S-ROCK: 2011 MID-YEAR REPORT

I remember Rai (from Jack & Rai) remarking once (on Live and Loaded) that I could be seen at all the S-ROCK gigs (which is an exaggeration, of course) and subsequently reading some irate online commentator challenging this assertion. Compared to back then (2009 is it?) I probably attend less gigs than I used to.

Why?

Well, to put it bluntly, I am tired of the music. That’s right, the quality of S-ROCK has been steadily declining over the years. Sad but true (all IMHO naturally). In my experience as a NOISE mentor and Baybeats judge, there is little doubt that there are indeed numerous S-ROCK bands/artists out there but how many of them are actually good enough to recommend?

The problem is a lack of development of the art and craft of S-ROCK. Without a viable music industry in Singapore, there is no impetus to develop our bands and artists. Thus, much depends on the bands/artists themselves, how committed and PR-savvy they are in achieving their goals.

Inch Chua is a good example of this. What she has accomplished since striking out on her own (with the aid of her manager, Willy Tan) is (in S-ROCK terms) simply phenomenal. The little singer-songwriter is everywhere, it seems. Eschewing the conventional path of CD selling, she has instead used her music (given away for free online) as a business card/portfolio to land herself commercial deals with corporate entities (a Great Singapore Sale song for 313@Somerset mall) and government bodies (the Eco Music Challenge for NEA). Her face has been featured in a multitude of magazines and has reached beyond the traditional S-ROCK fanbase. She has also leveraged her contacts to obtain overseas gigs in the USA as well. Kudos!

In addition, the achievements of S-ROCK bands like I Am David Sparkle, Stellarium, Caracal, Wormrot and Etc in exporting their music overseas (without any local support) is worth noting, proving that there is a market for S-ROCK elsewhere, if not at home. Again, these milestones have been attained due to the drive and self-belief of the bands themselves, without waiting for anyone to give them a helping hand. An attitude and spirit to be commended for all S-ROCK bands/artists.

BUT for everybody else, it’s still a steep learning curve, especially if you’re not blessed with managerial/PR support. My personal take on things is that S-ROCK is a very D-I-Y sub-culture and somehow taking on such expertise is a form of selling-out OR worse still, bands/artists blindly believe that they can manage without external assistance. Naivety and also unwarranted arrogance. How to change this mindset? Your guess is as good as mine.

Despite all this, there have been high points so far (in the first half of the year) as memorable albums from Cheating Sons and King Kong Jane have proved. However, apart for this, it’s been slim pickings. S-ROCK, by and large, is caught in the time warp of the early 2000s – cliched emo pop punk-driven guitar bands still dominate, unfortunately.

On the live front, more S-ROCK bands have been opening for foreign counterparts but have been received with hostility from local audiences. Singaporeans are very brand conscious and at the moment, S-ROCK has a rather negative brand value, it must be said. Not that you can truly blame local punters as nobody has done a good job to build up the S-ROCK brand.

So, where does that leave S-ROCK? Clearly, the perceived stakeholders of S-ROCK will have to step up and take responsibility for its development. Well, obviously the bands/artists/fans/managers are the first line of accountability in this respect but as I often challenge any young band/artist I work with – “how serious are you about your music?” This is lacking in many bands/artists and most honestly treat the music as a hobby until they find something else to occupy their spare time.

Music-releated businesses and government bodies can make a significant contribution to S-ROCK as well but only if they are able to see the ultimate shared benefits of the development of S-ROCK. Of course, it behooves me to re-state that a ‘renaissance city’ cannot exist without a vibrant, artistic music scene and no amount of infrastructure will make any difference unless and until we nurture and grow the ‘ground’ first.

There are initiatives in the pipeline to address some of these issues. Hopefully, these will be allowed to take hold and prosper and much will depend on the response of S-ROCK bands/artists and other stakeholders. I am looking forward to moving from pessimist to cautious optimist by the end of 2011.

…still there’s more…