Baybeats 2020 Runs A Second Time In November With Regulated Crowd Control

The November edition of Baybeats 2020 will feature returning big acts such as Forests, Riot !n Magenta and Astreal (Credit: @izzansays [Forests], Dan’s Pixel-Graphy [Riot], LJCP Concert Photography [Astreal], Baybeats FB page [Background])

They said they were gonna do it, and it looks like it just might happen after all. The Baybeats team made history earlier in August when it launched the inaugural digital edition of the alternative music festival, a product of our COVID-afflicted time. But as revealed in our interview with the Baybeats team, this was only just a preview of what they had planned for the tail end of 2020. With stoic optimism and without letting the annual tradition of the festival slip away, they continued planning for its full edition in spite of the uncertainties; to aim for an event at The Esplanade from 6 to 8 November. Now, their chances of actually pulling it off seem more likely.

This comes after the government recently announced their Roadmap to Phase Three as the city gradually reawakens from its slumber. In this, it announced the resumption of live performances at designated venues with up to two zones of 50 audience members, as well as pre-event COVID-19 testing for higher-risk activities such as gigs. This is a minor victory when compared with the utter lack of live performances before, and it’s a step closer that the local live scene can appreciate.

On its official website, the Baybeats team states that it intends to welcome back small groups of live audiences for some performances – there will be more details on how it plans to filter the process – in line with the government’s regulations. This will coincide further with a beefed-up digital schedule, with live-streamed performances from The Esplanade’s Concert Hall, Esplanade Theatre and Esplanade Annexe Studio that will project audiences at home on screens around the stages.

Indie-rock favourites, M1LDL1FE are booked for the festival (Credit: Jasper Tan)

As well as hip-hop unit, Mediocre Haircut Crew (Credit: Kelvillain)

Taking this in their stride, the Baybeats team has left no stone unturned in doing what it does best – curating a lineup that wholly represents the eclecticism and breadth of the underground. This includes hip-hop hotshots ABANGSAPAU and Mediocre Haircut Crew, hardcore anarchists Remnants and Allegiance (both newcomers from this year’s Budding Bands list), shoegaze and dream-pop outfits like Astreal and Subsonic Eye, electronic experimentalists Riot !n Magenta and .gif, and even established veterans such as Hanging Up The Moon, Opposition Party and Cockpit. And just like previous iterations of Baybeats, the festival features showcases from regional bands – performing from their respective countries – like Bedchamber from Indonesia and Zild from The Philippines. You can see the full lineup here.

Other acts on the lineup include rapper, ABANGSAPAU (Credit: Artiste FB page)

Dream-pop outfit, Subsonic Eye (Credit: Christopher Sim)

And hardcore band, Allegiance (Credit: Basil Tan)

The spotlight is now on Baybeats as the first major music event that’s going to happen upon the lightening of COVID-19 restrictions. If they pull this off successfully, with everyone’s cooperation, the future of live gigs in Singapore will look much brighter.

Baybeats 2020, 6-8 November 2020, Esplanade - Theatres On The Bay, Singapore 038981. For more information on the schedule and how you can attend the festival in person, visit its official website.