A Disappointing Night With Michael Bolton

I'm not sure if it was the acoustics of Solaire Theatre or if the volume of Michael's microphone was not so loud, but something was amiss during Michael Bolton's concert last night.

His voice was not that booming or loud enough to really egg on the audience to cheer for him or his performance last night. It's understandable though that his voice must have lost some of its power considering that in a few years, he would already be 60.

We have seen him perform before in Bangkok ten years ago, and we had so much fun in that concert, we knew would be watching him again if he came back to Asia. The reunion though was a bit disappointing, that we were worried that this was how the audience would also treat Madonna, if she does come here next year.

He delivered a solid setlist though which included all of his hits over the decade that he was very popular. He sang (along with Amanda Brown) all his popular hits and it would've been really a great night, except that his voice lacked the power already.

Vic even said, maybe he didn't vocalize before the show, but knowing that he is doing a tour, his voice would've been very strong right now and very assured.

Oh well, sana we got the cheapest tickets na lang. Buti pa the Boyzone concert, we got the cheapest tickets but we felt we got VIP treatment!

The Mysterious Hunky Fourth Guy in the Boyzone Concert

Last night, as Jen and I were trying to compare who among the Boyzone boys transformed the most these past 20 years, the fourth guy who appeared onstage seemed out of place as he didn't seem to age at all, and looked as hunky and hot as he was 20 years ago!

Remembering Stephen Gately During the Boyzone Concert

What's a Boyzone concert without a tribute to Stephen Gately, whose sudden death in 2009 shook the pop world! There were even allegations of drug use and an unhealthy lifestyle stemming from Stephen's homosexuality, which a columnist unfairly insinuated in a widely reviled article. A firestorm of criticism followed and hounded the columnist against allegations of homophobia.

Most importantly, Stephen's band mates and management stood solidly behind him and shot down all those allegations as untrue and unfair - especially that Stephen was already six feet under and couldn't defend himself.

Last night though, any Boyzone fan did surely miss Stephen's distinctive vocals, as he sang an integral part into many of the boy band's hits. They kept his memory alive as they asked their lady back-up singer to perform No Matter What with them, a song where Stephen's voice figures prominently.

Ronan Keating: Still Dapper After All These Years - and Sounds Good Too!

Zayn Malik can take a lesson or two from Ronan Keating who, in his late 30s, has wisely built for himself two streams of income - one, as a member of a worldwide known boy band, and second, as a solo artist who can command a show all his own.  Sometimes, young people forget that they will also grow old and that their youth will fade, and it would be wise not to bite the hand that feeds you.

Ronan even had an Asian tour a few years ago (he did not pass Manila, but went to SG instead) to promote his last album, Fires.

Better than that, Ronan has maintained his voice, even after 22 years of performing, and he proved that last night, as we began to realize how sorely missed Stephen Gately was, when all the guys had to do their vocals together.  

I guess God had a reason why He put all you five guys together as a boy band group and how your voices sound well together is one of the major reasons why a particular boy band clicks with the masses!

Ronan has also taken care of his looks and although he has allowed age and maturity to etch themselves on his face, he was the easiest guy to identify when you match how they looked twenty years ago - as to how they look now that they were performing onstage.  

Our running joke was, one became Pavarotti, the other one turned into Vanilla Ice, while the third one became the real eye candy in the group!

The Boys of Boyzone Transform into 90s Icons after Twenty-Two Years!

Not only did we have Boyzone last night, we also had Luciano Pavarotti and Vanilla Ice onstage! It took us two hours to figure out who became who in a matter of 22 years! It was truly an all 90s reunion as well!