Dancing to the lakeside rock
The popular festival returns to Pattaya for a second year
THOUSANDS OF music fans turned out to Silverlake Vineyard in Pattaya last Saturday to rock to the sounds of more than 20 bands, both professional and amateur.
This second edition of Rock on the Lake was better organised than last year’s with the concert venue nearer the main road and the two stages easily accessible on foot, unlike the 2014 edition which saw fans having to walk up and down hills to sample the sounds. The time too, the main stage was devoted to the professional bands while its smaller cousin featured amateur and school bands from Rockademy, along with the Rockademy All Stars. The only downside of this arrangement was that the audience around the small stage was limited mainly to family members and friends of Electro Active, Fight Together, Manee, The Ambulance, Methane, Apollo, White Jack, Alphabeat and Let Me Go Home. They were all were taking part in the contest, “Rockademy on the Lake: Battle of the Bands”.
Some showed considerably more talent than others, with Electro Active among the most interesting in terms of performance and songs, which included the newly penned “Kamlang Khon Ha”. Sadly, though, the powerful music from the main stage affected the Lake Stage, a fact the organisers should take into account if planning a similar layout next year.
Alternative band AB Normal was the first to perform on Silver Stage with a set of hits that included “Thang Thi Phid Kor Yang Rak”, its first single after a six-year hiatus. After a brief expression of thanks to fans for their support, singer Sirisilp “Kwang” Chotvijit led the band into “Phood Mai Khoi Keng”, a smash hit from its 2002 debut album “Pakati”, then jammed with SDF’s singer Nitinan “Champ” Jan-deja.
Maew Chirasak rocked the audience with his opener, “Degree of Freedom”, a nu-metal number and the title track of an EP that hails his entry to the metal world, then swiftly segued into his old hits, including an interesting post-hardcore arrangement of “Thang Khrai Thang Man”. He also played “Chan Mai Dai Kerd Ma Puea Thuk Luem”, the first single from the EP and, just as his did last year, introduced two young talents. guitarist Mix from “Thailand’s Got Talent” and Max on drums for a rousing rendition of two Western covers.
Getsunova performed a set that included “Kham Tham Sueng Rai Khon Tob” and “Klai Khae Nai Khue Klai”, while Moderndog, widely considered the pioneer of alternative rock, played such danceable hits as “Tim”, “Busaba” and “Ta Sawang”. Their vocalist Tanachai “Pod” Ujjin asked the audience to give a round of applause to a Japanese female fan, a regular at Moderndog’s concerts.
Festival headliners Asanee-Wasan Chotikul were next out on Silver Stage along with the same musician line-up as on their world tour. The audience was delighted to sing along to such legendary love songs as “Huajai Sa-orn”, “Sith Khong Ther”, “Rak Ther Samer”, and “Khon Sudthai” and to dance to fast-paced tracks “Wua Luem Tua”, “Luk Phuchai”, and “Sai Lor Fah”. Asanee once again respected tradition by throwing guitar picks into the crowd.
Blackhead, Lomosonic and Cocktail closed out the action on the Silver Stage but this reviewer had already decided to call it a night.
