NOSTALGIA TURNED SOUR
Cat To The Future boasted a great line-up on paper but couldn’t quite shake a sense the bands’ best days are behind them
‘Cat To The Future” relived its glory days of Fat Radio on Saturday by staging an eight-band showcase, featuring 2 Days Ago Kids, Futon, Kidnappers, Ornaree, Proud, See Tao Tur, Siam Secret Service and Thee Chaiyadej. These musicians are now all in different stages of their careers, with some in hiatus and others making a comeback. But all have embarked in other directions in life rather than being full-time musicians.
All these bands were quite big in the 90s and early 2000s, but somehow the venue this time proved too large for them as it wasn’t full to capacity. From the get go, the empty spaces created a rather hollow feeling for this supposed celebration of recent musical history. One way or another, it signified a drastic change of tastes and indifference towards quality alternative music.
The crowd was largely made up of older “hipsters” — for a want of a better word — a minority of curious youngsters, friends and family of band members and those who used to circulate in the music scene years back. It was a reunion on and offstage.
The air was charged with nostalgia and toasts to yesteryear as well as hidden sadness that stemmed from a realisation that perhaps our best and most fruitful years are almost gone. It also touched a raw nerve about lost potential and possibilities while contemplation on the present day must have kicked in a day or two after the gig.
The show started with Kidnappers, which was rather strange as the electronic pop band, who have recently released a new single after more than a decade, should have been saved for towards the end, as they came with a full show featuring the most exciting stage, lighting and sound designs. Showcasing their newly acquired singer, Tiew Disaya, Kidnappers were as cool as ever, with old and new tricks marking their return on a high note. Tiew, obviously nervous, fulfilled her electronic chanteuse part beautifully with her shy countenance and willowy build. Too bad many missed it due to heavy traffic.
The First Lady of Grunge, Ornaree, delivered her usual punches with signature unpolished sounds, and gave the audience a taste of her new music which has been in the making for quite sometime. Original band members came on stage as guests, and it was a special kind of reunion.
It might not be that hard to see a Siam Secret Service gig, but they’re always fun to watch. Thee Chaiyadej, however, gave a rare performance. The singer/songwriter was by far my favourite act of the night, which came as a surprise for his alternative folk maintained a slow tempo. But that was the beauty of it all. Thee, an air traffic controller by trade, didn’t come to reminiscence or congratulate himself. He came to play top notch music with spectacular backup musicians whose skills brought out the most intricate sounds from the chosen instruments. Thee’s voice is a gift from god. You don’t get a voice like that by training or studying. Pure, tortured and unique, his vocal performance dug deep beyond the surface.
Proud delivered a hot-blooded performance, which probably took the wind out of band members, while See Tao Tur was humble, and hilarious, frankly admitting that they’ve been out of it for quite some time now. It was all good fun. 2 Days Ago Kids brought Triumph Kingdom in as their surprise guest, and that brought the house down with frenzied dancing.
Cat Radio made an effort to fly in two original Futon members from Spain and Japan respectively. Vocalist Gene, who now has a strong solo career and predominantly cross dresses, returned to his androgynous, sexually ambiguous Futon incarnation, to everyone’s surprise. But being out of boy clothes for so long seemed to perhaps hamper Gene’s flamboyant spirit a tiny bit. Still, it was a solid performance with the help of three young musicians.
As much fun as all the bands were, there was still this pervasive, melancholic mood that I sensed. The purpose of the showcase was clear, but with Kidnappers as an exception, I couldn’t help but think there should be something more than just reliving good old days.
Maybe a reunion gig like this shouldn’t have piled multiple bands in, but rather broken it down into a series of single, smaller performances — if finances and sponsorship permitted — so that each band could have displayed their vision and relevance rather than just looking back. Or maybe, Cat Radio should get back to highlighting new, emerging bands like they once did. It’s admirable to acknowledge past accomplishment, and it’s fun to hold on to youth, but it’s equally important to continue to move forward.
As much fun as it was, there was still this pervasive, melancholic mood that I sensed