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SINGAPORE : The Spice Girls did it, The Police did it, Led Zeppelin did it, and now erstwhile local indie heroes The Oddfellows are doing it, too: Getting back together, that is.
Yes, for one night only, The Oddfellows will be reuniting to perform a set at this year’s Baybeats in August.
“Basically, they just asked us, and I said, if you could fly Johnny (Ong, drummer, who’s based in Taiwan) down, then we’ll play. And they said, okay,” said The Oddfellows’ lead singer and guitarist Patrick Chng.
This concert also marks the band’s 20th anniversary. The line-up will feature the 1993 incarnation of the band — Patrick, Johnny, Kelvin Tan (guitar), Vincent Lee (bass) — but while Patrick said the band is ready to “rock out”, they’re a little apprehensive, too.
“We’re excited because it’s our first time playing Baybeats,” explained Patrick. “But it’ll be interesting. It’s usually the younger people who attend Baybeats, so we’re not sure how the reaction will be because we’re from another era!”
That era started in 1988, when Patrick, bassist Stephen Tan and drummer Casey Soo decided to form a band. Their brand of jangle-pop soon got them gathering a loyal fan base, back in a time when the public was still obsessed with big-haired stadium rock bands.
The Oddfellows released two D-I-Y cassettes — "Mild" (1988) and "Phoney Accent" (1990) — and became crowd favourites with their catchy tunes like "Song About Karen" (which would later mutate into "Song About Caroline" on the 1991 BigO compilation CD "New School Rock"), before being signed by major record label BMG. By this time, new bassist Vincent and guitarist Kelvin had joined the band.
In 1991, The Oddfellows released their major label debut, "Teenage Head", to critical acclaim. This was followed a year later by "Carnival". Songs like "I’m So Happy" and "Your Smiling Face" became radio staples and the band looked set for bigger things.
With new drummer Johnny (Casey left in 1993), The Oddfellows released their third cassette EP, "Seven Year Itch" in 1995. They also contributed to movie soundtracks for Eric Khoo’s "Mee Pok Man" and "12 Stories".
Then it all imploded. They were midway into recording their third album when their recording company, Pony Canyon, closed its doors. The band then went into a bit of a downward spiral.
“It was just tiring to start all over again, you know?” explained Patrick. “That took the wind out of us. And furthermore, each of us wanted to do our own thing musically. And then Johnny went to Taiwan in 2001.”
They did release a compilation album, "Bugs and Hisses" (2001), comprising rarities, live bootlegs and B-sides, but for all intents and purposes, The Oddfellows were no more.
But now, fans can catch the band in full flight again. The Oddfellows have only played once since Johnny’s departure — an outdoor gig at The Esplanade last year during Chinese New Year. “That was our first gig in about five years. This one is our first in a-year-and-a-half, so, it’s an improvement!” quipped Patrick, who now plays guitar for the band Typewriter.
The 40-year-old relishes the thought of performing with the band again. “I think it’s because of all the experiences we’ve been through together; and not just as a band. There’s a friendship that bonds us.”
However, don’t expect this to be a annual affair. Said Patrick: “I think it’s fun to play the occasional gig — like once a year or something — but a long-term thing is not for us. We are not The Police.”
The Oddfellows perform at Baybeats on Aug 30 at 9pm. Visit www.baybeats.com.sg for details. - TODAY/ra
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