This Upcoming Gig Series In A Restored World War II Bunker Is One For The History Books

Gig troopers, this is a real unique one called Bunker By Night (Credit: Wu Gang Ng [XUE], A. Syadiq [Rizman Putra], Natalie Soh [Anise], Battlebox [background])

You might’ve caught a gig in a secluded forest or a dingy warehouse in Singapore, but what about a World War II bunker? Without turning this into a history lesson, the city’s weathered identity as a former British stronghold is common knowledge, and you can stumble upon relics of this past at the Battlebox, an operational historic site located within the habitat of Fort Canning Hill. While normally preserved as an exhibit housing the headquarters of the Allied forces against the Japanese army in 1941, the Battlebox occasionally transforms into a modern-day entertainment venue. And it’s in this metamorphosis where we now find its latest musical offering, Bunker By Night.

Part of Singapore Night Festival and produced by the Global Cultural Alliance in collaboration with experimental music troupe SAtheCollective, Bunker By Night is an upcoming avant-garde performance series popping up every Saturday night from 24 August to 7 September. Far from your contemporary concert space, the Battlebox offers an off-kilter acoustic and visual experience that you’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. That’s affirmative.

The three-session series kicks off with the unconventionally fusion soundscapes of SAtheCollective, primarily known for blending electronic quirks with traditional Chinese instruments. And they’ll be joined by the equally unorthodox Rizman Putra whose wild showmanship has left a mark on the scene through the legacies of NADA and Tiramisu. Electronica savant, Intriguant, crafts his intricate instrumentals for session two, together with the vinyl master of Asian rare groove, Itch, for a late-night bunker party in the fortress and engine rooms of the space. And wrapping up this rare series is alt-tronica enchantress, Anise, who pairs her songspells with gripping butoh dancer, XUE.

(Credit: Courtesy of SAtheCollective)

(Credit: Rizman Putra [Itch], Matin Latif [Intriguant])

Bunker By Night, 24, 31 August & 7 September 2024, Battlebox, 2 Cox Terrace, Singapore 179622. Get your tickets here. Follow Battlebox on Instagram for more information.