THAILAND: THAILAND HAS ITS OWN BEATLES TRIBUTE BAND "THE BETTER"

Record ID: 389660

  • Title: THAILAND: THAILAND HAS ITS OWN BEATLES TRIBUTE BAND "THE BETTER"
  • Date: 4th July 2000
  • Summary: SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Thai) BEATLE FAN SAYING: "The difference of "The Better" (from The Beatles) is their height, and they sing very well as a Thai band. Their music skill is very professional."
  • Embargoed: 19th July 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: CHIANG MAI, THAILAND
  • Country: Thailand
  • Reuters ID: LVAD49UC4V6RK166HNC0JR1K6LHF
  • Story Text: In Thailand, the Beatles represented a major British cultural influence and made its impact on modern Thai history back in the 60s. Today, a group of local veteran musicians who call themselves "The Better," are making sure that the Fab Four's music is kept alive and well in Thailand.
    They don't quite look like John, Paul, Ringo and George but they do sound a bit like the Beatles.
    They only started playing late last year, but "The Better" - Thailand's version of the Beatles - is packing out this club in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
    Made up of four veteran musicians, whose age ranges from 44 to 52, "The Better" is fast becoming a favourite among the nightspots in Chiang Mai.
    The band members include an engineer, two professional musicians, and a shipping company owner.
    And the thing that's brought them together is their love for the British band.
    Fans who watch their shows don't seem to mind that the band playing is not exactly the original.
    As one fan said, "The difference of 'The Better' (from The Beatles) is their height and they sing very well as a Thai band. Their music skill is very professional."
    Forty-four-year-old Aisoon Thivavarnvong, who formed the band last November, explained why they imitate the Beatles.
    "I think 'The Better' - its meaning is good and rather close to the word Beatles. I don't think (we're better than the original Beatles), we just imitate them. Our idea is to make it in conservative way, because we think that the Beatles' songs is a kind of history."
    Although the band does not perform regularly at any particular club, they organise a few shows a year along with exhibitions of The Beatles around Thailand.
    "I think the Beatles is a history of transition from the old to the new style of current pop songs. Before The Beatles, I don't think you could hear pop music like we are hearing nowadays,"said Aisoon Thivavarnvong.
    High up on the agenda for the band is to copy all Beatles characters, costumes and series of music developments during the Beatles years.
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