Like old wine, Byrd & Heart’s credentials as entertainers and singers in a 34-year career never fail to appeal, as evidenced by yet another full house at their “Class Reunion Concert 1985-1995” at Siam Paragon Hall on February 9.

The audience reception was a testament to their longevity. Their trademark talents displayed in a new type of performance – half-concert, half-school reunion – aside from their many classics, kept the almost five-hour concert interesting throughout.

Byrd & Heart sing with famed songwriter Boyd Kosiyabong.

Byrd & Heart also brought along several interesting guests – the Sincharoen Brothers as the opening act, along with contemporary vocalists Mum Laconics, Kai Niphawan and Ew Phimphayom.

Other famous guests were close friends and fellow singers from a different record company that was also highly popular in the same 1990s era – former teenage heartthrobs Ping and Chomphoo Fruity.

Also present onstage were five members of the 2 Days Ago Kids, plus two solo singers including Yuenchon Sombatthep. Famous songwriter Boyd Kosiyabong sang “Pheun Kan” (“We Friends”) with Byrd & Heart, his own composition that he declared was inspired by the duo.

Three close friends – Heart, Mum and Byrd – put on an impressive jam session.

Transgender singer Mum Laconics was well received by the audience, who appreciated her comedic lines exchanged with her old friends Byrd & Heart, as well as the three singing together.

Mum, who was born Wallop Maneekhum, also performed solo, offering her two hits including “Khwam Lub” (“Secret”).

Byrd & Heart performed individual Down Memory Lane sessions in the concert, with Byrd singing a few hits with the band System 4, of which he was briefly a member. Heart impressed the crowd singing “Minashigo no Barado” in Japanese, from the soundtrack of popular television anime “Tiger Mask”, one of his childhood favourites.

Mum Laconics impresses the crowd with powerful voice mingling feminine and masculine attributes.

Ping and Chomphoo Fruity had their own show that got everyone on their feet dancing. The lengthy session featured a high-tempo medley of nine oldie Western songs, including “9,999,999 Tears”, “YMCA” and “You May Be Right”.

Kai Niphawan and Ew Phimphayom sang with Byrd & Heart separately on two Thai romantic oldies, drawing long and loud applause from the crowd, apart from having small chats with the hosts about their lives since their heyday.

The hosts and key guest Phimphayom “Ew Ruam Dao” Ruengroj pool their harmonies.

The five members of the 2 Days Ago Kids are longtime admirers of Byrd & Heart and they too shared their stories and secrets on how they had emulated their idols and achieved success in their own career, through interviews expressed in emotional language.

The show started with “Jak Gan Ma Nam” (“Long Time No See”), a classic opener for any Byrd & Heart concert. They also sang a medley of four Thai classics with the Sincharoen Brothers, apart from their own songs released on eight albums.

Byrd & Heart ended the proceedings with their signature song “Luem” (“Forget”), which came after many of their hits, including two songs in English – “Susan Joan” and “Goodbye Song”.

Byrd’s real name is Kulpong Bunnag and Heart’s is Suthipongse Thatphithakkul. They’re 55 and 54 years old respectively.

They released eight albums together, covering 21 years from 1985 to 2006.

Key guest Niphawan “Kai 18 Karat” Thaweephornsawan does a session with Byrd & Heart.

The majority of around 5,000 members of the audience was around the same age – a connotation that had been a subject of constant jokes by the duo and all performers, which was well received by the crowd.

An announcement was made onstage that the “18 Karat and Ruam Dao in Concert” will be held on April 27 in Hall 106 of the Impact complex in Muang Thong Thani. These are two multi-album series of Thai classics by the then-teenage singers released by two record companies in the early 1990s, and they also feature Kai and Ew.

Odell has enjoyed major commercial and critical acclaim over the course of his career and his accomplishments include being the first solo male artist to win the Critics’ Choice award at the Brit Awards in 2013, as well as picking up the Ivor Novello Awards’ Songwriter of the Year in 2014.

Tickets cost from Bt2,300 to Bt3,700 at Thai Ticket Major counters. Call (02) 262 3456 or visit http://www.ThaiTicketMajor.com.

Dancing to the beat

Get ready for a night of the hottest dance pop music as up-and-coming pop icon Troye Sivan brings his string of hit songs including “My My My!”, “Youth”, “Wild”, and “Dance To This”, to Impact Exhibition Hall 5, Muang Thong Thani Bangkok on May 8.

Sivan’s debut album, 2015’s “Blue Neighbourhood”, introduced him to the pop mainstream, landing him in the Billboard Top Ten with the singles “Wild” and “Youth”. In early 2018, he released “My My My!” from his second critically acclaimed album “Bloom”.

Ticket prices start from Bt2,000 at Thai Ticket Major.

A mix of red and blue

Three-time Grammy Award-winning multi-platinum band Maroon 5 will be back in Thailand next month as they stop off at Challenger Hall 1, Muang Thong Thani on March 9 as part of their “Red Pill Blues World Tour”.

Tickets start at Bt3,000 and are now on sale at Thai Ticket Major.

The marvels of Mayer

Seven-time Grammy winner John Mayer, known for such major hits as “New Light”, “Gravity”, “Love on the Weekend”, “Heartbreak Warfare”, “Daughters”, “Waiting on the World to Change,” and “Your Body Is a Wonderland”, takes the stage of Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani on April 3.

Tickets cost from Bt2,000 at Thai Ticket Major.

Sound and sight

Experience the multi-Academy Award winning 1984 motion picture, “Amadeus”, on a vast HD screen while Mozart’s most celebrated works are performed live and insync by the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra at Prince Mahidol Hall on February 22 at 7pm and February 23 at 4pm.

Leading the concert will be Maestro Ludwig Wicki, one of Europe’s foremost conductors specialising in classicalera music. Winner of eight Academy Awards including Best Picture, Milos Forman’s sumptuous “Amadeus” is an aural and visual treat for all the senses.

Tickets cost from Bt1,500 to Bt10,000 at Thai Ticket Major.

Top Thai rock band Bodyslam printed out another page of their remarkable history with last weekend’s “Bodyslam Fest” at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok – back-to-back sold-out concerts pulling in a record 100,000 fans.

But I was there the first day and was disappointed that the overall sound didn’t pack the punch the occasion warranted.

Bodyslam churned through powerful renditions of 34 songs spanning their nearly two-decade recording career, from the self-titled 2002 debut to the just-released “Wicha Tua Bao”, and all of the smash hits in between, which satisfied the fans’ hankering to sing along.

Deafening screams greeted frontman and national hero Artiwara “Toon” Kongmalai when he appeared onstage in black jeans and jacket. He forgot to wear a shirt, so we got a good look at his six-pack abs, tattoo and silver necklace.

Toon and guitarist Thanachai “Yod” Tantrakul, bassist Thanadol “Pid” Changsawek, drummer Suchuch “Chad” Chaneed and keyboard wizard Ohm Plengkham kicked off with “Saeng Sawan” from the new album stitched to the title track from 2010’s “Khram”.

The stitching abruptly came loose on the latter, though, when Toon stopped the band in their tracks.

“What the heck?” he declared to nervous shrieks from the crowd. “There are so many more fans holding mobile phones than at our last concert!

“I remember the audience last time shouting and singing along and jumping around – not taking pictures! I know everyone wants to share pictures with their friends, but I want you to think of the time you waited alone in line to buy your ticket, when their were no friends beside you. So you should be selfish with your fun time!

“With all these camera-phones, it’s not a concert – it’s a catwalk. The best memories aren’t on your phone – they’re in your head.”

With that out of the way, they resumed “Khram” and followed it “Siew Winathee”, “Khon Thi Thuk Rak” (during which Toon bent his fingers into a heart shape) and “Khrai Khue Rao” (which featured contributions by 60 performers).

Next came “Ruea Lek Khuan Ok Jak Fang”, “Cheewit Pen Khong Rao”, “Wela Thao Nan” and “Than Phu Chom” with a great solo from Yod.

“Thank you to the music for leading us to each other,” Toon said, “and thank you all for taking Bodyslam’s songs into your hearts.”

The band got “Proh Bang” and “Triem Tua Tai” out of the way – with amazing visuals on the big screens – before introducing their first guest of the day, Joey Boy, who sang “Mai Kae Tai”, as he does on the new album, and rapped out “Khwam Chuea”.

The proceeding got a little mushy with the romantic tunes that followed – “Khwam Rak Tham Hai Khon Ta Bod”, “Ying Roo Ying Mai Khao Jai” and “Khwam Rak” – and the smitten audience sang along with Toon.

Another eruption of screams welcomed Palmy to the stage, dressed all in white, to reprise  “Niran”, her contribution to the latest Bodyslam album.

She demonstrated her formidable talent as a singer of mor lam, the Isaan folk music, on “Khid Hod”. Trained by mor lam maestro Vasu Haohan, Palmy looked outstanding with her posse of backup dancers in shocking-pink outfits.

Ohm did some great piano playing on “Khrueng Khrueng Klang Klang” before being rejoined by the rest of the group – with an orchestra tagging along – for “Khob Fah”, “Khwam Fun Kup Jakkrawal” and “Cheewit Yang Khong Suay Ngam”.

This time Toon wanted to see the phones again, but specifically he wanted the fans sitting further up in the stadium to do activate their flashlights and wave them around. It was an inspired idea and an amazing sight.

The band grouped closely together for a few tracks – “Thang Klub Baan”, “Plai Thang”, “Mai Roo Muea Rai”, “Sak Wan Chan Ja Dee Phor”, “Sia Dai” and “Wicha Tua Bao” – and then it was rapper F-king Hero’s turn to share the spotlight.

He performed fascinating renditions of “Phak Boong Loy Fah” and “Dharmajati”.

Bodyslam had their largest audience ever on its feet for the closing numbers “149.6”, “Ya Pis”, “Ok Hak” and “Saeng Sud Thai”, and the whole affair was capped off by a thrilling display of fireworks.

It took me a while to figure the show’s overriding concept in three parts, all titled “The Boy”. I decided it was about, first, a young boy setting out to discover life’s answers, secondly about a grownup who’s known love and disappointment, and finally about an older man remembering his many life experiences.

Another inspired idea – but I’m not sure how many other folks in the crowd got it.

The festival, which runs from February 14 to 19 from 2pm to 1am, will feature a stellar lineup of more than 50 DJs including international headliners Behrouz, Francesca Lombardo, Thomas Schumacher, Author, Supernova and Graham Gold, Robot Greezer. They’ll be joined by renowned underground artists such as Dirrty Dishes, Mikah, Axel Haube, Fake Shamans, Silky Thunder, Konrad Ritter and Salvo Salvatore plus local DJs.

The event takes place at a new 3-stage location, with stateoftheart sound, lighting, and production, located in the Than Sadet mountains, with views of the sunrise over the ocean and sunset over the mountains.

5 Senses Thailand is leading the way in the techno and house music scene in Southeast Asia, introducing a new wave of parties and festivals to Koh Phangan with the aim of developing the scene there into one of the world’s best.

The island provides the ultimate party platform, to play host to the wild and different events that 5 Senses brings to this tropical haven. In the last 3 years alone it has spearheaded new event locations, from downtempo day events, 40hour nonstop raves, to 14 daylong festivals.

Tickets are available at

https://www.festicket.com/festivals/5sensesthailandfestival/2019/. For more information, visit http://www.facebook.com/5SensesFest.

Park Woo Jin and Lee Daehwi – former members of South Korea’s very popular boy band Wanna One – have joined up to release their first single “Candle”. Released on Brand New Music, it blends R&B and hip hop.

Listen to it on Apple Music, Joox, TrueID Music and Deezer, or download from the iTunes Store.

Drama in the docs

The Documentary Club Theatre is presenting nine international movies at Warehouse 30, a creative community complex in Charoen Krung Soi 30 from now until February 17.

The movies are “What Are We Waiting For?”, “The Sociologist and the Bear Cub”, “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda”, “The Destruction of Memory”, “The Act of Killing”, “The Look of Silence”, “(T)error”, “5 Broken Cameras” and “City of Ghosts.”

Tickets are Bt100 available at the venue. Find out more at Facebook.com/DocumentaryClubTH.

Amazing Aryue

Insanity Nightclub in Sukhumvit Soi 11 celebrates Chinese New Year with a night of spins by talented Chinese electronic producer and DJ Aryue tonight from 10pm until late.

He recently released his debut album, “Beautiful Land of China” and has made a name for himself with his versatile production skills.

Tickets are Bt400 for male and Bt300 for female with one drink. For more information and reservations, call (082) 731 8885 or LINE: @insanity.

Faster than speed

Jetfire – a Belgian-Israeli electronic music group of disc jockeys and producers consisting of Itay Kalderon, Dor Gurevich and Nicolas Mattele – will be in Thailand next week for a show at Insanity Nightclub on Sukhumvit Soi 11 on February 13 from 10 until late.

They have performed at Tomorrowland for four consecutive times and are bestknown for their track, “Guest List” featuring Alvaro.

Tickets are Bt400 for male and Bt300 for female with one drink. For more information and reservations, please call (082) 731 8885.

Biggles is back

The Biggles Big Band  a 25piece jazz orchestra from Amsterdam conducted by Adrie Braat is returning for a seventh concert tour throughout Thailand 2019.

The big band, which features renowned jazz singer Marcel Fokker and string quartet integrated in the orchestra, will be performing in Udon Thani, Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan, Ubon Ratchatani, Chiang Rai, Bangkok and Hua Hin this month and next. The band will also conduct workshops with Thai music students and have Thai guest musicians join the orchestra.

For more information, please visit http://www.BigglesBigBand.nl/ or http://www.facebook.com/BigglesBigBand/.

Running on all four days from 1 to 8pm, the idol expo is the brainchild of website IdolMaster and will feature Sweat16!, 7th Sense, Secret12, Akira Kuro, Amuse, Bite Me, Cm Cafe, Fever, Happy Tails, Siam Dream and Someiyoshino51 from Chiang Mai.

Each of the idol groups will put on a special show and launch their new single.

Akira Kuro

Otaku can visit the idols’ booths to have their photo taken, high-five the girls and pose with the girls for a group shot.

Fever

Souvenirs will be on sale and fans can also take part in a range of activities to win prizes.

Admission is free. For more, check out Facebook pages IdolExpo and IdolMaster.