Songs we knew so well

There was more than a touch of nostalgia in the air last Saturday as Wave Entertainment staged its first outdoors retro concert in Hua Hin’s Centennial Park. Fans, most of then in their 40s or older, turned the event into a commercial success by snapping up the tickets although many were heard complaining at the sound quality, which was generally poor.

 The choice of venue, the outdoor plaza of Intercontinental Hotel, didn’t help either. Surely a better choice of backdrop would have been the beach or perhaps even the mountains. Seating areas were poorly planned too with the zone reserved for the highest-priced ticket holders running from the front of the stage to adjacent with the control platform and effectively dividing the venue into two parts. The remainder of the concrete area was covered with astroturf with cushions selling for Bt150 each.

 The Beatle Nuts, the popular cover band who took part in The Beatles’ 50th anniversary celebrations in Liverpool, were the first on stage and opened with “Prathet Thai”, “Mai Mee Luea Fuea” and “Nak Dern Thang” from Kampanee’s 1992 album “Mai Mee Kheet Jam Kad” in honour of bassist and vocalist Kris Chokthippattana and rhythm guitarist and vocalist Somchai Kamrerdkul, both former members of the pop band. 

They then took the audience into the world of The Fab Four with a repertoire that included “The Long and Winding Road”, “Come Together”, “Help” and “I Want To Hold Your Hand” then closed out with other Kampanee tracks “Sarub Wa ... Ba” and “Klub Kham Sia”.

Warm applause greeted Uthen Prommin who performed ballads “Jai Nam Khaeng”, “Mai Wai Wang Jai”, and “Wicha Marn” before handing the microphone to Tuangsit “Kung” Reamchinda for “Niraj Nuch”.

“I’m not Kung The Voice but Kung The Elderly,” he told the audience before segueing into “Ngarn Wat” and mor lam singer Poyfai Malaiporn’s “Man Tong Torn”.

After a brief interlude during which the official opening ceremony was held, Somprasong “Tum” Singhuanwat took the audience back more than two decades with a set of songs from his 1990 album “Phuchai Thanoo” album. They included the hit “Chang Mai Roo Loei”, which was brought to life again by Boy Peacemaker for the movie “Phuen Sanit” in 2005, as well as “Thon Dai Thuk Thee”, “Phood Mai Oak” and “Huajai Wang Plao.”

Screams echoed round the plaza as Nuvo guitarist and vocalist Saharat “Kong” Sangkapricha walked out on stage with his bandmates, performing the much-loved songs “Sanchatayan Bok”, “Thon Thon Ao Noi”, “Mai Pen Rai Roey”, “Wan Wan”, “Sud Sud Pai Loei” and “Rai Kan Mak ... Ba Mok”.

Byrd & Heart, a duo who became famous in 1980s, also impressed with such timeless hits as “Luem”, “Susan Joan”, “Fon”, “Ror Rak”, “Pher”, and “Goodbye Song”. They were followed by pop outfit Fruity, who opened with two danceable foreign hits, Philip Bailey and Phil Collins’ “Easy Lover” and Jigsaw’s “Sky High” before playing their own songs, 1984’s “Khon Khang Khieng” and 1987’s “Yak Bok Rak”. They then delighted the audience by playing a medley of golden oldies that included Rod Stewart’s “I Don’t Want to Talk About It”, The Knack’s “My Sharona” and Billy Joey’s “You May Be Right”. Singer Suthipong “Chompoo” Wattanajang closed his show with “Sai Lohit”, the soundtrack of the popular TV series of the same name.

Billy Ogan was next up with a set that included such sing-along numbers as “Kham Mak Ngai”, “Nom Naem Pai Noi”, “Fang Wai Nai Phuen Din” and “Ao Arai Ma Laek Kor Mai Yom” and covers of Asanee-Wasan’s “Bok Laew”, Rewat Buddhinan’s “Pak Khon” and Thanes Warakulnukroh’s “Rak Nong Khon Diew”.

Then come the moment the audience had been waiting for – the show by The Palace. Those who had seen the band before were probably slightly disappointed to see that the lads were performing the same set – and telling the same jokes – as at their earlier shows but relieved when they were joined by two former members of Sao Sao Sao as Od Khiriboon sang Thai oldie “Tae Pang Korn”. The ladies then performed “Pratoo Jai”, “Rao Pen Fan Kan Dai Yang Rai” and “Rak Khue Fun Pai” before handing the vocals back to Warunee “Uan” Suntrisawad and for “Kod Chan” and “Ther Ja Lueak Khrai” and Direk “Too” Amatayakul for “Sao Bang Pho”.