A Night of Ballads and Hits
By Chione Zhang
While most town goers were trapped under shelters of Tangs and Ion due to the torrential rain that hit Orchard Road, fans were having an awesome time jamming with British singer-songwriter Joe Brooks in the safe haven of TAB. Decked in a smart outfit of a crisp white shirt, washed out jeans and a skinny tie, this talented vocalist bewitched the audience with a splendid performance.
While Joe was getting prepared upstairs, the crowd gathered around the stage and moved to popular hits like ‘Call Me Maybe’ and ‘Payphone’. Occasional glimpses of Joe sent waves of squeals through the crowd.
As the lights dimmed, Joe appeared on stage with band members Clinton Babers and Matt de la Garza and strummed start the one-hour gig with ‘I Find The Light In You’.
His eminent vocals echoed through the concert venue as fans sang adoringly along with him.
Joe also performed ‘Carousel’ and told us the bitter story behind this song; of how he was dismissed from a film because his chest hair made him look too old to play a 17-year-old Keith Richards. He then gleefully told us the film was cancelled in the end. His boyish charms and infectious smile kept every single person spellbound. He also played a crowd-favourite, Superman, and fans simply went ballistic. After leaving the stage for a brief moment, Joe came back on stage with just his guitar and performed an outstanding acoustic rendition of ‘Rules of Attraction’. Joe’s falsettos and superb guitar skills narrated a melancholic and heart-wrenching story that drips with regret and sorrow of an unrequited love.
Joe ended the gig with fun, quirky and uniquely-Joe covers of ‘Do It Like a Dude’ and ‘Price Tag’. I tip my bonnet to Joe’s strong voice control, as he transitioned beautifully and smoothly to the falsettos during ballads and tackled up beat songs with energy and power.
For fans who couldn’t make it, Joe promises that they’ll be back, so until then, I shall reminisce in that special hug I shared with the great Joe Brooks.
