Legendary Music Magazine BigO Celebrates 40th Anniversary With A Stacked All-Star Gig
Were you there during the heyday of BigO? (Credit: Courtesy of Neon Pulse)
The truth is, Life In Arpeggio wouldn’t be here today if not for the path-paving initiative of these cultural forebearers. When you talk about the cornerstone of Singaporean music journalism, you can’t skip past the pages of BigO, the independent publication and platform that launched back in 1985. As a selfless champion of underground bands and alternative acts, the DIY magazine was instrumental in the proliferation of this left-field phenomenon shaking up an otherwise sterile city. An acronym for Before I Get Old, the magazine boasted an influential voice with its knack for storytelling and its role as a record label and gig organiser, before wrapping up a solid legacy with its last print issue in 2002 and its website presence in 2023.
It’s the kind of heritage one doesn’t just forget. And 40 years later, BigO is getting honoured once more.
Happening at The Blackbird Singapore is a gig comprising historical superstars who forged the local indie scene. A dozen seminal bands are coming together for this rare occasion, ringing in the big 4-0 of BigO by celebrating 40 years of counter culture through their songs that shaped a generation. These are pivotal figures who shaped the ’90s and noughties, including shoegaze legends Disko Biscuit and Astreal, punk and hardcore pioneers Opposition Party and Obstacle Upsurge, indie-rock tastemakers The Oddfellows and The Great Spy Experiment, surf slingers Force Vomit and even vintage rock & rollers The Pinholes. It’s a barrage of nostalgia that would make grown fans weep, and a mighty crash course for younger audiences who wish to discover the origins of our scene.
Attendees can expect a bounty of industry knowledge presented by Lion City Rock – co-founded by high-profile music journalists Kevin Mathews and Chris Toh – which is the official podcast of this BigO milestone gig. The entertainment is staggered across two evenings, and a two-day ticket comes with four collectible CDs and two back issues of BigO Magazine to add to your stash of local scene merch.
Four decades on, BigO is still giving back and doing its part for the scene. And that’s a standard we still hold ourselves to.
(Credit: Courtesy of Neon Pulse)
BigO: 40 Years of Counter Culture, 12-13 April 2025, The Blackbird Singapore, Gillman Barracks, 8 Lock Road, Singapore 108936, get your tickets here. This event is co-organised by Neon Pulse.
