Heineken’s GreenSpace concert teams up international and Thai bands
Written by Writer on Friday, October 3rd, 2008
Music beyond borders
Heineken’s GreenSpace concert teams up international and Thai bands
Heineken, one of the world’s premium beer brands, will kick off its first “music beyond borders” concert fusing the talents of international and Thai bands at the Sky Bar, 18th floor of Zen at CentralWorld, tomorrow (Saturday, September 27). The concert will start at 8pm and continue until 1am.
Participating in this unique “GreenSpace” concert are international bands from New York (Aluminum Babe), London (Some Velvet Morning) and Tokyo (Osaka Monaurail). They will team up and perform with Thailand’s home-grown talents Slot Machine, Modern Dog featuring Noi and Apartment Khun Pa.
The three international bands were selected by Jira ‘Jay’ Montonn, Heineken GreenSpace’s music director, who travelled to these cities and invited them to perform with Thai artists sharing similar music styles.
Playing garage rock, Jay has chosen Aluminum Babe who has a loyal following among indie fans in New York and is warmly received in Europe. Thanks to their upbeat live performances, original sound and high-pitch vocals of Swedish-born lead singer, Anna Liedberg, the band has been kept busy on the road both in Europe and America.
Apart from singer Anna, other band members are Jorge (bass), Sully (drums), JJ (guitar) and Alex (sounds). At the GreenSpace concert, Aluminum Babe will perform and thrill fans with Slot Machine, the local rock band famous for its intense music and beautiful lyrics.
Jamming pop rock, Jay has settled on London-based trio Some Velvet Morning (SVM) who will get on stage with modern-time rock favourites Modern Dog featuring Noi. Some Velvet Morning made their mark with heavy, expressive musical sound with songs on various thought-provoking subjects, drawing the attention of listeners to current developments in the world. The trio are Desmond Lambert (vocal/guitar), Gavin Lambert (bass) and Rob Flanagan (drums).
Beginning as a student band which won the Coke Music Award in 1992, Modern Dog released their first album in 1994 with Bakery Music. Produced by Sukie Kamol Sukosol Clapp, the album has the right combination of funk, soul, modern rock and grunge. Its huge success has contributed to the popularity of alternative music in Thailand.
Modern Dog currently comprises Thanachai Ujjin (Pod) as lead singer, May-T Noyjinda as guitarist, and Pawin Suwannacheep (Pong) as drummer. Krissada ‘Noi’ Sukosol Clapp will make a guest appearance with Modern Dog in the GreenSpace concert and party.
Displaying their talent in funk jazz from Japan is Osaka Monaurail, an old school funk band who has been charmed and influenced by James Brown, the Godfather of Funk. Osaka Monaurail has also toured Europe and Japan with Marva Whitney, the First Lady of Funk. They will perform with Apartment Khun Pa, a local band with unique live performances and a mix of music styles.
Osaka Monaurail members are Ryo Nakata (vocals and keys), Kentaro Yamagata and Seiji Sakakibara (trumpets), Shimon Mukai (tenor saxophone and baritone saxophone and flute), Dan Hayami and Yuichi Ikeda (guitars), Dai Nakamura (bass), Kensuke Okuse (drums) and Katsutoshi Hiraishi (trombone and flute)
“To get ticket to the concert, music lovers have to register as members of i-greenspace by logging in at http://www.i-greenspace.com,” said Nipol Swadipongpan, marketing manager for Heineken. “Then, follow the instructions to get yourself social networking with the community of trendy people who are the ticket holders to get your concert ticket.
“Once you are in, you will also discover the unexpected joys of expanding your circle of friends and sharing your inspiration in music, both in the physical world such as this GreenSpace concert party as well as connecting with them online in the digital world,” he said.
The main inspiration behind the i-greenspace campaign is the “6 degrees of separation” theory which claims that anyone on this planet can be connected to any other person through a chain of acquaintances that has no more than five intermediaries. With the “6 degrees” theory, the aim is to let members discover the campaign’s idea of “the unexpected is waiting to be discovered… just 6 steps away” which will be featured through the i-greenspace’s website, mobile technology applications, and concerts and parties.
“For those who have a real passion for world music, http://www.i-greenspace.com is where all the thrills and excitement begin. Whether they are connected in the digital or physical world, i-greenspace members will discover that they belong to a world without strangers,” said Nipol.
Heineken has initiated several successful music campaigns in Thailand including Heineken Thirst, a DJ campaign that offers a platform for the best local talents to perform with the world’s best; Jazz Festival, an annual jazz event in Bangkok and Hua Hin; Heineken Fat Festival, the biggest indie music event; and Green Carpet, an exclusive party-on-the-rooftop event for well-known celebrities and DJs. RT
Heineken’s GreenSpace concert, Sky Bar, 18th floor of Zen at CentralWorld, Ratchaprasong intersection, on Saturday, September 27. Entry registration starts at 6pm.
