Turning silver with Mai
Despite kicking off an hour late and taking a long turn over costume changes, pop rock diva Mai Charoenpura puts on a stunning rock
Mai Charoenpura’s concert on Saturday night to mark the 25th anniversary of her first album didn’t get off to a good start. At 30 minutes late, the audience was getting restless; at the 8pm mark (the show was scheduled for 7pm), some were probably considering going home. Miraculously though, when Mai finally appeared on stage at 8.30, seriously late even for Thailand and with nary an explanation, dissatisfaction disappeared and everyone’s attention immediately to the diminutive pop-rock singer.
Mai – whose first album, “Mai Muan”, was released in 1989 and sold more than 800,000 copies – excited her audience early with fast songs and she encouraged them to stand up while singing along and dancing. Many of the audience spent most of the concert doing just that, thanks mainly to the exciting performances by Mai and her guest singers – all of them men.
All three levels of seating inside the 10,000-seat Impact Arena turned into a sea of illuminated colour as thousands of fans – most of them women – flashed lights of different colours in their hands. A tiny torch with a blue light was attached to every seat. Some audience members wore light-emitting plastic bows and others brought their LED message boards.
Mai, 43, sang both her fast and slow songs – numbering more than 20 and including her hit numbers like “Klub Duek” (“Going Home Late”), “Sud Rit Sud Det” (“Going Extreme”), “Or Rer” (“Really?”), “Khor Rong” (“My Appeal”), “Kwak Huajai” (“Prove It with Your Heart”), and “Thay Rak Kuen Pai” (“Get Your Love Back”).
She also performed a medley of “luk thung” songs by the late singer Pumpuang Duangchan, with a big group of dancers.
Her guest singers – Pup Potato (Patchai Pakdisusuk), Peter Corp Dyrendal, Joe Nuvo (Jirayus Wattanasin), and Ampol “Nui” Lamphun – all managed to excite the audience as their appearances were greeted with loud cheers. They sang their hit songs as well as Mai’s numbers. Joe replaced fellow Nuvo heartthrob Kong Nuvo (Saharat Sangka-preecha), who was reportedly ill.
Nui Ampol, the vocalist with Micro, managed to please and excite the audience better than other guests by performing his band’s hits “Ao Pai Loei” (“It’s for You”) and “Bok Ma Kam Diew” (“Just Say That Word”), as well as Mai’s “Nak Koen Pai Laew” (“That’s Too Much”).
Veteran songwriter Nitipong “Dee” Hornak, who composed many of Mai’s hit numbers, appeared on stage to play the guitar on his tablet computer while Mai was singing “Phae Jai” (“Can’t Resist”).
During the final part of her three-hour concert, Mai was hoisted onto a butterfly-shaped structure, which was moved over the heads of the audience from the stage to the other end of the hall and back.
The stunt provided an impressive end for the concert, as audience members waved to the singer, who thanked her fans profusely for their support.
The late start wasn’t the only blip. The heavy bass sound of music from backup band Mascara sometimes drowned out the singing and Mai’s costume changes often took far too long.
