PUBLISHED July 21st, 2015 04:38 am | UPDATED January 20th, 2016 10:38 am
There are classically-trained cellists, and there are rock stars. Two distinct categories; a pretty simple dichotomy, you’d think. But then two young men had the audacity to try being both. And, boy, did they succeed.
Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hauser set the online world aflame back in 2011 with their ardent, eyebrow-raising rendition of Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal. YouTube fell for the floppy-haired lads furiously plucking, sawing and urging their cellos beyond what most dreamt the instrument was capable of. Multiple TV appearances, a tour with Elton John and bona fide rockstardom quickly followed; days of polite, restrained applause were left behind, their entry on stages worldwide now receiving roars, cheers and whoops.
On the 16th of July at Kallang Theatre, Luka Šulić strode onstage first to a rapturous reception. The hall wasn’t quite full, but the thousand or so in attendance were vocal with their affection. Šulić smiled, sat, grasped his electric cello, and began to play. He was swiftly joined by Stjepan Hauser, and the two lulled the crowd into a state of calm bliss with the opening songs with smoke wafting cloud-like across the stage. Hits by U2 and Coldplay emerged in stately succession, ‘Where The Streets Have No Name’ and ‘Viva La Vida’ providing an elegant, measured introduction to the evening.
Two songs in, Šulić addressed the audience. ‘You can do whatever you like!’ he beamed, to appreciative cheers from the crowd. ‘Scream, take photos, videos, flirt with Stephan, whatever.’ Hauser, for his part, acknowledged Šulić with a mischevious grin and an accommodating nod. Certainly the more talkative of the pair, Hauser left the audience chuckling as he waxed lyrical about how ‘really, really beautiful’ the next song would be, then, without missing a beat, stage-whispering to Šulić: ‘What’s the next song?’
For all the banter between songs, though, the duo played with the same passion and trademark intensity they displayed in their hit videos. ‘Smooth Criminal’ and AC/DC’s ‘Thunderstruck’ drew massive cheers as they were played with fiery gusto. Despite having played the same covers in city after city, it was heartening to see both Šulić and Hauser still attack the songs with heart and feeling. Both frequently leapt to their feet during powerful moments, and Hauser provided some of the highlights of the show with his rib-tickling Angus Young impressions, lying down on the stage and cradling his cello as he kicked in a circle and kept playing. The AC/DC guitarist would’ve been proud.
Things kicked up a notch when drummer Dusan Kranjc ran onstage and began playing in the middle of ‘Thunderstruck’, providing a booming backbone to the electrifying cellos. The trio gave the crowd rock classics like ‘Welcome To The Jungle’, ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ and ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’. The setup was simple yet effective, with a screen behind the performers showing visuals to accompany songs and two large side-screens (one showcasing Šulić, the other Hauser). It was a treat to be able to see a close-up of their hands dancing lightning-quick over the fingerboards.
The visuals projected along with the songs, however, felt a little uninspired in stretches – there was an unrelenting loop of rose petals blowing about on screen for one song and repetitive, fluffy clouds for another. More care and attention to the background visuals might have added more depth to the performance and made for a thought-provoking accompaniment. However, this took nothing away from the performance of the musicians themselves. They remained on fire throughout, and their efforts to keep the energy going were rewarded when the audience began to sing along for the irresistible Rolling Stones classic ‘Satisfaction’.
The encore saw large swathes of the crowd defying the seating plan and amassing in the area right in front of the stage, inches from a visibly delighted Šulić and Hauser. A thunderous rendition of ‘Back In Black’ got everyone dancing before the big screens were turned off and the lights dimmed. The show closed with Šulić and Hauser playing a final instrumental for the spellbound, awed fans that had abandoned their seats just to squeeze a little closer. It was a warm, intimate finish that also saw Hauser snap off hairs from his ragged bow and pass them out to outstretched hands in the crowd. Then it was all over, the rock stars departed, and Kallang Theatre exhaled as an evening of exceptional music came to a resplendent close.
All photos by Alvin Ho for LAMC Productions.
2Cellos was brought to Singapore thanks to the work of LAMC Productions. Head down to their Facebook page for information on upcoming shows (including Johnny Marr, Kodaline and Dylan Moran).