Year of the Madonna

If you considered 2015 a bumper year for concerts by big foreign acts, the Monkey Year ahead promises to have you swinging from the vines based on what we know so far about just the first three-and-a-bit months.

 

Clearly the local promoters are getting better at their jobs. In 2015 we had Katy Perry, Muse, Imagine Dragons, One Direction and the Script performing in Thailand for the first time. Keen to return were the Backstreet Boys, Elton John, Avenged Sevenfold, Jason Mraz, Boyzone, Michael Buble and Michael Learns to Rock - as well as a surprise visit by Bon Jovi after a too-long absence.

 

"It was another golden year for the company," says Neil Thompson, second in command at BEC-Tero Entertainment, the heavyweight on the local concert-promotion scene. "We signed a partnership agreement with Live Nation that allows us to bring more international shows to Thailand. This year we'll finally get to see Madonna live in Bangkok after 30 years of waiting, and many more acts. BEC-Tero plans to hold two or three concerts and events per month."

 

Madonna's appearance in Thailand is definitely the biggest news of the moment. She's been the Queen of Pop for three decades, but until now Thai fans could only watch her career from afar. That all changes when her "Rebel Heart" tour rolls into Impact Arena next month.

 

Initially billed as one night only, on February 9, the gig sold out within days, prompting arrangements for a second show on the 10th, for which there are still some seats left in case you thought you were out of luck.

 

Another show that's sure to be terrific will be Diana Krall's return on February 19. The five-time Grammy-winning jazz singer-pianist will be at Siam Paragon's Royal Paragon Hall for her second appearance in Bangkok.

 

An immensely respected and successful recording and performing artist, Krall is a musical force in other ways as well. She produced Barbra Streisand's latest album, served as musical director and arranger for Paul McCartney and hit the road for a good cause with Neil Young.

 

Krall has sold more albums than any other female jazz artist of the last 30 years, and those recordings have earned her nine gold, three platinum and seven multi-platinum commemorative discs. New promoter Viji Corp is presenting her concert, for which seats are on sale at Thai Ticket Major for Bt1,500 to Bt5,500.

 

On February 27 the Spanish pop quintet Dvicio makes its first landing in Thailand with a show enticingly called "Enamorate con Dvicio" at the Muang Thai GMM Live House in Central World Plaza. BeUS Production is in charge of this event and is expected to announce the finer details at www.ThaiTicketMajor.com on January 16.

 

American guitar legend Carlos Santana obviously loves coming to Thailand because he'll be back for the sixth time on February 29 with another concert at Impact Arena, part of the "Luminosity" world tour. Thank BEC-Tero for this monster of a show too.

 

The fans can't seem to get enough of Carlos and his virtuoso band either, certainly not when they've got such an amazing repertoire of hits dating back to the late 1960s. Count on hearing "She's Not There", "Black Magic Woman", "Oye Como Va", "Smooth", "The Game of Love", "Maria Maria" and many more. Considerably boosting interest is the fact that veteran Thai rockers Carabao will be putting in a special appearance. Seats cost Bt2,000 to Bt5,000 at Thai Ticket Major.

 

Viji Corp's second concert of 2016 will feature American alternative-rock group Death Cab for Cutie, their first time in Bangkok. That's on March 3 at Moonstar Studio in Lat Phrao district.

 

Singer-guitarist Ben Guibbard, bassist Nick Harmer and drummer Jason McGeer have garnered a reputation over the past two decades as one of contemporary music's most compelling and creative outfits. Seats (not that you'll be sitting for long) are on sale for Bt1,800 at Thai Ticket Major.

 

On March 8 it's the turn of Australian pop-rock band 5 Seconds to Summer to make a Bangkok debut. BEC-Tero has them at Impact.

 

These Sydney-siders first found fame on YouTube with videos of them doing cover songs, and then in February 2014 they "went vinyl" with the self-penned single "She Looks So Perfect", which charted in Britain and Ireland as well as Down Under. A self-titled studio album followed in June that same year and was No 1 in 11 countries. Since then there's been the live album "LiveSOS", and if you've heard it, you'll be buying a seat for Bt2,000 to Bt5,000 from Thai Ticket Major.

 

Japanese guitar duo Depapepe whetted Thai appetites with a short showcase of tunes late last year and is back with the full banquet on March 25, at Central Lat Phrao's BCC Hall.

 

Takuya Miura and Yoshinari Tokuoka's upbeat and sophisticated instrumental pop has made them one of Japan's most sought-after acts overseas. The recently launched "greatest hits" album "All Time Best" was issued in editions produced specifically for every country they've played, including Thailand. That kind of special treatment is bound to win fans, and starting at the end of this month they'll gladly be paying Bt1,500 to Bt3,500 for seats at the organiser's website, https://ticket.avalon.co.th.

 

Time for another legend on April 5 when the ageless Welsh pop crooner Sir Tom Jones revisits Bangkok six years after his last appearance here. BEC-Tero will be unveiling the details on its site soon.

 

We already know what's on the set-list, though, because Sir Tom can't go anywhere without performing "It's Not Unusual", "What's New Pussycat", "Delilah", "She's a Lady" and the pretty much autobiographical "Sex Bomb". He's a pop star, but he's also done rock, soul, gospel, R&B, Broadway-type show tunes and even a little bit of country in the course of a four-decade career, meanwhile selling 100 million records.

 

Hard to beat that!

 

 

 

Watch the Web

 

 

 

BEC-Tero Entertainment: www.BECTero.com

 

BeUS Productions: www.beus.co.th

 

Avalon Live: www.Facebook.com/AvalonLive

 

Viji Corp: www.vijicorp.com

 

Thai Ticket Major: (02) 262 3456 and www.ThaiTicketMajor.com