Singapore is known for being neat, orderly and predictable; Budak Pantai however, is anything but. Truly groundbreaking and original, this bunch of middle-aged men got the audience singing and clapping along to their very rojak-style genre of music.
With a combination of stand-up comedy and a cappella, Budak Pantai takes on a range of genres from Toni Braxton’s ‘Unbreak My Heart’ to old-school Hokkien tunes, all done with a twist and peppered with local references, languages and dialects. It is an understatement to say that you require a formal understanding of Singapore’s many local quips and slangs to get the jokes behind the music, however, due to the group’s sincerity and eagerness to please, you end up laughing together with the audience.
The first half included a few new and unreleased songs. The audience was pretty tame, but the guys were just warming up. After a quick 20-minute intermission the entertainers returned, this time with an onslaught of their most loved hits. The crowd was soon singing and clapping along, as if they didn’t want each song to end.
If ever there were to be an actual pot of melting backgrounds and personalities, these guys would be in it. Musically, the group harmony was average, but that’s not the reason why people listen to them. A special mention however to the 54-year-old bassist and freelance training facilitator, Kah Keh, who has great pitching and an amazing lower register.
By the time the performance was over, I felt nostalgic for a band I had never previously heard of. Granted I did not understand each and every idiosyncrasy the boys so expertly blended in, I still had a great time and was genuinely upset that this was to be their final performance as a group.
Just outside the concert hall, the scene was packed with aunties, expatriates living and working here, hipsters, families with child, teenagers, bankers and grandmothers, I think it safe to say that I’ve not seen such a diverse turn out at anything held here at the Esplanade before. By the end of the night which stretched till about 10:30pm, people stuck around queuing up for their favourite Budak Pantai member to come out and sign their CDs.
And so I end this review by saying that it was with pleasure that I saw Budak Pantai, a performance giving toast to distinct personalities, with a mix of heartland soul and pop culture globalisation. Sure the overall backdrop, vocal quality and costumes were so-so, rather it’s the chemistry between each of the five creators and stars — Gordon, Michael, Joe, Kah Keh and Danny — which gives us the love and laughs. Their interactions — often improvised — as well as songs are the true comedy genius of Budak Pantai.
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