The Sticky Rice always deliver an epic performance.
Despite rain, heat, delays and supply shortages, the show went on! Stone Free 4 seemed cursed from the start with the police shutting down the event at the original location in Saraburi just days before the festival was to take place December 11-13, 2015. A new location was quickly found in Minburi but the headaches did not end. Early Saturday morning after a night of awesome performances by The Sticky Rice and Stylish Nonsense, the sky opened up and the rained poured. If your tent was not water resistant or you forgot the rain cover, this was a bad time to find out. .
Tents setup for food vendors selling staple rice dishes like pad krapao moo, fried chicken and mini hot dogs.
Lil Fatso at Stone Free 4 Friday night. It's very pretty but the mosquitos are vicious.
I forgot the rain cover for my tent and held up an umbrella as rain entered through the air vent. A recon mission for the missing rain cover outside was unsuccessful and I quickly learned what happens when walking with shoes through mud – instant cement feet as the brown earth caked to the leather of my favorite shoes. Curses flew at mother nature and Zeus for pissing on the sacred ground of a festival I'd been waiting on for an entire 2 years. (Apparently this is what festivals are like in UK.) In defeat, I retired to my Tesco-Lotus bought dwelling and attempted to remove said mud from shoes and smeared filthy hands on tent walls as a distress call. Eventually, the rain dissolved into a drizzle and sleepy dreamtime arrived again.
Saturday morning, festival campers experience the mud walk and sunbathe by the lake.
As the sun began to rise and campers arose from their slumber, they were met by landscape resembling images from Martian photography. People moved slowly through the wet clay earth to the portable toilets and showers. The aftermath of a natural disaster came to mind as the sun baked everything from skin to earth and the music was delayed to allow ground and gear to dry. From my campsite next to the traveling outpost of Fatty's Bar and Diner, the slider truck dubbed Lil' Fatso, I watched the wheels of supply vehicles spin in the mud to kill the boredom and the foreboding sense we'd all be dried into beef jerky by end of day. The discovery we had collectively drank all the beer from the single beer vendor the night before added more frustration. Some festival goers showed visible signs of meeting and surpassing the breaking point – there would be a few campers going home to their nice clean, air-conditioned condos before the music even started again.
Vendor tents on Saturday morning. Notice the ground looks like sea shells. It's just soft wet earth.
By the time the mud dried, the music started and the beer and ice arrived, things were beginning to feel more festive again. As the cold liquid named after the Thai word for elephant coursed through my system and the live bands appeared, the pleasant sense of serenity filled me once again.
That's Stone Free organizer Tokin Teekanun on the right.
Stone Free production crew working overtime... waiting for things to dry.
And now onto the music...
THE STICKY RICE
The Sticky Rice - Tommy Hanson in foreground contributing to that trademark Sticky sound.
The Sticky Rice are easily one of funnest live bands to catch in the city. If you were looking for a straight ahead reggae dub step band this is not it. It's The Sticky Rice – if they sounded like just another reggae band I'd write They'd played it safe in a genre established decades ago – but no, they do their own thing with their own sound. The dreadlocked frontman Puttitorn “Pook” Taypabood will impress with his aerial acrobatics jumping on the table holding his keyboard and lifting his synths as if they were scripture. There's a lot of Jimi Hendrix in the energy level and they get an audience on their feet. One of my favorite bands with stellar musicianship and creativity.
Stylish Nonsense
Stylish Nonsense
Stylish Nonsense – a set with June on a drum pad and Pok on his keyboards and synthesizers – you may scratch your head waiting for a song but the music is never boring and seeing them perform is to watch living legends doing the shaman ritual which seems to invite all others to do the same. Thai indie rock MVP, Pok, spends much time bent over his gear swaying and nodding his head in synchronicity with the music while June brings some experimental jazz-inspired drumming to the table.
STREET WRECK
Street Wreck
Street Wreck – a 2-piece wrecking ball with Nathan, of Brisbane, Australia on guitar and vocals and Iman from Jakarta Indonesia, on drums and backup vocals. There's definitely a Pixies sound there but they can hold their own against other bands with more members and a bassist. No doubt they may initially field questions about whether they were looking for a bassist but never found one, there's something to be said about bass-free bands like Two Gallants, Black Keys and Helio Sequence not to mention The White Stripes. And now Street Wreck?
LOWFAT
LowFat arrive on Saturday morning in time for breakfast. (L-R: Yusuke, Yu, Top, Sano; Matthew cooking up breakfast in background.)
LowFat – Lowfat are nearly impossible to shoot to my satisfaction so they are the one band gets the posed photo. Saturday afternoon was blistery hot and you would not be surprised to see the drum set burst into flames incinerating everything (and everyone!) within a 50 meter radius. But the question would linger? Did the sun destroy everything or did LowFat destroy everything? Music historians would debate this for eons. If you blink your eyes you will miss an entire song... you might even miss the entire set! Lead screamer Sano-san, claims his lyrics are inspired by nursery rhymes – we're not sure if that was a serious comment or nursery school in Japan truly is a string of nightmares that last but 30 seconds or less. I was hoping to see Sano dive bomb some hippies sitting down with beach umbrellas and sun tan lotion but the stinging heat meant many peeps were hiding in their tents... or maybe they were just hiding from LowFat?
MONOMANIA
Monomania
MMMonomania – Easily written off as a Radiohead-esque band, there is still tight musicians, knocking out great songs with a dynamic live show. The song “Cancer” does grab me every time and Stone Free 4 was no exception. They were also lucky enough to be performing at a time when the light was most beautiful. The band has often seemed to be an anomaly on the Panda Records label with a more commercial sound than most of their other label mates and unsurprisingly appear to be a band destined for the big leagues... which is fine by me - I have an autographed copy of their debut album from the record release and maybe one day that will be gold? Radiohead comparisons aside, they are still a formidable band, definitely a challenge to bigger Thai bands (when they steal away awards). I'm looking forward to the next record which will need to be as good or better than their 2014 debut and introduce a new sound and direction (in order to appease grumpy music critics).
THE PHOTO STICKER MACHINE
The Photo Sticker Machine
The Photo Sticker Machine – Immensely enjoyed with The Photo Sticker Machine. Van from Degaruda and aire thought they had the best performance from what he saw on Saturday night. Their Facebook page categorizes the music as electro-dub-lounge. The music was mesmerizing with a tight backup band (a pickup band?) consisting of the guitarist and bassist of Hariguem Zaboy. The drummer was awesome – tight as a cat's ass (please don't do anything improper with a cat) and I was later informed he was T Bone's drummer. Some ethereal chillout music which I will definitely seek out again.
BASEMENT TAPE
Basement Tape
Basement Tape – One of my earliest influences and introductions into Bangkok indie music, the 4-piece performing at Stone Free 4 featured Ben Edwards on guitar and vocals, Tat Bunnag on guitar and vocals, Ki on bass and Nat from Triggs and the longest Day and Summer Dress subbing on drums for Put Suksriwan. They open up with two readily recognizable songs for Basement Tape fans, “I Can't Take it” and “Sunday Driving” from the self-titled album released on Spicy Disc. It's rare I see a Basement Tape performance – maybe I saw them once in 2015 – and it's still a delight to rock out to my early heroes of Bangkok underground. I probably spent a disproportionate amount of time listening to Nat's drumming listening for missteps and missed time changes (the last time I saw Nat playing with them he was on bass!) Recently an old classmate in USA suggested I try to export Bangkok music – he seemed to think Basement were a good band and worthy of an overseas audience. That was an unsolicited suggestion – not a bad idea! #BangkokMusicCity
MY LIFE AS ALI THOMAS
My Life as Ali Thomas
My Life as Ali Thomas -Though definitely a radio friendly polished squeaky clean sounding band, they deliver some soulful, beautifully executed tunes. I found a MLAAT playlist on Youtube and spent a recent evening chilling out. The female vocalist, could probably sing about life as an executioner in Saudi Arabia and make you warm and fuzzy.
(Note to self, start a pop band called My Life As An ISIS Executioner.)
(Note to self, start a pop band called My Life As An ISIS Executioner.)
TRIGGS AND THE LONGEST DAY
Triggs and the Longest Day (L-R: Nui, Tokin, Pong)
Triggs and the Longest Day – The 60s inspired retro surf/garage band features Stone Free Festival organizer Tokin (The World May Never Know) singing and playing guitar, Pong on lead guitar, Nui on bass and Nat on drums. If you were looking for the ultimate party band to get people moving and shaking with songs that may have been created during a road trip into Dionysian paradise of excess, this is that band. I actually went on a beer run during their set but the mercurial upbeat melody lines, slurred vocal delivery, ubiquitous sense of fun stay with you long after your hangover subsides and when I set out to analyze why the band works I an only think of the word "groovy" .
HARIGUEM ZABOY
Hariguem Zaboy
Hariguem Zaboy – If you had the album Thick Mink you'll notice a poppy shoegaze – it's a tad bit soft for my taste while still good - songs like “Tender Mind” are dripping with teenage romance. The band appears to have scrapped all that and are now an edgier, heavier more, mature band – high school is over and they remind me of the My Bloody Valentine from Isn't Anything. A female fan was crying out “Tender Mind” - they never played it to their credit which is good because I was ready to hurl a beer can at someone. It was one of the most impressive performances of the weekend even for a shoegaze band: stand still, look at floor or sometimes heaven, look into yourself, play song. The dark wall of sound captivated me. If you like edge delivered with a cacophonous and depressing blanket of sound than you have found it. Looking forward to the new album.
TUG SUK
Tug Suk
Tug Suk – As are most experiences which involve alcohol, a heightened state of reality, heat and exhaustion, I cannot say for certain what they sounded like but recall being thoroughly fond of the sound of Tug Suk: a drummer, tambourine and shaker players, some droning bass lines that do not seem to vary or stray from the E-string. Appears to be some kind of 60s revival band with dirty sounds. Stone Free organizer, Tokin Teekanun recommended them in a BK mag article last year and I finally got to hear them and experience them live. Definitely some psychedelic influences in there – they are after my heart. Upon examining my own photos I recognized Golf from Hariguem Zaboy playing drums.
DEGARUDA
Degaruda
Degaruda – By the time Degaruda came on, my camera battery was near dead and the effects of 12 hours of beer and heat were manifest. I fought the exhaustion and stayed in the back so I could watch Van, the drummer and try to pop off a few decent shots before the battery died and calling it a night. From the little community of bands that evolved out of places like Fatty's and the old Harmonica, Degaruda are one of the most prominent bands. Their sound is a blend – not fusion – of rock sub genres. In the early days of 2013, there was a distinct DC punk influence woven into metal, prog, math rock without actually being too derivative of anything (except for the Whitesnake riff in "City"). Since then the sound and songs have evolved. In the old days, I rarely missed a show, but by time 2015 hit, the band seemed to have their own momentum, street buzz, and were a clear favorite amongst many in the small yet opinionated community of expat bands; therefore 2015, I took a break because I could no longer experience the band the way I did the first time and I really wanted to have that experience again. It's a lot like not fucking your wife for a few months just to bring back the passion. Few if any songs from the first self-titled album Degaruda were played at Stone Free 4 – I wasn't complaining even as “Slumber Party” was nowhere to be seen or heard. The band have a strong set of new songs that kept me engaged, still heavy yet with usual melody and punch but very different songs. I sat back and watched as Van effortlessly attacked the drum set with usual enthusiasm and zeal – an energy much like the late great John Bonham yet in another style. As usual the band played a killer set with Dino and Top's guitars intertwining and mercilessly unraveling the song before you. New bassist, Chin adds his own flare and wields the bass like a medieval weapon. It is no surprise so many local bands cite them as an influence - they bring chops, songwriting and the live show all together and I wouldn't expect that to change anytime soon.
GOVINDA
Govinda
Govinda – I first saw sitarist Govinda playing with a full band at Noise Market in November. He brings the funk together with the Indian classical instrument. His band seem to play music in their sleep. It's impressive to think a sitarist could find a drummer, conga player, bassist, guitarist and saxophonist to show up all at the same time. If you were looking for relaxing chillout spa music to swallow you send you on an interstellar magic carpet ride Govinda is for you.
SUPERUNKNOW
Superunknow
Superunknow – a heavy thick sound reminiscent of Soundgarden and obviously deriving their name from Soundgarden's fourth album. This may have been the best performance I have seen of Superunknow – the PA helped quite a bit as you can only really appreciate the sonic intensity of the power trio with the loudness. The music seems designed with the stadium rock of the 70s in mind: fat fuzzy, crunchy guitars dripping hallucinogenic liquids.
UGLY MOUNTAIN
Ugly Mountain
Ugly Mountain combine traditional instrumentation like fiddle with some dirty, fuzzy guitar – the words “dirty folk” come to mind. I am a fan of Ugly Mountain songwriter Gene Mahasmut Bunyaraksh's work under the name Little Fox and I was quite enamored by the music from the plotless film “Singing in Bars” (you should see this film if you're a fan of Gene, Yellow Fang or Panda Records founder Wannarit Pongprayoon as they are all in it.) And I've also done my homework on Saliva Bastards... Ugly Mountain is a left turn from pop music as it's dark and sinister like a man's descent into madness and depression. Or am I just reading too much into it? Between the droning rhythms and haunting vocals is there hope? This is a reminder that art does not necessarily answer questions but asks.
สหายแห่งสายลม (SAHAIHANGSAILOM)
สหายแห่งสายลม (SAHAIHANGSAILOM)
Sahaihangsailom – Companions of the Wind – Great name for band that makes music that seems to come from a place akin to the fictional world of “The Princess Bride” - music made in nature to be played in natural environments although it seemed strangely out of place in the desolate landscape of Stone Free 4 and I don't think there was any wind but after hearing their music on the internet I was quite excited to see them live. I recognized the songs "ธาตุแท้" and "ดีแล้ว" the audience of stragglers and musicians sticking it out til the very end sang along with. The band featuring the multi-talented Bird of Desktop Error is getting a lot of rotation Rock Philosophy HQ.
plastic section
Plastic Section
Plastic Section – Stone Free 4 would not have been complete without Plastic Section. Though playing a shortened set on Sunday afternoon as many were packing up or already on the road, the band consisting of Ben Edwards on guitar and vocals, Chigusa Tomita on bass, Put Suksriwan on drums and Wannarit Pongprayoon on the melodion performed with their usual vigor as a light audience danced and sometimes wove in and out of the performance area. To say that the temperature was an inferno which you had to endure would have been an understatement as it seemed something akin to a biblical apocalypse was threatening to turn us into ash. Still the little rock and roll band held their ground against the savage hellfire heat and if they were feeling their hands blistering and their kidneys beginning to fail from dehydration, they didn't let on and played as champions. Fairly certain they opened with “Shot” a double-barrel shotgun blast of adrenalin, the band is perpetually in motion bobbing, rocking back and forth and I have a distinct memory of Put trying out some new things in a song. I've been following the band since April 2013, a natural step from being a Basement Tape fan, and the shows never disappoint. Even on the hottest day in what feels like the end of the earth, a last man standing ambience in the air, you could still see one of Bangkok's greatest rock bands.
All good things must ome to an end
The last Stone Free in 2014, during the last performance, Inspirative I felt like clouds were opening and little angels were descending upon earth to sprinkle love upon us mortals – Stone Free 4 would end differently for me as I eyed my getaway car conveniently parked right behind Put and the drum set. Sixty seconds after Plastic Section's last song “Frantic” - enough time for Put's costume change and an apologetic hello/goodbye to Banky and Jin from Kinetics - we were in the car tearing through the festival grounds, passed the incendiary Rocket Science performance (regretfully); slowing down to wave farewell to Tokin and Tommy and then cruising back to downtown Bangkok: modernity, normalcy, real life, the real world. Sitting in a pub a short time later all I could think was I want to go back.
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