Rockin’ Dreams Do Come True

For Indonesian version please click hereNot that long ago, local rock enthusiasts would only have dreamed of having an act like Smashing Pumpkins playing in Indonesia. To go to a Wolfmother gig in Jakarta, back then, you would never have thought possible. But these days, it is possible. And not just for the Pumpkins or Wolfmother, but also Muse, Korn, Avril Lavigne, 311, Placebo, Black Eyed Peas, Bjork, My Chemical Romance, NOFX, Belle & Sebastian, Stereophonics, Dashboard Confessional, too many more to mention, all of whom have played in big cities in Indonesia---mostly in Jakarta. Indeed, these last few years, showbiz has become a big and upcoming trend. More people seem interested in doing it seriously. Local promoters/event organizers don't really think twice anymore about bringing big name artists to Indonesia. The last gigantic music event, Java Rockin'Land, was so succesful---some said it attracted 50,0000 plus people. This fact brings even bigger hopes that showbiz has become stronger. It proves that showbiz in Indonesia is alive and kicking. Nowadays, music lovers have more and better options. Not only in Jakarta, but also in Bandung, Bali, and a few other areas in Java and Sumatera. Look at how dynamic the music scene is: October 24th sees Vampire Weekend at Bengkel Night Park and October 27th Hatebreed at Gelora Bung Karno (both in Jakarta), on November 10th Temper Trap will be in Bali's Hard Rock Cafe before heading to Jakarta and Tokyo Police Club and Raveonettes will both play in Bandung mid November. So, following all that, have you been dreaming about Iron Maiden coming to Indonesia? Quit dreaming. Bruce Dickinson and friends are coming to Jakarta and Bali in February of 2011. Get ready for the ticket race.
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Mutemath at Java Rockin’Land

Jumat, 8 Oktober, malam itu, jumlah penggemar Smashing Pumpkins boleh jadi merosot anjlok dalam jumlah cukup signifikan. Semua karena ulah Billy Corgan. Tingkah sang biduan yang miskin basa basi—tanpa salam halo untuk Jakarta, nihil ucapan selamat tinggal kepada penonton, bahkan menolak memberi encore—telah membuat ultra kesal ribuan orang yang memang sengaja hadir & menghabiskan ratusan ribu Rupiah untuk (akhirnya bisa) menyaksikan grup musik asal Chicago, Amerika Serikat.

Bukan, kali ini kita bukan memusatkan perhatian pada arogansi Billy Corgan. Saya hanya hendak menegaskan bahwa bahkan hingga 1 dekade lalu anak muda Indonesia tak pernah membayangkan bisa menyaksikan Smashing Pumpkins beraksi di hadapan mereka. Di masa dulu, sepertinya mustahil-oh-mustahil band luar negeri sekaliber itu bisa/bersedia dihadirkan di Nusantara. Nyatanya yang dianggap sama sekali tidak mungkin kemudian berujung menjadi fakta sahih. Lihat apa yang terjadi pada 8, 9, 10 Oktober di Pantai Karnaval, Ancol, di acara Java Rockin’Land. Puluhan ribu penikmat musik disuguhi Pumpkins, Wolfmother, Stereophonics, Dashboard Confessional, Arkarna, Stryper, dsb; yang notabene secara popularitas masih “hangat”, hampir nol yang disodorkan adalah produk “basi”, “sisa-sisa masa lalu” atau “dari antah berantah.”

Jika tadinya cenderung Java Musikindo yang aktif sendirian membawa artis-artis kelas berat manca negara maka kini sudah muncul sejumlah promotor yang masuk ke ranah yang sama. Yang paling menonjol adalah Java Festival Production. Institusi bisnis hiburan ini tadinya hanya menyasar genre jazz lalu belakangan soul/R&B sampai yang paling mutakhir: rock. Penyelenggaraan festival musik cadas ini belakangan justru menjadi paling spektakuler dibanding acara lain besutan mereka. Jumlah panggung di Java Rockin’Land yang disedikan saja mencapai 11 buah (!), yang terdiri dari 4 panggung besar, sisanya berukuran sedang, tanpa panggung kecil. Infrastruktur juga dilengkapi dengan—mungkin ini pertama kalinya terjadi di konser lokal—disediakannya tenda (camping ground) bagi pengunjung yang enggan ketinggalan secuil acara pun yang digelar sepanjang hari.

Sementara jajaran event organizers baik muka baru maupun pemain lama, pula menolak ketinggalan kereta. Kini, utamanya di Jakarta, serta beberapa kota besar lain seperti Bandung, Surabaya, Medan, dan belakangan diikuti oleh Bali, bisa dibilang tiap bulan terdapat keriaan musikal menawan. Sebut saja 24 Oktober Vampire Weekend di Bengkel Night Park dan 27 Oktober Hatebreed di Gelora Bung Karno (keduanya di Jakarta), 10 November Temper Trap di Bali (masih dalam konfirmasi), 14 November Tokyo Police Club di Bandung, pertengahan November—tanggal segera diumumkan—Raveonettes juga dijadwalkan beraksi di Bandung.

Di era sekarang, ya, sungguh berlimpah pilihan menarik. Kompetisi ketat di antara penggiat showbiz pada akhirnya malah menguntungkan publik. Khayalak umum kini beranjak berani memimpikan kehadiran Iron Maiden di Indonesia. Eh, memimpikan? Iron Maiden, menurut kicauan Original Production di Twitter, bahkan mengklaim bahwa Bruce Dickinson dan Rekan sudah pasti akan mereka datangkan ke Jakarta dan Bali pada Februari 2011. Nah, masih berani bermimpi?

Datarock at Java Rockin’Land

English Version

Not that long ago, local rock enthusiasts would only have dreamed of having an act like Smashing Pumpkins playing in Indonesia. To go to a Wolfmother gig in Jakarta, back then, you would never have thought possible. But these days, it is possible. And not just for the Pumpkins or Wolfmother, but also Muse, Korn, Avril Lavigne, 311, Placebo, Black Eyed Peas, Bjork, My Chemical Romance, NOFX, Belle & Sebastian, Stereophonics, Dashboard Confessional, too many more to mention, all of whom have played in big cities in Indonesia—mostly in Jakarta.

Indeed, these last few years, showbiz has become a big and upcoming trend. More people seem interested in doing it seriously. Local promoters/event organizers don’t really think twice anymore about bringing big name artists to Indonesia. The last gigantic music event, Java Rockin’Land, was so succesful—some said it attracted 50,0000 plus people. This fact brings even bigger hopes that showbiz has become stronger. It proves that showbiz in Indonesia is alive and kicking. Nowadays, music lovers have more and better options. Not only in Jakarta, but also in Bandung, Bali, and a few other areas in Java and Sumatera. Look at how dynamic the music scene is: October 24th sees Vampire Weekend at Bengkel Night Park and October 27th Hatebreed at Gelora Bung Karno (both in Jakarta), on November 10th Temper Trap will be in Bali’s Hard Rock Cafe before heading to Jakarta and Tokyo Police Club and Raveonettes will both play in Bandung mid November.

So, following all that, have you been dreaming about Iron Maiden coming to Indonesia? Quit dreaming. Bruce Dickinson and friends are coming to Jakarta and Bali in February of 2011. Get ready for the ticket race.

___________________

*All photos courtesy of Muhammad Asranur
*This article was originally published on The Beat Jakarta #24, October 2010

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Picture of Rudolf Dethu

Rudolf Dethu

Music journalist, writer, radio DJ, socio-political activist, creative industry leader, and a qualified librarian, Rudolf Dethu is heavily under the influence of the punk rock philosophy. Often tagged as this country’s version of Malcolm McLaren—or as Rolling Stone Indonesia put it ‘the grand master of music propaganda’—a name based on his successes when managing Bali’s two favourite bands, Superman Is Dead and Navicula, both who have become two of the nation’s biggest rock bands.
Picture of Rudolf Dethu

Rudolf Dethu

Music journalist, writer, radio DJ, socio-political activist, creative industry leader, and a qualified librarian, Rudolf Dethu is heavily under the influence of the punk rock philosophy. Often tagged as this country’s version of Malcolm McLaren—or as Rolling Stone Indonesia put it ‘the grand master of music propaganda’—a name based on his successes when managing Bali’s two favourite bands, Superman Is Dead and Navicula, both who have become two of the nation’s biggest rock bands.

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