In an effort to make up for time and money lost during the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr Simon Yong, a full-time musician, worked nightly gigs to the point of near-exhaustion at the tail end of last year.

Mr Yong, 45, is among a number of musicians who have told TODAY of a significant surge in job opportunities over the past year after Covid-19 restrictions were lifted.

They say the high level of interest in live music is a result of pent-up demand as music lovers look to enjoy their favourite acts as much as possible and catch up with music-filled celebrations of significant events.

Before the pandemic, Mr Yong played about three nights a week in live bars, as well as an average of two to three private or corporate events per month.

After his draining finish to last year, Mr Yong now turns down many invitations to perform to safeguard his health and ensure he has enough family time.

Still, he plays gigs twice weekly at a local bar and restaurant at Gillman Baracks called The Blackbird, as well as about six other events per month.

“Large gatherings events like weddings, corporate events, and music festivals were put on hold for two years. So it is no surprise that they all came back with a bang,” he said.

“Birthday parties, typically those huge ones like 50th, 70th, 80th birthday parties, we’ve done it before. We recently even played for a couple that was celebrating their 50th anniversary together!”

He said he gets four to five times more enquiries for events now compared to before Covid-19.

Mr Yong, who has 17 years of experience as a musician, estimates that the number of such events has more than doubled compared to pre-Covid times given the pent-up demand.

And he expects event requests to increase even further for the rest of the year.

While Mr Yong and other local musicians are describing the resurgence in demand for their talent on the home front, the seemingly ravenous appetite for live music can also be seen for global acts headed here.

Many thousands of fans queued up physically and online for tickets to see international sensations Taylor Swift and Coldplay perform in concerts here, with experts similarly attributing the overwhelming interest to pent-up demand.

Mr Hashim Suhaimi, co-founder, band leader, and guitar player of the local cover band Shagies, has also witnessed a jump in both club gig and event opportunities.

Before Covid-19, Mr Suhaimi played about four nights a week in bars and clubs, with at least one private or corporate event per month.

Since the restrictions were lifted, Mr Suhaimi and his band have been getting offers to play up to five nights a week, with at least two private and corporate events per month now.

Mr Suhaimi also highlights a trend in clients requesting songs in different languages, such as Korean, Indonesian, and especially Mandarin songs.

To adapt to this increase in demand for Mandarin pop music, Mr Suhaimi and his band have made an effort to learn songs from popular mandopop stars like A-Mei and Jacky Cheung despite the language barrier.

“When people request these songs ahead of time for events, we take it as an opportunity to use them in our future gigs," he said.

"If we see a lot of requests for a certain song during our live gigs, we will specially go and learn that song as well,” said the 59-year-old.

ESTABLISHMENTS OFFERING LIVE MUSIC

Establishments offering live music have also seen a general increase in patronage, with firms improving their live music experiences and even expanding to add live music into their repertoire of services.

At Osomatsu Japanese Kitchen and Bar at Tanjong Katong, the owner recently bought the karaoke unit next door, combining the units and renovating the space to include a stage for live music and additional seating room.

Mr Alex Lam, its restaurant manager, has seen an increase in the number of customers and a wider demographic of customers.

“Before our expansion, our customer base mostly consisted of families. Now we are seeing more teenagers,” said the 36-year-old.

After their addition of live music, Mr Lam estimates that the place sees an average of 30 customers at any given time, up sharply from 15 to 20 customers on average before the renovations.

Mr Lam said customers are staying longer too.

“Customers visit us, have their meal, and enjoy the music. Because of the entertainment and interaction with the singers, some of them end up having drinks and staying for more than three hours.”

Mr Mark Huang, founder and managing director of Level Up Arcade and Live Music Bar, estimates his place at Clarke Quay has enjoyed a 30 per cent jump in the overall number of customers in the recent year.

The attendance of customers is also spread more across the week.

“Before Covid, we did not have a band playing on Sundays,” said the 38-year-old.

“But we noticed that after Covid, people go out almost every day, so we wanted to offer live music every single day," he said.

"We also hired larger, multilingual bands that can sing Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, and even Thai songs to give our customers the best experience possible.”

After the restrictions were lifted, Mr Huang upgraded the overall live music experience, by purchasing top-of-the-line lights, speakers, and instruments.

The firm even has a dance floor for patrons.

Mr Danny Loong, chief executive officer and one of the founders of the Timbre group, is no stranger to the live music scene, having played in his own band in his youth.

Deciding to create a platform for live music in Singapore, Mr Loong, 51, started Timbre+ 18 years ago. Timbre+ brands itself as an "upgraded urban food park", with the firm now operating at three different locations, each featuring live music six nights a week.

Some bands such as 53A, who will be performing at this year’s National Day Parade, have been playing at Timbre’s various locations since 2005.

Mr Loong has observed a 30 per cent increase in sales over the last year after Covid-19 restrictions were lifted.

However, he warns that the live music scene remains unpredictable, both for musicians, and establishments offering live music.

He cites factors such as weather and the state of the economy, as factors that could affect the popularity of live music.

Despite this, Mr Loong believes that it is the community that contributes to live music's longevity.

“It’s all up to the audience and customers to keep this alive. We do our part — we hire them, pay them, we attract customers for them,” he said.

“When I see bands play on my stages, I’m very happy. When I see the audience clap for them, I’m even happier. Young people need to see this kind of confidence on stage — to be inspired.”

Source:
courtesy of TODAY

by TAN MING CHUAN

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