It takes a rare kind of musician to dedicate their craft to the music of just one band – driven not by fame, fortune or the spotlight, but by deep admiration and enduring passion.
Welcome To The Machine, a Singapore tribute band honouring the legendary 1970s English rock group Pink Floyd, is a testament to that kind of devotion.
For the past 12 years, the band – consisting of current members Noel Ong, 53, David Baptista, 55, Lim Kiang, 75, Arindam Chatterjee, 51, Laurence Bucci, 51 and Andrew Yerkes 58 – has been performing Pink Floyd’s songs at shows ranging from pub gigs to live music concerts.
On Sept 12 and 13, they will be taking on their biggest, most ambitious project yet – a two-night production of Pink Floyd’s 1979 album The Wall at the Singtel Waterfront Theatre, which features a live orchestra and choir, as well as lasers, large projection wall, and actual (faux) brick walls.
The other interesting bit – it is fully self-funded. No management, no big sponsors, just six friends with day jobs from banking executives to sales managers pouring their heart, time, and savings into a show.
In fact, since the independent band debuted in 2013, its members have not pocketed a cent from their show’s profits. All the money that they have made along the way has gone back into the band either for its next show, for their practices, making merchandise and more.
Welcome To The Machine shared with CNA Lifestyle what has kept them going all these years.
