Never too late to rock

Drummer Eric Kretz of Stone Temple Pilots 'live' in Singapore.

SINGAPORE: True to their rock star persona, the Stone Temple Pilots (STP) arrived well over an hour late to the roaring disapproval of the paltry audience at the Singapore Indoor Stadium last Friday.

Headlining the first day of the annual Big Night Out gigs, the 90s band consisting of front man Scott Weiland, drummer Eric Kretz and brothers Dean and Robert DeLeo on guitar and bass respectively, produced a vintage rock performance that hardly showed their age, and proved to the vulgar crowd that they still had the goods to back up their antics.

The crowd, numbering a mere 2,000, were generally pleasant when host and comedian "Sugar Sammy", and British band I Am Giant opened the night before the painfully tiring wait drove them to breaking point as they hurled ice cubes and collectively booed the former offstage as he came on for a second time during the interval.

But all was quickly forgotten once the music started.

Opening the 17 song set with "Crackerman", the former Velvet Revolver lead singer pranced around stage effortlessly and teased the audience with his swivelling hips and masterful vocals.

Weiland's rendition of "Down" warrants a special note, with his enchanting and haunting take on the line "Pleased to meet you, nice to know me," providing plenty of earworm opportunities long after the concert.

The concert high though, only reached late into the set, with the opening chords of STP's Grammy winning "Plush" sending the audience wild and helping the older ones reminisce about their younger heydays.

And in honour of their older supporters, the group made sure to include most of their fan favourites, including "Vasoline", "Interstate Love Song" and "Sex Type Thing" for their first ever Southeast Asia tour.

Songs from their sixth and latest album were also on display with "Between the Lines" and "Huckleberry Crumble" managing to garner some response from the audience.
Ending their set in just under 90 minutes with "Trippin' On a Hole in a Paper Heart", with STP singing "I'm not dead and I'm not for sale… Let me be, just let me be..." reminding fans of what they were, what they are and what they will continue to be- pilots of perfect lyrics to great music.

source: channelnewsasia.com

Posted in: Entertainment