Event Images for 'We Set The Pace: A Retrospective of Stompin' Ground' @ The Substation (Oct 23-25)
It's been a while since I visited The Substation. Struggling with my limited command of Hokkien trying to describe where Armenia Street to the olden taxi uncle, was my challenge for the day, besides navigating the wild outdoors! The aim was deceptively simple: to visit "WE SET THE PACE: A Retrospective of Stompin' Ground", to view what I have missed in my youth.
Truth be told, I am but an 'errant tourist' when it comes to STOMPIN' GROUND, their sound, the culture, the scene. Having had my youth glazed over with the glam of New Wave POP, I had inevitably missed out of the hardcore sounds of Singapore, which viewed from the archival displays made up of gig posters and newspaper clippings, by far possessed a depth of history which only folks who partaketh of the scene, could remember and relish.
Claiming hardcore was "underground" in the Singapore music scene, is perhaps an understatement. Ironically, the more well known pop and indie scene locally were drowned out by a myriad of singers and sounds from worldwide - but then again, my knowledge and experience of such, was due to the efforts of Big-O magazine during the photostated-stapled-era, before they glammed up with swish magazine pages (somewhere in my collection, I still have Chris Ho on the cover of the first issue lol). But like many, I admit, I was lured by the notion of "outside more interesting than local", and I am ashamed to have been... ah but foolish youth!
And while my personal experience is but a dismal drop in the ocean of dreams-infinity, the lore and history seen at the exhibition, would bring pause to anyone, be it within Singapore, or without. All I could do was view in serene silence, and gawk at the artworks provided for by contributing artists to the event, which included Daniel Yu's 1/6th-scaled figurines.
To feel "a part" of the exhibition, I purchase a digital print featuring the art of Xtrospective ArtCore, and it was a swell design too, I must insist! Limited to only 25 pieces and priced extremely reasonably at SGD$10 - snag it before the event closes on October 25th at 10pm. Also on hand is a 2-color silkscreen by Ben Goerach (limited to 10 prints at SGD$35 each) - alas too huge for me to keep, but perhaps they also act as the next generation of archival keepsakes, which helps keep the band live on.
Images of the event has been posted here on my dedicated Facebook album (apologies for the abject lack of people in the snaps, as it was a balmy Wednesday afternoon when I visited, since I no longer do that well at nights).
My only "claim" of connection to Stompin' Ground, was via their guitarist Suhaimi Subandi - whom I recently met, over toys, actually! We've seen each other at the Sunday Flea Market decades back at The Substation, and even at local toy events. And of course I had to ask him to share with us his impressions of the event:
"Overwhelming & speechless, that's what we're feeling right now. Each artist's interpretations of the band add vibrancy to how different people perceive us & our music throughout these 23 years. The works they contributed are simply amazing & makes me realize how much talent have grown & progressed, you really have got to be there to understand what I mean. We're really humbled & honoured to know that there's people out there that still appreciate us this much. Really grateful to the organizers & artists that have contributed to this memorable event." ~ Suhaimi Subandi.
