If you are an avid fan and follower of the music scene in Thailand, chances are you would have known about or were even present at VERY Festival 2022. 

Following its inaugural edition in 2019, VERY Festival returned for its second edition from 25 November to 27 November at the Wonder World Park in Bangkok, Thailand. Not only did the festival see homegrown Thai artists gracing the event with their exciting performances, but they were also joined by an eclectic mix of international artists that spanned a myriad of musical genres. 

It was easy to see why the event drew in such a vast crowd, making it the destination festival it hoped to become. Wonder World Park was bustling with activity from the festival-goers and fans of the various acts, all hoping to catch a glimpse of their favourite artists, bask in the atmosphere of the music festival, and engage in an assortment of activities right there at the commodious festival grounds.

Clean and easy-to-navigate festival grounds

For an abandoned theme park, the venue has been maintained surprisingly well. The space was immaculately kept and easy to navigate with the help of signs and large banners that clearly pointed out directions and the purpose of specific areas. There were ample mobile restrooms such that there weren’t any noticeable waiting lines and bins where festival-goers could easily dispose of their trash, which contributed to the overall cleanliness. The event grounds juxtaposed an exquisite Ferris wheel in the background. With the addition of several decommissioned theme park rides scattered everywhere, a once-active amusement park's notable elements contributed to the music festival's overall vibe. They aptly painted it as a place to let loose, unwind, and have fun.

Apart from enjoying musical performances, attendees were pleased to discover that the festival hosted several other activity zones. The VERY Merch Shop Zone was simple but efficient in selling merchandise from the performing artists. Much to the delight of fans, it is a one-stop opportunity for them to get their hands on memorabilia, such as a VERY Festival t-shirt, The Kooks jersey, and Fiji Blue concert tour shirts.

For those who wished to further immerse themselves into the festival celebrations, the VERY Photo & Art Studio Zone comprised booths where visitors could get temporary tattoos and photos to remember their experience at the festival. Attendees could choose from 20 different tattoo designs, with some distinguishably inspired by the performing artists.  

No festival is complete without a good food and beverage experience, and the event certainly did not disappoint with the offerings found at the VERY Market Zone. There was even a designated alcohol area for visitors over 20 years of age. The spacious outdoor area, arguably the largest next to the main and rising stage area, saw festival attendees comfortably resting and enjoying their refreshments atop boxy wooden chairs and tables. Comically enough, some chose to precariously balance their food-laden plates and cups at the main and rising stages instead to avoid missing out on their favourite performances.

The event utilised top-up cards as the payment method for fuss-free and easy transactions. Refunds could be obtained at the end of the festival.

One of the more unique features of this year’s 80s Japanese city pop-inspired VERY Festival was the City Pop Art Exhibition Tent. The air-conditioned tent situated next to the main and rising stages served as a respite from the heat and housed artworks from rising city pop artists such as Bomfha, BUCH, Paerytopia, SIMPLESEASUN, and nalu. A DJ was present, spinning city pop tracks for the festival attendees as they partook in VERY Festival refreshments and rested under a reflective disco ball. 

Attentive security 

Though the event saw exceedingly large crowds, especially on Saturday and Sunday, there weren’t any noticeable crowd control issues. The security detail was very observant and easily identifiable by their green vests. At any point during a performance where their help was required, they were quick to attend to it, and the issue was dealt with calmly without alarming the rest of the audience. Guards were also situated throughout the festival grounds to ensure the safety of attendees at all zones.

A balanced mix of genres and acts 

Whether you were craving indie pop or alt rock, R&B/soul, local or international flavours, VERY Festival had something for almost every type of music fan. Each day was packed with carefully curated acts, which drew sizable crowds. 

The festival-goers themselves made this apparent. At every turn, you would see a variety of fashion styles and vibes, and their collective energy could be felt all across the festival grounds. It was a melting pot of not only subcultures but music fans of almost every kind – from their looks you could guess which acts they were most likely there for, but even so, around the stage you’d always see an even mix of attendees. It spoke of VERY Festival’s expansive draw, and everyone was there to enjoy the music. 

Local crowd favourites 

Thai people have always been passionate about celebrating their own music culture. Never has there been a shortage of avenues and events, big or small, showcasing local talent; and fans would surely turn up at every opportunity to support their favourite homegrown acts. 

VERY Festival showed exactly that. Whether it was on the Rising or Main Stage, people made their way close to the front, to cheer, sing and dance along to the crooning tunes of Violette Wautier, daynim, and SAMMii, the traditional folk-pop fusion of ASIA7, the emotive serenade by KICK ON, loserpop, and many more. Much like the overall festival experience, the local lineup provided a diversity of acts that truly gave guests a good taste of what Thailand’s music scene has to offer. 

LANDOKMAI

Comprising long-time friends Ant and Upim, the Thai duo charmed audiences with their dream-pop and vintage-sounding tunes at VERY Festival’s rising stage. Upim’s delightfully ethereal vocals as she serenaded the audience were further complemented by the jaunty tunes from Ant’s guitar. Their years of friendship and making music together definitely came through as they performed their set. The talented ladies can be seen swaying and dancing lightly during their performance, and that infectious energy visibly carried over to their fans in the audience, who did the same.

The excitement radiated in the air as the duo performed their latest single, ‘B-D-BUB-BA’, which is fast becoming a fan favourite. Even those in the audience who weren’t familiar with their music couldn’t help but be captivated by their light-hearted and soothing music. As they performed, the evening’s atmosphere seemed to calm along with them. By the end of their set, it is safe to say that they brought home the hearts and eager listening ears of those singing along with them that evening. 

SILVY

The moment Silvy and her gang marched in, they captivated the crowd and had them rushing from the main stage to where they stood at the rising stage. With the opening song, ‘XL’, the sheer intensity of their moves and stage presence instantly transformed the grounds into a dance floor. The passionate response was more than palpable – it was infectious. And as Silvy sang “be your own kind of beautiful / f*ck it we’re all beautiful”, it was easy to tell how much the audience resonated with what she represented. 

“When I say ‘I’M A’, you say ‘QUEEN!’” Silvy would get the crowd to cheer later on, right before blasting her second anthem about being unapologetically true to oneself. Sure, it was Silvy’s time on stage but it felt just as much like everyone’s show as well. And as she closed the show to a sea of lights and the mellow sway of ‘PLS’, fans geared up to yell for an encore. Sadly, time was already up by then, but it was enough to see the amount of love people had for this rising star.  

HYBS

Armed with a surplus of charm and quirkiness that sent the crowd swooning every time, HYBS were already a force to be reckoned with early in the day and set the final day of the festival ablaze. The sun was bright and burning, but Alyn Wee and Karn Kasidej, clad in matching jumpsuits, were set to rival it with their dazzling presence and sweltering groove. Their impressive command of their audience could be seen from their first two songs, ‘Go Higher’ and ‘Run Away’, all the way to the end of their set. It’s hard to imagine they’d only started making music together last year and had been performing to a live audience less than a year when they stepped onto the VERY stage.

HYBS’ music is the type long-time fans of Thai indie pop would find comforting in its familiarity, and new listeners would find easy to get to know and enjoy, which might also explain how powerful their draw was on the day of their performance. On the whole, HYBS’ set was just a whole lot of fun, and the electrifying energy they gave was met equally by everyone. At the start of ‘Would You Mind’, Alyn asked the crowd to echo back their “hello” and the response was immediate with conviction, and as he, Karn and their band jumped along to ‘Rockstar’ one couldn’t help but think, yes, that’s what they are. 

Phum Viphurit

Every time we've seen Phum Viphurit perform live, it's always been a delight, and this time was no different. Dressed in an orange raincoat, presumably to match that weekend's stormy forecast, Phum rocked the main stage with his deep soothing voice, jovial guitar riffs, and ever-wide signature smile. He’s grown up through the years, but the same boyish charm still shone on stage that day as he brought summer to November with well-loved hits such as ‘Paper Throne’, ‘Strangers in a Dream’, and ‘Wings’. 

Since his international breakout success in 2018, Phum has played many stages worldwide. Still, there’s something special about seeing him on his home turf. The rain didn’t end up falling but everything still felt apt, orange raincoat and all, like the clouds were also being serenaded by one sunshine lover boy. 

Classic festival heroes

VERY Festival was a great way to get to know new acts, but also rediscover old faves. If you've been around the block, hearing The Kooks, Franz Ferdinand, and Tahiti 80 again would have made you feel like you were at your first festival.

Franz Ferdinand

Franz Ferdinand, in particular, embodied what a banger headliner show was like. They recently celebrated their 20th year, and you both would and wouldn't know it from their performance on the second evening of the festival. As soon as 'The Dark of the Matinee' blared from the stage, the electric energy of the band was felt throughout the festival grounds. Alex Kapranos worked the stage with a flair of confidence that was so particularly him, a true rock god dashing across the stage in controlled chaos, swaying his hips and swinging his guitar as he invited the crowd to sing along. He never had to tell them twice. 

Throughout the show, the band delivered knockout performances one after the other, from the massively famous ‘Take Me Out’ to the irresistibly danceable ‘Do You Want To’ and ‘Love Illumination’, all the way to the ever-explosive ‘Michael’ and ‘This Fire’; even new songs ‘Curious’ and ‘Billy Goodbye’ sounded like they’ve been playing them for years and years. Midway through the set, Audrey Tait took centre stage to perform a drum solo, which gradually built up to a drum ensemble with all the band members. There was simply no dull moment the entire time. They’re touring their greatest hits album, Hits to the Head, this year, which was fantastic for long-time fans and those who still remembered them from the mid-00s. For newer and younger audiences, it was a crash course on understanding exactly how Franz Ferdinand got to where they are.

Asian powerhouse

One of the most anticipated things about music festivals is undoubtedly how it brings overseas artists and fans together in the same setting. VERY Festival’s star-studded lineup also featured exciting performances from regional acts. From Singapore’s brb. to South Korea’s Wave to Earth amongst many other highlighted acts, the event definitely drew in diehard fans just keening to get a glimpse of their favorite regional acts.

pH-1

All eyes were on H1GHR MUSIC’s pH-1 as he took to the main stage on VERY Festival’s second day. Between performing his set and getting up close and personal with his audience, it is no wonder that pH-1 fast became a festival favourite. Bangkok’s sweltering heat (or was it the blazing energy from the fans?) further led the Korean-American rapper to exclaim that it’s “so hot here” and banter about spraying water on the fans. 

Though it was the rapper’s debut performance in Thailand, the crowd present at his performance was wildly impressed with his smooth raps and vocals in his performance which included the likes of ‘DVD’, ‘Like Me’, and popular track ‘Nerdy Love’ which was done in collaboration with Yerin Baek. pH-1 ended his set by thanking fans for appreciating Korean music and promising to return to Thailand as part of his upcoming ABOUT DAMN TIME concert tour in Asia. 

keshi

The main stage was (quite literally) set ablaze as American singer-songwriter keshi played his set. Though this was keshi’s first time headlining a music festival, the multitalented artist has proven that he has got what it takes to pull in a crowd of adoring fans known as Kults as the final performer for the second night of Very Festival. 

Right from the get-go, keshi’s appearance was greeted by loud, resounding cheers, and it did not halt even when he was strumming along to his electric guitar in the slow indie track ‘drunk’ from his 2020 EP, performing fan favourite ‘beside you’, or serenading his fans with ‘right here’. keshi's performance that night was indeed one to remember, whether it was just him and his pure vocals, playing the keyboard and guitar, or elevating his audience's energy in a series of guitar riffs. 

ADOY

The 4-member indie pop band, which comprises Juhwan, Zee, Dayoung, and Geunchang was a highlighted act on the third night. As the spellbinding slew of synth-pop tunes permeated the festival night’s atmosphere, it was clear that ADOY brought their music uniqueness to the Very Festival stage. One can’t help but also be entranced by how perfectly Dayoung’s soft and serene vocals complemented the songs.

Upon seeing the distinctive album art for ‘Wonder’ flashed in the background, fans erupted into cheers as the band performed arguably the most well-known track from their discography to date. Midway into their set, the band expressed their regret for not being able to come to Bangkok for two years because of the COVID pandemic. Juhwan shared that Bangkok “feels like a second home after Korea”. Fans were still hyped towards the end of ADOY's performance and sang the songs independently, even when there were no vocals from the band. Playing on this fan-artist interaction, Juhwan expertly picked up his mic stand and pointed it toward the festival audience, garring an explosive crowd response and resounding voices from the fans for the remainder of the final song.