Koh Samui Music Festival 2006

[KSMF2006]

The Koh Samui Music Festival will be held from 29th September to 8th October this year.

Venue will be the Coco Blues Company in Chaweng. No Lakeside this year.

The first weekend will be devoted to Blues and similar music.

The last weekend will be aimed at the Thai population with predominantly Thai bands and a mixed final night on the Sunday.

During the week we will be looking at local bands and others from overseas.

There was a great deal of comment last year about the type of bands and music that was put on. We are now in the process of hiring bands and we invite you to tell us who you would like to hear.

We will take note of what people say, but at the end of the day it will depend on availability, willingness to travel and cost.

This is your opportunity to have input into this venture. If one person suggest one band, that will not be enough to pursuade us, but if we get a lot of response for a particular band then we will certainly look at the possibility of getting them here.

OK - over to you.

[ProfessorFart]

Fear Factory and Opeth.

The blues is just so banal and such a cop out!

[davethailand]

Blues wise-

Well known bands like Soi Dogs and Cannonball.

Blues Jnr.

The Blues Machine

Full house,

All BKK based apart from blues machine which is pattaya.

Other styles of music i'm afraid i'm not really up on local bands

Flow are ok also.

Edited March 31, 2006 by davethailand

[ProfessorFart]

Good Thai bands; Ebola and Bodyslam.

[bluesinus]

Yeah, you've got a great idea. Scale it down, and feature acts that people know, especially if they're from the region. and ones that they should get to know, like The Bobby Kyle Band, www.bobbykyle.com

[davethailand]

Yeah, you've got a great idea. Scale it down, and feature acts that people know, especially if they're from the region. and ones that they should get to know, like The Bobby Kyle Band, www.bobbykyle.com

What region are you in?

[bluesinus]

Yeah, you've got a great idea. Scale it down, and feature acts that people know, especially if they're from the region. and ones that they should get to know, like The Bobby Kyle Band, www.bobbykyle.com

What region are you in?

USA (New York) The band came over last year as a trio, backing Eddie Kirkland. Usually travel as a quartet under own name (Bobby's the real deal, having been a veteran of Johnny "Clyde Copeland's band as well).

[Frosty]

I find this very refreshing that you would take a poll of what bands people would like to see! It shows that a lott of thought will be going into this years festival,and hopfully it will be the best year so far!

Before I give any suggestions or advice I would like to introduce myself to you. My name is Ken 'Snowman' Minahan ,I have been a professional musician/singer/song writer/record producer for over 30 yrs. In 1992 I recieved the 'B.B. King Lucille Award' from the National Blues Foundation in Memphis. Were I was invited to play at the W.C. Handy Awards (the Grammys of the Blues). I have not only toured the globe playing clubs and major Blues festivals, I have also tought a classes on the Blues at the Univerisity of Miami and in Taiwan. I am currently,and have been for the last 4 years, band leader and guitarist for the Blues Factory in Pattaya.

I know that the first year was a once in a lifetime event , like Woodstock, where musicians ,tourists and locals all came together in the aftermath of the tsunami. Hard to recreate the feeling of unitiy, of all who attended ,proformed and felt during that first 10 day festival. I also realise you have been criticised for last years festival. I am delighted that have not given up on the event and are looking at the past 2 yrs. as a learning experience , planning to make it better by asking for advice.

Let me start by saying your dedication to making the first week Blues is a great idea. I have been playing Blues all my life and have never seen it more popular ,world wide ,as it is now! Anyone who conciders the Blues to be boring has never been to a REAL Blues festival or even seen a good Blues band at a club. These people stereotype Blues as cry-in-your-beer ,slow and dreary music of the past. The have obviously never seen Buddy Guy play!

However,it is too bad you won't be using an outdoor BIG stage as you did last year. But I also understand costs are being taken into concideration this year.

Some things that might help bring down costs , but keep the quality up,would be to bring artists over who would use a local 'core band' to back them up. The local back-up core band needs to be well versed in the Blues,study the proformers they will be backing and quick study when the artist arrives for a rehearsal. I understand not all artists want to play with an unfamiliar band but many others will. One name that comes to mind is Kenny Neal,a second generation Bluesman who can front any band, take over the stage and get the audience on their feet. You can find his website by searching his name. I have other names who would do the same, these are all well know names in the American Blues scene.

My next suggestion would be to contact Blues Soceities in countries like Japan ,China (Tawain),Singapore ...etc., find out the dates of their Blues festivals and try to coordinate festivals to share in the cost of bringing over artists. I have been invited to preform at the Blues Soceity of Tawain's BLUES BASH , for the second yr., on the 4-5 of Nov. An adjustment of dates could make it cost effecent for all involved. You get the artist for less and the artist gets more gigs on the one trip!

If these ideas sound good to you and you would like to discuss other ideas ,please contact me at [email protected].

Thank you for your intrest and support of the blues. SNOWMAN

[TomInPhilly]

Did someone say BUDDY GUY????? Yea man, that would be AWESOME!!!!!!!!

[hoochie coochie man]

I'm glad the snowman had a say. That man rips, I wondered why he wasn't at the earlier festivals. What about Leena, she's Thai, isn't she? Where is she? I hear flow have a hit in the top ten songs of the times. Drugs Against War. Has anyone heard it? Are they still in Thailand?

[midasmidas]

I would like to see Jasco playing this year again, as they had a real good vibe and energy. I think they are from London UK. I think the music genres should be broader and not just blues, as there is not too many music festivals around.

Cant wait for the festival!!!

[Thairock]

I've been emailing Coco Blues for the last few months to see when the Music Festival is on as I went last year, but they never bother to reply. So I happened to check their website to see if they had updated the schedule that has been on their site since July and...wait...a link to the Koh Samui Music Festival 2006. What an absolute load of rubbish. What they are doing is charging 500 baht to see some pub bands who you can normally see for free. I guess they are still smarting from the loss they made last year. I wonder if the all the bands got paid as I don't see any mention of Cannonball or Soi Dogs who were warming up for the well known acts last year........well I suppose they get 10 out of ten for last years optimism RIP Koh Samui Blues Festival

[davethailand]

I've been emailing Coco Blues for the last few months to see when the Music Festival is on as I went last year, but they never bother to reply. So I happened to check their website to see if they had updated the schedule that has been on their site since July and...wait...a link to the Koh Samui Music Festival 2006. What an absolute load of rubbish. What they are doing is charging 500 baht to see some pub bands who you can normally see for free. I guess they are still smarting from the loss they made last year. I wonder if the all the bands got paid as I don't see any mention of Cannonball or Soi Dogs who were warming up for the well known acts last year........well I suppose they get 10 out of ten for last years optimism RIP Koh Samui Blues Festival

Sounds like you have sour grapes?

All bands going are getting a nice fee for their performance they are also getting meals, accomodation and flights all supplied by Coco Blues, why should'nt they charge an entrance fee?

[Thairock]

I've been emailing Coco Blues for the last few months to see when the Music Festival is on as I went last year, but they never bother to reply. So I happened to check their website to see if they had updated the schedule that has been on their site since July and...wait...a link to the Koh Samui Music Festival 2006. What an absolute load of rubbish. What they are doing is charging 500 baht to see some pub bands who you can normally see for free. I guess they are still smarting from the loss they made last year. I wonder if the all the bands got paid as I don't see any mention of Cannonball or Soi Dogs who were warming up for the well known acts last year........well I suppose they get 10 out of ten for last years optimism RIP Koh Samui Blues Festival

Sounds like you have sour grapes?

All bands going are getting a nice fee for their performance they are also getting meals, accomodation and flights all supplied by Coco Blues, why should'nt they charge an entrance fee?

Not sour grapes, I have to commend them for trying to get the thing going, and it must have been very dissapointing for them. Last year saw the outdoor stage with artists such as UB40 and Jools Holland, as well as some good gigs in Coco Blues itself. If this had taken place in somewhere like Pattaya, then I think it would have been a great success.

The point is that this years "festival" is mainly a collection of bands that wouldn't merit a cover charge in BKK. The website for the festival is misleading as it shows the acts from last year, and frankly were talking about two very different animals.

[davethailand]

I've been emailing Coco Blues for the last few months to see when the Music Festival is on as I went last year, but they never bother to reply. So I happened to check their website to see if they had updated the schedule that has been on their site since July and...wait...a link to the Koh Samui Music Festival 2006. What an absolute load of rubbish. What they are doing is charging 500 baht to see some pub bands who you can normally see for free. I guess they are still smarting from the loss they made last year. I wonder if the all the bands got paid as I don't see any mention of Cannonball or Soi Dogs who were warming up for the well known acts last year........well I suppose they get 10 out of ten for last years optimism RIP Koh Samui Blues Festival

Sounds like you have sour grapes?

All bands going are getting a nice fee for their performance they are also getting meals, accomodation and flights all supplied by Coco Blues, why should'nt they charge an entrance fee?

Not sour grapes, I have to commend them for trying to get the thing going, and it must have been very dissapointing for them. Last year saw the outdoor stage with artists such as UB40 and Jools Holland, as well as some good gigs in Coco Blues itself. If this had taken place in somewhere like Pattaya, then I think it would have been a great success.

The point is that this years "festival" is mainly a collection of bands that wouldn't merit a cover charge in BKK. The website for the festival is misleading as it shows the acts from last year, and frankly were talking about two very different animals.

I'm sure Sek Loso deserves a cover charge?

Its agreed much smaller but personally i would'nt be to pissed at paying 500bht to see 4 bands from out of town/ country per night.