In its attempts to become the premier international music festival in Thailand, Sonic Bang recently garnered in excess of 20,000 attendees who were accommodated in the air-conditioned comfort of Impact Arena.
Rain
Not only were the crowds able to avoid the heat, but Sonic Bang also provided festival-goers with better facilities than normal at such big events; an approach which was just plain clever. Toilets were in abundance, as were food and beverage options. The distance from one stage to another was a walk in the park while parking and transportation posed none of the usual problems. And if you were willing to shell out a bit more cash on tickets, seats could also be reserved.
Hard-core festival heads would probably scorn such luxuries, perks not often seen at large live-music gatherings around the world, but it was actually a smart move, demonstrating that the Sonic Bang organisers have a good understanding of mainstream Thai mentality. Let's be honest here: we don't like the heat; we're not that fond of walking around; and we don't much like having to rough it.
Sonic Bang might have lacked the "festival spirit" that people often harp on about, but it made up for that by providing a greater degree of comfort and ease of access for all.
For its first year, Sonic Bang positioned itself as sort of a "something for everyone" kind of event. There wasn't really any particular genre or mood or tone. With six stages and 30 local, regional and international artists, it was a mixture of teeny-boppers, Asian popsters, '90s rockers and the fashion crowd.
Pet Shop Boys dancers
The stages were positioned practically next to one another so there was no fuss or time-wasting getting from one hall to another, especially for those already familiar with the Impact layout. The most impressive (and surprising) bit had to be how well-run the whole thing was. It didn't feel like the organisers were being too ambitious by incorporating too many _ or too few_ elements. It ran like a well-oiled machine.
As for the line-up, I'd say it could use a rethink. Probably understandable, though, since Sonic Bang made such a commendable effort to attract all sorts of different people. Don't expect me to slam the choice of Pitbull, Jason Mraz, Rain, Baitoey or Kratae R-Siam. The first three names are crowd-drawers here and were needed to bring in the volume. The Korean-inspired luk thung starlets were actually a smart booking, too; they worked the novelty angle which ultimately paid off because so many people made the effort to go see them perform live.
Including Korean and Japanese pop stars on the bill and scheduling them earlier in the day also worked well as the festival ended up accommodating two distinct waves, since the K-poppers and J-fans headed for the exits as soon as Rain left the stage. What I didn't agree with, however, was the way the organisers neglected promising new indie bands as well as the rock titans, two additional strands which, I think, would have helped swell the numbers in attendance. The has-beens and middle-of-the-road bands couldn't cut it and it would be wiser to keep up with global music trends and keep a finger on the pulse (who's hot and who's not). Even if the young indie or experimental bands didn't rack up more ticket sales, including them would be a good display of musical taste and understanding. The selection of local bands was also rather poor, especially as far as smaller combos were concerned.
Most of the participants put on full shows and this worked out fine as long as the artists in question were performing well. Rain, fresh from completing his period of military service, was enjoyable with his perfected dance moves and vocal delivery. Once Pitbull hit the stage the crowd was transformed into a dancing, heaving, screaming mass. It was good that he brought a full complement of musicians along, even though the musical details went missing from time to time. It was a simple, fun show, just right for the RCA crowd. Jason Mraz packed the main hall with his overwhelmingly positive vibes, leaving Placebo, who played at the same time, a little under-attended _ which was a shame, as it was a tight set with an amazing sound system to boot.
I just have to hand it to the Pet Shop Boys, though, for the great way they brought the festival to a close. Even if you bought your ticket just to see the PSB, it was money well spent. The duo put on a fully costumed and choreographed show with great lighting and effects. It well thought out, artistically, and executed with such perfection that we were able to forgive them for not playing a few of our favourites. It was a tribal, futuristic theatre of the absurd with lots of camp humour and stunning visuals which felt very relevant, somehow, prompting us to appreciate their decades of contributions to music. It was definitely one of those shows to remember, to be revisited if chance should permit.
Hopefully, when Sonic Bang comes around again next year, we'll be able to enjoy the same perks that were put on for us this year in addition to a possibly upgraded line-up.
Pet Shop Boys
Jason Mraz
Pitbull
Baitoey
Placebo
