It has been an eventful 12 months for dwell music in Thailand, with regard to home and worldwide acts. Alongside the massive names that got here to city, we additionally received to see a wide range of thrilling different artists as nicely. A lot of that is due to the speedy progress of impartial live performance promoters.
Now that the New 12 months is right here, let’s have a look again at a number of the gig highlights of 2019, and look ahead to a number of the fascinating exhibits on the best way in 2020.
GROOVES INTERNATIONAL
The 12 months began off because it meant to go in, with a shock present by English bubblegum electropop outfit Superorganism on Jan 13. Delivered to us by Medium Uncommon, the London-based group led by Japanese vocalist Orono Noguchi introduced their distinctive and vibrant dwell present to Thailand for the primary time.
February noticed the second version of Bangkok’s new home-grown music competition Mangosteen. This 12 months the occasion, dubbed Magosteen Detour, featured a terrific assortment of cool bands, like Irish people rockers Kodaline, British pop group Fickle Pals and Taiwanese rock band Sundown Rollercoaster, alongside thrilling native expertise like Phum Viphurit and PolyCat.
Maroon 5 are nonetheless one among Thailand’s favorite pop bands they usually always remember to return again to go to their Thai followers. The US pop rockers had been right here in March as a part of their in depth world tour selling their sixth studio album Purple Capsule Blues.
That very same month, pop music followers welcomed English singer and style icon Rita Ora for her debut gig in Thailand at Crystal Enviornment at Crystal Design Heart. Followers had been delighted because the singer carried out all her hits together with Wherever, Physique On Me and Ladies.
April was singer-songwriter month as native music followers welcomed two of essentially the most distinguished pop entertainers of this technology. First up was John Mayer, the US heart-throb whose stellar profession, now arising on twenty years, consists of seven studio albums, 4 of which went Platinum. At Affect Enviornment, the singer performed all his finest recognized tracks together with Your Physique Is A Wonderland, Daughters, Ready On The World To Change, Say, and Free Fallin’.
On April 28, Rajamangala Nationwide Stadium was packed out because the celebrity singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran returned for his second Bangkok live performance. The English star was supported by Japanese outfit ONE OK ROCK.
Might noticed pop dance icon Troye Sivan lay down the boogie with a string of hit songs akin to My My My!, Youth, Wild and Dance To This, to Bangkok present at Affect Exhibition Corridor 5, Muang Thong Thani.
Later that month, US electro artist Lauv made his return to Bangkok. This time, as an alternative of a assist slot, he had a full two hours to himself at Moonstar Studio. The subsequent day at Affect Enviornment noticed one other go to from US singer Jason Mraz, hosted by BEC-Tero Leisure. The live performance was a part of his Good Vibes Asia Tour, and noticed the star captivate his viewers with world hits like I am Yours and I Will not Give Up.
Jason Mraz. Photograph © Jason Mraz
After their breakthrough present in 2017, US indie pop band LANY, returned for a offered out date in Bangkok on July 30 as a part of their LANY Malibu Nights World Tour. The band, shaped in 2014 and consisting of Paul Jason Klein, Charles Leslie “Les” Priest and Jake Clifford Goss, performed well-liked tunes from their two studio albums, LANY and Malibu Nights, together with the hits ILYSB and Tremendous Far.
August noticed Irish rock trio Two Door Cinema Membership take the stage at Thunder Dome, Muang Thong Thani. Followers had been handled with previous hits, in addition to a number of new tunes from their fourth album, False Alarm.
English indie darlings The 1975 made their long-awaited return to Bangkok, with two exhibits going down Sep 13-14. The live performance was organised by Viji Corp who beforehand accountable for bringing the The Killers and The XX.
On Oct 24, legendary boy band Backstreet Boys had been on the town as a part of the DNA World Tour, their greatest tour in 18 years. Followers previous and new sang their hearts out to hits like Stop Enjoying Video games (With My Coronary heart), I Need It That Means, All people (Backstreet’s Again), Incomplete, Form Of My Coronary heart, Present Me The Which means Of Being Lonely and Do not Go Breaking My Coronary heart.
Bangkok indie followers would have made it to the tip of November with out a lot cash left of their pockets, however loads of pleasure of their hearts. Two massive music festivals came about on the identical day and on the identical time — Maho Rasop featured a line-up with Bombay Bicycle Membership, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, The Horrors and The Drums; in the meantime, Very Competition’s roster was a parade of high British pop within the form of The Kooks, Sticky Fingers, FKJ, PALE WAVES, The Marias, tahiti 80, Solar Rai and extra.
On Nov 21 noticed Grammy-award successful British people group Mumford & Sons had been on the town for the very first time at GMM Reside Home, CentralWorld, successful Thai followers over with their distinctive fusion of people, bluegrass, nation and rock.
The tip of November noticed the return of rock legend Noel Gallagher, the previous artistic coronary heart of Oasis, This time the elder Gallagher brother was right here along with his new undertaking, the Excessive Flying Birds. However in fact, the person was joyful to play Oasis classics for diehard followers.
On Dec 12, Australian lo-fi indie duo Good Morning (Stefan Blair and Liam Parsons) performed a small however intimate present at Speakerbox in Thong Lor, the place they had been joined by native supporting acts Wave And So and Comfortable Pine.
Do not forget to mark your calendar for the massive exhibits arising in 2020. Ones to look out for embody Of Monsters And Males, who deliver their fairytale-infused people stylings to Moonstar Studio eight on Jan 12. US indie people hero Bon Iver performs the identical venue on Jan 15, as does British indie popster Rex Orange on Might 14. Filipino-American singer-songwriter and producer Jeff Bernat will play Voice House Jan 26. Lastly, and this one’s a giant one, punk superstars Inexperienced Day hit Affect Enviornment, Muang Thong Thani on March 11.
THE Ok-POP SCENE
Having conquered the world, Ok-pop’s greatest export BTS have made a number of new data, setting a typical which different Ok-pop teams are discovering it laborious to maintain tempo with. In February, the boys had been on the Grammy Awards. Then in April, the septet launched their sixth EP, Map Of The Soul: Persona, which grew to become the all time best-selling album in South Korea after shifting greater than three.2 million copies. The group continued touring and have become the primary Korean act to headline London’s Wembley Stadium, which has a capability of 90,000. They received a number of awards domestically and internationally together with Favorite Duo or Group Pop/Rock, Favourite Social Artist and Tour of the 12 months at American Music Awards.
In April, lady group Blackpink launched Kill This Love and helped to advance their received worldwide fame by performing on the Coachella Competition within the US. Following that, the quartet toured North America and Europe. Lisa, the Thai member of the group has turn out to be essentially the most adopted Ok-pop performer on Instagram, with greater than 27 million followers.
A brand new group known as Tremendous M arrived, having been shaped by SM Leisure in August. Promising to be “the Avengers of Ok-pop”, the septet was assembled from high performers from different well-liked Ok-pop teams: Exo’s Baekhyun and Kai, Shinee’s Taemin, NCT’s Taeyong and Mark and Means V’s Ten and Lucas. Their EP, Tremendous M, entered the Billboard 200 albums chart at No. 1. They’re touring North America and Europe till 2020.
Sadly, the Ok-pop world was shaken by a sequence of tragedies in 2019. Former f(x) member Sulli ended her personal life on Oct 14. The next month, her finest pal Goo Hara from Kara additionally dedicated suicide. They’d each suffered from cyberbullying and melancholy.
CLOSER TO HOME
BNK48 and Palitchoke “Peck” Ayanaputra had been nonetheless the preferred Thai artists in 2019, as that they had been the 12 months earlier than. They took turns to high Twitter traits all year long. The lady group launched their 15-track album Jabaja in August. In February, the executives of BNK48 introduced they’d attempt to method markets all through Southeast Asia by making motion pictures, TV sequence, cell video games and different digital content material. Followers will get to see the women individually and as a gaggle throughout many platforms.
It took seven years for Palitchoke to launch his fourth album Butterfly, which options the hits First Girl and No one Like You. With the stable assist of his fan membership Nuch, the three dates he performed in April offered out in lower than 5 minutes.
The 12 months of pig was a good time for nostalgia. Many well-liked 90s acts made triumphant returns. Amongst them had been “Raptor Evolution 25 12 months Mai Mee Kreng Jai” by Joni Anwar and Louis Scott, “Tata Younger My Perfection Live performance”, “Nuvo Now Or By no means Live performance” and “Rhythm Of Beau Sunita Live performance”. The reunion of D2B for “D2B Infinity 2019” was notably particular as a result of deceased member Panrawat “Huge” Kittikorncharoen appeared as a hologram to sing together with the band mates Worrawech “Dan” Danuwong and Kawee “Beam” Tanjararak onstage. Followers who missed the live performance will get one other probability to see their heroes for D2B Infinity Enjoyable+ 2020 on Feb 16 at Affect Enviornment.
The 2 greatest Thai songs of the 12 months, based on Google, are Rak Tid Siren (My Ambulance) and Thararat. My Ambulance, sung by Nichaphat “Pearwah” Chatchaipholrat and Paris Intarakomalyasut, options on the favored TV drama of the identical identify on One 31 Channel and Line TV. Rapper Youngohm, who wrote and carried out Thararat, beforehand received finest hip hop tune of the 12 months on the 2017 JOOX Thailand Music Awards for his tune Chei Mei (Detached). Each My Ambulance and Thararat have greater than 100 million views on YouTube.
In 2020, boy bands might get extra of the highlight. Occasion organiser 4Nologue has already launched boy band Trinity, which consists of 4 well-liked performers led by Teeradon “James” Supapunpinyo. Their single Haters Bought Nothing gained one million view in solely 18 hours. Elsewhere, the corporate behind BNK48, iAM, is at the moment auditioning for its new boy band. The boys will seem on the TV present, The Brothers.
Cherprang of BNK48. Photograph © www.fb.com/bnk48official.cherprang
Rita Ora. Photograph © Rita Ora
Kodaline. Photograph © Kodaline
Superorganism. Photograph © Superorganism
Ed Sheeran. Photograph © BEC Tero Leisure
Maroon 5. Photograph: Toutchai Ubol
Palitchoke “Peck” Ayanaputra. Photograph © Natsawek
The late Panrawat “Huge” Kittikorncharoen seems as a hologram along with his band mates at “D2B Infinity 2019”. Photograph © RS Plc
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard.
John Mayer. Photograph © BEC Tero Leisure