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If the expression says ‘as humble as apple pie’, then Carlos Santana has the humility of an entire bakery. Just before his big gig at the Indoor Stadium, Gerard Ward got to grab a rewarding few moments with the guitar legend, and heard about learning self-trust, jamming with Prince and ‘playing beyond the song’

Guitar Heaven is a collection of music that to most would seem like the golden collection of tracks. How did you come to choose those 14 tracks? 
The idea came from [Arista label kingpin] Clive Davis. So he selected seven songs, and I selected seven, and then it became fun. But again it comes back to trust, you know. At first I didn’t trust myself. I thought: I don’t think I want to do this, this is scary. One song or two songs is okay, seven of them… it’s a little scary. You start thinking: What are other people going to think? That is what stops most people from doing things that are almost impossible to do because you start worrying about what other people will think, instead of what your heart feels. So as soon as I stopped worrying, it became fun.

Business Ashraff Ibrahim was the first person at the Indoor Stadium to get the tickets to Justin Bieber's Singapore concert which went on sale yesterday. -- ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM

WITHIN about three hours, the most expensive tickets to Canadian pop sensation Justin Bieber's concert here in April were sold out.

Online sales for Visa cardholders opened on Monday at 9am. By press time, all the $198, $228 and $250 tickets were gone.

Bieber, 17, rose to fame on YouTube after a video of his act at a singing competition was uploaded in 2007. His debut album netted seven songs on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.

Ms Julie Smith, a sales marketer in her late 20s, bought four $250 tickets on the website of ticketing agent Sistic.

The mother of a 10-year-old daughter got seats in the seventh row from the stage at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, where Bieber will be performing on April 19.

'Even though I camped out in front of the computer at my workplace, I only managed to get seats in the seventh row. Which means there were other people who were much quicker than me,' she said.

- The Straits Times 

TOKYO — Pretending to be obnoxious rock stars in the belief their band would never get noticed only became a problem for Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser when they suddenly became famous.

For the two core members of the psychedelic New York-based band MGMT, sharp and fast fame brought by the success of their 2007 debut album Oracular Spectacular also tested a friendship formed at university.

"It was a running joke for us when we would perform in college that we'd adopt these fake rock star personas when we played live, thinking that we were never going to get noticed," said Goldwasser on the phone from New York.

"But then we got noticed. And then we kind of freaked out."

MGMT (pronounced M.G.M.T.) are set to embark on an Asian tour that begins in Japan on Tuesday.

That will be followed by appearances in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Hong Kong and South Korea, having navigated the tricky follow-up to a successful debut album.

Fame, fortune and recognition as indie heartthrobs has drawn a complicated response from the band formed at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, a liberal arts and sciences school where the pair met as freshmen in September 2001.

An early song, Time to Pretend, was both a fantasy and satire of rock stardom written at a time when neither took seriously the idea of being in a band, Goldwasser says.

But Columbia Records thought differently and signed them, forcing the two fans of uncommercial psychedelia from late reclusive Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett, or self-destructive Dan Treacy of indie band the Television Personalities, to take life a little more seriously.

Which in part meant not playing the Ghostbusters theme for 45 minutes straight, as was reportedly their wont to do during early live shows.

Most musicians would dream of a record deal being handed to them, but keyboardist and co-composer Goldwasser says he and VanWyngarden, both 28, were troubled by the idea despite it parachuting them from students into stardom.

"We were in denial about it for a long time and didn't believe it was real," he said.

The band won audiences the world over with a debut album packed full of intricate pop melodies with a nod to psychedelia, rock and electronic music. Oracular Spectacular has sold more than one million copies worldwide.

But Goldwasser says he and VanWyngarden found themselves instinctively shrinking back from their success.

"We were getting bigger and bigger crowds but we felt it was just a phenomenon and not actually about what we wanted to be doing," he said.

"It felt like it was getting out of control," he adds. "It did affect our friendship -- we had to take something seriously that for such a long time was just a way to blow off steam for us."

Last year began amid accusations MGMT were about to commit commercial suicide with their follow-up album Congratulations and that they sought to pare away the fame and fairweather fans that their debut had brought them.

But it was far from the disaster predicted by some corners of the music press, instead a slow-burning homage to the band's core -- albeit distinctly uncommercial -- influences.

"There wasn't any sort of analytical or calculated side to it, we weren't trying to throw off fans," said Goldwasser. "That was kind of a tough period."

Congratulations went on to receive positive reviews from fans and critics, and Goldwasser says he and VanWyngarden have come to terms with the knowledge that ideas they might not take seriously nevertheless have a mass appeal.

"Having all this turn into a big deal was a test on our friendship but now we agree how ridiculous it all is. We know to keep at the back of our minds that no matter what happens, none of this is supposed to make sense."

- David Watkins (AFP)

Text and interview: Lennat Mak

Since releasing their debut album, Conditions, in 2009, London-based Australian band The Temper Trap has been wowing about music fans and critics alike with their soaring and atmospheric tunes such as “Sweet Disposition,” “Love Lost” and “Fader.” Cutting their mettle in London, the band – Dougy Mandagi (vocals, guitars), Jonathon Aherne (bass), Lorenzo Sillitto (guitars) and Toby Dundas (drums) – has played various major music festivals in both the U.K. and U.S. and at the 2010 ARIA Music Awards, the band also bagged home Best Group and Most Popular Australian Single (”Sweet Disposition”). Suffice to say, The Temper Trap has definitely arrived in their own terms. 

Come January 29, 2011, the band will play their last show for their Conditions tour at the Singapore leg of the St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival 2011. It’s sweet homecoming, as Laneway was the first music festival that the band had played. Recently in town for a special appearance at the Laneway Festival press conference in Singapore,the band met up with MTV Asia at TAB Singapore and shared their indie success stories and much more.

* * *

At this point of your career, do you guys feel that you’ve made it?

(All laughs)

Jonathon Aherne: Well, we’ve made it to Singapore! We’ve done a lot of things but we definitely don’t feel like we’ve arrived. We would still like to expand musically, become better at our instruments and we still feel we’ve got a lot more places to go and a lot more music to create.

SINGAPORE : Popular Korean pop boyband 2AM is known for their smooth vocals - a trait that's setting them apart from the many dance groups in the K-pop crowd. 

Putting their singing abilities to the test, the four-member group - who were Singapore recently to plug their first full-length album "Saint O'Clock" - gave a rather impressive live rendition of their new song "Like Crazy"... even if it was just a few bars.

No surprise then, that their new album has been topping the major music charts in Seoul with 2AM offering a refreshingly back-to-the-basics pop sound that has the oh-so-familiar techno beats in most of the dance numbers by other boy- and girl-bands, stripped away. 

Sentimental ballads have been the group's focus since its debut some two and a half years ago, but 2AM is not shutting the door on other music genres. 

"We are now focusing on R&B, but we are open to new opportunities and we'll be trying out a lot of new genres. If you look at the lyrics, they are about sentimental feelings too," said 2AM vocalist and rapper Lee Changmin.

Typically one of the classier acts on stage, the quartet shocked fans recently at a music awards show when they ripped off their clothes in a moment of jubilation. 

Abs is however not planned for upcoming performances these good-looking young men whose ages range from 21 to 24 years.

"Because our focus is on ballads, it would be abnormal to rip our clothes off," said 2AM. 

Group leader Jo Kwon was however, quick to note that fellow 2AM-er Changmin has the best bod to show off. 

"As you can see here, Changmin doesn't wear that much clothes - it's only one layer," quipped the fun-loving singer, as he compared his own three-piece shirt-vest-jacket getup to Changmin's top with a V-opening on the front.

When clothes continued to dominate the media event, the outgoing performers stayed candid even when explaining why wearing nothing more than boxers and briefs when the Korean guys are together in private isn't unusual. 

"We've been together for quite a long time, so we are comfortable with each other, so it's quite normal to see guys 'dressed down' when we are at home," said a wide-eyed Jo Kwon, while his mates agreed in unison. 

When asked if they'll do the same while they are in Singapore, the four nodding their heads vigorously replied, "Of course!"

There was no word if 'dressed down' is best when 2AM take on music composing duties, such as Changmin's latest contribution "To Love Again" which is in the new album. 

Just like their Korean personalities, acting and hosting is part of 2AM's resume too, with vocalist Im Seulong making his TV acting debut earlier this year with the Korean drama "Personal Taste", while Jo Kwon reunited with his reel-life wife Ga-in from girl-band Brown Eyed Girls for their first sitcom "All My Love" which began airing last month. 

"We've been 'married' for over a year on the reality show 'We Got Married', so we are very comfortable with each other. Because of that experience, we have no problems getting along in the sitcom where we play twin brother and sister," said Jo Kwon. 

So is real-life set to follow reel-life, no one is sure, although when asked about their ideal women and their preferred Korean ladies, Jo Kwon chose 'wife' Ga-in.

As for the others, Seulong reaffirmed his devotion to actress Shin Min Ah, Changmin picked actress Cho Yeo Jeong, while youngest member Jung Jinwoon named Soo Young from SNSD.

Singapore fans aren't too far off on their love-meter either, with the foursome's second visit to the island leaving one impression of local supporters - "Passionate" – summed up Changmin in just one word.

- CNA

SINGAPORE : Super Junior fans' prayers have been answered.

Concert promoter Running Into The Sun announced Wednesday that the popular K-pop band will add another show to the Singapore leg of the "Super Show 3 - Super Junior The Third Asia Tour" to meet overwhelming response.

To be held on January 30 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, the concert will kick off at 4pm.

Tickets are priced at S$158 and S$208, and OCBC cardmembers or SingTel customers with a Samsung mobile phone will be able to purchase tickets from December 6 by flashing their mobile phones at SISTIC outlets. Sale of tickets to the public will be available from December 9.

Tickets to Super Junior's January 29 show were snapped up within one and a half hours when priority sales opened on November 20, while an additional release of 200 tickets on November 23 were gone within 10 minutes.

"We expected tickets to sell like hotcakes but it was still jaw-dropping watching the system report 1,000 tickets sold online within 15 minutes. It felt like watching the stock market move and we were worried that there wouldn't be enough tickets for the fans, especially for those who queued overnight," said Beatrice-Chia Richmond, creative director of Running Into The Sun. 

"Following numerous requests from fans, we spoke to the Super Junior management immediately to request for an additional concert night, and we are thrilled that we finally managed to confirm a second night for the fans," she added. 

"With this, we hope we will be able to meet the demand of the fans here."

- CNA/il

CALLING all K-pop fans!

Yes, it’s a week until the I Love Asia Pop! Presents MNET Ultimate Live In Asia show happens. And guess what, we’ve just been told by Launch Entertainment when the five Korean acts who would be performing will be trooping into town.

So don’t be surprised if you see a bunch of screaming fans at Changi Airport on the following dates…

Dec 1: 2AM arrives. Flight: SQ609, arrival time: 2150hrs

Dec 3: 2PM, Miss A, MBLAQ arrive. Flight: SQ603, arrival time: 1415hrs

Dec 4: BEAST arrives. Flight: SQ603, arrival time: 1415hrs 

- TodayOnline Poparazzi 

SINGAPORE : Super Junior fans who did not manage to get their hands on tickets to the K-pop band's sold out concert in Singapore in January, fret not.

Concert promoter Running Into The Sun has announced that it will release 200 more mosh pit tickets to the Singapore leg of the "Super Show 3 - Super Junior The Third Asia Tour" for public sale on Tuesday.

Priced at S$158 and S$208, only 5,000 tickets were made available for the January 29 show at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

All the tickets were snapped up within four hours by SingTel customers with a Samsung phone and OCBC cardmembers when priority sales opened on November 20, even before they were made available for purchase by the general public on November 23.

"We're just trying to also be fair to the rest of the fans," said a spokesperson from Running Into The Sun, of their decision to release more tickets.

She added that the number may be small but "at least it's available for everybody" and explained that they "could issue 500 more tickets but the company was concerned about the safety of the concert-goers".

The spokesperson revealed that negotiations are underway with Super Junior's management to see if a deal can be worked out for a second show.

The additional 200 mosh pit tickets for Super Junior's concert will go on sale at 10am on Tuesday via SISTIC. 

- CNA/ha

"YOU have to serve an actual purpose!" said the chirpy voice on the other end of the line. "Nobody comes along and just hangs out! You have to have a job. Any openings? No, no, we're good, actually. Thanks for asking, though."

We were chatting with the hottest female singer in country music, Taylor Swift. Our question: How can we be part of her entourage? 

Can you blame us? Just over a week ago, singer-songwriter Swift won top honours as Country Songwriter Of The Year at the BMI Awards in Nashville, becoming the youngest person in history to win the award. She also took home the Country Song Of The Year award, for You Belong With Me, making her the first-ever songwriter to win that award three years in a row. Swift's previously won for Love Story (2009) and Teardrops On My Guitar (2008).

In the past two years, Swift has gone from being just another successful country artiste to being one of the world's most exciting female country-crossover performers since Shania Twain. Her latest album, Speak Now, sold over a million copies in its first week (according to Nielsen SoundScan, it's the biggest single-week sales total since 2005 ), giving her a total of over 13 million albums sold so far. 

She's received so many accolades and awards - not least the famous MTV award for Best Female Video that sparked off "The Kanye Incident" - that a little blip like not bringing home any hardware from the recent Country Music Awards isn't going to faze her.

"One of the things that I've been really excited about is the positive reviews about my new album," she said over the phone from London, where she was about to perform on a Radio 1 show. "So for it to come out and sell a million records is … that's something I'm grateful for.

"My life has been really inspiring in the last two years - it's been very emotional, very intense and so much has happened. I've had a lot to write about."

Wonder if she sent any loud-mouthed rappers a thank-you card.

They who shall not be named

It's understandable why many are curious to understand the psyche of this young phenom - she's only 20 - and find out what makes her tick. But, like in that Suzanne Vega song, Swift isn't going to give away the goods too soon. Much.

"I write songs about my life and I always have ever since I was 12 years old," she said. "One of my goals as a songwriter was to stay the same songwriter, even when I got successful. And what that means is to continue to write songs as I already have - that's why I continue to write songs about my life. 

"Nowadays, it seems like people are a little more interested in what the subject material is all about," she continued. "But I don't tell ... And if people are going to talk about what the songs are about, it doesn't bother me as much as you think, because I don't really ever Google to find out who's thinking about what the songs are about."

The songs in question are from Speak Now, and yes, people are guessing: Is Innocent, for example, really about rapper Kanye West? Is Dear John her retort to John Mayer? Is Back To December is about ex-boyfriend and Twilight star Taylor Lautner? And which song is about Jake Gyllenhaal?

"I understand it can seem confusing because I sing songs about my personal life but I don't talk about my personal life in interviews," Swift reiterated. 

"I understand that I can be a blurry line. But to me, it's very clear. I guess I just don't talk about some things because some things you just have to keep to yourself."

Great. To kill time, we chatted about her upcoming concert in Singapore next year.

"We'll be performing songs off the new record Speak Now and, hopefully, it'll be a really high-energy, fast-paced concert that will have some acoustic moments in it and lots of storytelling about what the songs have been written about."

But didn't she just say she doesn't talk about ... Ah yes, a blurry line.

Another reason she's excited to perform on our little island set in the sea is that her mother grew up in Singapore. 

"Yes, my mum actually grew up there and she's always telling me about Singapore. And, yes, she is going to visit, so I can't wait to see what she thinks about the place that she came from."

Tattoos take dedication 

Her Speak Now world tour will traverse 18 countries, with 85 shows currently on her plate - including one on a cruise ship, apparently. 

"I'm not sure, I've not heard about that. But if you've heard about that, then I guess it might be happening," she said. Ooh, sarcasm, anyone?

"I've performed in airport terminals, Boy Scout meetings, little hole-in-the-wall bars, hospitals ... anywhere you can possibly go. I've had a lot of crazy moments on the road, mostly because I tour so much. And sometimes you wake up with the craziest jet lag and you don't know where you are or what time it is or what language they speak in the country you're in. So I try to stay as aware of where I am as possible."

It's a crazy life, but her fans keep her going. 

"I stay motivated because the fans are really sweet to me. They come up to me and tell me these amazing stories about how much my music has affected their lives and I feel very privileged to get to hear from them. 

"I have met a lot of people who have my face tattooed on them! It's pretty awesome - I love it! I think it's a major form of dedication." 

"It makes me feel very lucky to live the life I live," she continued. "I know that if I had ever imagined that I'd get to do this, I wouldn't ever see myself complaining about it."

Not even when pesky journalists keep bugging her to talk about things she doesn't want to talk about. It's not that she doesn't get annoyed - she just doesn't let it get to her. 

"I mean, I can handle questions, because people are going to ask questions, so I never really complain about it," said Swift. 

"I think it's very important to live in the moment. And be happy in the moment. I don't think your immediate reaction should be fear that you won't be able to beat this moment that you're in. I think that living like that would be a little ... tiring, don't you think?"

Touche, Ms Swift. A palpable hit. 

Back to the tour talk, then?

"I'm so stoked about the new music. To be on the stage and portray these songs visually will be really exciting. I can't wait to see (my Singapore fans). I want to thank them for all their support so far. They've been really wonderful to me and I'm very thankful for that. I can't wait! You have to wish me luck!"

Well, good luck, Taylor! Don't say we're not an obliging bunch. Now, about that job ...

- TODAYonline

FANS who like their indie rock will be delighted to know that the popular Australian music festival, St Jerome's Laneway Festival, will finally arrive on our shores next year.

The Singapore instalment is slated to happen on Jan 29, 2011, at Fort Canning Park, and will feature the bands Yeasayer, Ladyhawke and Foals, among others. Headlining the festival here will be indie darlings The Temper Trap, who will play Singapore exclusively for the festival.

"We've wanted to do something super special here, so we've got one band who'll only play Singapore," said Danny Rogers, co-founder of Laneway. "(The Temper Trap) played their first ever festival at Laneway, and this will be the last show they'll be doing on their current tour."

Bands previously featured at the festival include top indie acts such as Broken Social Scene, Feist, Yo La Tengo, Stereolab, and Florence And The Machine. 

Also known as the St Jerome's Festival, the Laneway Festival started in 2004 when Jerome Borazio decided to close off the street where his bar in Melbourne was located to hold a street gig. He later met Michael Chugg, founder of Chugg Entertainment, who persuaded him to turn it into something bigger and, in 2006, the festival expanded to Sydney. Brisbane was next in 2007, Adelaide in 2008 and Perth in 2009.

This year, Laneway expanded overseas to include dates in New Zealand. The festival was supposed to have arrived in Singapore this year, but was postponed until the organisers were "100 per cent comfortable", said Chugg at the time.

"We started Laneway seven years ago (and to launch the festival) in Singapore is absolutely mind-blowing," said Rogers. "There's a real opportunity for us to put a really interesting festival here in Asia." 

The festival has garnered much acclaim, with popular online site Pitchfork Media calling it "Australia's most insurgent and unique pop music event".

"We just want to put on a great show - that's all I care about," said Rogers. "Obviously, we don't want to lose money, but it's just about putting on the best possible show with great amenities and doing something that's never been done here before."

Ticketing details will be revealed shortly, but Chugg said prices will not be exorbitant. "You're looking at $10 a band or less. Where else can you get that kind of value?" he quipped.

- TODAYonline