If you had been at the Esplanade between 1 and 4 February for A Date with Friends, you’d have pinched yourself and asked: “Have I travelled back in time to my disco heyday?” Nobody was told, “Hey auntie, hey grandpa; you don’t belong here. This is not your scene.” No way.
The annual festival celebrating the music of yesteryear was a resounding celebration of retro tunes. Many of the entertainers are now silvers. Some have their day jobs and perform as a hobby while the others are still rocking the stage as a career.
Now a silver, I have been revelling in the programmes organised by the Esplanade for more than a decade since the children have grown up. It was a tough call dividing my weekends between hanging out at the Esplanade, Clarke Quay, Chijmes, and Holland V’s Wala Wala, listening to some great music of all genres.
The Esplanade drives a hard bargain. Its entertaining outdoor concerts showcase some amazing talent, with an spectacular view of the bay to boot.
Best of all, they are often free! (Or discounted, if you sign up for a free JOYears Esplanade and Me membership here.)
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A Date with Friends at the Esplanade kicked off with "Just Can’t Get Enough"
It was standing room only at the Annexe Studio. Silvers rocked the night away, gyrating throughout the almost two-hour non-stop dance repertoire of Uber Jam, the band selected to kickstart the four-day February event. Staying close to the stage was clearly a dancing queen leader who seemed to be getting everyone in the groove.
Attentive Esplanade staff were on hand to whip out foldable chairs for some grateful silvers who wanted to party on, even if it meant watching seated at the fringe.
Uber Jam, led by veteran lead guitarist Regi Leo, opened with an ’80s medley of pop-rock hits that saw the crowd at its peak singing along, and snaking around the dance floor to Conga.
Uber Jam also featured singers Shawn de Mello and Wayne Sandz, household names in the music scene. Hamming it up on the drumkit was Gilbert Nogales, who later told me the band was so enthusiastic to play for this audience they had an extra eight songs lined up.
When the party came to a close and the lights were turned on, the smiles on the revellers’ faces said it all: “Worth it, that $22 ticket!”
A Date with Friends Day 2 featured Siblings in Song
For Siblings in Song, three sets of siblings who grew up with music, entertained the crowd.
Better known for their jazzy renditions, Ernesto Valerio and Greg Anderson set the tone with his opening number, Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline, which brought back memories for many in the audience.
Patrick and Perry Koh, sons of Singapore’s former Pat Boone, Walter Koh, delighted the crowd with Cliff Richard numbers and then had a surprise for the audience: They invited their mother Mrs Koh to the stage. Now 84, the Connie Francis of Singapore warmed the hearts of the audience as she went down memory lane with Que Sera Sera.
Silvers Patrick and Perry are both actively performing in the music scene. Patrick resides in Tokyo and has his nights packed with shows. Perry has his own band Peppermint Project and performs at events including corporate functions. He has a solo show at the Esplanade for silvers to look forward to on 22 May — “The songs we grew up with” is the theme.
In the fitting finale, Mel and Joe Ferdinands, the adorable child prodigies who were 12 and 9 when they made their name in 1971 winning the Radio Television Singapore (RTS) Talentime, revved up the tempo and rocked the stage. They proved they were — in Mel’s words — “not a nostalgia act” tearing into I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll, Pretty Woman and The Young Ones.
Mel is an inspiring example of a silver who embraces each new chapter he is writing. From his stint as actor in the TV series Kin to Colonel Sanders in a commercial, Mel seizes the day by continuing to learn something new. He is currently learning how to play the dobro and lap steel guitars.
A Date with Friends: Sunday Funday with Dimension 5 and Raw Energy
The finale party adjourned to the Outdoor Theatre on 4 February, featuring two powerhouse bands, Raw Energy and Dimension 5 playing covers of rock and disco hits.
The 26-year-old band Raw Energy has two remaining original members: Guitarist Abdul Shukor Jalil and band leader Saat who plays bass. Hady Mirza was once a member the band too. The other OGs are Alia, Syed, Mat Noor, and Wintzel Bert Jr.
The lively new line-up is pure youthful energy and kept the audience engaged and singing along. They comprise Shukor, Saat, Ayie on keys, Boi on drums, male vocalist Haizad, and female vocalist Izzathy. Shukor has proven he is still rocking the scene and teams up with the youngest member Izzathy on Wednesdays and Fridays for regular gigs.
Dimension 5 started out with five members as an acoustic band in 2015. When two members left in 2016 (the cajonist and guitarist), Singapore’s only female jazz drummer then, Audrey Tang, was brought in by keyboardist Jocelyn Ong. Lebbeus Lau became the new guitarist. Together they love singing harmony. Leader David Ng’s bandmates tell me he is always happy to play the music of the ’60s.
The music was so catchy that one silver couldn’t contend with moving in her seat. She gamely took off her shoes to dance bare-footed with her husband.
Yes, it is quite the norm to see the audience – seniors included – at the Outdoor Theatre uninhibited and dancing in front of the stage. We do know how to party, after all!
