It is a wonder how much money the hundreds of Indonesian youngsters who go to Singapore just to see music concerts spend.

But they've got all the reasons in the world to go, as their idols only play gigs in Singapore.

In the past three years, Singapore has brought many international acts from big names such as Coldplay, Oasis, The Cure, The Police, Duran Duran, Deep Purple, Kanye West, Manic Street Preachers and even Grammy-winning artist Duffy to smaller acts such as Kaiser Chiefs, Death Cab for Cutie, Mogwai, Camera Obscura or The Tingtings.

Singapore has succeeded in making many foreigners spend the pocketful of money they brought along with them as well as putting a smile on their face. Those smiley faces indicate foreigners are impressed and ready to grab the next opportunity to see another music concert in the country.

Music concerts in Singapore are treated just like any other tourism activity in the country. The government supports local promoters, making it easy for the later to contribute to the country's GDP.

Andre Alabons from LAMC Productions admits his company targets a wider market outside Singapore itself, "We always target fans from neighboring countries, as Singapore is the only Southeast Asia stop that can attract a large audience."

LAMC Productions has been around since 2002 and has organized more than 45 gigs until today. Their latest was Kaiser Chiefs and they will bring Nine Inch Nails in August.

Alabons added, "There certainly is a strong market for English-speaking music artists in Singapore. Some of our past shows like Muse, Deep Purple and Duran Duran have drawn over 7,000 fans each."

The theory works perfectly; promoters attract foreigners - and locals of course - to come and make money for them. Foreigners get a rare experience and feel good in the end. So, everybody is happy.

For Singapore, entertainment has always been a major business that can provide many benefits. First, concert goers get a better work life balance, with good entertainment balancing a hard working culture. Second, as stated below, Singaporeans make a good living from foreigners who are willing to travel to see their idols.

To be honest, they are really smart. They're implementing an excellent business strategy. They can see a clear business opportunity to make money from entertainment Then, take a deep breath, and look at us, Indonesians. What have we done? For sure, we haven't done much.

Meet Putri Rejeki Sudarmadji, 21, from Jakarta. She's a dental student in one of the top dental schools in Jakarta. She's had great experiences traveling abroad to Singapore to see bands she likes.

"I saw The Cure back in Aug. 1, 2007, then the Manic Street Preachers back Nov. 28, 2008 and recently, I saw Oasis on the 5th of April," said Putri, nicknamed Age. She's got all the reasons in the world to want to see these bands.

"The Cure is my number one band. While for the Manic Street Preachers, I was lucky enough to get a cheap airline ticket, so why not go? Even when Oasis came, I managed to get a cheap flight. I like those bands, and I have the means to go, so why not do it?" she says.

Age comes from a middle-class family and represents a growing number of Indonesian youngsters who can afford to fly to see their lovely idols. Why? The reason is simple: it's quite impossible to see those bands playing live at home.

Her budget for those trips is usually between Rp 2 to 3 million. It's not a negligible amount of money to spend to watch a band playing live in front of her eyes.

"What I've spent to see those concerts was quite fair. You know, Indonesia has too many excuses not to have those bands stop and play here. The government also never gives any real support. I can see clearly the Singapore government supporting people who bring music to the country. They really pay serious attention to the arts and entertainment, whereas we don't," said Age.

Then there's Arafino Zaini, 28, who also lives in Jakarta. He saw Coldplay twice. The irony, he says, is Coldplay is not even his favorite band. His favorite is actually Radiohead.

"I saw them the first time because my best friend asked me to come with him. I like Coldplay and I had money to spend, so why not?" he said.

"Then, the second time, I saw Coldplay was because my wife asked me to come with her. She's a big fan. I gave her a ticket as a birthday present," he added.

The first trip cost him Rp 5 million while the second cost him Rp 3 million. Both Coldplay shows were expensive.

Arafino, also called Fino, was more optimistic than Age when asked why Singapore was able to bring so many international acts.

"I think bands trust Singapore. People can afford the price of the ticket and the artist doesn't encounter security issues. I think these factors make Singapore an attractive destination for international bands."

"To be honest, we *Indonesians* can also afford to do what Singapore has done with entertainment. We are on the same level as Singapore when it comes to sound systems or manpower to manage international concerts."

Fino's comments show that our local youngsters still believe they will see many bands playing in their home country in the future.

While Fino is quite optimistic, Adrie Subono, a respectable promoter, once wrote in his personal blog many good artists had already come to Indonesia.

"We should be thankful many bands want to come. Let's not compare it with Singapore."

Adrie brought 12 acts in 2008. But he couldn't bring the Manic Street Preachers because of a contractual issue. Overall, he did very well last year.

But do the government and promoters think international music concerts play a role in boosting tourism income? Well, if everybody else is doing it, why can't we?

Popular

New Dutch coalition government wants 'strictest' asylum policy

Single-class hospital care scheme will not affect premiums yet, BPJS says

Ukrainians, Russian face death over Bali drug lab: Police