I attended your Music Man concert last Saturday.
You must know, I am never a big fan of concerts, whether yours or not. I enjoy great music, yes, live shows are definitely my favorite, but I am not a big fan of concerts. The reason I made an exception to this was interestingly, research. No, not on you. On your fans.
(It doesn't matter whether the readers of mine, in few or many, believe it.)
I chose a seat fortunately in well prospect of the stage but unfortunately, tad bit too far. You look the size not unlike my index finger (no profanity, people. pure simile purposes). However, I am very much equipped with the wonderful technology of LCD projectors and LED/Plasma screens. And it was definitely nicer to hear the sound and see the pyroworks from far to appreciate it better.
I am very sorry that your fans did not receive well the two singers who opened for you that night. This is the price a "smaller" artiste have to pay in order for exposure and in that process, being compared incessantly to your esteemable talents (which I envy as well).
But with that aside, as I have very much expected, you did not fail your fans. I admit, if I must go for a concert like yours, I'm very glad it was yours I went. I was thoroughly delighted with your fans who did not fail to charm me and I believe, charmed you as well. Though where I was seated, I would thought I went for a semi-Philharmonic seating instead.
Pardon me to say this but I was not as excited as your fans were. Partially due to my seating arrangement, partially due to my objectiveness in the matter which I partook, and partially I was studying the discourse of the whole thing.
There were some however that commented that your concert this time lack the luster it had in your Heroes of The Earth tour last 2 years ago. I did not attend that so I cannot compare. Though I understand his/her disappointment, I felt that you were justified solely for the change in the direction of your music taken after that album was out. But I am sure that person or persons is only a minority, because I believe that this concert was a solid performance.
I admit, I am a little critical in the things I watch, listen and partake in. Maybe it's a queer disposition of mine to be guarded about my feelings, therefore being more objective. Maybe it's the queer education of my university degree. Whatever it is, I was studying your concert, your fans and you.
The following observations are of my own and maybe wrong to your true character. If it offense you or anyone who claim acquaintance with you, let me be corrected and I am truly sorry.
You were not feeling well, were you? I see you placing your fingers at your throat as if you were trying not to strain your voice though you stopped doing that after the third (?) song.
I am very pleased that you furthered my interesting observation in your fans as you went down from the stage during your "Forever Love" song to shake hands with your fans. Those girls (I didn't see any boys) ardently adore you to bits. I wonder when you were protected by the bodyguards, were you used to it or you wished that you could be at more liberty to interact with your fans?
Your esteemable talents, as mentioned earlier, is something that I envy about. It is a great blessing and you recognized that and recognize it still. I am very pleased when you gratified us with your outstanding performance on the guitar (custom made or not), the violin and the piano. (Which I can't resist asking: Did your people not wipe the piano before it got presented on stage? It has that handprint stained, or is it too far for me to see it as some kind of design?) By the way, my sister and I think that the custom Bahamut guitar is really cool.
And your voice, of course. A singer lives by his voicebox. I have heard that you hardly sing out of pitch and I believe it because you are very musically inclined. And I believe it still though I hear a little fatigue in very small parts. And yes, you are the very few male singers whom I enjoy the falsetto immensely. And where I fail due to my objectivity, you succeeded in conveying emotions through the nuances of your voice. And your songs has always a history that piqued my interest, and I am deeply curious if you still feel the pain as when you initially wrote and sang them?
My sister was more excited than I am though she admits she likes your ballads more. 落葉歸根, in her opinion, sounded better live than the CD version. I was enjoying your violin performance and watching your fans then and unfortunately, not notice the difference.
However, I cannot say much for I have not seen your past performances live to understand this concert thoroughly. I enjoyed your birthday song to your drummer though. It was a pity I could not sit nearer to enjoy your band. I enjoy bands. It was also another pity I couldn't hear everything you say clearly especially during the music intervals. Either my hearing is bad or the sound system had too much bass that it garbled up your voice.
One thing about my taste is that I will get excited over the smallest details but remain indifferent to the big things. Like your 4-man band, I find it totally mesmerised me. How did you manage to find three very similarly structured people? Even the nose was identical. The ears escaped my notice though. They did say that ears are often the betrayer of disguise. I am thoroughly impressed as well with your disappearing trick though in lesser degrees.
All in all, you delivered a superb performance albeit some points come across as a little odd but that could be just me and my oddities.
To my opinion, you have always been a sensible man, of good judgement and down-to-earth. My opinion has not changed. I was afraid that my opinion of you would deteriorate after watching you live, but when you revealed yourself in those words which were audible, and when you very nicely addressed everyone in their own language (though...learn Malay or Indonesian! :) ) I still believe, with my past knowledge of you, that you are still a very sensible man. And can I add on to this? I believe you are a perfectionist, though in much better self-control than I, a failed perfectionist. This concert has only concreted my opinions of you. You take pride in doing everything well and for that purpose, you will commit all to success.
That said, you are always in my "thank you's" list in the realm of music. I hope that it remains there for a good time to come, though I may never express that, especially in your presence.
But do let me say this. I am not a big fan of yours but I will find myself quite incapicatated if I should ever exchange a word with you. I always have this nervous cowardice with celebrities, you or not.
I have wearied you. But please let me end with this. I may not agree with everything you do but you have earned my highest respect in terms of your art and your dedication to it. Please continue to exercise that sensibility which have, I believe, guided you well enough through those years. And let me be as bold as to add this: As much as you are committed to your art, I think it would be good that you take a rest from it from time to time. It will do you good, do your relationships good and most importantly, do your music good. I believe your ardent fans and I are anticipating greater things from you in the future so please, do not burn out over your dedication.
Yours truly,
P/S: I am shamelessly bold in writing, but please for our sake, consider this advice as well: Either go for acting class and perhaps learn Method acting or for now, choose characters that resembles your own most.
And seriously, don't mind my English. I have been indulging in English classics and watched the good 5-hour BBC adaptation of "Pride and Prejudice" in one sitting, again. I don't wish to sound condescending or shameless. If I do, I'm truly sorry. God bless you and your future undertakings. May your music continue to grow, grow, grow!
(Funny how old polite English has become somewhat a condescending language though one does not have the intention of so. I am very filled with Wilkie Collins' "The Woman In White" which I just finished, all 580++ pages of it that I cannot think in urban English. Someone please speak to me in Manglish.)
(I sincerely believe that Lee Hom will never read this. It is only a perspective taken in writing a review of his concert though I might have alluded more to his character (in my opinion) than his concert. But I speak the truth. I do respect that man for his talents whether I like him or not. He is really a music prodigy blessed with good looks to go with it. The shame (or comfort perhaps. If not, he is perfectly skilled, and that is very disconcerting indeed. :P) is that his acting is in want of improvement. Reminds me of Javabeans' comment on Daniel Henney.)
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