Music with a sonic bang

Thailand’s leading concert promoter BEC-Tero turns 15 this year and it’s celebrating this milestone by holding a music festival that promises to be bigger and better than anything Thailand has seen before.

Spread over 3,000 square metres at Impact Arena and four exhibition halls, next month’s one-day event offers something for everyone with a diversity of genres that includes indie rock, pop, hip-hop, luk thung, J-pop, J-rock and K-pop on six stages. 

“We’ve been dreaming of organising an international music festival in Thailand for a while but we’ve taken our time because putting on a large festival is extremely complicated and time-consuming. It was essential for us to take the time to learn, plan and prepare with all relevant parties and make sure that when we did it, we did it right,” says Neil Thompson, BEC-Tero’s deputy managing director. “We feel strongly that now is the time for us to mount Sonic Bang, a world-class music festival experience that will leave an indelible mark in Thailand.

“We intend to make the festival an annual event in Bangkok, with Sonic Bang becoming a festival that will attract both local and international fans to enjoy the very best of international and Asian artists,” Thompson continues.

“We also want Sonic Bang to become a place where Thai artists, both well-known and up-and-coming, can showcase their talents on an international stage. Most of all, we want to offer the Thai people the experience of an international festival filled with quality music, extraordinary shows and local tasty food in one excitement-packed air-conditioned site. This is going to be a really unique festival,” 

The inaugural Sonic Bang offers a stellar line-up. Big-name Western acts jetting in for the show include Jason Mraz, the Pet Shop Boys, Pitbull, Placebo, Ash, Owl City and Sheppard. Japan and South Korea are well represented with Scandal, Miyavi, Jam Project and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Epik High and Rain, and Malaysia is sending its post-hardcore outfit Love Me Butch.

Thai acts include Slot Machine, Flure, Tor Saksit, Stamp, Lipta, Room 39, Scrubb, Gale, Sugar Eyes, Buddha Bless, Southside, Kratae and Bai-Toey R-Siam. There are also several local DJs, among them Jay Montonn Jira, Ono, Bee Futon, Suharit Siamwalla and Seed Norasate.

Thompson is anticipating a massive turn out, with the “Bang!” stage in Impact Arena expected to attract 15,000 fans. “Boom!” in Exhibition Halls 3 and 4 should draw 20,000 people, 10,000 for “Pow!” at Exhibition Hall 1, 3,000 for “Wow!” in Exhibition Hall 2, 500 gathering in the garden for “Park” and another 500 in the Impact Conference Hall’s “Silent Disco”.

The concert promoter lost no time in bringing Rain back to Thailand to be part of the first festival. The K-pop superstar was discharged from his two-year military service just last week. He’ll be performing such hits as “It’s Raining”, “I’m Coming”, “Hip Song”, “Busan Girl”, “Love Song” and “Rainism”.

One of the few Asian artists to have received widespread attention in the West, model, blogger and J-pop star, 20-year-old Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, made her debut with the single “PonPonPon”, which went viral on YouTube. Her other hits include “Candy Candy”, “Fashion Monster”, “Ninjya Re Bang Bang” and “Invader Invader”. She recently released a new album titled “Nandacollection”.

“[Songwriter and producer] Yasutaka Nakata came up with the title. He came to watch my show in New York and during dinner afterwards and he suggeste ‘Nandacollection’,” says the singer who’s often dubbed “Japan’s Lady Gaga” in a recent interview.

“I’m so excited about performing in Thailand! I’ll give it everything. There’ll be colourful outfits and lots of energetic dancing so everyone can join in and have fun.”

This festival, which is costing more than Bt200 million, will also offer food from popular street eateries. The khao man kai will be coming from Pratunam, khao kha moo from Chulalongkorn University, som tam from Convent, ice cream from Soi Thong Lor and old-fashioned Thai-style coffee from Yaorawat.

In addition, more than 50 booths will be selling Sonic Bang goodies and indie products.

 

 

 

Bangkok blow out

_ Sonic Bang runs from 10am to to midnight on August 24 in Muang Thong Thani.

_ Tickets cost Bt4,000 (Bt5,000 for VIP). Call (02) 262 3456 or visit www.ThaiTicketMajor.com.

_ For more details, visit www.SonicBang.net.