The 21st edition of Baybeats, Singapore’s largest and longest-running alternative music festival, was held last weekend at the Esplanade.

As usual, it was well-organised and ran like clockwork. It would have been perfect if not for a few shortcomings.

First, the last day of the festival was on Sunday, the same day as the Tour de France Singapore Criterium. Communication regarding road closures and carparks at the Esplanade could have been much better. The e-mail sent to festival registrants the day before was inaccurate, and even when I called customer service, I was given the wrong information and was still affected by the traffic diversion.

Second, security at the Singtel Waterfront Theatre was overbearing and ill-deployed. This was particularly evident during the performance by Japanese all-girl punk band Otoboke Beaver. A security officer stood right in front of the stage, blocking the crowd’s view throughout the entire performance. He was also in the way of the official photographers.

The crowd was whipped into a frenzy by the music, and a number of young people were bodysurfing. The security officer clambered on a railing several times in an attempt to stop that, and I was more afraid of being injured by him than by the crowd. Surprisingly, he turned a blind eye to moshing.

Last of all, the festival ran over only one weekend instead of the usual two. As a result, the scheduling was tight and festival-goers had to rush from venue to venue. This likely affected the bands’ bottom line as well, as there was hardly time for fans to purchase band merchandise, much of which had been freighted from abroad.

Despite all these issues, the festival was hugely enjoyable. With their exemplary curation of bands, it is obvious the organisers have their fingers on the pulse of the regional indie music scene, and bands such as the F16s (from India) and For Tracy Hyde (Japan) were a revelation for me. Music fans are certain to continue to immerse themselves in the oeuvre of the bands till Baybeats 2023.

Colin Lim