Some concert promoters are out to make as much money as possible, bringing in only the safest acts that are guaranteed seat-fillers. Others bring in their favourite bands just to see them play in Thailand. Supakit "Dew" Supha is thankfully in the latter camp.
As co-founder and director of concert promoters Wildest Youth, Dew has put together the Pink Cloud Music and Arts Festival, a one-day event on May 25 at Thai Wake Park, just outside Bangkok in Pathum Thani.
"We [at Wildest Youth] have a clear vision for the Pink Cloud festival, which is where our passions in different fields and expertise come into play," Dew explains. "We hope to create an inclusive environment for like-minded people to come together to create friendships, and to grow the music, art, wakeboarding and skating subcultures."
Dew's line-up flies in acts from Australia, America and Hong Kong, then fills the bill with a good cross-section of Thai talent. The festival describes itself as "a utopia for outcasts, underdogs and alt-rock lovers".
Scrolling through the pictures on the event's website, it seems like the members of the headlining bands are interchangeable, with their scuffed Vans, shorts, baggy Ts, shaggy hair cascading out of flat brim snapbacks, and 420-dazed expressions. If your sartorial Venn diagram intersection contains at least two of these elements, then Pink Cloud is for you.
Dune Rats top the bill with their Aussie garage rock, preceded by the pop surf jams of fellow Aussies Hockey Dad and the American indie of Turnover. But it's not just baked stoner rock in the baking sun. Thailand is represented by, among others, the reggae of Srirajah Rockers, the indie rock of Abuse the Youth, and the hip pop of Daniel Didyasarin.
There's also an art element to the event. Mondli Cele, the festival's art director, explains their large-scale installation "The Smog Blocks The Light": "The art will act as landmarks to help festivalgoers navigate the park, as well as provide places to shelter from the heat. The installation theme hopes to communicate the issues of Thailand's pollution and the potential of the youth."
If the festival is too far for you to skateboard to, you need to beg your car-owning buddy for a ride in exchange for a few beers. If that fails, there are vans from central Bangkok and a Grab promo-code.
Pink Cloud promises rock plus art plus plenty of beer and a huge lake. With temperatures likely to hit the highly uncomfortable, is a dip in the lake allowed?
"Yes," Dew says. "Bring your water guns, swimsuits and jump in!"
Pink Cloud Music and Art Festival is on Saturday May 25 at Thai Wake Park, Lam Luk Ka. Visit http://pinkcloudfestival.com for more information.
