Laneway Festival Singapore, Metallica, Bryan Adams, PJ Harvey, Two Door Cinema Club and more – what a way to start 2017, if you ask us
Brand new year, same ol’ bonanza of gigs in Singapore – 2017 is definitely off to a good start. From one of the biggest indie music festivals in the region to rock legends like Bryan Adams and PJ Harvey, and not to mention the living, breathing incarnations of the Gods of metal themselves, Metallica; January’s looking to be quite the warm-up!
Linus Hablot: 7 January at Esplanade Concourse
This gig doesn’t just document the bourgeoning rise of this new singer-songwriter, but also the nascent DIY label that he calls home, Middle Class Cigars. Witness this triumph for both musician and imprint – a raw, intimate showcase the bends the barrier separating blues and folk. A future Bon Iver in the making, this one.
Linus Hablot, 7 January, Esplanade Concourse, 1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore 038981. Free entry.
Passenger: 13 January at The Star Theatre
They say folk musicians are most eloquent at telling stories, so brace yourself for a show that tugs at your heartstrings. Debuting in Singapore to take you on a ride, Passenger makes a stopover to croon and swoon fans with earnest, guy-next-door vocals. You’ll also know him for folk ballad, “Let Her Go” – y’know, that song that always gets played on radio.
Passenger, 13 January, The Star Theatre, The Star Performing Arts Centre, 1 Vista Exchange Green, Singapore 138617, p. 6636 0055. Tickets available here.
Art After Dark: 13 January at Gillman Barracks
In conjunction with Singapore Art Week, the pop-up, multi-disciplinary festival returns with another shindig for the senses. Aside from art gallery openings and food stalls galore, expect gigs from the music scene’s cream of the crop – past lineups have included acts like iNCH, JAWN, and Vandetta.
Art After Dark x Singapore Art Week 2017, 13 January, Gillman Barracks, 9 Lock Road, Singapore 108937. Free entry.
Aliwal Urban Art Festival: 14 January at Aliwal Arts Centre
The streets are coming alive once more at one of Singapore’s buzziest arts and heritage districts, Kampong Glam, with a festival boasting urban art, yoga, skating, and lots of live, local music. Explore while embracing the saccharine synth-pop of Disco Hue, the gritty noir-rock of TOMGIRL, the chugging alt-rock of Forests, and liquid-smooth hip-hop of superband, Ant-Men.
Aliwal Urban Art Festival, 14 January, Aliwal Arts Centre, 28 Aliwal Street, Singapore 199918. Free entry.
Two Door Cinema Club: 16 January at The Star Theatre
One for the skinny jeans-strapping hipsters, the Irish lads from TDCC are back in Singapore with more sticky riffs and frisky basslines. Numbers like “Undercover Martyn” and “What You Know” propelled them to indie anthem-makers of the late noughties, and their momentum hasn’t fizzled out one bit with their latest disco-teasing aesthetic.
Two Door Cinema Club, 16 January, The Star Theatre, The Star Performing Arts Centre, 1 Vista Exchange Green, Singapore 138617, p. 6636 0055. Tickets available here.
Mosaic Music Series: 13, 15 & 20 January at The Esplanade
Having brought down the likes of The Go! Team, Grimes, and Los Campesinos!, the reputation of the Mosaic Music Series is no mere ripple in the pool. Back to kick off 2017 with a bang, the series starts with British alt-rock icon, PJ Harvey (on the 13th) who’s been revered as one of the greatest musicians of our generation. And two local musicians launch new albums afterwards – the experimental Piblokto on the 15th, and folk upstart Bennett Bay (check out our interview with him) on the 20th.
Mosaic Music Series 2017, 13, 15 & 20 January, The Esplanade, 1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore 038981. Tickets available here.
Bryan Adams: 20 January at Suntec Convention & Exhibition Centre
Even if you weren’t born yet, you would be all too familiar with the Summer of ’69 thanks to this rock legend. Known for his mighty guitar hooks and signature smoky voice, Bryan Adams is, without exaggeration, a household name with hits like “Heaven” and “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You”.
Bryan Adams: Get Up Tour, 20 January at Suntec Convention & Exhibition Centre, 1 Raffles Boulevard, Singapore 039593. Tickets available here.
NOTHING: 20 January at Decline
Already predicting the dry, sludgy languor of the daily grind this 2017? Detach yourself from reality, and slip head-first into the cathartic realm of shoegaze with these Philly rockers. Think a miasma of swirling distortion and dream-dipped vocals, with enough rough edges to keep you energised as you mosh amidst your fellow giggers. They’ll be opened by local bands, Long Live The Empire and 7nightsatsea.
NOTHING, 20 January, Decline, 37 Geylang Lorong 23, Singapore 388371. Tickets available at door at $25.
Laneway Festival: 21 January at Gardens By The Bay
Once again, the St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival returns to Gardens By The Bay with another rousing roster, and it’s one that appeases both doe-eyed indie converts and seasoned chin-strokers. Big names include Nick Murphy (FKA Chet Faker), Tycho, NAO, Glass Animals, Floating Points, Bob Moses and more. Check out our full feature.
St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival Singapore 2017, 21 January, 2017, The Meadow, Gardens By The Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018953. Tickets are available here.
Metallica: 22 January at Singapore Indoor Stadium
Behemoths of metal since 1981, Metallica gave their legions of Singaporean fans a show to remember when they slayed at their sell-out show three years ago. It took these titans about 20 years to come to Singapore and flabbergast everyone with thrashing drums and screeching guitar solos, so we must admit we’re quite surprised to have ’em back so soon – not that we’re complaining one bit. Find out why we’re so stoked.
Metallica WorldWired Tour 2017, 22 January 2017, Singapore Indoor Stadium, 2 Stadium Walk, Singapore 397691. Tickets available here.