Bird up, fam. We’re just two months into 2018, and already there are so many crucial gigs and concerts to catch for the first half of the year — a highly awesome problem to have for lovers of live music.
Me, I can’t pull myself together to dedicate full articles for each of the many, many live music events that’ll be happening in Singapore soon. But since I’m the office’s designated music curator (hit me up for my Soundcloud link), I’ve assigned myself to educate y’all about the gigs that should be on your radar. Feel free to randomly drop the names of these events in passing conversations — trust me, it’ll make you look “Hip”, “Cool”, “In The Know” and, to a certain extent, “Poncey”.
So! Check out the extensive list below, and ping us if we’ve missed out any major concerts we might not be aware of. Don’t sleep on this list.
The Pharcyde 25th Anniversary Album Tour (March 1)
What is it: In September 1992, left-field rap icons The Pharcyde released their first album Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde, and it went down in history as one of the most influential alternative hip hop albums of the ‘90s — hell, it’s Kanye West’s most favorite album of all time. Twenty-five years later, it still continues to be a classic, and two of the group’s former members are dropping by Kilo Lounge to charm fans here once again (like they have for the past couple years).
Go if you: Long for the glory days of old-school hip hop, when A Tribe Called Quest and Public Enemy tapes were permanent fixtures in your Sony Walkman.
Deets: Facebook | Ticketing site
Garden Beats 2018 (March 3)
What is it: Everyone’s favorite electronic dance music soireé at Fort Canning Park returns for its fourth outing, and this time it’s going green. Aside from the usual focus on top-notch electronic acts from around the world (Pomo, Youngr, Andhim, and even our own .gif), Garden Beats 2018 will also be a carbon neutral festival, with biodegradable cups, sustainable energy, and a market featuring conscious local lifestyle brands among other #woke initiatives.
Go if you: Love Mother Earth as much as you love outdoor rave parties.
Deets: Website | Facebook | Ticketing site
I Love ‘90s Concert (March 10)
What is it: If you haven’t deciphered what the concert is about from its very title, it’s one for those who love music from the ‘90s. The kings and queens who ruled the airwaves back then are combining forces for one concert that milks the fuck out of that nostalgia teat — the likes of 911, 5ive and 3/7 of S Club promise over two hours of non-stop hits at The Star Performing Arts Centre.
Go if you: Still keep those Now That’s What I Call Music! CDs to remind yourself of your glory days back in the ‘90s. Or if you can’t get enough of annoying BuzzFeed ‘90s kid clickbait listicles.
Deets: Facebook | Ticketing site
Beach Fossils (March 11 and 12)
What is it: Damn, time really flies — it’s been six years since lo-fi dream pop lads Beach Fossils played a sweaty show at Home Club when it was still around. With a new album under their belt, the Brooklyn-based outfit will be returning to our shores for not one, but two nights of shimmery guitar-fuelled soundscapes.
Go if you are: Mad chill.
Deets: Facebook | Ticketing site
Daniel Caesar (March 12, 13 and 14)
What is it: Canadian R&B crooner Daniel Caesar seemingly came out of nowhere and made an astonishingly solid debut EP back in 2014, showcasing immaculate vocals and a penchant for heartbreaking tunes. His debut album last August proved he had more talent to demonstrate, but it was still pretty surprising that tickets to his debut concert here were sold out within minutes. Organizers added a second show, but even that has sold out. A third show was added, but don’t get your hopes up too much. Try Carousell or somewhere else if you just have to catch him live.
Go if you: Want to finally feel something stirring in your cold, cold heart.
Deets: Facebook | Ticketing site
Fifth Harmony — PSA Tour (March 14)
What is it: It’s 2018, and American pop girl groups have it hard vying for global attention when they’re competing with the well-oiled machine that is the K-Pop industry. Bless the likes of Fifth Harmony for trying though.
Go if you are: Into modern teenybopper music, we suppose.
Deets: Ticketing
Mount Kimbie & Kim Ann Foxman (March 15)
What is it: Brit electronica duo Mount Kimbie had quite a rough time the last time they tried to bring their lush synth-and-bass-heavy tunes to life here during Laneway Festival, but this time, they want to make things right at Zouk, armed with a whole new record of tunes to play. Prolific New York DJ Kim Ann Foxman will keep the party going afterward with a solid house track.
Go if you: Want some dance music with a little more intellectual heft.
Deets: Facebook | Ticketing site
James Blunt (Mar 23)
What is it: British soldier who prevented World War III turned world-famous singer-songwriter turned savage Twitter roaster released a new album last year (yeah, news to me, too) called The Afterlove, and he’s dropping by here as part of the Asian leg of his world tour.
Go if you’re: Beautiful (it’s true)
Deets: Ticketing site
Tinariwen (March 24)
What is it: Don’t let their traditional garb fool you (and why should it?), because the Grammy Award-winning Saharan sensations from Mali are pretty well respected in the modern contemporary music scene. Their hypnotic fusion of traditional Tuareg music with the blues rhythms of Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix has fans ranging from Radiohead’s Thom Yorke to Coldplay’s Chris Martin. If you’re old enough to remember, they actually played here 13 years ago, when WOMAD was still a thing.
Go if you: Love a good tribal dance party.
Deets: Facebook | Ticketing site
Lany (March 29)
What is it: Lany’s a softcore introduction to the world of alternative music, and though they market themselves as indie pop, they’re really just a full-blown pop band that H&M kids are all too happy to be fans of.
Go if you: Think that The Sam Willows is sooooo indie.
Deets: Facebook | Ticketing site
Arch Enemy (March 30)
What is it: Now that’s a name we haven’t heard in years. For the non-metalheads out there, Arch Enemy is one of the oldest (and highly respected) melodic death metal bands out there. Not that gender matters when you’re rocking the fuck out, but the band’s female vocalist is just pure electricity on stage.
Go if you are: A self-respecting metalhead. Do mosh responsibly though.
Deets: Facebook | Ticketing site
SingJazz 2018 (April 6)
What is it: It’s right there in the title — Singapore’s biggest jazz festival. Now in its fifth year, it’s become more than just a platform for stuffy, over-complicated compositions for beret-and-goatee wearers. Actually cool music acts have made appearances the past couple of iterations, and this year features the likes of jazztronica trio GoGo Penguin, soul icon Lauryn Hill, vocal powerhouse Lalah Hathaway and more.
Go if you: Were severely triggered when you watched Whiplash.
Zedd — Asia Club Tour 2018 (April 7)
What is it: What’s there to say about Zedd? He’s an EDM DJ, so you’re either young enough to like his stuff or too old to appreciate the tunes. But you can bet the boys and girls will absolutely go bonkers when he drops his claim to fame, Clarity.
Go if: ZoukOut is your annual holy pilgrimage.
Katy Perry — Witness: The Tour (April 8)
What is it: It’s Katy Perry! Arch-nemesis of fellow pop princess Taylor Swift. She suddenly got really woke last year, but it’s probably a public image thing.
Go if you are: #TeamKaty.
Deets: Facebook | Ticketing site
Counterparts and Stray From The Path (April 12)
What is it: Two veteran metalcore bands for the price of one, so it’s chug-chug breakdowns galore. Canadian melodic hardcore outfit Counterparts and American rap-core quartet both released new albums late last year, and both of them are touring Southeast Asia for the first time.
Go if you: Still have the energy to mosh and slam-dance, because once you get to our age… backaches and sprains galore.
Deets: Facebook | Ticketing site
The Script — Freedom Child tour (April 12)
What is it: These guys are still around? Seems like they’re having a concert here every damn year. Expect more of the same vanilla pop you’ve come to know and love, Singaporeans.
Go if you: Are one of the very tiny fraction of Script fans who have yet to attend one of their multiple concerts over the past couple years.
Deets: Facebook | Ticketing site
Johnny Hates Jazz (Apr 14)
What is it: Oh look! Yet another pop band that peaked in the ‘80s who’re dropping by Singapore because they need the money!
Go if you: Even remember who they are. It’s been 30 years since Turn Back The Clock.
Deets: Ticketing site
Yung Bae and Friends from Middle Class Cigars (Apr 21)
What is it: Yung Bae’s just one of the many young producers/samplers/remixers who rode the vaporwave to its maximum A E S T H E T I C levels. Think nostalgic ’90s disco beats brought to the modern era, where the yung kids of today unironically love dancing to it. Middle Class Cigars is a local record label that fits a similar A E S T H E T I C as well.
Go if you are into: Lofi hip hop radio – beats to relax/study to
Deets: Facebook | Ticketing Site
OneRepublic (April 23)
What is it: Hoo boy, more pure vanilla pop! I won’t even bother to craft a punchline about them.
Go if you: Ugh.
Deets: Facebook | Ticketing site
Enter Shikari (Apr 26)
What is it: Now this is a band that we’ve never heard about for years. Brit lads Enter Shikari used to be really huge back in the tail end of the emopop era, and for a hot minute, everybody loved them for mixing electropop with emocore. That shtick got stale pretty quickly, but it seems like they’re trying very hard to make a comeback of late.
Go if you’re: Kinda embarrassed to have known the corny lyrics to “Sorry You’re Not A Winner” by heart back then.
Deets: Facebook | Ticketing site
Cosmo Pyke (Apr 26)
What is it: Songwriter. Multi-instrumentalist. Skater. Painter. Model. Just some of the things we’re not, but 18-year-old Peckham, London native Cosmo Pyke (his real name) totally is. Talented dude even appeared in a Frank Ocean music video as well, and that’s just icing on the cake.
Go if you’re: Close to his age range.
Deets: Facebook | Ticketing site
Jake Bugg — Solo Acoustic Tour (Apr 28)
What is it: Bugg’s a regular English lad who writes regular acoustic tunes. Really, nothing much else to say.
Go if you: Just want some feel-good soft rock at the end of the day.
Deets: Facebook | Ticketing site
Fall Out Boy (April 30)
What is it: The lesser said about Fall Out Boy’s new material, the better. But man oh man, they were the absolute shizz back in the glory days of emo-pop. Ah, MySpace. Ah, guyliner.
Go if you: Are a regular patron of #EmoNightSG parties.
Deets: Facebook | Ticketing site
Harry Styles (May 3)
What is it: Young mister Styles has come a long way since tripping over bras in his One Direction days here, and perhaps the change suits him better. Now striking solo and gunning hard down the rock ’n’ roll route, the Brit pop star made quite a splash when he played here last November, and he’ll drop by our shores again in May. The previous outing was at the mid-sized The Star Theatre, but this time he’s going massive with a full-blown concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium with indie-rock darlings Warpaint in tow.
Go if you: Went to the Harry Styles concert last year but couldn’t hear shit thanks to the legions of screaming fangirls.
Deets: Facebook | Ticketing site
Dua Lipa (May 4)
What is it: Dua Lipa’s another one that seemed to come out of nowhere and suddenly became huge on the airwaves here last year, thanks to her catchy, dance-y ditty New Rules. But before that tune turned a global hit, the English singer-songwriter actually stopped by Singapore for an acoustic show last May. What a difference a year makes, eh.
Go if you: DGAF.
Deets: Facebook | Ticketing site
Bruno Mars — The 24k Magic World Tour (May 6 and 7)
What is it: Oh come now, it’s Bruno Mars — only the most electrifying live pop performer of the last decade. Too bad both his concerts are sold out — the desperate can try hitting up scalpers and paying thousands for each ticket.
Go if you: Want to be severely entertained.
Deets: Website
Rainer Maria (May 13)
What is it: In the age of emo revival, it’s only right that ‘90s emo icons like American Football and Braid return to the fold. Those two aren’t coming here (unfortunately), but Singapore’s still getting Brooklyn emo trio Rainer Maria, legends in their own right.
Go if you’re: In any emo revival shitposting group on Facebook.
Deets: Facebook | Ticketing site
Iron & Wine (May 14)
What is it: Every self-respecting hipster out there knows Iron & Wine, even if its just for his heartbreaking cover of The Postal Service’s Such Great Heights (that, or the other song in Twilight). But Sam Ervin Beam is more than just that renowned single — the one-man indie folk band has been busy putting out albums upon albums filled with intimate, autumnal classics, with the latest being last year’s Beast Epic. And now he’s making his long-awaited Singapore debut, backed by a full band.
Go if you: Want some quiet me time connecting with your feelings.
Deets: Facebook | Ticketing site
Nils Frahm (May 18)
What is it: Yeah, this one may be a wee bit avant-garde for normie music palettes. Situated at the crossroads of techno, classical, and ambient music sits veteran German composer Nils Frahm, whose recently released ninth album All Melody is, well, all melody. Should be quite an experience to watch him live at the Esplanade Concert Hall.
Go if you: Are seeking a religious audial escape from the hustle and bustle of city living.
Deets: Facebook | Ticketing site
METZ (June 1)
What is it: Noise-punk trio METZ unleashed proper hell when they made their Singapore debut two years ago at Laneway Festival. Imagine the full-blown frenzy that’ll break forth when they perform their own show at the dingy stomping grounds of Decline.
Go if you: Are seeking to relish the chaos and disorder of city living.
Deets: Facebook | Ticketing site
Niall Horan — Flicker World Tour (June 12)
What is it: Oh hey, it’s Niall Horan, the other dude from One Direction who’s playing in Singapore this year. He’s got a couple of nice tunes too, we guess.
Go if you: Are begging for a One Direction reunion, and you want to yell it to him in person.
Deets: Facebook | Ticketing site
