.jpg) Live music by local bands draws in the crowds. So what if they do mostly covers?
DANCE music and international DJs are no longer the top draws in nightspots. Drum roll please, for homegrown bands which are now stealing the spotlight.
For instance, crowds have been flocking to Rouge in Orchard Road to watch veteran John Molina & Krueger.
The cover band became the two-year-old club's first-ever resident band on Sept 5, after Krueger's three-year stint ended at China Bar at Central Mall in June.
Krueger's arrival at Rouge saw an increase in patronage of 200 per cent, 'if not more', says Mr Yung Ong. He is director of the Peranakan Place Complex which runs Rouge, Rouge Outdoors, Acid Bar and Alley Bar, all situated along the stretch.
'We were trying to look at our cluster of outlets as a complex rather than individual .jpg) places so that all of them can co-exist and be beneficial to the group,' he says.
Krueger was brought on board to cater to a market of patrons who wanted live music.
The 6,000 sq ft Rouge which opened in December 2003 previously employed DJs who would spin house music nightly to a half-filled dancefloor.
These days, weekends are the busiest with over 700 working professionals in their 20s to mid-30s packing the place to watch the sexy Molina, 35, and his band dish out covers of artistes from Coldplay to Guns 'N' Roses and The Killers
Rouge is not the only nightspot reaping the rewards of a live band.
Harry's@Orchard has also experienced an uptick of 50 per cent in sales and .jpg) patronage after homegrown band Tania moved into its premises on Oct 10.
The bar, which opened in late April, housed R&B act Way Kool fronted by vocalist Denise Mininfield, until Tania took over. Tania signed a five-year contract with Harry's in September after its members closed their own nightspot, Anywhere Music Pub, at Tanglin Shopping Centre after 19 years of business. 'Harry's has changed a lot. It's a testament to Tania's prowess.
The band is pulling in clientele that never used to go to Tanglin Shopping Centre,' says Mr Mohan Mulani, managing director of Harry's. When it played R&B, the crowd was mainly expatriates in their mid-30s who would fill out about half of the 100-capacity place.
Now, it's standing room only on weekends, attracting expats and Singaporeans in their 30s and 40s. Though Tania lorded over packed crowds at its own Anywhere too, the switch in venue has galvanised the pop-rockers. Guitarist Zulkifli Sutan, 53, says: 'The move has given us a kick right up our backsides too.' Tania had become 'complacent, lazy and jaded' before the move. 'It's easy to be a king in your own kampung, but over here, we're up against anyone.'
The competition to stay afloat is stiff, looking at how a slew of other Orchard Road bars and clubs also boast resident live bands. Examples include Orchard Parade Hotel's Devil's Bar, Wisma Atria's Nude Supper Club + Bar, Marriott Hotel's Bar None and Grand Hyatt's Brix.
Then there are bands such as EIC, Batteries Not Included and The Unexpected, that have garnered popularity at fringe areas like Wala Wala at Holland Village, Balaclava at Suntec City and Insomnia at Chijmes. And older Singaporeans would remember the 1980s to early 1990s when the night scene was awash with Filipino acts, as well as local bands like Gingerbread, Heritage and Tokyo Square.
They played in places such as Hard Rock Cafe (which currently houses Indonesian.jpg) band Arnesia) and the now defunct Papa Joe's, Peppermint Park and Ion Bar. But the entertainment scene switched to clubs with DJs spinning techno, progressive house and trance, in the mid-1990s, in places like Boat Quay and Mohamed Sultan. While such clubs are still common, it is perhaps an indication of the ever-morphing nightclub scene that it has embraced live bands once more.
Even long-standing dance-club operators are hedging their bets. While Zouk's marketing manager Tracy Philips says 'I don't think we'll be looking at making any drastic changes just yet, we do observe trends which is why we decided to incorporate live bands at ZoukOut this year'. The event, which will feature homegrown indie bands such as Tiramisu, Electrico and Concave Scream, will be held on Dec 10 at Siloso Beach, Sentosa.
It seems a good move, going by what seasoned clubbers tell Life!. Ms Janice Chia, 32, a retail assistant, used to head to Zouk on weekends 'but I've outgrown it. These days, I prefer to unwind at a bar or club that has a live band instead'. Rouge regular Jonathan Goh, 30, an accountant, echoes that sentiment when he says: 'I'd rather watch a band than go to a nightclub that plays meaningless dance music. Being able to sing along to songs makes it so much more fun.' Perhaps the popularity of reality singing contests, from American Idol to Project Superstar to Rock Star: INXS, has made people sit up to the joys of live music. Industry sources say bands can be paid between $20,000 and $35,000 a month for a five-man outfit.
While that sum may seem like a lot for doing something most people can only dream about, Molina says the job has drawbacks like intensive afternoon rehearsals and unhealthy late nights. He says: 'You tend to get the flu easily from the lack of sleep and nutrition. I've actually asked the guys to load up on vitamin C and drink plenty of water.' The band takes a break from its six-night-a-week sets only twice a year, for a week at a stretch. When they are away, they source for a band with a similar repertoire to stand in. So while the new enthusiasm for live bands may tempt others to jump on the bandwagon, industry sources say making money is not guaranteed.
Just ask Bar None's managing director Marco De Miranda, 34, who says: 'The band needs to continuously upgrade equipment and change repertoire to suit the audience. Ultimately, it's a culmination of good sound, good music and good entertainment.' Bar None hires Jive Talkin' to perform at the 3,500 sq ft club nightly, except Mondays, attracting over 400 party-goers on weekends.
Without divulging specific figures, Mr De Miranda says salaries for the eight-man band are somewhere in the $20,000 to $40,000 range a month. It's not a small sum to be sure but since the bar has not had to change its live-band format since it opened in October 1999, one presumes that it must still be making money. Molina, who refuses to disclose how much his band gets a month, is happy for the new boom in live music though he admits: 'At times, when I sing, I feel like I should be on a holiday. 'But it's really the crowd support which keeps us going. We get a strong female following and the guys also like us because we're really down to earth.'
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