The next three months usher in a bright start for Thailand in terms of musical activities and events. This year is slated to be the year of EDM, with various electronic music festivals set to erupt throughout 2015.
The year should also see the return of the likes of Tempology, Waterzonic, Arcadia, Wonderfruit, Big Mountain and 808.
For now, Life has chosen to highlight a few confirmed events you shouldn't miss in coming months.
Hedsod #1 Concert by Fungjai
Voice Space, Jan 10
What a way to begin the year in style. Fungjai, a new music collective, is organising what seems to be a concert series under the name Hedsod. The first instalment brings out the big guns in the indie circuit. Combining upcoming with established artists is quite a smart move. It's true that we see Desktop Error, Polycat and Electric.Neon.Lamp play often enough, but different settings can bring forth interesting interactions. And who would pass up the chance to see these bands perform on a proper stage? Coming all the way from Chiang Mai is Solitude is Bliss. Due to geographical challenges, it's not easy for Bangkokians to witness the splendid Solitude is Bliss, while The Whitest Crow is going from strength to strength with its exciting, choppy tunes coupled with uncontrollable swagger.
The biggest draw is none other than Death of a Salesman, which temporarily reformed to perform at Cat Expo late last year. It is suspected that this shall be the last performance that we'll see from the luminaries, at least for a while. For Hedsod #1, Death of a Salesman will play every song the duo has ever composed in a nearly two-hour set — a true musical feast for aficionados.
Death of a Salesman temporarily reforms. Catch them when you can.
Iceage
Langsuan Castle, Jan 17
When Iceage first burst onto the Copenhagen rock scene, a Danish journalist friend excitedly sent us video clips, urging us to "check these 17-year-olds out". Seven years and three studio albums later, Elias Bender Rønnenfelt (vocals/guitar), Johan Wieth (guitar), Jakob Tvilling Pless (bass) and Dan Kjær Nielsen (drums) will finally land in Bangkok, and are expected to wreak havoc in their debut live appearance. Noted for their crazy, energetic shows, Iceage displays glimpses of genuine youthful angst, dissonant chords and social disenchantment through their brand of raw punk and noise rock.
Iceage's latest release, Plowing Into The Field Of Love, released in October, offers a new take on musical directions through the surprising use of piano, organ and, yes, mandolin.
It will be interesting to see how they'll mix the early year rage with new-found dark, disturbed harmony.
Avenged Sevenfold
Impact Arena, Jan 20
For those looking for straight-up hard rock, Avenged Sevenfold is your answer. No stranger to Thailand, A7X has played here a couple of times already. This time around, the group is taking on Impact Arena, its biggest venue in the Kingdom to date. With a solid fan base and growing numbers of followers, A7X showcase has by far never disappointed. The last one a few years back gathered black shirt-wearing fanatics to fill out a sizeable concert hall along with highly driven, skilful performance.
With six studio albums and countless hits in their pockets, expect Avenged Sevenfold to live up to Revolver magazine's "Best Live Band" award.
Michael Bublé
Impact Arena, Jan 24
Surely you have had your fill of Michael Bublé over the holiday season. His deep, throaty voice singing our favourite classic tunes usually takes over festive moments in shopping malls and airports. But fear no more, you shall have even more Bublé in coming weeks. And it's life-size Bublé, too!
Returning to Bangkok, the Canadian will sweep you off your feet once again with his signature voice and old-school entertainer charm. Think the Rat Pack meets Michael Bolton meets a cabaret host. With six released albums, Bublé has a little bit of everything that the mature, easy-listening world has to offer.
The 1975
Centerpoint Studio, Jan 25
Easy on the ears and certainly on the eyes, Matt Healy (vocals, guitar), Adam Hann (guitar), George Daniel (drums, backing vocals) and Ross MacDonald (bass) have made The 1975 globally famous (a fact confirmed by a good slot at last year's Coachella festival) in the space of two years when they first put out their first single in 2012. After more singles, the band finally released its self-titled debut album in September 2013, which charted at number one on UK album charts.
Sometimes dubbed an "indie rock boy band" due to the their good looks and stylish appearances, the Mancunians thrive on accessible indie rock with flowing melodies and Healy's yearning vocal style, which seems to rub the general public the right way.
Just play Chocolate, Sex or The City a few times over as well as staring at their press photos, and you'll see why the rest of the world is swooning.
Maya Music Festival
Infantry Department 11, Royal Guard, March 7
It's a fact that Thailand is knee-deep in EDM. There's no denying that it's ruling the country right now. But punters these days can't just be happy with the provided mundane beats as they need big productions, bigger gimmicks to get into the grooves. After Sensation's jellyfish ballyhoo and Arcadia's fire-breathing Spider, they're thirsty for more and more state-of-the-art technology to be served with their EDM.
Maya Music Festival has stepped up as the most daring local promoter to actually build its own showpiece rather than importing from abroad. Under the theme "electro-naga", Maya Music Festival will introduce Naga the Great, who stands at 20m tall, and comes with a budget of 50 million baht.
Naga, a revered mythical Thai dragon, will now bask in EDM glory. The expectations for Naga are running high, as the creation gathers Thai fine art masters to brainstorm and birth electronic versions of its suave self. We're waiting to see video clips of how special effects, visual mapping and 3D technology will breath life into Naga.
Steve Angello of Swedish House Mafia fame headlines. Supports include Markuz Schulz, Paulie and Ono.
What's more, the event is partially sponsored by Tourism Authority of Thailand. Go figure.
Incubus
Thunder Dome, March 11
Incubus is another band to make a return to Thailand. Thanks to its loyal fanboys and girls, who are mostly now grown men and women, Incubus is often credited by local musicians as inspiration. Vocalist Brandon Boyd has long been a rock sex symbol, and has aged quite well, probably due to Pilates classes and a strict diet. So don't be surprised to see screaming, starry-eyed devotees in the mix as well.
You'll get good, clean, seasoned fun from Incubus. The band are veteran performers and musicians who know how to induce euphoria without forgoing their well-honed talents and techniques.
Mogwai Moonstar
Studio, March 13
It will have been 1,197 days since Mogwai last performed here. But who's counting besides post rock diehards. Mogwai's debut show in Bangkok was sold out, and people were frantic to get in on the action at the last minute, so be sure to get your tickets before it's too late.
Be warned, though. Mogwai is an acquired taste, especially the intense live shows. But once you get it, Mogwai is a delicacy of gourmet stature that is hard to come by. The live shows are often brooding, pressurised and, at times, fearsome.
Formed in 1995 in Glasgow, Dominic Aitchison (bass), Stuart Braithwaite (guitar, vocals), Martin Bulloch (drums), Barry Burns (keyboard, computer, guitar) and John Cummings (guitar, computer) have released eight studio albums. The most recent, Rave Tapes, was released last year.
Torrential guitar, blaring effects and ghostly electronic beats await.
One Direction
Rajamangkala Stadium, March 14
One Direction's tickets sold out about a year in advance. It shouldn't come as a surprise, as 1D is possibly the biggest musical group of recent years. Who would have thought five English blokes from a singing competition would be able to conquer the hearts of teenage girls from every corner of the world.
Catchy tunes, sleek hair, cheeky personalities and natural "boy next door" looks certainly helped push them to where they are now. Serious music fans might scoff at our decision to highlight One Direction on our list, but with this kind of show, you are often tempted to check out the production, show direction and visual manipulation rather than becoming absorbed in intricate melodies or artful delivery.
You simply go because of its scale (and a little bit of morbid curiosity). If all else fails, you can always ogle at frenzied teens and snicker over their collective tears of joy.
