No charging guards at this 'Palace'

Some 6,000 more people than expected turned up at Bitec Hall 106 in Bang Na last Saturday night for The Palace’s sold-out concert “Legend of Retro” but fortunately everyone managed to squeeze in and enjoy the band’s energetic set of more than 50 Thai and foreign songs from the ’80s.

The show took the audience, mostly people aged 45 and up, back to their youth, evoking fond memories of first dates and partying with friends. There were also a few tearful reunions, as friends who hadn’t seen each other for years bumped into each other in the auditorium.

“Legend of Retro” kicked off around 6pm with two sets highlighting Thai oldies from popular ’80s outfits McIntosh, The Innocent, Forever, Royal Sprites, Khiriboon, Ploy, and Inca. Most were presented by Soonthorn “Jeed” Sujaritchant, a former member of Royal Sprites, Khiriboon’s Ronnachai “Od” Thomyapariwat and Wasu “Jib” Sangsingkaew of Ploy.

The crowd was delighted and happily sung along to Inca’s “Ying Klai Ying Jeb”, The Innocent’s “Proh Ther Rue Plao”, McIntosh’s “Lom Hai Jai Haeng Khwam Khid Thueng” and Khiriboon’s “Fak Rak” and “Plook Rak”. Jib, one of the country’s best known Elvis impersonators, also surprised the audience by adding some good old rock and roll to Ploy’s hit “Jib Ror Dor”.

They also gave a warm welcome to the first guest, Wirut “Dam” Sakulsappaisan, a former member of Forever, who has spent the last 18 years in Melbourne. Life Down Under hasn’t slowed his abilities to sing and he had lots of fun performing his teenage hits “Papa Mama” and “Tham Jay”.

The 1980s saw many Thai pop band adapting Thai lyrics for Western covers and the veteran musicians brought several of them back for the Thai disco segment including “Duang Jai Chan Rak Ther” from Grand Funk Railroad’s “Bad Time”, "Jeeb Joo Jee" from Brian Hyland’s “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini”, and “Na Ay” from Lou Christie's “Two Faces Have I”, and “Dschinghis Khan”.

The crowd proved that age is just a number with many of them getting up to dance while others clapped their hands along with the disco beat.

The band, which features eight musicians from seven pop bands of the 1980s, quickly segued into an English disco set featuring “Grease”, “Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart)”, “Sha La La La”, “One Way Ticket” and “YMCA”, which unsurprisingly drew many more people to their feet than the Thai numbers.

Od Khiriboon came out with his classic guitar to perform luk thung (Thai country) hit, “La Sao Mae Klong” and his own songs such as “Hak Rak”, before jamming with other members of The Palace on McIntosh’s “Puean Ruam Thang” and the band’s newly written song “Khob Khun Sawan”.

Screams erupted as Tanachai “Pod” Ujjin of Moderndog came out on stage while The Innocent’s vocalist Saichon Radomkij was performing “Pieng Khrueng Jai”.

The audience laughed as Pod recalled, “While studying in Pathom 1, I knew Royal Sprites. When I was in Pathom 2, I knew McIntosh. In Pathom 4, I knew Khiriboon. It’s unbelievable that this former elementary student has the chance to be on stage with those bands today.”

Pod joined Od Khiriboon on “Rai Khoo”, duetted with Ton McIntosh in “Jai Sayew” and rocked with Jib and Od on Moderndog’s “Ta Sawang”, before handing the stage back to The Palace for the last set.

The retro concert with its party atmosphere brought so much joy to so many that it would be a shame not to repeat it – and soon.