA) and Tonight Alive each brought their own brand of rock to the Shut Up And Listen stage.

It’s been four years since Anberlin and RJA last came here — and it seemed four years too long.

When RJA took to the stage, things took off. “Listen to me!” shouted frontman Ronnie Winter, and throughout the night, that’s just what the crowd wanted to keep doing.

The Florida post-hardcore band rocked the crowed as lead singer Ronnie Winter sang and brother Randy screamed his lungs out. But the true star of the show was the lead guitarist, 19-year-old Josh Burke, who wowed the crowd with his prowess on the axe, plucking, strumming and hammering wildly throughout the night, and even getting an extended solo moment. The crowd lapped it up — especially when they ended with Face Down.

The atmosphere changed when Anberlin took the stage — energy levels rose as the crowd moved from headbanging to clapping. Singaporeans are good at memorising things and it shows: The band was met with constant sing-alongs for all the songs they sang from various albums. Stephen Christians’s vocals led the band with strength, but oddly enough, drummer Nathan Young seemed muted compared to their previous performances here.

A rock concert with three acts can sometimes be a mixed bag depending on how much the fanbases overlap, and at The Coliseum at Hard Rock Hotel last night there was a stark difference, as if there were different sets of people watching their respective bands.

In the end, the Coliseum was never really filled to the brim, but that never drained the energy of the bands who rocked the night away, sweat pouring down their faces.

Those who were there were definitely listening — given all the cheers and singing along, shutting up really wasn’t an option.