Tunes among the trees

Some 20,000 music fans show up in Khao Yai for the second LoveIs Winter Festival

Published on December 15, 2007

Tunes among the trees

Khao Yai

Combine cool weather and forested mountains with sweet music from 100 artists and stir in the "godfather of love songs", Boyd Kosiyabongse himself, and you have all the ingredients to guarantee a successful KTC LoveIs Winter Festival 2007.

The second edition of the all-night music festival held in Khao Yai last Saturday has become the highlight of the winter season for music lovers.

More than 20,000 fans turned up for this year's event, surprising both Boyd and his partners. They had considered last year's festival a massive success with an audience of around 8,000 people!

The concert kicked off at 4pm with a set from Boyd's musical allies at the LoveIs label who then yielded the stage too GMM Grammy rock star, Jirasak "Maew" Panpoom.

Later in the evening Pod and Modern Dog played tracks from their latest album and Boyd joined them on stage, thanking the crowd for travelling up to Khao Yai and commenting on how audience turn-out had exceeded his expectations. He went on to apologise for some of the inconveniences that came with the location.

The festival also featured big-name artists like POP, Nop Pornchumni, Nuvo, Mr Z, Groove Riders, Crescendo and Po Yokee Playboy. Other singers included Ben Chalatit, Saksit "Tor" Vejsupaporn, Radklao Amaradit, Flure, Friday, Sqweez Animal, Lipta, 7th Scene and a host of special guests.

Boyd had promised that the concert would be a great combination of modern songs and golden oldies and lived up to his word, introducing youngsters in the crowd to crooner Songsit "Kob" Rungnop-pakhunsri who resurrected his popular song "Patiharn" "Miracle".

Other veteran singers included Ronnachai Thomyapariwat, Od Kereboon, Pusaming Nohsawan and Pan-Paiboonkiart Keawkaew who came along with Maleewan Jemina.

And despite their different styles of music, all the musicians - regardless of age - managed to get the crowds singing along with them.

The earlier part of the evening was devoted to easy-listening songs but really started to rock around 11pm when Groove Riders took to the stage. The band, which has just released a new album after a quiet few years, quickly had fans up on their feet.

The lighting and sound system, which caused problems last year, fared better this time round, blending well with the natural surroundings and bathing the whole of Khao Yai in a cocoon of sound.

The concert was organised by Fresh Air and LoveIs, who promise next year's festival will be as good if not better.

Sucheera Pinijparakarn

The Nation