City opens doors to foreign bands
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About 3,000 fans gathered at People's Park in Yangon on Monday evening for a concert by Danish pop band Michael Learns to Rock, but despite the disappointing turnout organisers hailed the event as a fresh start for entertainment here.
“It is a new chapter for Myanmar entertainment,” Ye Thu Pe of Friendship Entertainment said. “I’m very proud to be able to hold this kind of concert and it gives me strength to continue on this path. I plan to hold more concerts, with famous international musicians who Myanmar people adore,” he added.
Ticket prices for Monday’s concert were steep, with VIP seats starting at 99,000 kyats (Bt3,300), gold tickets going for 34,900 kyats and silver tickets selling for 19,900 kyats.
The Danish trio took the stage at 8.30pm, greeting the audience in Myanmar language with “Mingalarbar”. They performed 23 of their best-known tunes, including “Sleeping Child”, “25 Minutes” and “Blue Night”.
Fans welcomed their arrival, saying they hoped more international acts would follow. “I liked their songs since I was a kid,” a 20-year-old fan said.
Michael Learns to Rock was formed in 1988 by singer-keyboardist Jascha Richter, drummer Kare Wanscher, guitarist Mikkel Lentz and bass player Soren Madsen.
Since their debut in 1991, the band has reportedly sold more than 11 million records worldwide, mostly in Asia.
The band is best known for its hit “Take Me to Your Heart”, which was reportedly the most downloaded single of 2006.
Michael Learns to Rock is the second international band to perform here, after an MTV Exit show last December.
