Well, it’s been a while, but it’s about time to do a quick update of what’s been going on in BATS recently. After the slow motion car crash that was the residency of Cache Superstar in early 2013, it seems appropriate that the second half of the year saw Crash Motion take up the reins. With the best looking female singers since 2010 and a strong male vocalist it was a pretty successful time and BATS was packed most days.
This was Cache Superstar (Jan-July 2013). Let’s just say the line-up changed quite a bit by the time they had finished. The well-built male lead vocalist was very good though. As for the rest, let’s draw a veil over it, it would be kinder.
Crash Motion, the band in residence from July to December, were a hard-working group from Canada. They made a good effort to integrate with the locals, particularly memorable was their version of Pelan Pelan Saja, a big Indonesian hit. Other memorable songs they did were Don’t You Worry Child and Starships.
The band’s line-up saw a quick return for Daren from Earthbeat, surely now BATS’ most capped lead guitarist. The bass player was a crowd favourite as a native Spanish speaker doing all the Latino songs (Suavemente being his signature song). The keyboard player was incredible – anonymous at the back but holding it all together. The two girls were very easy on the eye, especially after a few drinks. The slimmer one did sing sharp quite a bit, but that improved over time and her optimism was infectious. The large-breasted one slimmed down a lot over the course of the contract but thankfully not in all areas.
Also worth noting is another change of manager, and a massive hike in both prices and volume. I think it must be because prices are based in dollars, so when the rupiah collapses against the dollar, a beer goes from being 90,000 to 120,000. The speakers have now been jacked up to the extent that anyone close to the stage will have ear pain for the next 2 days. It would probably be illegal in the West, but, well, we’re not in the West.
Anyway, we look forward with optimism to 2014 to see what the new all-British band, The Volume (below), will bring us. They’re newbies in Indonesia, although they have just come off 2 years on cruise ships, so it’s a bit of a different gig. A more stable stage, more prostitutes in the crowd, and a different type of OAP. Their first couple of weeks have been impressive, but 6 months is a long time, let’s hope they maintain their health, focus, sobriety and sanity.
Bands in Jakarta 