If the organizers of F1 Rocks wanted to test the dedication and patience of Chinese music fans on the opening day of its 3-day festival, then they did an excellent job in many areas - from the gruff security screenings to the obstructive cluster of food and drink vendor stalls.

Pushing and shoving, I somehow managed to make my way out from the bottleneck of sweaty bodies and found a decent spot close to the stage. By this time I had missed the opening act, Da Mouth, much to my disappointment - no thanks to the entrance rules enforced by the organizers.

Nonetheless, the night was still considerably young, and the next act, Sodagreen, soon emerged. Releasing new album, "Fever," just some weeks ago, the band exuded confidence and launched effortlessly into the English version of the song "Oh oh oh oh..." The audience was participative; screaming and singing along, especially during the popular hit "Little Love Song."

Lead singer Qingfeng, all decked out in black and looking decidedly masculine, was evidently overwhelmed. He showed his appreciation by coming down the stage to sing and kept bowing and waving to the fans up front, easily one of the moments of the night for me. Ah Gong, the talented keyboardist and viola player with a penchant for synchronized dancing upped his game a notch by enlisting the cutest member of the band, guitarist Jia-kai to execute a funky sequence. The only downer of their set was when the sound abruptly cut off midway through "Fever," apparently due to a power failure. Instead of doing the "polite" thing by sulking quietly and mentally drafting a complaint letter to the forums, the enthused fans were equally verbal in voicing their displeasure with loud boos. One can only hope that the organizers heard them.

The sound problems did not end there. Taiwanese diva A-Mei kicked off her set with an upbeat number filled with gusto and aplomb . Unfortunately, her microphone cut out, and all we heard were the 2 backup singers.. The saving grace was the diva herself. Being the professional she is, A-Mei was able to overlook the initial hiccups and immersed herself in the performance.

From her risqué dance moves, to playfully asking the audience to shed their clothing if they were too hot, A-Mei had the crowd eating out of her hands. The crowd was enthralled too when she belted out her trademark ballads and new songs under the persona of her alter ego, Amit. A-Mei managed to rise above the technical problems, and her vocal range and control was the best of all the performers that night.

Finally, after a half-hour wait, Jacky Cheung took the stage, opening with an energetic medley of Cantonese songs. Bathed in light from the lavish cathedral backdrop on the screens behind him, the "God of Songs" was unrecognizable in a flamboyant get up, comprised of a denim vest over a white shirt with frilly cuffs for sleeves, black skinny jeans and a head full of messy silver locks. Sadly, the final product looked more like a deranged Tom Cruise in "Interview with a Vampire" than Robert Pattinson in "Twilight." Nonetheless, his fans were too excited to care, as they bopped to familiar hits like "Kiss Goodbye" and "Let Me Go" which were given a rock twist. It's evident that Jacky was not only performing for the crowd at Fort Canning Green, but a larger international audience.

He sauntered, swaggered and slid across the stage, displaying finesse and stamina that younger performers may find hard to match. His perfectionist streak came into play when he failed to hit the high notes of the duet "On top of the mountain" with A-Mei, and after the song had ended; he asked her to let him sing his stanza again.

It would've been great if the concert had ended on that high note, instead of having all of them back on stage to perform "Heal the World" in tribute to Michael Jackson. Unfortunately, save Jacky and A-Mei, the rest of the artistes fumbled with the unfamiliar lyrics and the inherent language barrier.

All things said, it was a great concert despite some technical faults. We can only keep our fingers crossed and hope for vast improvements for the next F1 Rocks.