By day, her streets buzz with strait-laced dollars and sense; by night, she throws fabulous parties and one of her clubs continues to rate as an internationally known chill-out icon. Welcome to Singapore – the new Capital of Cool. Hard to believe but the island-state has, of late, become a magnet for those who love the nightlife.

Recently, local newspaper The Straits Times reported that the city was ranked number two for nightlife and dining in the Global Country Brand Index survey compiled by brand consultancy FutureBrand and public relations firm Weber Shandwick. The findings, culled from interviews with 1,500 frequent travellers and travel experts, didn’t surprise industry stakeholders who have had a hand in bringing hordes of revellers to the likes of hip party venues Boat Quay, Clarke Quay and One Rochester.

One of them is Andrew Ing, Zouk’s former marketing manager of eight years, the man credited with the club’s success and an authority on Singapore’s after-hours scene. In fact, he is only surprised that Singapore didn’t make it to the top 10 ranking in last year’s survey.
Ing says: “I’ve always seen Singapore as having a good nightlife since I left Australia 15 years ago to come here to work.” Nowadays, he is kept busy as CEO of the newly launched St James Power Station, a 5,574 sqm mega nightlife entertainment complex – the biggest yet in Singapore, if not in the region.

With the arrival of Ministry of Sound (MOS) in December 2005, the stage, dominated for years by major player Zouk and a dozen other smaller clubs, appears to be getting crowded. Yet leisure entrepreneurs remain upbeat about the shifting equation. Calvin Sio, market manager of MOS, says: “We should not be struggling to fight for the same share of the pie, but rather to grow the market. Don’t forget there is a huge tourist market out there that’s not very tapped into yet.”

The successful growth of the market can be measured by the criterion of variety, according to Putri Trisulo, director of ReadyMade Projects – the firm responsible for bringing the cutting-edge film festival, ResFest, to Singapore – and a veteran clubber based in New York. “I think variety is always key and this normally comes from setting up something that hasn’t already existed,” he notes.

“This idea of the megaclub is fine and dandy, but it falls within the same category and doesn’t really provide a true alternative. Thus, receptiveness to new ideas and nightlife concepts should be welcomed and supported.”

So how will competition fuel progression in the nightlife scene? Bobby Luo, creative director of The Butter Factory, insists: “Without the competition, club operators might be happily nestling in their comfort zone with nothing to challenge them. After all, the entertainment industry needs to be a hotbed of new ideas and edgy concepts in order to retain longevity.”

Natural business acumen alone is no longer enough to survive in this industry, he says – creativity in crafting a strong identity and the ability to reinvent the company are tantamount to winning patrons’ loyalty.

“There is currently an explosion in the creative scene from fashion, art and architecture to design, and all the synergies are crossing over into the nightlife circuit,” Luo adds. He is one such club operator who has eagerly injected innovation in the decor of his establishment, an aspect that spills over even into its flyers and advertisements.

The Butter Factory has succeeded with this formula, working with Phunk Studio, Singapore’s foremost talent and pioneer in the design scene. Together, they curated an arts exhibition called Design Warriors, which serves as the backdrop for the lounge area of the club. Here, the latest tunes churned out by the hippest DJs and the robust conversations of customers ricochet off the artworks.

Zouk also employed Phunk Studio to launch its Artist in Residence series of club flyers, conceptualised by various graphic designers, thus enabling the venue to evolve into a platform for culture-related events and brand launches.

In a bid to attract patrons with the use of eye-catching decor, St James Power Station will feature a fly track which previously belonged to Cirque du Soleil, making possible acrobatic performances as guests party the night away. But its CEO Ing has other ways of reeling in customers, noting that the yuppie market is largely uncatered for in Singapore. “A lot of clubs out there are for the 18 to 19-year-olds,” he says. “We’re targeting the age group of 20s to 40s – the PMEBs [professionals, managers, executives and businessmen], who want to hang out with people of the same age and status.

“There’s a market for live music that features pop concerts for the adult audience who want to go out but don’t necessarily want to dance.”
Besides using the choice of music played in the club as an indicator of what patrons can expect, the Singapore nightlife scene has increasingly been about target audience. There is a level of sophistication in the music genres played, especially through the emerging talents of local DJs, and this invariably creates a niche scene where you can go to a venue to meet like-minded people.

HomeClub is one example of a local brand club that prides itself on the intimacy of the space, its patrons and the clubbing experience. Its business development manager/resident DJ, Bradley James Gardner, says: “We attract the creative media audience from the music and graphics industry who are specific and selective and are coming for quality, not just for a packed venue with cheap alcohol. There’s a sense of creative realness for a quality experience for the experienced clubber.”

Such demands are increasingly common among locals, and travellers who come to Singapore with such expectations are unlikely to be disappointed. Luo says: “The locals are a sophisticated crowd who are becoming more global, well travelled and informed. Singapore is a cosmopolitan city, with the local workforce working hard and also partying hard.”

A crowd ready to party on weekends and clued in on where to go is an even better marketing tool for the clubs, since they rarely want to go head on with the grand dame of Singapore clubs, Zouk. During its 16 years in the business, it has bagged the Singapore Tourism Board’s Nightspot of the Year five times and was labelled one of the world’s legendary clubs by UK magazine iDJ. In December 2005, it staged the sixth ZoukOut dance music festival on Sentosa’s Siloso beach, which was eagerly attended by both locals and tourists. The large-scale event lasted from 8pm to 8am.

Marketing manager Tracy Phillips credits founder Lincoln Cheng for having the foresight to set up a club as progressive as Zouk, which helped lay the foundation for the current dance scene in Singapore, a claim which has never been challenged. Unsurprisingly, judging by the legions of clubbers, including scores of out-of-towners, who have spent countless enjoyable hours there. Phillips says: “We keep things moving forward and maintain the fine balance of being progressive, yet still accessible and not outrightly commercial.”

By sheer size alone, the mammoth St James Power Station, featuring nine outlets, is an interesting proposition. Patrons can choose from various themed rooms, electing to stay in one or circulate: Dragonfly (Mandarin pop), Movida (world music), The Lobby Bar (chill-out music), Bellini Room (swing, big band and easy listening sounds), Mono (karaoke), Powerhouse (dance), Gallery Bar (lounge), The Boiler Room (rock, R&B and pop) and Peppermint Park for after-hours. Using a similar concept, the new Cannery at Clarke Quay has five tenants. Obviously, the management in both venues believe in providing something for everyone.

Riding on this same philosophy, Singapore has tirelessly worked at providing experiences to appeal to different visitor segments. Its efficient infrastructure and classy hotels have long impressed conference delegates, while its well-stocked shopping complexes and superb cuisine options dazzle leisure travellers. And soon, the Integrated Resort projects in Marina Bay and Sentosa will add their weight to boosting arrival figures, especially from the meetings and incentives sector and family travel niche.

As Kelly Khoo, marketing director of Clear Channel, observes from a customer’s perspective: “I don’t think I know anyone who travels to Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Jakarta or Bali just for the sake of clubbing alone. We take off to these places for shopping, spa visits and the beach, and clubbing is but one of the things we do over the long weekend.”

With people more inclined to spend leisure time dining and wining, and the government relaxing limits on entertainment licences, all the signs point to a country in the process of moving from uptight to trendy, albeit avoiding any overtures from authorities to steer growth. A slippery slope, since the concept of fun can’t be turned into another official project.

“In the end, the soul of the nightlife must come from people in the streets,” says Ing. “The government can’t tell people to have fun; if everything we do is for the government, the credibility of a vibrant scene is compromised. It has already done a great job, so one way is for the people to loosen up a bit and chill out and not be ‘so Singaporean’.” By that, Ing is referring to how Singaporeans sometimes seem to be lacking in spontaneity and take a while to warm up on the dancefloor.

So what would entice a local resident to venture out? Khoo quips: “It’s the expectation that this is the night you’ll meet all your favourite people, hear all your favourite tunes and leave the club at lights up with one arm around your mate, a beer bottle in the other, a big smile on your face and a positive feel- good vibe all over. Of course, we must have had at least thousands of these nights already, but we’re always hoping and waiting for the next one.”

Five reasons Zook still rules

1. The word on the streets is that Zouk is the top choice for everyone from all walks of life – students, lawyers, industry movers and shakers and top international DJs. It was even once the choice of PAP ­(Singapore’s ruling party) as a venue for their 50th anniversary celebration. Mingle with well-groomed and trendy crowds.

2. Its collection of accolades remains unparalleled. It was recognised by UK magazine iDJ as one of the top 50 legendary clubs and also garnered the Singapore Tourism Board’s “Nightspot of the Year” award in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2005.

3. After 16 years, the passion stills resonates. It’s not imported or contrived but authentic to Zouk’s motto: “one world, one music, one tribe, one dance”. All the more reason to party here since the word zouk is a term for “village party” in the French Caribbean. It has built up such a strong following that regulars are known as “Zoukettes”.

4. Zouk’s white-washed architecture, reflecting Moorish and African influences, gives no hint that it consists of two formerly rundown warehouses from the 1800s. The interiors are studded with conversation pieces by Keith Haring, Frank Stella, Andy Warhol, Takashi Murakami, Delia Prvacki, Roy Lichtenstein, Massimo Losa-Ghini, Romero Britto, Philippe Starck, Henri Chen Kezhan, Philip Lakeman and Graham Oldroyd.

5. Party to cutting-edge dance music. Listen to Indie, an eclectic mix of Seventies, Eighties and Nineties pop music, funk and down tempo, hip hop, breaks, drum and bass, deep house, bossa, nu-jazz, house and garage and the latest tunes that make the crowd go wild by the resident DJs and international acts. Check out zoukclub.com.sg for the latest events.

Hot havens

Zouk
17 Jiak Kim Street
tel +65 6738 2988

zoukclub.com.sg

The Butter Factory
48 Robertson Quay #01-03 Riverside 48
tel +65 6333 8243

thebutterfactory.com

HomeClub
20 Upper Circular Road
#B1-01/06 The Riverwalk
tel +65 6538 2928

homeclub.com.sg

St James Power Station
3 Sentosa Gateway #01-01 tel +65 6270 7676

stjamespowerstation.com

Ministry of Sound
Block C, #01-02 River Valley Road, Clarke Quay
tel +65 6235 2292

ministryofsound.com.sg