It was an electric night at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, filled with The xx’s energetic new music and special guest Sampha’s magnetic opening performance
The agonising four-year wait for the return of The xx finally ended last night. The Singapore crowd welcomed the cult indie trio back with open arms, and embraced special guest, Sampha, for his first gig in Singapore with a standing ovation – literally. Back with new, beefier sounds from their latest album, I See You, as well as Jamie xx’s debut solo album In Colour, The xx took the Singapore Indoor Stadium stage to show how they’ve evolved from the shy minimalist to the mega maximalist with a few tricks up their sleeves. Of course, with the help of another rising star: Sampha.
The fellow South Londoner introduced the night with a chilled out ‘Timmy’s Prayer’ in front of a half orb backdrop which perfectly paved way for a full-bodied dance to energetic tracks like ‘Under’ and ‘Reverse Faults’, featured in his stellar debut studio album, Process. Along with his ace band members, Sampha was able to deliver his complex melodies and the profound meanings behind the lyrics of tracks such as ‘(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano’ and ‘Plastic 100͐C’.
Despite Sampha’s tremulous falsetto as he bopped around to his electronic beats, all flaws were drowned out the catchy blend of keyboards and percussions. His vocals were just captivating when he slid into his signature piano ballads, a juxtaposition to his high-energy bangers. It was hard not to fall in love with this modest, low-key star.
Once the lights dimmed after the reasonably timed intermission and the stage lit up in blinding bright colours to ‘Intro’, it was time to welcome The xx. Cheers from the massive crowd powered the highly energetic atmosphere when the three-piece moved into ‘Say Something Loving’ from their third studio album. No doubt, Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim had me swaying and moving along to their tender movements, deep velvety vocals, and harmonious basslines and guitar riffs, while Jamie xx kept the beats up behind his decks, synths and DJ gear. You could almost feel the love as these childhood friends nodded their heads in unison and exchanged pecks on each other’s cheeks throughout the set.
Towards the end, the venue started to look like a disco with fans aggressively dancing to remixes, heavy samples (I can’t deny that the Hall & Oates’ ‘I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)’ sounded brilliant live) and a track from Jamie xx’s In Colour: ‘Loud Places’. The setlist was a great mix of all three studio albums, ending with the ballad, ‘Angels’. The trio then approached the front of the stage, held hands and bowed like it’s their last show, wrapping up quite a magnetic set. Personally, I would’ve enjoyed them better at a smaller, intimate session, but, nonetheless it was definitely a show that stole many hearts.
Looking for other gigs to catch? Check out our round-up of concerts in August and the rest of the year.