| I
was in a Travis MTV!
July 31, 2001
Travis makes your heart skip a beat when
they sing. But when you get to be in their video, it'll make your
heart thump like never before.
By Junie Ong
(Click on pictures for larger image)
 I
couldn't believe my luck. I was going to be part of the audience
for Travis' recording with MTV, the very same music mavericks that
swept Singapore off its feet with a smashing double bill with fellow
Brit band Coldplay just 2 days before.
2.00pm, cab to Singapore Repertory Theatre
(SRT)
I was jumping out of my skin waiting to meet the band at an eye-level
setting, this was going to be great!
2.30pm, SRT reception area
Lost in the mill of Travis supporters waiting for entry into the
recording area. It was supposed to be an invites-only occasion but
the MTV organiser confided," You can bet half these people are gatecrashers."
3.05pm, SRT doors opened
I zoomed in for prime position and landed a great seat in the second
row, right smack the middle.
The stage was decked in Chinese draping of red
lanterns and Travis' name inked in large Chinese calligraphy.
3.30pm, still no band
Everyone was getting restless, and the energy level of the crowd
was dipping.
The crew was running round fiddling with cameras and adjusting lights.
At one point, the crowd even started clapping before they realised
it was just the stage-preppers tuning the band's guitars, the real
stuff was not coming on just yet.
3.35pm, Travis appeared 
They were like gods in a mirage after the infinite wait.
In their typically quiet and unassuming stance
(their desire, after all, is to remain the Invisible Band, as their
album is named after), they launched into the first of the recording
session with Sing and Side.
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Dougie
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Dougie was in his element. He and his bass guitar
were in a world of their own and
he anchored the songs with such deep feeling it made your hair stand
just listening to him.
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Andy
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We also got to see Andy playing the banjo live,
which is a rare treat because the instrument is not well-liked by
music labels in general and was almost axed from the band's line-up.
There was no impromptu jamming session like
Fran did with Chris of Coldplay during the concert.
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Fran
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But in his quaint Scottish accent, he brought on the 3rd song, Flowers
in the Window, and we just fell in love with him all over again.
3.55pm, half-time
Time to shuffle the stage and cameras for a different angle of the
band. Invisible hands appeared to set the stage and guitars to make
it all ready for the band to step right in for their next bit.
The MTV video crew went around filming the audience and I discretely
edged myself in and hoped for my 10 seconds of fame.
4.15pm, back for more
The guys came back on stage and were in the midst of introducing
Driftwood, from their 1999 album The Man Who, when the fire-alarm
went off.
Fran was unfazed and continued
to relate how he got inspiration for this song from just walking
around his house, sipping tea and listening to his own footsteps.
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Neil
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Yet another spine-tingling performance
by the 4, though drummer Neil was beginning to look a bit left out
with just his tambourine and no drums. It was a strings-only affair
and Fran, Andy and Dougie were just in the sky.
 With
toes pointed out, brows furrowed in concentration and face scrunched
up in emotion, Fran rounded up the session with their self-fulfilling
hit Why Does It Always Rain on Me.
4.25pm, reality bites
The melancholic dreamlike wave of Brit pop left me in a hippie-state
high and I just couldn't wait to hit my stereo and put their album
on again to make it last a little longer.
More
entertainment stories here
Travis
Official Website: Gives a good feel of how understated the
band is and you get the rare peak into the making of their new album,
which has basically eluded much limelight.
Like our digital photos? Print them into hard copy versions with
Photoprints.
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