How Getais in S’pore Have Also Gone the Smart Nation Way

We all know getais, don’t we?

Every year during this period, open fields or basketball courts around Singapore would be transformed into colourful and loud makeshift concerts.

Unless you’re not a Singaporean or a Malaysian, you would know that it’s for getais, and you’re not supposed to sit at the front row.

But this article isn’t about getais, because we all know what a getai is.

This is about how getai has always jumped on the #smartnation bandwagon, because why not?

Our 好兄弟 also very hip and high-tech one, okay. If not you won’t have seen people burning iPhones, iPads and maybe even VR sets to them.

You see, in the past, getai is relatively simple: the backdrop of the stage is primarily a large cardboard with coloured spotlights that remind you of disco in the 90s.

People focused on the singers, who can earn almost $10,000 in that single month. It’s so competitive that even singers from Johor came over here to sing, pocketing around $80 to $100 for three songs.

Fans are usually “offline” and come to them during the shows, with no online stalkers whatsoever. Even when the crowds are usually older people, the singers comprise both the veterans and young rising talents, with even child singers.

While getai is still all about the singers, people have been awed by the technology recently.

Just take a look here.

It’s 1 hour 42 minutes, so unless you love getai, I presume you won’t have watched the entire thing.

But here’s why it’s so fascinating: there’s no more cupboard backdrop

Remember this?

That’s so yesterday. Nowadays, the backdrop is a large monitor that doesn’t stay static with a camera angle: it changes to whatever suits the mood of the song.

Like this.

And this.

Facebook Live

Notice something about the video earlier on? Yeah, it’s not just a normal video. It’s a Facebook Live video.

Yeah, this effectively means that nowadays, you can watch getai right at home. I’m not sure if you need to put a row of empty seats in front, but then again, who cares when you’ve this…

It’s another Facebook Live video, but I’ll suggest you to jump straight to the 29:52 mark.

It’s a Jay Chou song.

Pardon my ignorance, but a Jay Chou song in a getai is like an elderly using an Oculus VR.

I won’t be surprised if next year, we would be watching getai at home with our VR set. #justsaying