Rocking the Sub Concert - A Day In Singapore's Music History - A Photo Essay

This blog features a photo essay of a concert that took place at the Substation on 21st December 1997. All photos taken by Reynold Pereira.

Four Sides

It is just another normal weekend in December 1997 albeit the week before Christmas. I decided to head off to the Substation where they had a concert featuring some of our local bands.

The article that appeared in BigO magazine in Feb 1998

It was a period when photography especially of the non-colour nature played a big part in my life. 

Livonia

So there I was with my Contax 167MT fed with Agfa and Kodak film hoping to capture the melodies and emotions of many young bands made up of guys who may have had aspirations and dreams of hitting the big time with their music. 

Daniel Sassoon, guitarist of Livonia

I wouldn't be far off by saying that many of them were still of the pre-National Service age (Correct me if I'm wrong there!!).

Suburban Dammit

The afternoon went by with five or six bands spreading their gospel with both covers and originals. Some were of the speed metal nature while others were attempting to resurrect the ghosts of Bob Marley. Others were replicating the flow of English Indie Music. 

Justin Ho, guitarist of Suburban Dammit

The bands were of varying standards and I still remember thinking that some of them should adopt the first and most crucial principle of music: learn to tune your instruments . Inexperience surfaced in many of these bands but I must give credit to their 'tak mahu kalah' (don't say die) attitude. 

Aaron Kao, drummer of Suburban Dammit

But to be honest, the 18 years that have lapsed since that concert has fogged the memory a little and has withered whatever recollection of the music that I heard that day.

Pasture with Foo Say Keong (extreme left) on guitar and vocals. This was their one and only gig!

Some of these photos were featured in one of the issues of the now defunct BigO (Before I Get Old) magazine while the others were relegated to my storeroom where the negatives were befriending the fungus that was slowing populating the booking binders that were stacked on top of each other in a room laced with humidity. 

Joseph Roberts, guitarist of Pasture

My recent acquisition of a negative-to-digital converter plus some minor 'photoshopping' has restored some of these photos to their former glory.

Bushmen (with Syed from Stompin Ground on guitar and Hassan Mohd on bass)

For many of the youth in these photos, these concerts were one of their only means of 'letting loose'; to be able to express themselves freely in 'nanny' Singapore! A convocation of youth, who may see themselves as being in the peripherals of society. 

Hassan Mohd

 
As I now look at these photos, I can't help but wonder what has happened to many of the musicians and the crowd that were present at this concert almost 18 years ago. 

Flow (with Alwi from ESP helping out on bass)

Have they realised their dreams to be what they were hoping to be? Have they changed in their ways and thinking? Have they succumbed to the harsh realities of life?

Fendi (from Big red Moment) playing with Pasture

 
Well, if any of you are in these photos, let me know!!

Bastardized

Jinyao, vocalist/guitarist of Bastardized

Mahmud Ayaz, bassist of Bastardized

Kurt Wee, drummer of Bastardized

Bodysurfing

Going with the flow with Bastardized

Who says bodysurfing is only for men!!

Crowd getting into the groove!

Giving a helping hand

Rizal Sanduan - Individualism at its best!!

Band supporters (I wonder which band!!)

Singapore Punk!

Setting the trend years before tattoos became a fad! Nick and Jeffrey Huang, poor Arts students at that time (According to Jeffrey)

Azmi (from Nunsex) extreme left

Chillin' out!

Health is Wealth!!

About the writer:
Reynold Pereira is a Singaporean who now lives in Barcelona, Spain. He works for a Singapore law firm as a business development director. He is passionate about photography especially black and white photography and used to spend hours in the darkroom during the days before digital photography. He also sings in a band and has recorded several albums including Déjà Vu, an album consisting of only original songs. You can read more about the album at his CD Baby site.