I have long claimed myself musical omnivorous. In fact, of all the major music genera, metal is the one I’m with little knowledge (the rest not much either). This situation was relieved when Mr. Thomas Kook guided me thru his metal CD collections.

On Jan 17th, the all stars metal group Dream Theatre made their return to Singapore in Chaos in Motion World Tour. Mr. Thomas Kook invited me to join him for an evening with Dream Theatre. I was hesitating for quite a few days until one day before the concert. But I did have many reasons to go:
1. With a buddy who loves music & sponsored 50% of the ticket as a birthday gift to me.
2. Dream Theatre is a reputable and one of the best metal groups.
3. Fort Canning Park is the best venue in Singapore for rock/metal performence.

I did enjoy every minute of the concert, including the drizzle – heavy rain – drizzle during the concert. There is no need to waste words on praising the concert. Let the youtube clips and flickr photos do it for me.

http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=Dream+Theatre+singapore&m=text

For those who said pop/rock concerts in Singapore are boring, pls try at least once a concert in the Fort Canning park. Rock, different from classical, is not just to listen. I’m sure the experience will be so much better than those in the malformed Indoor Stadium. (With current human technology, any concert hall with capacity larger than 5000 is definitely not designed for music/acoustic enjoyment, not to mention it’s an indoor stadium. For classical music this number is further reduced to 3000. As for rock/metal, outdoor is essential for me)

Dream Theatre – Take the Time ‘Live’ in Singapore

Dream Theatre – Forsaken ‘Live’ in Singapore (Look at the rain!)

A few tips for audience going concerts in Fort Canning Park

1. Bring a pair of earplugs if you are not used to loud rock/metal music (the sound pressure may easily exceed 90dB at certain period)
2. Try to sit/stand in the center of the two main loudspeakers to perceive better stereo sound image. Roam around few steps left and right, the sound image may vary dramaticly in the nearby field.
3. Take an extra shirt with you, so you can change after the sweaty concert.

Acknowledgements: Thank you, Thomas Kook and all who made the concert possible.