Black Eyed Peas: Black, Blue and You Tour
By Lennat Mak
October 22, 2007
Singapore Indoor Stadium
Singapore
Black Eyed Peas and The Click Five? That was probably one of the most bizarre pairings and what fans of both bands could only experience in Asia.
Despite the genre segregation, the combination worked out rather well and served as a treat for the fans to get the best of both worlds. Kicking the opening slot with "Flipside," Boston's The Click Five played their first proper show in Singapore with tunes largely taken from their latest album Modern Minds And Pastimes. The boys -- frontman Kyle Patrick, Ethan Mentzer (bass), Ben Romans (keyboards), Joey Zehr (drums) and Joe Guese (guitar) -- were snappily dressed in their trademark smart suits and ties and worked up quite a delightful power pop storm with their popular hits like "Catch The Wave," "Just A Girl," and "Jenny." Other Modern Minds And Pastimes album tracks -- "Long Way To Go," "Happy Birthday," "Addicted To You," and "Empty" -- were worked into the set list and definitely showed a much musically evolved and some what darker band as compared to their previous incarnation with ex-frontman Eric Dill. The funky set closer "Headlight Disco" also brought the crowd's energy up to another notch, and one couldn't help but relate to the hordes of teenage female fans who screamed like it was the '60s Fab Four era all over again.
Still, no one parties quite like The Black Eyed Peas do. Staging their third gig in Singapore in the short span of four years, Fergie, Will.i.am, Taboo, apl.de.ap not only developed a bond of closeness that stemmed from familiarity, they also proved that they are still a much sought after commodity with the locals in the packed venue. Turning up the fun factor to an absolute 11, the Peas churned out their materials like a non-stop greatest hits album. "Hey Mama," "My Humps," "Pump It," "Don't Phunk With My Heart," "Shut Up," "Let's Get It Started," "Where's The Love"? If you can name it, the Peas pretty played it and so much more, with a stellar stage presence and impeccable chemistry between the members and their seasoned backing band. And that's what most impressive about the Peas -- their passion for performance. It's obvious they love what they are doing on stage and they do enjoy every single moment of it.
With Fergie and Will.i.am's solo outings, the audience was also treated to their solo sets, which brought the gig experience even higher and well worth the ticket price. Fergie took to the stage with her Dutchess materials ("Fergalicious," "London Bridge," "Glamorous") while Will.i.am entertained "I Got It From My Mama" taken from his latest release Songs About Girls. Undeniably, the Peas are a formidable hip-hop outfit. But as evident with Fergie and Will.i.am's intense performances, it's no doubt that each of them can hold up with their individual merits too.
Two hours (including the encore segment) on and there wasn't a sense of fatigue. If given more time, the Peas and their ecstatic fans could jolly well go on forever. Although the "regulars" would say that the show wasn't that different from their previous routine back in 2005, for first timers, it's definitely a hip-hop non-stop party without a dull moment in between. To quote one of the BEP gig virgins, you would leave the concert "feeling damn high!"
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