Outside NP’s cultural theatre, a queue start forming at 5pm for the gig co-organised by the Poly Stage Production (PSP), Chinese radio station y.e.s. 93.3 FM and Music Street.

First in the queue was Celine Ang, 18, a 1st-year Information Technology (IT) student with a group of 3 friends. They “came straight after school” but were only there to accompany a friend who is a big SHIN fan.

By 5.45pm, the queue had snaked around the whole theatre. However, students were only allowed in at 7.05pm after the band members were satisfied with their sound check.

The audience were each given a pair of Hang Ten discount vouchers by the organisers as SHIN were their 30-somethings poster boys. SHIN, consisting of lead singer Shin, guitarist Chris, keyboardist Tomi, bassist Max and drummer Michael had been touring pubs for a decade before making their mark with songs such as “One Night in Beijing” and “Shi Jie Mo Ri”[literally End of the World].

Rocking the house down
Backstage with SHIN
We should be so lucky

Rocking the house down

Playing songs from their latest album Hai Kuo Tian Kong (what they’ve dubbed Wide Ocean Wide Sky), SHIN had the whole 400-seater theatre rocking on their feet, even with Chris missing the Singapore leg of their promotional tour due to a recent surgery. Lead singer of the band, Shin, after whom the band is named, prompted the audience at the first song to stand.

Like many others, 1st-year Engineering Informatics (EI) student Ng Pin Rui, 19, said that he “didn’t expect to stand” and was caught by surprise.

Agreed project manager of the event, Jessie Toh, 19, “It’s the first time [this has happened].” The 3rd-year Information & Communications Technology (ICT) student added, “Usually they[the audience] will just sit down and listen to the music.” It’s also the first time that PSP has organised a full-fledged rock concert by such a prominent Taiwanese band.

In fact, as the audience began to sit down at the start of SHIN’s second song, Shin shouted in Mandarin, “Did anyone ask you to sit? Stand up!” While the audience interaction was lively, these were minimal as Shin powered through song after song. Jumping on chairs, kneeling on the floor and screaming his lungs out, he gave an unforgettably fiery performance backed by a solid tune-perfect band.

As the concert drew to a close near 8pm, the audience was all fired up, dancing and swaying to the music on their own accord. While shouts and screams are a common thing at concerts, this was the first concert organised by the PSP that Jessie saw the “whole theatre of people shouting for them”.

There was no encore that night as SHIN left the stage. As told to UrbanWire, SHIN had other plans that night and had to rush off.

Tan Shu Ting, 19, a 2nd-year IT student said that the concert was “very nice but it’s too short… pity Chris didn’t come”.

Echoing her sentiments was Gregory Song, 19, a 3rd-year IT student who said it was “too short…but it’s great!”

Backstage with SHIN

Squeezing a few minutes out of their busy schedule, SHIN spoke to UrbanWire in Mandarin, backstage while hurriedly eating their food, getting their make-up done and preparing for the concert.

Only 4 out of 5 members arrived in Singapore on this promotional tour. Tomi said that their missing member Chris, the guitarist, “was sick and just had his operation…he is resting at home”.

Masa, a popular guitarist in Taiwan will replace Chris tonight and for the rest of the promotional tour.

“He’s really good and all of us idolise him a lot,” said Michael, drummer for the band.

True to their busy schedule, Tomi said, “After the concert, we will be rushing off to record some TV programme.”

We should be so lucky

This concert was possible because Jessie Toh, 19, a final-year ICT student and project manager of the event approached Music Street and asked if any artiste were coming down to Singapore. The original plan was to have R&B, a Taiwanese group consisting of 2 girls and 5 guys down for a concert.

This plan soon changed when SHIN was scheduled to come down to Singapore for their promotional tour. As this was the first time that PSP has played host to a rock band, one of the concerns Mr Ian Wong, the staff in charge, had was if the cultural theatre (LT26) would be able to take the full aural assault of a live rock band. About 30 club members were involved in the planning of this concert, which included the distribution of tickets, ushering and other administrative matters.

Jessie explained that a larger and newer venue like the convention centre was not used was because, “They are preparing for exams… arranging the chairs and all.”

As a graduating student, this will be her last concert as PSP’s project manager.

“I hope my juniors will bring in more concerts…more English bands so that we can have more Malay or Indian audiences.”

All pictures provided by Poly Stage Productions.