On tour with FUTON

'Outlook' follows Bangkok's electro-pop darlings on their recent jaunt to London

STORY BY ONSIRI PRAVATTIYAGUL

"Go inter" has been the mantra of local music industry players for as long as, or even longer than, Phi Bird has been around. And that, dear readers, that is a very long time.

Yet whether a Thai performer or group has truly gone international is always a point of contention, since there are varying perspectives on what constitutes global success. For instance, some believe that Tata Young has made it abroad by featuring in a Bollywood film and claiming to be on top of some charts in Japan. Others recognise Carabao as being up there with the best given their constant overseas touring - albeit to mostly Thai audiences.

But there is one band from these shores that has been touring other countries more than most and has actually secured distribution deals in Japan and the UK (for their new single Strap It On). That band is Futon.

"We never aim to 'go inter' or anything like that, you know. We just do what we love. But if there's an opportunity for us to do so, we'll grab it," said lead singer Gene.

Through touring in London, Paris, Berlin, Dublin, Tokyo and Shanghai, Futon are no strangers to the global independent music scene. On their home turf, fans already give the band an international branding due the the mix of nationalities of its members.

Born out of Deejay Bee's electro club night, Rehab, in 2003, Futon took the Thai music world by storm as they were the first (and possibly still only) local band to pursue the electroclash path. Their remake of Iggy and the Stooges' I Wanna Be Your Dog brought recognition to Gene, Momoko, Bee and David - who all changed their surname to Futon (a la the Ramones) - through the heavy airplay it got locally and internationally.

With its graphically titillating lyrics and blood boiling, '80s tinged electro beats, the band's debut LP Nevermind the Botox, released in late 2003, was not designed for mainstream consumption. Nonetheless, it received a warm reception from indie music partisans.

Returning in 2005 with two additional members - Simon Gilbert (formerly of Suede) on drums and versatile model/actress/artist Hatairat "Oh" Charoenchaichana on bass - the band's second album, Love Bites, took listeners on a slightly rockier road. The six piece line-up didn't last, however, with original members David Coker and Momoko Ueda parting ways with the band last year. Coker, an experienced tunesmith and the group's founder, has relocated to Ibiza while Ueda was discharged a few months ago due to "irreconcilable differences".

Futon's new album, Painkiller, is expected to be released in a few months time. The removal of the synthesizer, along with its former player Ueda, from the band's live shows is a signal that the forthcoming album is likely to offer a less electronic, rawer sound.

"We don't want to label our music any more. I guess you can say it's a mixture of everything that we like and strive for. The album will hopefully be quite eclectic," said Gene, sipping his first vodka tonic of the evening.

The band played four shows over two weeks in London, including at venues in both the East End and the West End. Though perhaps a tad tamer than at home, the band appeared comfortable throughout the tour. Gene Futon's raw energy and vocal prowess lit up each venue the band played, with the singer's bright smile continuing to charm punters off-stage. While his gentle manners and soft laugh clashed with his outrageous outfits (he's currently going through a "gold" phase) and shockingly blond hair (soon to be gone in response to a surplus of blondies in Bangkok), London was definitely Gene's playground. Having switched from keyboard to guitar, music veteran Bee concentrated mainly on technical aspects of the band's performance, aided by drummer Gilbert who was almost always beat perfect. Bassist Oh Futon, with hair and a subtle sense of fashion that would put Hoxtonites to shame, was an enigma on-stage. Off stage, her friendly and easy going attitude left saliva trails in her wake.

For a clearer picture of their London sojourn, Outlook has compiled this gig by gig review.

- JANUARY 4, METRO CLUB

The tour got off to a rather shaky start, with Futon not looking quite ready for this dingy venue next to Tottenham Court Road tube station. The assembled crowd was sombre and, er, advanced in age, rendering an even darker atmosphere to the dance floor. It's assumed this more mature audience was probably made up of record company staff and old-time hacks.

It's not like the band failed miserably at this gig, they just lacked that Futon charm that has got them where they are today. Perhaps it was nerves, or exhaustion from travel. Either way the dreadfully inert energy oozing out from those assembled didn't exactly help.

Opening were electronic rock group Morton Valance and the electroclash Ping Pong Bitches, who have been generating a lot of chatter among the electro crowd. While the latter group were exciting, playful and sexy, the former were boring and annoying. Their bespectacled lead singer hissed unintelligibly while a tambourine man decked in an abysmal sleeveless shirt and Fabio hair danced around like he was actually producing music. Sad.

However, we shouldn't be too hasty in dismissing Futon's support acts since their first London tour in 2004 saw the now defunct Test Icicles and Snow White opening for them, and you know how cool those bands have become.

- JANUARY 8, ROCKSTARZ@THE GHETTO

The Ghetto has played host to notorious club night Nag Nag Nag, which for a time was a very "in" event. While not officially a queer venue, The Ghetto receives a lot of attention from the gay community. Rockstarz is known for playing indie disco hits with one select live act each week.

As the venue began to fill, Futon's second London gig began to resemble a LGBT meet, which was in no way a bad thing. Most of the crowd seemed to be there for the Rockstarz event rather than the international band it featured. But judging from the cheering and dancing toward the end of Futon's short set, the band had a room full of new fans.

The audience's conversion was assisted by the somewhat awkward ground-level stage, which enabled the audience to get very close to the band.

- JANUARY 11, 93 FEET EAST

Situated right on Brick Lane, which is famous for its Indian eateries and overpriced shops, 93 Feet East has hosted many hipster bands before Futon. Given the quality venue at their disposal, Futon used this gig to properly present their talents. As the crowd contained a healthy contingent of trendsters (legendary deejay Mark Moore was also spotted) the band were able to play to its desired audience. Futon's sound was tighter for this gig and the delivery was strictly professional. A particular highlight was Gene's rendition of Morning After Pill, with its minimalist soundscape coming across as chilling as an aluminium toilet seat on a freezing morning.

Futon were preceded by the fun and fearless mosh pit rock of opening act Steranko, a band whose future is like a bomb waiting to be detonated.

Good vibes all around.

- JANUARY 18, BARFLY

The famed Barfly has been an indie kid's institution since its Camden heyday. It has managed to survive fast paced trends by booking up-and-coming bands and choosing events with style and taste. Most of the big names of indie rock today would have ravaged this venue at some time, and now it was Futon's turn to make their mark.

The place was busy with long entry queues leading to a packed crowd. A deadly gale hadn't stopped these brave souls. After newbies Revolution 78 thrashed their hearts out and Brit rockers Crash Convention delivered, Futon completed the night with their best performance of the tour. All the right elements were there, with the amped up energy of the gig reminiscent of Futon's hometown shows. You couldn't help but wonder how great the fifth gig would have been.

Celebrity spotting: Ex-Suede singer Brett Anderson was seen sulking around accompanied by his old bandmate, bassist Mat Osman. The Sex Pistols' original bassist Glen Matlock was also spotted.

Barfly marked the perfect end of Futon's London tour. January might not be the best time for gigging anywhere in the world, but the band managed to pull a respectable crowd each night.

"We were shocked. Even our booking agent was shocked. She didn't expect that many people at every gig. It just built up," said Bee.

"I think it's good for people to see that there are other sides to Thai culture because people overseas keep hearing about drug busts, prostitution and corrupt politicians. So this is a good chance for another form of cultural export, and I think there is loads of other good music coming out of Thailand," he added.

Ex-guitarist David Coker was dearly missed, with his hired replacement Tuan from Daytripper being a tad too skilful and formulaic for the band. Still, Futon thrived with barely a hitch.

Better promotional work might have helped draw more young hipsters to the gigs given the sway certain media outlets have over their target audience.

There you have it. Futon in London. Whether they will truly "go inter" or not remains to be seen. But for the time being, they are jumping in the global whirlpool without fear.

And what can be more "inter" than that ?

Bangkok Post
Wednesday January 31, 2007