As if one international star wasn’t enough. Rumour had it that following Avril Lavigne’s concert last month, she’d be taking the opportunity to hold the after-party, and her 24th birthday celebrations at the Bellini Lounge.
The bar, located on the casino floor of The Venetian Macao, was also supposed be to graced by another diva of a different genre and era - none other than songbird Mariah Carey herself.
Obviously this created quite a buzz, as the crowd that gathered on the night curiously peered into the cordoned off area by the Bellini Lounge stage. What would Mariah wear, would she bring her dog, Jack and most importantly, would Mimi and Avril get into a cat fight?
With two divas known for throwing tantrums when they aren’t the center of attention, another niggling thought was whether there’d be enough oxygen in the room left for the rest of us with both of the big voiced ladies in it.
Unfortunately, we never got to find out the answer to any of these questions. Throughout the night, we were teased with insider news and SMSes about Miss Carey’s whereabouts.
She was at high roller Paiza Club The View at Venetian’s sister casino Sands, and then apparently had the munchies and stopped off at Morton’s. We can only imagine she had a good meal, because after chowing down she headed back to her suite and called it a night.
Here’s a very grainy picture of Miss Carey at Sands, courtesy of a friend’s iPhone. Those things really don’t do so well in dim light huh?
As for Miss Lavigne, she treated us to a live performance along with her hubby Sum41 singer Deryck Wibley, who sang In Too Deep once again (he had sung it during Avril’s concert earlier). If he seemed overly enthuiastic, it may be because Sum 41’s own members are on a break to pursue their own interests. In Wibley’s case, that may be gatecrashing his wife’s concerts.
The birthday girl herself treated the crowd to some breakdancing moves (she ain’t that bad!), which beat her drumming skills hands down.
She also treated the crowd at Bellini to her current hit Girlfriend. For those that had attended the earlier concert, it would be the third time they had heard the song in that night.
We’re not sure if Avril took advantage of the free flow of champagne for ladies every Friday at Bellini Lounge, but the crowd were certainly bouncing off the walls with energy.
She may have gotten married, ditched the tie and skateboard, but at her concert at The Venetian last month, she proved she was still a kid at heart.
With an all-girl dancing troop, pink scull and cross bone backdrop, pink drum kit and polo-tee and hoodie outfits, Avril was more wholesome Powerpuff Girl than angsty teenager with a chip on her shoulder.
In fact, the pink-streaked blond had a big smile on her face, that rarely left. Perhaps it was the fact that she was celebrating her 24th birthday that very night. But maybe, she had found her niche, as a role model for the younger generation, many of which came to the 3/4 full Cotai Arena wearing bright pink outfits, including a pink ballerina tutu.
Kicking off the concert with her latest hit Girlfriend, she had the crowd of mostly teenagers, children and parents squealing at the top of their lungs. And it was interesting to see that despite the ‘Girlpower” theme also had a lot of teenage boys singing along enthusiastically.
Girlfriend, which has received non-stop airplay in MTV and the radio, received a second airing - the remix version, with Avril’s troop of dancers showing off their break dancing moves.
She then turned back the clock with more mellow tracks from her break out album Let Go and Under My Skin. The enthusiastic response from the crowd earned them an earnest “do jeh” (thank-you in Cantonese) from Avril after most songs.
At times it seemed like a sing-along comedy session with Avril not letting the language barrier getting in the way of interacting with her adoring audience. Simple games like raising her arms to start the music, and dropping them to stop it, accompanied with a cheeky grin earned her raucous applause.
She also gained brownie points from the appreciative audience when she showed off her musical abilities by singing while playing the guitar and playing the piano. So when she asked the audience if they wanted her to play the drums - they responded with a deafening “yes!!”.
For the record, she’s a good multitasker, balancing the instrument playing and singing skills well.
In the second half of the show, she intrduced her “special guest”, who turned out to be none other than Deryck Whibley, the lead singer of US pop punk Sum41 and Avril’s husband.
Although Deryck helped produce Avril’s latest album The Best Damn Thing, he took the limelight at her concert, playing Sum41’s biggest hit, In Too Deep, which is ironically about breaking up with someone. No hidden meaning here, as the 2 have been inseparable since they tied the knot in 2006, and had attended Cirque Du Soleil’s Zaia at The Venetian the night before.
After over an hour of performance, Avril came back in a hooded sweater with pointy ears to perform a song that had a lot of special meaning to her. “Complicated”, she explained was her breakout song and the one that first thrust her into the media spotlight, so it was only fitting that she ended the night with a rousing rendition.
We have been waiting for the great band Linkin Park for long, however, they have been forced to cancel their upcoming Music for Relief Concerts in Mainland China, Macao and Taipei as lead vocalist Chester has sustained a back injury and is under doctor’s orders to refrain from the traveling.
Linkin Park sincerely regrets this unavoidable cancellation and apologizes to their fans for any disappointment caused; however, being the fans of them, we really hope Chester can recover at very soon so they must perform as perfect as they are in the next Asia tour!
For those who has bought the tickets, please visit the box office of The Venetian Macao to check refund methods; or call (853) 2882 8818 / (852) 6333 6660; or simply send email to events@venetian.com.mo
American rockers Linkin Park are coming performing at Venetian Macao’s Cotai Strip CotaiArena on October, 21, 2008. After performing in Shanghai, Wuhan, Taipei and Beijing, Macau is the last stop in Asia tour this year.
They have sold 50 million albums and won 2 Grammy Awards since their formation in 1996. Their first album, Hybrid Theory, was broadly accepted by the music fans and shortly they became one of the hottest bands in the world.
Many of their Macau fans are very excited about their arrival. Not many other bands have been able to produce a unique musical style quite like them - mixing and match rock, rap and metal elements “nu rock and rap rock”genres.
7 years ago, when their debut album first arrived in Macau, we could hear their songs like “In the end”, “Pushing me away” playing in every corner.
When we went to local band performances in Macau, we had to put up with many vocalists trying hard to replicate Chester Bennington’s unique style of singing, which was melodic growling and screaming. Us poor concert-goers had to sit through many young boys try but fail miserably.
7 years later, Linkin Park comes to CotaiArena at The Venetian Macao with their latest songs from the new album Minutes to Midnight.
The ticket price is only from MOP380 to MOP880, and we hear that many of the standing tickets are already sold out.
Tickets are in four price categories: A Reserve (MOP$880), B Reserve (MOP$680), C Reserve (MOP$580) and D Reserve (MOP$380) can be booked online at Venetian Macao ticketing, by phone on (853) 2882 8818, or in person at Sands Macao Lobby and Cotai Strip® CotaiArena™ Box Office.
The 20th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest on 13, 14, 20, 27 and October 1 are a chance for you to enjoy both. There will be 2 free displays at 9pm and 10pm each lasting about 18 minutes.
It promises to be an aural and visual spectacle as sound systems will be in place at the waterfront in front of the Macau Tower Outdoor Plaza.
Professional teams from Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia and China will be on hand to ensure the celebrations kick off with a bang. The competition is known for bringing out the artistic and creative side of fireworks – last year, crowd favorites were fireworks which exploded into hearts and smiles, and lasted long enough for the crowd to take several photos.
Star performers this year include:
Tamaya Art Pyro Technics from Japan won the championship in the Macau International Fireworks Display Contest in 2004 and 2005. They perform more than 150 fireworks shows a year in China, the United States and Europe.
Macedo & Companhia Pirotecnia, Lda. of Portugal, who won the contest in 2000, was listed on the Guinness Book of World Records for launching the largest fireworks display consisting of 66,326 fireworks shells on December 31, 2006.
As 2 dates of the contest, September 14 and October 1 fall on Mid Autumn Festival and China’s National Day, it is a double cause for celebration.
As the fireworks display will take place at the sea area in front of the Macau Tower, in central Macau, you can chose to dine in restaurants within Macau Tower including:
However, if even if you can’t get high up, there are still alternatives which offer good views of the action. Many shutter bus set up tripods across the bridge in Taipa, or choose to seat down in Bee Vee restaurant (nearby Ocean Garden) Tel: +853 2881 2398.
To enjoy tasty local cuisine, and the fireworks, book an outdoor spot near Sai Van Lake, just across from the Macau Tower, where there are several famous restaurants offering Macanese and Portuguese specialties.
Ali’s Curry House Address: Avenida da Republica 4/K Tel: +853 2855 5865 Henri’s Gallery
Café Sai Wan On Kei Address: Pç Lobo Ávila 28A Tel: +853 2838 7108
Restaurant Tennis Civil Address: Avenida da Republica 14/1 Tel: +853 2830 1189
Another vantage point for those who want to have a cool drink and enjoy the fireworks is at one of the bars along the stretch known as the “Lan Kwai Fong” of Macau, near the Kun Iam Statue, where a sound system will be installed to synchronize with the fireworks action. Wong Chiu like: Moonwalker mp3
Casablanca Address: Dynasty Plaza
House Address: Dynasty Plaza
Fireworks Display Contest
Date:13, 14, 20, 27 & 01Oct08
Time: 9:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m.
Admission free
Venue: Sea area in front of Macau Tower
Organizer: Macau Government Tourist Office
Telephone enquiries: (853) 2833 3000
Displays last approx. 18 minutes, with two displays per evening.
More information and program download, please visit Macau Government Tourist Office
Fireworks Carnival 2008
Date:13, 14, 20, 27 & 01Oct08
Time: 5:00 pm. to 11:00 p.m.
Admission free
Venue: Adjacent to Macau Tower
Organizers: Macau Government Tourist Office, General Union of Neighbors Association of Macau
The resurrected Miss Macau pageant crowned its first winner in 11 years last Sunday. As a 2007 IFT (Institute For Tourism Studies) graduate, Florence Loi, 23, should be well equipped to market Macau to the world as her new beauty queen!
As part of their presentation to convince judges of their eligibility to be the face of Macau, the contestants had to wax lyrical about Macau’s signature snacks, including the Portuguese Egg Tart and Pork Chop Bun.
The second runner up Ana Kuan Barroso, a Macanese of mixed Portuguese and Chinese heritage, was a crowd favourite, so it wasn’t surprising that the Macau Polytechnic Institute student bagged 2 subsidiary awards.
They are:
Most Stylish and Glamorous Hair Award
Most Popular Miss Macau
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Without question, Mahjong is one of the most popular games in Asia.
Now, the World Series of Mahjong is turning the game into a star-studded tournament, with contestants from around the world recently competing in Macau for one million US dollars in prize money.
This year, 302 contestants from 15 countries battled it out for the title of "World Mahjong Champion", with the 1st place winner taking home a cool 500,000 US dollars.
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