AN AMPED-UP EVENING
Surprise guests and happy Sao Sao Sao memories at Amp Saowaluk's show
Saowaluk “Amp” Lelaputra’s concert “I Am What I Amp” at Siam Paragon’s Royal Paragon Hall last weekend drew three generations, from young children to grandparents, and no one went home disappointed.
Amp and her fellow performers – promised stars and surprise guests – served up more than 40 songs in the course of four hours and audience hands were waving to and fro throughout.
Amp began with “Kwam Song Jam”, “Ni Yai”, “Sawasdee Kwam Rak” and “Kod Dun”, the big screen behind her aglow with roses. She then performed “Yak Leum”, “Ton Aor” and “Keun Jai” – three hits by Sao Sao Sao, her former all-girl group, the roses replaced by mountains, trees and flying birds in turn. She had all the great old dance moves as well, wowing the crowd.
“Even after Sao Sao Sao disbanded we kept in touch,” Amp said, expressing “thanks to the world for putting Mam and Pum in my life”.
Patcharida Wattana and Orawan Yenpoonsuk didn’t turn up for a reunion, as many hoped, but there was plenty more to see and hear. Amp next sang the tunes she wrote for other singers – “Kum Mak Ngai” by Billy Ogan, “Sak Wan” by Nantida Kaewbuasai and “Kor Jan” by Viyada “Tuk”Komarakul Na Nakorn.
And then it was time for the songs she wrote for herself, including “Kon Chen Nee”, “Chun Young Yoo Dai Kon Dee” and “Hak Mai Mee Prung Nee”.
Mai Charoenpura appeared abruptly onstage, an unannounced guest, clad in a tiger-print dress, to join Amp for “Klub Ma Ha Peun”, during which they hugged and touched noses. Suddenly Marsha Wattanapanich joined them too, dressed like Cleopatra. Amp also sang “Yang Ngai Mai Rou Si” with Mai and “Sea Mai” with Marsha, a tune Amp wrote for Ampol “Nui” Lampoon.
At the end of the song the hall was plunged into darkness before a video was projected on both sides of the stage featuring singers Pakkaramai “Tong” Potranan, Myria “Nat” Benedetti, Nicole Theriault and Haruthai “Au” Muangboonsri, who said they loved that Amp was putting on the show.
The lights came up again and more surprise guests appeared – the performers from Seven, another of Amp’s groups, singing “Kwam Rak Thang Jed”.
A string of funny songs followed, including Sao Sao Sao’s “Ruk Kue Fun Pai”, performed by Nicole, Nat and Tong, whose dancing was mimicked by three girls’ shadows behind them. Au next sang “Wannee Mai Me Nam Ta” and Amp did “Chan Laew”, and then together they performed “Tum Nan Kon Chok Dee”. Tong, Nat, Nicole, Marsha and Au did “Yak Suiy” in riveting fashion. The fans couldn’t keep their eyes off them.
Amp returned to the stage with “Lar” and then “Tukta Puen Kao” and “Din Dan Sak Sit”, which she called “the songs that were always rejected at other concerts”. But she’d chosen to sing them now because she wanted to.
The giant screen featured pictures of Amp from her Sao Sao Sao days until now before still more surprise guests arrived. Songsit “Kob” Rungnopphakhunsri and Sakda “Da” Pattasima performed a memorable medley of “Pid Mai Tee Rak Tor”, “Puea Tur Talord Pai” and “PatiHarn”, and then Amp came back for a Broadway-style run of “Yeah Yeah Yes”, “Utis Hai”, “Kri Na Pud Jang” and “Aupasak”.
“I’d asked myself whether people would still want to see me in concert,” she declared modestly. “I didn’t dare expect that Paragon Hall would be full tonight. I don’t know why you’d pay for my concert, but I think what brought us here is love.”
Amp wiped away the tears and sang a series of her best-known tunes, allowing most of the crowd to sing along. Among others, she offered “Khob Fah Mai Mee Jing”, “Kwam Song Jam” and “Kreung Neung Kaung Cheewit”.
The finale was “Tarng Dern Haeng Ruk” – and the happiness of the audience was complete.
