Cat back on the prowl

Three decades after releasing their first album in 1982, the pop band Pink Panther returned to the stage on Wednesday night, reviving fond memories in the mostly middle-aged audience.

At the packed 2,000-seat Thailand Cultural Centre’s Auditorium, band leader Wichai Poonyayun kicked off the show with a multiple-song medley alongside five of the band’s original members (Pink Panther later expanded to 16 members), including Krongthong Tassanapan, Narong Abdulraheem, and Adul Wongkaew.

The other band members also provided choruses for the band’s hit songs sung by Wichai, including “Kon Ja Rak Kan” (“Destined to Be Lovers”), “Hak Huajai Mee Peek” (“If My Heart Had Wings”), and “Duang Jai” (“Heart”).

Later in the three-hour concert, Wichai, now 62 but still remarkably energetic, performed a duet with former band member Thanapol Traivet, who travelled from Chiang Mai for the concert. With Wichai playing the guitar, Thanapol entertained the audience by mimicking the voice of Louis Armstrong in “What a Wonderful World”.

The concert’s guest singers were all related to the band and Wichai in some way – some wrote songs for Pink Panther while others had Wichai as their album producer when they were signed with EMI.

Jantanee Unakul, who wrote some hits for Pink Panther, mesmerised the audience with her sweet renditions of “Ther” (You) and “Sai Chon” (Stream).

Suchart Chawangkoon, who worked with Wichai on many of his albums, wowed the audience with his hit “Jai Rak” (Heart of Love) and a medley of three songs from his past albums. Actor Toon Hiranyasap sang Paul Anka’s “Diana”, with Wichai accompanying him on the guitar.

Settha Siyachaya, front man of The Impossibles, crooned “Nueng Nai Roi” (One in a Hundred) and “Lamnam Rak” (Poem of Love). Singer Charas Fuang-arom, who wrote some songs during Pink Panther’s early days, sang two of his hits. They also teamed up with Wichai for “Roi Thao Bon Puen Sai” (Footprints on the Sand).

The concert was backed by Virat & His Orchestra, a 20-plus-strong group led by veteran conductor Virat Yoothaworn. Wichai conducted the orchestra when the guest singers performed and he played the guitar for some of them.

But Pink Panther kept the best for last. The concert’s final song was “Rak Chan Nan Pua Ther” (“My Love is for You”), which was also the theme of this 30th-anniversary concert. The song was written by Charas and takes its melody from the Japanese song “Yume Oi Sake”.

The last performance began in the dark, with female voices heard singing the song a capella. When stage lights were turned on, 30 young singers dressed in black and white emerged on the stage lift to loud applause.

After the young ladies completed the song, there was another surprise in store, as Wichai emerged from nowhere to render his band’s best-known and most-successful song in the middle of the audience. He sang as he walked along the aisles to greet his fans, having his photos taken with them, and encouraging them to sing a line of the lyrics.