Weather – as applied by many, is definitely a conversation starter to take you further in developing social mobility. Or rather a line uttered by many to kick-start the conversation with a hot chick standing nearby? Whether you’re a chick or a she-male, the weather definitely has done everyone some justice as soon as we set our foot at the venue of Big Sound Festival. It was a sunny day yet very windy, just the perfect weather for all happening events. And then here comes the traffic. Being Malaysians, we’re definitely used to high volume traffic and whatnot, but the one that we encounter into along our stay in Jakarta was definitely an experience. Frankly, what did we expect from a country with a population of 242.3 million, aye?
Despite the traffic and the fact that it was held on a Wednesday (15th May 2013), it’s quite impressive to see the venue is already swamped by people as early as 4pm. You see how music solidify willpower? Uttering the word ‘Big Sound Festival’ will only remind you of two things ; ‘Jakarta’ and ‘BLUR’. Initially, it may seem that the tendency for Blur to overshadow other performing acts is just way up high. Nonetheless, that fact is slowly erased through the day by the sight of people crowding in the venue constantly, even before Blur is up on stage. Though it is indeed true that Blur collects the most crowd (and media), without a doubt, it’s a positive thing seeing the support emitted by festival goers upon other performing acts.
Apart from the 4 heavyweights consisting of Blur, The Temper Trap, Tegan & Sara, and Van She, even local bands like Morfem and The Brandals managed to hold their crowd really well. It was certainly not that template sight of empty spaces and gaps that you encounter into, whenever local bands are up on stage. Though to some locals the ticket price was tad expensive, eventually people are still willing to pay a large amount just to see their favorite figures, which is a really good thing. Hence the crowd of people at the venue, which includes those from Malaysia, Singapore, and as well as Thailand.
The second The Temper Trap’s Dougy Mandagi got up on stage, he has definitely taken the audiences by storm with his charm and mother-tongue (by now, you should know he’s of Indonesian descent). Audiences got swept off their feet too by the graceful Tegan & Sara. The songs were enjoyable and the audiences seemed to be having good time listening to them. As the show reached its peak, and Damon Albarn got up on stage, everyone was seen in spasm and hyperventilation. Seeing him only a few meters away of distance has certainly made everyone starstruck (and that includes me). The atmosphere was crazy. The main show got kicked off by ‘Girls and Boys’ and everyone started screaming , dancing and jumping. Apart from smartphones were all up in the air, hands were also up in the air, waving and singing when the lads started performing ‘Tender’. Despite the fact that the sound system was quite a meltdown towards the end, British invasion has certainly blessed the open field that night.
On another note, the organizer even announced there would be second installment of Big Sound Festival next year. Let’s just wish they would be roping in another iconic legend for next year’s Big Sound Festival.
Written by Awin Roslin
Photos by Arif Ramly and Awin Roslin
