Alex Blake Charlie Review: A Festival That The Scene Will Remember For Years To Come

Now, this was something new (Credit: Alvin Ho)

Prior to heading into The Alex Blake Charlie Sessions, I presumed it was gonna be a whopper.

On paper and promise, it garnered copious amounts of hype with its reputable ex-Laneway crew (check out my interview with 24OWLS’ Marcia Tan), its formidable female-centric lineup of international acts, and its enormous location choice of Pasir Panjang Power Station. The ABC Sessions marked the first full-fledged music festival at this historical venue – built in the 1950s and decommissioned in the ’80s – an unprecedented endeavour that had me intrigued. Upon walking through the mouth of the brick-red building, an inconspicuous entrance of PVC curtains, my excitement was not unfounded.

I was not ready for the scale of this event

Instantly, the Herculean building dwarfed me, as I segued into an enclosed world fuelled by the heartbeat of music. The echo of kick drums incited an eager restlessness within its industrial four walls, charming in all of its urban deterioration, from the flaking paints to the rusting steel. It’s this bleak, harsh disposition that, to me, gave this location immense character, and when set as a contrasting backdrop against the vibrant accoutrements of a festival, it constructed a novelly mish-mashed environment that sucked you in.

The immensity of the power station became a blank canvas for all sorts of installations and pop-up areas (Credit: 24OWLS)

Simply because of the sheer size of this habitat, it became difficult to run out of things to explore, kudos to the vast programming of the 24OWLS team and its vendors. Every corner presented lively clusters of crannies and cubbyholes, from sophisticated gin lounges and hole-in-the-wall whisky bars, to pop-up beauty salons and walk-in booths on feminine care. A marketplace for merch buzzed adjacent to a workshop where one could manufacture their own Frietag tarp pouch, and all this was right next to the festival’s Artists-in-Residence alcove that flaunted large murals from regional female visual artists: Aeropalmics, Diela Maharanie, Manje and OHFUTON.

Murals from the Artists-in-Residence (Credit: 24OWLS)

The Hendrick’s Gin lounge (Credit: 24OWLS)

Hair and makeup stations to get festival-ready (Credit: 24OWLS)

The booth by Two Lips on luxury intimate care (Credit: 24OWLS)

To say that the selection within felt overwhelming would be an understatement, but the staggering exploration was never suffocating, in more ways than one. Despite being a massive factory-like venue akin to a barren warehouse, the venue was, to much surprise, breezy and well-ventilated. The level of dreary lethargy in the air was non-existent.

There were plenty of cosy spots to chill out (Credit: 24OWLS)

Non-clammy setting aside, another victory came from the event’s sound desks. One would expect a sheltered, cavernous, wide-spanning venue like the power station to be an echo trap, muddying the live mixes of its performers. Yet, this was hardly the case. From the audience’s position facing any of the three stages, the acoustics were balanced impeccably, such that the crusty post-punk of Goat Girl sounded as crystal clear as Stella Donnelly’s intimate, sun-kissed balladry.

Another ace up its sleeve was the event’s spaced-out schedule, one which meant no missed sets and the need for premature scrambles between stages. 24OWLS had arranged their lineup to ensure there was zero overlap, allowing every artiste to have equal pull and for punters to discover all that the lineup had to offer. Discovery, after all, has always been one of the priorities of 24OWLS.

If you trace back to the past lineups of the Laneway Festival in Singapore, 24OWLS’ former baby, you would’ve found those bills to grow more esoteric and less ‘crowd-pleasy’ each year. Heading to Laneway had evolved into an educational, almost enlightening experience. In the same vein, the ABC Sessions exhibited a similar M.O. by hosting an ensemble of niche acts whom, although might not be as renowned as industry A-listers, still command admiration and wide-eyed wonder amongst both indie zealots and new viewers.

Vandetta with a full backing band (Credit: Alvin Ho)

In the aforementioned interview, Marcia shared her exact thoughts about this. “The Alex Blake Charlie Sessions revels in the process of discovery. We would like each and every audience member to savour the transformative experience of witnessing something new and groundbreaking. We wanted to avoid the tried-and-tested formula: ‘This band is extremely popular; we brought it in and attendance was great. So, let’s bring it back again. And again. And again’.” And judging from the relatively recondite nature of its lineup, tried-and-tested was definitely not on the table here.

Visibly captivated, the crowd was continually engrossed in left-field female acts, including the svelte performance of Cate Le Bon. Buffed with a mini brass section and her solemn yet charismatic presence, she had the afternoon crowd in a wistful lull with bittersweet numbers, like the xylophone-adorned “Home To You”.

In contrast, shattering the hypnotising vapour of her performance straight after was the dynamite delivery of power-poppers, Charly Bliss. Fronted by the effervescent Eva Hendricks and her peppy vocal style, the Brooklyn band injected a new dose of energy into the power station, with sidewinding anthems like “Hard To Believe” and “Black Hole”.

As advocates of local artistes, 24OWLS made sure the lineup was speckled with homegrown talent as well, from the bass-inclined A/K/A Sounds to the indie-centric Ginette Chittick, who dished out a throwback journey through those good ol’ BEAT! nights at Home Club. Both of these trendsetters played at the ABC Sessions’ third stage, the Club B area which lured beat-craving spectators to the middle of the hall. Earlier in the day, scene frontrunner, Vandetta, also shone on the main stage with a full backing band.

The power station becomes something different at night

Ample dining spaces for the bevy of nosh available (Credit: 24OWLS)

When evening hit, as the sunlight faded from the building’s outstretched glass windows, the power station exuded a different temperament. As all the kaleidoscopic visuals and lighting started to bounce around this gargantuan arena, shrouding the endless space in entrancing chiaroscuro, it became even more apparent that this was a venue naturally groomed for large-scale music events. The potential here is staggering.

I think it’s safe to say that the acts who performed here felt it too, that they were part of something special. Finnish breakout star, Alma, was particularly stoked on stage, happy to make her debut show in Asia in a spectacle like this; the crowd falling in love with her heartfelt performance. Anna Of The North and LÉON also delivered enthusiastic, spirited sets, the latter cementing a beautiful festival moment with her cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams”.

Arguably the most popular pick on people’s must-catch list, however, was the return of Kero Kero Bonito. Unlike their past visit back in 2016, this was a fleshed-out, beefed-up KKB with a full band on stage, turning their DIY, MIDI-made, cartoontronic elements into mega, stadium-worthy sounds. This isn’t to say that they compromised on their quirkiness that had won them adoration on this side of the world, as they preserved their penchant for weird props and on-stage banter, complete with Sarah Bonito’s bilingual Japanese rapping (and sudden deathcore screams).

And finally, no music festival would be complete without a big name to close the night, and the ABC Sessions picked two seminal figures who shaped the indie and dance-punk scene of the noughties, Nancy Whang and Rayna Russom as the Ladies Of LCD Soundsystem. While their DJ set left those expecting a LCD Soundsystem greatest hits marathon disappointed, it was still a resolute showing that exhibited their refreshing repertoire of four-on-the-floor selections, a quality extremely familiar to any LCD fan.

Ladies Of LCD Soundsystem (Credit: Dawn Chua)

Leaving the venue was as surreal as entering it; the seamless transition from a timeworn music factory to a sequestered side road seemingly detached from civilisation. I’m mighty certain that everyone took one last look at this colossal space before leaving, for simply the thought of a music festival in this space seemed unbelievable. Even now, I’m still reeling in the reality of it.

But when you think about the creators behind this once-inconceivable idea, and their norm-busting milestones over the years, the fruition of all this does add up. The ABC Sessions is the culmination of what boundless expertise, a loyal team, and unwavering vision can achieve, and even on its inaugural rendition, it’s become something that the scene will remember for years to come. 24OWLS should be proud.

For more images and information on The Alex Blake Charlie Sessions, visit 24OWLS Facebook page.