Singapore is a speck on the map—fondly called the "little red dot"—sometimes mistaken for being part of China or dismissed as just another expensive tourist destination (it’s in Southeast Asia). Yet, beneath its glossy surface is a strong is a bubbling gritty, alternative music scene and where you’ll find some of the underground community headed is Baybeats, Singapore’s largest free alternative music festival, held annually at Esplanade.
For the past 22 years, it has been one of the few events we can enjoy without burning a hole in our wallets.
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been to Baybeats, but I’m pretty sure I’ve been going since 2017 or 2018. The tradition continues in 2024, with new friends to share it with each time.
During the three packed days of music over last weekend, I managed to catch about a fifth of the 39 bands—less than I'd hoped due to my lack of time. Hardcore, metal, pop punk, math rock, and shoegaze were the main bulk of genres at the festival, where the regional and international performances were dispersed over four stages of a short walking distance.
Caracal
Caracal was the only band I caught last Friday, but every minute of it was mesmerizing. I’m not part of the hardcore scene or listen to much of Singaporean hardcore and its adjacents, but I was keen to watch the post-hardcore veterans, since their formation in 2007.
The band recently marked their long-awaited return with Effigies, their third album, delayed by the pandemic but charged with a renewed energy. This was my first time seeing Caracal live, although many stuck with them from Caracal’s K.C. Meals era—the frontman whose magnetic stage presence is still spoken of in awe. My partner, a longtime Caracal fan, reminisced about how K.C. could captivate an audience effortlessly, making me curious about how the current lineup would resonate now.
Rachel Lu, Caracal's current vocalist, took the stage in an oversized pink T-shirt and shorts like she could have just skated to the venue. Beneath the casual appearance was contrastingly a fiery intensity that commanded the crowd’s attention, who had been anticipating their comeback.
Her performance was raw and visceral, packed with emotion and grit. Since the lineup shuffle, Caracal has leaned into a more aggressive yet harmonic sound, carving out a new legacy that feels deliberate. Rachel growls and Trent’s piercing wails cut through the chaos, with every scream backed by a sense of purpose — like a call and response of the oppressed and the oppressor, as their record label, KittyWu puts it. The drums are full-blown percussive mayhem, balanced out with the 3-man wind instruments team they had on stage (I forgot their name and wish I could find it online!). Their new material dives into a dooming, controlled demolition of the chaotic world we live in with a somewhat glimmer of hope.
Dongker
Image Credit: Jia Wen
The fun of Baybeats lies in stumbling across a band you've never heard of and walking away with a fresh addition to your playlist. That’s what Indonesia’s Dongker did for me. The Bandung punk band delivered a raw, electrifying burst of energy, blending the quintessential punk ethos with the region’s socio-political unrest, all wrapped in a fiercely DIY package.
Aside from a fun punk sound, their style also speaks volumes, literally. Their oversized graphic t-shirts, exaggerated silhouettes, and neon colors reflected the band's chaotic good, laid-back attitude. Somewhat theatrical and eccentric, their fashion amplifies their music’s unapologetic punch, creating a synergy between visual and sonic rebellion. Sung in Indonesian, their sound is a gritty mix of funky, danceable punk that makes you want to throw fists in the air and embrace that wild, unfiltered spirit of punk rock. It was a good 40-minute show of their latest album Ceriwis Necis and other popular hits.
Blood Pact
Blood Pact's comeback was a dark rebirth, the kind that awakens in the middle of the night with something depressing to say. Lyrics like "I don't mind no flowers on my grave, I won't be there to see them anyway" reflect a stoic worldview that they have imprinted on their music. Their style of post-punk has a tinge of goth, Russian doomer post-punk that most people are familiar with — which sounds very much like Lebanon Hanover's album, Tomb for Two.
It was also my first time watching them, though I am familiar with the core members, Nicholas Wong and Keith Chua, who are no strangers to Singapore's music scene, having previously played in prominent groups such as the now-defunct punk band The Caufield Cult and shoegaze band, Blush.
Their backlit performance, leaving only the shadowy outlines of the band members visible was a visual extension of their sound, adding a haunting lofi atmosphere.
Wong delivers a clean yet dooming performance, embodying the heavy, crushing soul of their music and I highly recommend everyone to listen to No Place To Hide from their latest album, Angel Fire.
Science Noodles
The unusual pairing of the words Science Noodles drew me in, only for me to discover that it’s also the name of a Taiwanese instant noodle brand.
Since 2018, I’ve been hooked on their sleep-inducing lo-fi sound. A cross-cultural fusion of Hong Kong and Taiwanese members who met on Tinder, this 21st-century indie pop group offers a sound reminiscent of My Little Airport.
When I saw them live with a friend who also shares a Hong Kong heritage, we were curious whether they’d perform in Cantonese, jokingly to feel a touch of our roots that we are far removed from. Although they didn’t, their romantic, laid-back music provided a much-needed break from the intensity of the other acts.
I adore their lackadaisical, soothing style, a distillation of cozy feelings perfectly captured by the fluffy cartoon kitten on their album cover. Their music may not be groundbreaking, but its simplicity wraps you in comfort with its mellow charm.
Though Baybeats hosts over thirty bands each year, I find myself catching fewer performances as time goes on. With so many acts on the roster, it’s easy to miss out on some of the great ones, especially with overlapping performance times. Unlike a typical festival, you're also not meant to tick all the bands off the list, but rather get a taste of each of them. It removes the pressure to power through the lineup, making coming to Baybeats effortless.
That said, I've been making a shortlist of bands I regret missing:
Yonlapa
Yonlapa, an indie pop band from Chiang Mai, Thailand, captures the nostalgic, laidback essence of the 2017-2019 indie pop wave. Their sound blends jazzy, jangly, and psychedelic influences, with songs revolving around the quotidian. I caught their acoustic performance of Let Me Go— their most popular track—coincidentally the last song they performed and the one I didn't want to miss. The stripped-down version was endearing and like a lullaby in between the sets of the other acts.
Fader
Fader is possibly one of Singapore’s most beloved pop-punk bands, taking heavy inspiration from Neck Deep. Their 2016 EP, You're Guilty for Killing Me, was a pivotal moment for the local scene, striking a chord with listeners and shaping a tight-knit hardcore, pop-punk community.
After a six-year hiatus, their return with the EP I'm Sorry This Took A While, I Haven't Been Myself Lately has reignited this excitement within goers of the underground shows pre-pandemic. The new release channels the chaotic process and raw vulnerability of growing up, where the emotionally charged themes are woven into the punchiness of each hardcore-injected track.
Tokyo Shoegazer
I ultimately regret missing Tokyo Shoegazer. Their music suspends you in noise, a spacey blend of ethereal melodies and heavier riffs that is a product of the 2010s shoegaze revival. There were speculations they'd bring 12 amps as a joke, though they wound up with seven, it still had me wondering if this could have and would have been the closest I’d get to experiencing My Bloody Valentine live.
Esplanade is in the central business district (CBD) of Singapore and coupled with the fact that Baybeats is free, members of the public would often catch the shows when they are in the vicinity — and these include Gen X men which we call "uncles" who participate in the complain culture of the city. In the Telegram channels that Baybeats goers have created to usually meet with others or exchange tickets to enter certain venues, they shared how these uncles lamented about how noisy Tokyo Shoegazer was and how they did not understand the music — even defined it as crazy. However, when the alternative is open to the public, that is the real local Singaporean experience — it gives you a glimpse of what life is like here as well.
Baybeats is a must-see for anyone traveling to Singapore who wants to get a taste of the country's independent music scene. Playing among the seasoned musicians who have done international tours or have been in the scene for a while would be the aim of up-and-coming bands here, and it's always special to be there from their beginnings.
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