There's no time like Atime
Astounding sights and a stirring selection of music fill Atime Showbiz's gala 10th-anniversary concert
AFTER 10 years and more than 70 concerts filling an estimated 700,000 seats, concert organiser Atime Showbiz marked its first decade with a big concert last weekend.
The show in a packed Royal Paragon Hall last Sunday night, “10 Years of Atime Showbiz”, featured bits and pieces from some of the organisers’ finest concerts and 10 of their best singers, plus many more guests.
The stars were Jetrin “J” Wattanasin, Christina Aguilar, Patiparn “Mos” Pataweekarn, expectant mother Tata Young, Saowaluck “Amp” Leelabut, Jennifer Kim, Boy Peacemaker, Aof Pongsak, Pop Pongkool and Wan Thanakrit. The last three form the group called Sam Yaek Pak Wan (Three Foul Mouths).
The guests included singers Nantida Kaewbuasai, Haruthai “Au” Muangboonsri, Saharat “Kong” Sangkapricha, Peter Corp Dyrendal and Sunisa “Aom” Sukboonsang. They were joined by hip-hop group Thaitanium, and winners of “The Star” TV contest show Gam Wichayanee, Dome Jaruwat, Gun Napat and Tum Warawut, who form the group Four Spades.
Also onstage was the 2002 Nights group members Katreeya English, Yaya Ying, Belle and Hwahwa – the last two once teamed up as the duo China Dolls – and comedians Tuck Boriboon and Ko Tee, who also sang a few songs.
The concert lasted more than four and a half hours, during which more than 50 songs were performed. And there were two other shows on Friday and Saturday.
Judging from the quality of the production, Atime Showbiz, a unit of the entertainment giant GMM Grammy, has made much progress since its first outing, the “Bodyslam’s Believe” show in May 2005. The latest concert was the crowning jewel in its history.
The audience was kept excited throughout the concert, with each set featuring props or stunts that wowed the crowd. J Jetrin made his appearance astride an illuminated jet-ski suspended from a tramway that ran all the way to the back of the hall, over the fans’ heads.
Three Foul Mouths arrived on a giant “flying” golden deer, riffing on the Thai slang for gay men. Christina, supported by cables, also managed to “fly” from the stage towards the back of the hall, singing all the way.
Jets of fire and water erupted from the stage during Tata’s performance. Mos made his entry with a team of skaters. Other singers rose on hidden hydraulic platforms, and a long runway extending from the stage allowed close contact between the singers and the audience.
Tributes were paid to three of GMM Grammy’s best-known songwriters – Nitipong “Dee” Hornark, Nim Seefah and the late Rewat “Ter” Buddhinun. A lot of their songs were performed in the show, and Nantida joined the 10 star singers on Ter’s “Sak Wan Tong Dai Dee”.
Kim managed to mesmerise the audience with her voice and make them laugh with her jokes. She performed a duet on a Thai version of “A Tu Corazon” with Saharat, who drew shrieks from female viewers when he showed up.
Saowaluck and Haruthai teamed up to delight the audience with their powerful voices on “Chan Lew” and “Kon Mai Rak Dee”. Jetrin performed “Yung Na” with two of his sons, Chao Nai and Chao Khun.
A “duel” among Aof, Pop and Wan’s team of Three Foul Mouths and the younger Four Spades singers allowed them to show their beautiful and powerful voices.
A highlight of the concert was the medley performed near the end, when 15 fast-paced songs were performed non-stop. These included popular luk thung numbers like “Kho Jai Ther Laek Ber Tho”, “Phuchai Nai Fan” and “Sao Bang Pho”, as well as hits from the past such as “Ma Thammai”, “OK Naka”, “Sakkanid” and “Pood Eek Thi”.
For the finale, when Thongchai McIntyre’s “Too Much, So Much, Very Much” was performed, scores of backstage staff members were invited onstage in to get their share of the appreciation, absolutely packing the available space, a true rarity in a Thai concert.
For many members of the audience, time seemed to fly by as they sang and danced along, being entertained and excited by the individual sets. Certainly, many of them were hoping to be in an atmosphere like this again in the future.
