Here are some pictures taken by Leonard Soosay and Valence Sim of the YOG music concert performances at downtown Marina. The pictures were taken on two separate days – the first on Sunday 15 August, while the second on Monday evening, 16 August.
The expected crowds – and VIPs and VVIPs – were not what was expected, apparently.
“Took some photos last night while heading to the YOG Marina promontory @ marina boulevard. Reached there at around 810pm, there wasn’t many people around that area. It could be that it was a Monday night or simply not interested. I was there to cover some photos of a performing friend. To my surprise (or rather I sorta expected it), the main stage area was almost empty. My estimate was that there were only 30 people maximum at any given concert. Who are the people they are performing for? They even have labels for public and VVIP, but not a single VVIP was around yesterday. I’ve seen bigger turnouts at Hungry Ghost Festival than at the event last night. The people who were there are mainly supporters of the performing artistes and quite a number of foreign workers waiting to be picked up by their buses. They were sitting on the benches reading papers, killing time. I wonder if this is what Singapore is trying to portrays to the guests.” – Valence.
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This photographer can be arrested ….like the one taking the flood being handcuffed….except this is worse.
Great pictures, to shut the mouths of SSC and ask the ministry of finance if this is a big waste of money.
Lets hear what they say.
Hmm the pictures are for rehearsals right? It doesn’t look like 810pm to me…
With amended legislation that makes it illegal for a public protest to be conducted by an ASSEMBLY OF ONE – this is the only way left for Singaporeans to protest by MASS ABSENTIA.
The face value for the mm is more important that wasting money on YOG. He might want sin be the top in everything to benefit his family.
So this is where we spend all the extra $$$. Or is it meant for the “brothers” from the netherworld!!!
The concert is still ongoing, maybe someone could take some pictures tonight? If it’s still empty from 8pm onwards then the concert is flop, of all time, of all time!
Think one thing is for sure… price tickets for events way beyond what most Singaporeans can afford and not enough out-reach to the grass-root… and you get an exclusive event that almost no one is interested in… So what did they bust the budget on again? ha haa
There goes our $387 million! Vivian B. might as well use $1000 notes to wipe his arse.
I think the seventh moon concert for the ghosts received better response than this. Maybe the MIW should declare the whole nation to have 7 days off to go for the YOG. Old man LKY is slapping on his own face.
The latest we’d heard is that the team led by YOG forerunners comprising VB, TSL, NSM is going to perform the Korean boy band ‘Sorry Sorry’ song cum dance move tonite at the same stage. Don’t miss it this time…Singaporeans.
I believe the intention of hosting world class sporting events is good. It lends profile to Singapore, while potentially providing economic benefits. However, the problem with the YOG isn’t the intention, but that it simply isn’t what the people want! Therein lies the problem — the complete disconnect between the ruling government and the people.
Let me illustrate my point with a simple thought experiment. We spent 400m on an event which hosts pubescent kids cavorting around, which Singaporeans (and dare I say, the general world population) really do not give a hoot. But suppose we had hosted a “Singapore Confederations Cup” where we had invited the best soccer teams from the top leagues around the world to play in a tournament. Imagine the likes of Barcelona and Manchester United playing on our shores. Do you think Singaporeans would be interested? Do you think we could get incredible international interest as well? Which do you think is a better spend of our taxpayer money? Logistically its probably way easier to host this than the YOG too. And its entirely feasible — these clubs just want money!
I am not a genius in thinking of this tournament. I think anybody who has the slightest affinity for on the grounds feeling could easily come up with this, or better ideas. But the problem is that our government has absolutely no feel for the ground, thereby creating this sham.
a) it shows that even if hav freebies chicken rice thrown in..all our ahkongs/ahmas still busy workin in hawkers centre as adhered to leekingyou’s LAW…UNEMPLOYMENT is punisable to a fine$ of $70 or 7 days sleepin in the VOIDecks(and if any ahkongs/ahmas..think they are goin to holiday in queenstown jail..dream on)
b) all our students has been hall aembled into nike/adidas bannedme theme
c) this proved our country hav too little saf NS boys to goes roun sittin ere…sittin there…sittin everywhere
No kidding?? Were these taken during rehearesal before the real thing started?
what TOC doesn’t show you:
Anybody here tried buying tickets to watch badminton, table tennis or volleyball?
Going from this website, one would think there’d be plenty of empty seats left. I don’t understand why it’s sold out.
Even if MOE bought half of all the allocation there should still be plenty left. I don’t understand. Are ordinary Singaporeans actually going to watch?
The ticket $30??? to see some kids….. come on…
Since they spent $400M, why not spend a few more and give them free and let citizens go enjoy. Still want to save on dog food and charge citizens so much for FXXX.
The truth is, we do not have a sporting culture here in SG. We have small snippets here and there. Still, pumping more money can only make the hardware nice but not the heart-ware.
For the youth to embrace sports in the Singapore context, you might as well make sports an examination subject. This is indeed the Uniquely Singapore way. Then you will see our youth working hard on the sport they’ve chosen. Must score A mah!
You want crowd at this juncture? Make it a school excursion to attend a once in a lifetime Olympic event.
Since Olympics is just once in our life time, could have declared a holiday as well.
That’s the problem with our Government, it’s all half done and not sincere.
spot on Den!
its really about the culture, our govt want everything to be instant.
want to cultivate such culture will require time, political will, the support (not coerced wan) of the people, the infrastructure (not ping pong politics).
it shares similiarities with bringing up a child. cannot just because of recession suddenly a few days no food to eat, then to say in the future is bright…
The environment and conditions for holding such events is not favourable – hot, humid, and a people sick of anything that is PAP sponsored.
To make matters worse you expect Singaporeans to pay $30 a ticket? Come on! Get real! Singaporeans rather stuff themselves at a buffet to get that kind of money’s worth!
What the organiser could have done is like have a lucky draw at each event with the prize being a fully paid 4 room HDB flat for citizens only – surely then will you see the venue filled to bursting!
There are many articles in ST Forum today lamenting about the sold out tickets AND empty seats.
haha.. probably a case of the govt having no confidence in the people, and preempt by buying out the tickets, and give them out free. But free stuff, pple less obliged to go and see. In the end, result in such situations.
The pictures tell us that something is going wrong in our country. In fact, spending 400-million dollars to host the YOG, we, our native Singaporeans which are about 3-million people should be proud of and happy. Why it is not so? Anyway, the old fart had once said that we are stupid, ignorant and lesser mortals. If our own people are really happy, they will go all out to volunteer and support the game.
Native Singaporean,
Don’t be so angry lah! After all it will cost Singaporeans each about the price of a cup of coffee only mah!
Oops! make it about 100 cups of coffee.
@Relax Brudder, 19 August 2010
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Got milk or not? At hawker center, food court or restaurant?
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This type of mistake hor, budget goes from $107m (no milk, hawker center) to $387m (w/milk, restaurant), you know or not? Ha, ha, ha…..
Can TOC put up some pictures of the deserted sporting events also, not just a free concert?
All of your overly-pragmatic pieces of advice on how the govt should be spending money is the reason Singaporeans are boring. And you will surely criticize the government if nothing fun goes on. So suck it up and either support local events or don’t. Just don’t gripe day and night.
To me the YOG is simply and purely a disaster even before it begins – Singapore just dont have the right ingredients to be a capable and efficient host.
What they have is what is being farcically portrayed to the whole world especially the blind IOC committee of the superficial political and economical achievements of a fishing village to a modern global city.
But this does mean these are the ingredients to be a successful YOG show host.
I am not running down on Sgp – its just proved that our highly-paid-unproductive ministers are self-patting their own backs (and greasing own backsides)and deluding themselves (and dragged innocent Singaporeans, silly foreigners)that Singapore HAS ARRIVED – tan ku ku.
Political stability, economic success DOES not equate ABILITY to host mass-participation world-class events successfully.
Suprised me to say the least – what kind of leaders Singapore has, if there’s really an terror-attack, say like the Beslan school attack, or a couple of suicide bombers attacked Tanjong Pagar MRT station of Pulao Bukom refinery.
Why I gave above example? YOG committe was given 2 years to prepare, AND ITS IN PEACETIME? See whats the interim results so far??
The public money has been spent. The hungry ghost month is so apt. only the hungry ghosts from hades are watching the performances…
Whine, whine, whine.
Hands up, how many of you guys paid more than a pittance in income tax? $100? $1,000, $10,000? Maybe votes should be according to how much a taxpayer pay. And I would use my VOTES for a government that is supported by the pragmatists and not one supported by whiners.
And oh yes, I notice there is one who labels himself a native Singaporean, seriously, you are a descendant from the original inhabitants? Good for you, unlike some of this migrants who are probably only 3-generations removed from a china bumpkin.
Damn, guys (and girls). The YOG isn’t organised for Singaporeans. Stop assuming that it is. It’s organised to advertise Singapore to the rest of the world. Whether it’s successful or not depends on what kind of coverage it gets, and the IOC is on the government’s side there.
The sooner we realise this fact, the sooner we’ll truly understand how the machinery of Singapore works.
Yes, the YOG is not for singaporeans,
YOG is an event to attract foreign sportsmen to come to singapore and tell them we have a place for them in sports.
Then they will be given PR.
Isn’t there too much light in the pictures for 8:10pm?
Bloody arrogant ! He should apologise to all Singaporeans ! Mr Ng Ser Miang, chairman of the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (Syogoc), noted: “Now people are interested, now they complain (they) cannot get tickets. Previously, people were like, what’s YOG?”
The online citizen are getting funny. This concert is held at night. .yet expect guest to turn at 6 or 7.. Besides that was a rehearsal segment.
Shame on you. You have no credibility.
only one word to describe — EPIC
no, not one word, but two words – EPIC FAIL.
Pragmatist
Good for you, unlike some of this migrants who are probably only 3-generations removed from a china bumpkin
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harlor..cina bumkins..agreed with you 102%…
butt than again..the 3rd generations of cina bumkins hav a cina father/son holdin very very senoir highest level position while the prata NUN-cina presidente is just a puppet..how many cina bumkin daughterinlaw is the 6th most powerFOOL woman in this era?
name me 1 prata eatin most powerful woman..just 1 will do…mrs gandhi perhaps? which 1? the dead 1 or the italian converted 1?
Oh…so TR is saying that you would be happy if the papers show this and we make headlines all over the world that our people are actually not supportive of YOG and that people from all over the world are wasting their time by coming here and they should go home and sleep?
Now that YOG is here, whether the government is right / wrong, it’s here and people are watching. As Singaporeans, I think we have to make the best out of it by supporting our own country and our own athletes. These are all our children, our friends, our schoolmates and our fellow Singaporeans participating.
So my sense is … TR is so filled with vengence against PAP that it is now doing whatever it can and at all cost to ridicule Singapore and Singaporeans. It has blurred the lines between PAP and Singaporeans where it matters. This is all too familiar — this is exactly how SDP, Chee and his associates does things. No wonder TR is siding with Chee now….
@Jerome Lee
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How old are U? You mean whatever is on the plate put before you, you will eat, is it? Hitler started a hate campaign to cleanse certain ethnic groups, so whether right/wrong, it was started national-wide and the people must make the best of it by supporting the campaign? What your mother teach you, huh?
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The fact is many are simply NOT interested in YOG. It cannot be forced. This has nothing to do with anti-PAP or what not. The screw-ups (like massive overrun on budget) certainly didn’t help to endear it to those sitting on the fence too. Unfortunately the MYCS minister past conduct is not to the liking of many & that inevitably got political.
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Oh, are we on TR….? Wrong channel.
Jerome Lee, 23 August 2010
there is too little effort put in to get people even excited about YOG-related sports, much less be supportive. compare that to the constant drumming about scholars & academics (recently there was quite abit of coverage about SAF scholars). sporting culture isn’t going to happen in a flash. so why blame people for not being that interested?
sports shouldn’t be just about winning medals & trophies, how schools engage students in sports play a large part. i am sure people in their 20′s to 50′s can attest to that.
if you lament the blurring of lines between PAP & S’poreans, dun blurr the lines between patriotism & sports.
Jerome Lee
This is all too familiar — this is exactly how SDP, Chee and his associates does things. No wonder TR is siding with Chee now….
……………
what does dr chee/sdp gotta do with YOG?
you meant pap government buy a cup of kopi for dr chee to sit and discuss the macpherson swimmin pool is long enough for the olympic longboat rowers?
than again chiamseetong must be the cook who packed the takeaway foods which poisoned the volunteers with diaaherria
right? then who painted the 5 rings in lane 2 of our expressway? lowthiakeng?
Its good that the truth be known