(貓小姐也要玩"個唱之夜夜不同"囉! 頗詭異的表情) http://www.todayonline.com/Entertainment/Music/EDC111004-0000108/An-honest-show Singer Kit Chan and music director Goh Kheng Long promise a show with a difference by Christopher Toh 04:46 AM Oct 04, 2011 JUST over a month after Kit Chan announced her two-night gig at the Marina Bay Sands' Grand Theater, organisers MediaCorp VizPro International had to open a third show due to "overwhelming response". But if they're facing any pressure to live up to these rather great expectations, you wouldn't have known it looking at Chan and her music director Goh Kheng Long, as we sat at a cafe after our photo session at the Steinway Gallery. In fact, what seemed to be more important is what we were going to drink. Which, apparently, is the case whenever Goh and Chan get together. "We don't know what to eat each time we meet each other," quipped Goh. "Recordings or discussions with Kit always have to be coupled with 'What are we going to have?'. It's really stressful for me. I always get cold sweat, because even though the music is ready, I don't know what food to provide for her on a particular day." "My big complaint about him is that he makes me fat. But if you've noticed, I haven't been eating a lot, because I need to fit into those outfits," said Chan. That there's only just over three weeks left to the gig, and that the show is still being tweaked isn't a bother. The two have worked together so often, most recently her latest album Re-Interpreting Kit Chan (2011) - and the fact that Goh is one of the region's top music producers and arrangers, having worked with almost everybody from Stefanie Sun to A-mei to David Tao - that Chan trusts he'll get the job done. "Come on, we're pros, man!" laughed Chan. "He still owes me (the arrangement on) one song because he went on a holiday." "But that makes it more interesting right?" quipped Goh. "You pressure yourself by giving yourself less time to do something; then when you do it well, you feel a greater sense of achievement." "I think it's all going to be fine. I'm working towards having no pressure on the day itself. It's fine to have pressure before that, but I want to enjoy myself," said Chan. A 'non-show' of epic proportions Perhaps that's why Chan has opted to do this show - dubbed The Music Room - with a difference. Unlike most Asian pop concerts, where there is plenty of emphasis on the largesse of the production - think Aaron Kwok's revolutionary revolving stage or Jacky Cheung's modular set - Chan's show is looking rather bare in comparison. Which means she won't have to worry herself about cues and staging so much. "It's minimalist, but it's still very dramatic," said the 39-year-old singer. "I think with a few significant strokes you can still create a very strong tableau." But surely fans expect a little more? "Even though a show has high production values (read: A massive budget) there are times when you feel it's very mechanical, and therefore you're not feeling (the vibe)," she countered. "You can still watch a spectacle on DVD right? But what you can't get from the DVD is the intangible energy and feeling of the concert." That energy, said Goh, doesn't come from stage sets or pyrotechnics, but from the musicians. "A lot of shows are so production-based that it distracts from the music itself," said Goh. "The performers must show that they are really enjoying themselves. That body language is a lot more than what is on the surface." The focus of the show they said, is the music from Chan's 18-year career. "I think it's going to be fun and exciting because it's going to be no-frills music for everyone," said Goh. Chan agreed: "The shows I remember are always the ones where it's 100 per cent focused on the music performance. I mean, spectacles are nice, but there is a time for that kind of feast, and there is a time for wonderful, healthy-but-tasty spa cuisine." "We're not dissing mega productions - because we've all been part of it ourselves," added Chan. "But in Asia, it's like if you're a mainstream artiste, you have to do a mainstream sort of show that ticks all the boxes. Like there's no alternative option. Well, this is an alternative. If you're tired of mega productions and you want a night of honest, good music, then come to this show." Organically grown When discussing the show Chan and Goh like to bandy about keywords such as "honest" and "organic". It may sound like a cliche, but given the kind of productions both of them have embarked on before, it is a change of gear they are throughly enjoying. "Usually, Mandopop concerts are like, they throw the instructions to you, and you do it," said Chan. "This time round, we have a lot of freedom, even in the structure," said Goh. "We can tweak and change, even the timing." Added Chan: "I think this concert is a very natural extension of our work on the album. The album also came about like that, very organically. We worked more on pre-production - talking about what we wanted - and spent less time on the actual production itself. I think it becomes very instinctive, whereas in a commercial production, very little is said - they give you orders; you just execute." Part of that pre-production process included coming up with a set-list that Chan would be comfortable performing. The singer had initially refused to sing certain songs because she "got so very sick of them and couldn't bear to sing them". Because she wanted this concert to be as definitive as possible, however, she agreed to let a few of them back on the list. "I was a bit hesitant, but when he handed in the music arrangement, I started enjoying them again," said Chan. That's why each of the three nights will probably be very different, Goh added. "The interpretation is different each night, and the audience response is different each night. If the second show is the same as the first show, I'd rather watch the DVD." "In other words, he's saying, 'Please buy tickets to all three shows,'" laughed Chan. So does this concert signal a new musical direction for Kit Chan? "I cannot say for sure, because you know me, I'm always changing. But right now, it seems to be very natural to me," she said. "That doesn't mean that I was pretending back then - that was me then. As an artiste you have to keep evolving. Like life. Like the seasons. "I think I'm on the right track. This is who I am now." Kit Chan's The Music Room happens on Oct 13 to 15 at the Grand Theater, Marina Bay Sands. Tickets at S$68 to S$888 (VIP seats) from Sistic. Re-interpreting Kit Chan is out in stores now. --

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