Heineken Fat Festival

[endlessnights]

hey all,

here's an article about the Heineken Fat Festival that I just read on bangkokpost.com (http://www.bangkokpost.com/en/221004_Realtime/22Oct2004_real51.php but you need to login)

it sounds awesome! anyone going? I could use some company!

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Bigger! Bolder! Fatter!

Fat Festival goes 'inter' with its annual indie gathering

NICK GROSSMAN

Building on past success, this year's line-up includes 150 bands, including Pru, Nop, B5, Venus Butterfly, Moderndog, Armchair, Scrubb, Futon, Thaitanium, and 141 more.

In Bangkok recently, Tsai Ming-liang is being hailed as one of the great artists of the screen.

Two days. 150 bands. 20 short films. 200 booths. Lose your head but not your map. In two weeks (Nov 6 and 7), the fourth annual Heineken Fat Festival unites hipsters and headbangers, rappers and mimes, indie idols and their loyal fans for a celebration of generation DIY (do-it-yourself).

And as always the beer will be flowing and the atmosphere will be hip and fresh. The Fat Festival is turning into a rite of winter, a harbinger of the season when Thailand emerges from the monsoon and turns cool in both senses of the word.

In what promises to be yet another growth year for Click Radio's spirited event, this year's Heineken Fat Festival has gone "inter", with invites being extended to groups throughout the region.

Joining the line-up of 150 bands (yes, 150) are five acts from Japan, including headliners Fantastic Plastic Machine (Sunday, 10:30pm), a band from Singapore, and famous rockers Cells from our upstairs neighbour Laos.

"This year, Fat Radio wants to show what's happening outside Thailand," says Click Radio managing director and festival founder Yuthana (Ted) Boonorm. "The local scene can always use some refreshment and hopefully some bands will be inspired by what they hear."

Ted adds that this "internationalisation" of the festival will be followed by more gigs in coming months that team up foreign bands with local acts. The idea is to loosen the grip of the big labels in Thailand like RS and Grammy and help inspire new creativity in the alternative music scene.

But the regional expansion of the festival doesn't come at the expense of local talent. Once again Fat Festival will be one of the year's biggest showcases for both established Thai bands and up-and-comers. Scheduled to play this year are Moderndog (who will release their latest album), Armchair, Pru, Scrubb, Futon, Thaitaniun, Karn Ko Club, Senorita, ETC, Pi, Hum, Venus Butterfly, Monotone, Endorphine, Penguin Villa, Apartmen Khun Pa, Pang, Girl, and the list goes on and on. If these names mean nothing to you then there's no better chance to hear a cross-section of the Thai music scene that's not regularly featured and avoided on MTV.

Fitting the Fat Festival's alternative ethic, the event is being held in a horse stadium, Nang Lerng Racetrack, also known as the Royal Turf Club. It's the fourth venue in four years for the Fat Festival, but certainly an improvement over the overheated Tobacco Factory or the Imperial World Lat Phrao, which didn't capture the attitude of the festival. Last year, the venue and attitude problem was of a different kind: fights broke out at Suan Siam, an area notorious for its youth gangs.

"One of our goals this year is better security," says Ted. "I think its cool to hold a concert in a horse racing stadium. The staff there is great, it's easy to get to and the area can be divided into many zones."

Zones are what the festival has always been about, with organisers adding new features every year. These zones highlight not only music but other forms of the creativity and exchange from handmade books to short films to fashion (See "An anatomy of fat" on R3 for zone details.)

While one could argue the Fat Festival, which is always a bit of an open free-for-all, not to mention free, would be better with a tighter focus, it's good to see an event where Thailand's sub-cultures can surface, interact, and raise money to sustain themselves. And providing such a platform maintains Fat Fest's original vision which is to provide a physical forum for the Fat Radio community.

"Fat Radio is not just station but it's like a society," says Ted. The Laos band, Cells, on the ticket this year is just an example of how this "society" of like-minded Thais can support new talent. Having sent in their album to the station, it became extremely popular on 104.5 and now the group's been provided money to travel here and play for their new fans.

Always one step ahead, the visionary Ted is already thinking about next year's festival, which, he says, might move outside of Bangkok entirely. Hoping to mimic outdoor weekend fests like England's famous Glastonbury where fans retreat for the weekend, pitch a tent and create a truly communal atmosphere of music. This is an exciting prospect for Thailand.

FHeineken Fat Festival IV takes place Nov 6 and 7 at Royal Turf Club on Phitsanulok Road. It's best to go by taxi. Buses no. 509, 72, 23, 10, 99, 5 run past the main entrance. The nearest Skytrain station is Ratchathewi, though still far to Phitsanulok Rd. Tickets are free. One person can pick up 4 maximum. Tickets are valid for both days of the fest. You can get them from the following spots: DJ Siam in Siam Square; House Theatre, RCA; Comfort Zone, 6th Floor Siam Discovery; or Click Radio, RCA. Or you can cut out tickets from Sud Sabda and Bioscope magazines. See thisisclick.com for more details.

[Totster]

I would definately go... but alas I will not be in BKK for another week, shame but Mai Bpen Rai

totster

[raybkk]

Free Tickets in the Nation. Watch out for this coming Weekend edition of "Where to go this weekend"

[Girlfrombar]

i wish i could go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the venue is perfect, bloody close to my house, just 4 busstops!

and many of my fav thai bands gonna rock the field in!!

so pity.

[Jockstar]

Is this for people who have drunk too much beer and have a beer belly?

[jackr]

The festival sounds great, but shame its Heineken. Couldn't they pull in a decent beer as opposed to a flat, non-tasting, gut rotting German reject lager <deleted>!!!

[Candyflip]

I am going tomorrow , especially to see my fevorite band day tripper if you want some company then PM me