'Tis the Season

Musicians, media and industry people turning up to Bangkok’s Town-In-Town Hotel on Wednesday night for the Season Awards 2012 could have been forgiven for wondering if they were attending a wedding or perhaps some kind of religious rite.

Why otherwise would the backdrop to the registration desk feature a whole lot of red paper hearts or the ceiling outside the hotel’s grand ballroom be decorated with ceremonial thread bound and hung like a lot of spider webs?

In fact, it was Season’s way of telling punters that it was celebrating its 25th anniversary and had every intention of surviving for at least that long again. 

The occasion didn’t explain why the round tables inside the ballroom were sporting orchid petals in banana leaves and a floating fragrant candle but perhaps the magazine – or the hotel – had inspirations to double as a spa. 

The room itself boasted three stages, where artists took turns playing short sets in between the award announcements. Young Zab, a fusion boy group from BB Records, was the first to perform with Palapol Polkongseng next to take the stage. Others providing the evening’s entertainment included Paradox, Chutima Kaewniem, The Yers, Slot Machine, New-Jew, and Pongsit Khamphi.

There were surprises too in the announcements, with three artists winning two awards apiece in six of the categories. Panda Records’ rockers Buddhist Holiday picked up Best Rock Album and Best Rock Group; Arak & The Pisaj Band from Believe Records won Best Album and Best Recording for “Khwam Roon Rang”, while Manida Ruangsri from Humbrella, a subsidiary of GMM Grammy, was named Best Female Artist and her producer Narongwit Techatanawat Best Producer.

“I’m so excited. It’s my very first award,” said an emotional Manida.

“We never thought we could receive an award. It will really encourage us to work even harder on our next album,” said Buddhist Holiday’s vocalist and guitarist Kitti Tangdamrongyos.

Best Rock Song went to rock band Kala, the first recognition the outfit has received since forming back in 1999 despite being nominated in four |categories at the 2011 Season Awards.

“I’m sick at the moment but this award is like a medicine,” said a delighted Kritpoj “Noom” Sangsuwan, Kala’s front man.

“All our past albums have been self-produced and we’ve focused on Thai rock,” Noom later told The Nation. ““But for this album ‘Love Infinity’, we turned from Thai rock to a new sound. Obviously it worked.”

Tabasco, a rock/punk/disco band from Lemon Factory, won Best New Artist. The outfit has in fact been around for seven years but only released its debut album, “1984”, last year.

“Thank to all our friends, the producer and my father [Prathuang Udomtanawat, former bassist of 1970s’ influential folk band Chatree] for their support,” said the band’s singer and songwriter Ratchakorn |“Champ” Udomtanawat. “The album title refers to end of New Wave and the beginning of disco and punk.”

Best Instrumental went to Dulyasit Srabua & Bert Deivert’s for “Ampawa”, Best Duo or Group to T-Bone, Best Song to “Rong Namta”, by Apichai Tragoolpadetg rai aka Greasy Cafe, and Best Male Artist to songs-for-lifer Pongsit |Khamphi.