Something Good...

... but NOT SPECTACULAR. Yup! I'm talking about the Il Divo Concert I was at recently.

"Greenman in da house"

I invited Momma to this event, but not before meeting up with Styro-girl. Somehow, after our journey crossed path last year, we seem to be unusually closer than any acquaintance. That's besides the point.

"Momma is in da house"

At 7, Momma and I made our way up to the KL Convention Center Level 3 where there was a reception for invited guests and winners of the CIMB Il Divo Contest. It was a very glitzy and posh reception... lotsa clicks, magnificent attires and a breathtaking view of the Twin towers. Most of all, both Momma and I enjoyed the free-flow of finger food and drinks. There were the 'appetizers' first consisting of little breadlings topped with cheese and olives and many other things. Then came the main course of various flavours of chicken drumlets. Finally, we were offered 'dessert' in the form of strawberry and almond chews... Not bad!

The Two Towers... from another perspective.

Best of all, it wasn't like a buffet thingy... we were served. Seriously! The waiters were carrying the food and beverages around the room and politely asking, "Would you like to have some, Sir?" We didn't have to go to the food... THE FOOD CAME TO US! he he he... feels good to experience that for the 1st time.

Anyway, I was talking to one of them strangers. Me asked: "Are you one of them winners?" The well-dressed man and his companion said "NO... we are invited guests; big clients of the bank and they invited us for the show along with all the others." Suddenly, I begin seeing the logic. There is definitely truth in the saying "The rich will only get richer, the poor will only get poorer". While ordinary people have to fork out a lot to watch their favourite group perform, the rich do not have to spend a single dime (even though that is something they can definitely afford). Such a disparity is getting more common in Malaysia these days. In pursuit of money, many forget about those who get left behind and cannot catch up. Mind you... a pair of tix costs at least RM 500... the one I won was RM 1,000 per piece. Even fans of this group would be foolish to purchase such a price.

Il Divo in action... click on the pix for a clearer picture!

The concert started about 30 minutes late even tho everyone was already seated by 8.30 pm. Even the Agung & Permaisuri and the Sultan of Perak & Permaisuri was already in attendance. So when the lights went out, the orchestra started playing and the quartet started belching out their numbers, everyone was excitingly clapping their hands. Most of the songs performed were from their new album 'Siempre' and a few from their previous records. Like every concert that I have attended, this one also had what I called a "pseudo-end". The concert apparently ended with Il Divo doing a rendition of Frank Sinatra's "My Way"... then bid goodbye to the audience. The musicians however, didn't move an inch. And the audience started to chant "We want more!". Even Momma quipped to me that she wanted more. Predictably, the boys came back on stage to perform 2 more numbers, their version of Toni Braxton's "Unbreak My Heart" and then "Somewhere" during which the audience from the front rows were all over showering the boys with gifts, roses and leis.


Plenary Hall Stage
At the end of the day, these are the conclusions that I have drawn. The boys that make up Il Divo are actually talented and they have very good voices... but their showmanship still isn't comparable to that of the 3 Tenors or Sarah Brightman for that matter. It was good but wasn't that spectacular. One more thing... and I feel strongly about this. All good concerts should be held at the Plenary Hall of the KL Convention Center! The sound system, setup, design and ambience is nothing short of amazing.





The title "Something Good" refers to the 1992 dance hit by Utah Saints from their self-titled debut album.