Mr. Big: Alive and Kickin'!
posted on Friday, October 23, 2009
Year 2009 has witnessed the highly anticipated reunion of four legendary rockstars Eric Martin, Billy Sheehan, Pat Torpey and Paul Gilbert. From Japan to Germany, India to Korea, supergroup Mr. Big (with its original lineup) hopped from one country to another for the Mr. Big Reunion World Tour 2009, rocking and rolling the world all over again.
Being a die-hard fan of this rock band, I moved the earth and went for broke to be able to catch the Singapore leg of their tour. In the middle of their double-encore concert, I look around me. Amidst four thousand screaming fans at the Fort Canning Park, I was amazed that I am finally, finally, able to attend a concert of a band that I've been listening to since I was ten years old.
Oh yes, the boys are definitely back.
If That's What It Takes
I grew up listening to songs like Green Tinted Sixties Mind, Promise Her The Moon, Alive and Kickin', when my older brother started his guitar lessons. He would endlessly perfect all the Paul Gilbert guitar solos. I'd be in awe of the rough and raw voice of Eric Martin, and how each member of Mr. Big weaves in their vocal harmonies seamlessly in their songs (I say, take their instruments away, and they'd definitely give boy bands a run for their money). I actually never felt that the band broke up, because in the soundtrack of my years, they never left my side. I'd have to add too, that when I first rode in my date's car years back and he had Superfantastic playing on his radio, I had a feeling right then and there that the guy would be special (and I was right!).
Some people may say that Mr. Big is a musician's band -- you've got one of the best bassists to ever walk on this planet, a guitar god idolized by enthusiasts of the shredding persuasion, and drummers can learn a thing or two about unique techniques from Pat Torpey. But I am no musician. I believe that if one can appreciate excellent musicality and mastery of instruments, then it's never too late to take a trip into the wild, wild world of Mr. Big.
Lucky This Time
So it goes without saying, that you can count me in when there's Mr. Big in your itinerary. Along with my friend (and fellow fan) Mark, we touched base with LAMC Productions, the guys behind the Singapore concert. We scored ourselves a VIP Meet & Greet package, so we get to have our close encounter with the band before enjoying the concert.
While waiting in line to have our photo-op with Mr. Big, I checked out the rest of the lucky lot. One fan brought along a mini guitar that he made himself. Further in the line, a boy who has yet to hit puberty waited for his turn, with a guitar in tow. We chat up a German bouncer and heard some fun stories in his line of work. My friend hurried his doodling in my sketch pad, portraits that we'll be giving to the band as our little gift. Then the bouncer called our attention: it's showtime!
It took a little over a minute, but the meet and greet session seemed to stretch out much longer. I really regret not being able to speak much, the fangirl in me took over and I was just too starstruck to finally shake their hands. What I remember well is that Paul gave me three guitar picks, and Billy asked us how we Filipinos are doing after typhoon Ondoy/Pepeng. We heard from LAMC Productions afterward that the band loved the drawings we gave them, so we're pretty stoked about that.
Addicted To That Rush
After the meet and greet, we head along to the VIP section of the concert grounds and killed time by chatting up other fans standing in our area. There was this 16 year old Singaporean who knew Mr. Big songs just as much as I did! That got me all worked up, since back home I'd geek out on the band's songs with my older friends (mostly with male musicians at that).
While the stage set-up was as simple as you can get (decorated with just the Mr. Big backdrop/slideshow), the double encore performance was nothing but love. The band set everyone on fire by opening with a frenetic performance of Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy, the perfect song to set the mood of the concert. Eric Martin's high energy was simply magnetic, as he beckons the crowd to clap and cheer and sing along to the songs.
And what more is there to say about the drum, bass and guitar solos? All the licks and kicks performed live on stage were jaw-dropping, made of excellent stuff that one just has to see live. I've only seen their twin neck guitar solos on Youtube video clips in the past. Finally catching it live was nothing short of amazing. No wonder fans call their performances "musical orgies."
My personal favorites would have to be their Addicted to That Rush/Highway to Hell performance, and an awesome version of The Beatles' It’s For You (that had everyone clapping to the beat as the band wowed us with their vocal harmonies -- look for it on YouTube, it's incredible). Smoke On The Water had the band swapping instruments - Paul on the drums, Eric playing guitar, and Billy and Pat taking turns to sing. Pat was such a riot onstage! Ah yes, these boys know how to have fun.
Nothing Like It In The World
It's been nearly a week since the night I finally got to meet my four idols in the flesh, and I am still hungover from the experience. When you've been listening to the songs for more than a decade, growing up with their music and then actually getting to see them perform, you have to pinch yourself every now and then to check if everything you've experienced is real.
So, what's next for Mr. Big? And more importantly, will we get a chance to see the boys perform in our city? I sure hope so, with all my heart. This, I know -- that the staunchest of fans are pouring their blood, sweat and tears to actually make this happen. Let's keep our fingers crossed and our hopes up, because who knows? We might be lucky this time.
Additional images and video stills courtesy of LAMC Productions (Video by DFP Media and Photography by Amos Wong)
Being a die-hard fan of this rock band, I moved the earth and went for broke to be able to catch the Singapore leg of their tour. In the middle of their double-encore concert, I look around me. Amidst four thousand screaming fans at the Fort Canning Park, I was amazed that I am finally, finally, able to attend a concert of a band that I've been listening to since I was ten years old.
Oh yes, the boys are definitely back.
If That's What It Takes
I grew up listening to songs like Green Tinted Sixties Mind, Promise Her The Moon, Alive and Kickin', when my older brother started his guitar lessons. He would endlessly perfect all the Paul Gilbert guitar solos. I'd be in awe of the rough and raw voice of Eric Martin, and how each member of Mr. Big weaves in their vocal harmonies seamlessly in their songs (I say, take their instruments away, and they'd definitely give boy bands a run for their money). I actually never felt that the band broke up, because in the soundtrack of my years, they never left my side. I'd have to add too, that when I first rode in my date's car years back and he had Superfantastic playing on his radio, I had a feeling right then and there that the guy would be special (and I was right!).
Some people may say that Mr. Big is a musician's band -- you've got one of the best bassists to ever walk on this planet, a guitar god idolized by enthusiasts of the shredding persuasion, and drummers can learn a thing or two about unique techniques from Pat Torpey. But I am no musician. I believe that if one can appreciate excellent musicality and mastery of instruments, then it's never too late to take a trip into the wild, wild world of Mr. Big.
Lucky This Time
So it goes without saying, that you can count me in when there's Mr. Big in your itinerary. Along with my friend (and fellow fan) Mark, we touched base with LAMC Productions, the guys behind the Singapore concert. We scored ourselves a VIP Meet & Greet package, so we get to have our close encounter with the band before enjoying the concert.
While waiting in line to have our photo-op with Mr. Big, I checked out the rest of the lucky lot. One fan brought along a mini guitar that he made himself. Further in the line, a boy who has yet to hit puberty waited for his turn, with a guitar in tow. We chat up a German bouncer and heard some fun stories in his line of work. My friend hurried his doodling in my sketch pad, portraits that we'll be giving to the band as our little gift. Then the bouncer called our attention: it's showtime!
It took a little over a minute, but the meet and greet session seemed to stretch out much longer. I really regret not being able to speak much, the fangirl in me took over and I was just too starstruck to finally shake their hands. What I remember well is that Paul gave me three guitar picks, and Billy asked us how we Filipinos are doing after typhoon Ondoy/Pepeng. We heard from LAMC Productions afterward that the band loved the drawings we gave them, so we're pretty stoked about that.
Addicted To That Rush
After the meet and greet, we head along to the VIP section of the concert grounds and killed time by chatting up other fans standing in our area. There was this 16 year old Singaporean who knew Mr. Big songs just as much as I did! That got me all worked up, since back home I'd geek out on the band's songs with my older friends (mostly with male musicians at that).
While the stage set-up was as simple as you can get (decorated with just the Mr. Big backdrop/slideshow), the double encore performance was nothing but love. The band set everyone on fire by opening with a frenetic performance of Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy, the perfect song to set the mood of the concert. Eric Martin's high energy was simply magnetic, as he beckons the crowd to clap and cheer and sing along to the songs.
And what more is there to say about the drum, bass and guitar solos? All the licks and kicks performed live on stage were jaw-dropping, made of excellent stuff that one just has to see live. I've only seen their twin neck guitar solos on Youtube video clips in the past. Finally catching it live was nothing short of amazing. No wonder fans call their performances "musical orgies."
My personal favorites would have to be their Addicted to That Rush/Highway to Hell performance, and an awesome version of The Beatles' It’s For You (that had everyone clapping to the beat as the band wowed us with their vocal harmonies -- look for it on YouTube, it's incredible). Smoke On The Water had the band swapping instruments - Paul on the drums, Eric playing guitar, and Billy and Pat taking turns to sing. Pat was such a riot onstage! Ah yes, these boys know how to have fun.
Nothing Like It In The World
It's been nearly a week since the night I finally got to meet my four idols in the flesh, and I am still hungover from the experience. When you've been listening to the songs for more than a decade, growing up with their music and then actually getting to see them perform, you have to pinch yourself every now and then to check if everything you've experienced is real.
So, what's next for Mr. Big? And more importantly, will we get a chance to see the boys perform in our city? I sure hope so, with all my heart. This, I know -- that the staunchest of fans are pouring their blood, sweat and tears to actually make this happen. Let's keep our fingers crossed and our hopes up, because who knows? We might be lucky this time.
Additional images and video stills courtesy of LAMC Productions (Video by DFP Media and Photography by Amos Wong)
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