Live Review from Macau Underground 5:
If ever there was a band that defines evolution in Macau, OTO would be it, and the old days when OTO was a teen pop act has long been left for dead. Drummer Fabio has well and truly taken over the frontman duties, injecting healthy doses of RnB, Reggae and Hip Hop into the band. It helps that he is backed up by such tight musicians, proving that blood is thicker than water. (Jool’s the bass player is Fabio’s sister, Shelly Grace, the keyboard Player, his mother). The only thing still betraying his age would be his audience banter; his B-Boy “y’alls” often conflict with depth of the music. An acoustic section in the middle of the set brought a Kaki King feeling to the set, albeit one with a few technical hiccups, which they followed by bringing local kid made good, MC Kelse, out of the audience to rap out the set, much to the cheers of the TIS audience. All in all, they made it hard to be the next band to play.
the FU
Live Review from Macau Underground 2:
The most entertaining band to watch that night, as most of the band members are all from the same family, the mother is the keyboardist, the daughter is the bassist and the son is the drummer. Friends kept joking with the drummer and the keyboardist throughout their set, lots of laughs and interaction. The band is basically led by the drummer who is also the singer too, their music is groovy enough for people (including the quiet ones!) to move around, soft rock with a bit of lounge feeling and also fantastic vocals.
Yan
“Hey, that’s my mother you’re talking about” quipped drummer and vocalist Fabio, responding to a raucous member of the crowd who jokingly asked for keyboardist Shelly Grace’s number. Self described musical eclecticists Once Teen Ones brought their musical family affair to the stage and got the audience dancing. Although they only played 4 songs, their musical flourishes turned each song into a showpiece and extended solos showcased the musicianship of each member of the band. By the time their last song It’s over was over the crowd was hyped.
Jeremy Phillips
