Concert «Phương Thanh – Đỗ Hoàng Hiệp – Phạm Anh Khoa»

   A husky woman's voice, recognisable across Vietnam since the mid-1990s, shares an evening with a rock singer once dubbed by local critics the gentleman who sings rock. A pairing built on contrasting temperaments, with a live band in place of ready-made arrangements.

   The main name is Phương Thanh, born in 1973. She broke through in the mid-1990s via the «Làn Sóng Xanh» programme, and «Giã từ dĩ vãng», from the 1997 television film of the same name, has stayed attached to her ever since. After nearly ten years of silence she returned with «Trống vắng», an acoustic-rock record of eight songs drawn from across her career.

   Who is with her:

   Phạm Anh Khoa, born 1985, also known as PAK — singer and songwriter, winner of the «Sao Mai điểm hẹn» competition in 2006; the composer Huy Tuấn gave him the nickname the gentleman who sings rock. He has played in and founded the bands 3D, Khoai Lang Tây, Big Belly Band and PAK Band
Đỗ Hoàng Hiệp — the third name on the bill
Tom Chat Band — the venue's house band

   This is for anyone who looks to Vietnamese music for pressure rather than sweetness: both headliners work on vocal force instead of softness. For a listener from outside, a line-up like this makes the point that the Vietnamese stage does more than ballads.

   The room is The One by the Red River, the hall promoter Tom Chat keeps for its own concerts. Seats are chosen from a plan and the seat price follows your choice: Reserve a seat.

   Two voices of that size in one room is a rare combination on any listing, and it promises an evening without half-tones.