Slank concert in Bandung, nostalgia for Formation 14 drives creative economy

The HS Hey Slank Berani Kita Beda Tour’s 8th session at Prabuwangi Park Arcamanik, Bandung, on Sunday became a nostalgic event for Slank’s 14th formation, as well as a catalyst for the revival of the creative industry and grassroots economy. For the band fronted by Kaka, Bimbim, Ivanka, Ridho, and Abdee, the City of Flowers holds a very strong emotional bond in their music career journey in the country. “Back then at Sabuga in 1997, the current Slank formation first performed on stage in Bandung. I remember it very well, dyeing our hair with Ivan at the time,” recalled Slank guitarist Ridho during a press conference session a few hours before going on stage. “At that time, Ridho immediately got the task of learning 30 songs to perform in Bandung,” said Kaka. This nostalgia is not merely a celebratory event, but has been adopted by domestic cigarette manufacturer HS to drive the labour-intensive sector and local musicians. This 8th session concert deliberately brought the largest line-up compared to the previous seven cities, featuring nine music groups, by providing a special stage for three Bandung ‘local heroes’: DT09, Stand Here Alone (SHA), and Preman Disko. “We are a music group that was also born from the grassroots, born from the terraces of Persib Bandung, the Bobotoh,” said Reza. SHA founder and vocalist Mbenk, who has also been a Slankers since the PLUR album era in 2004, expressed pride in being able to share the stage with his idols. On the other hand, HS Commercial Director Tessa Arya Pradana revealed that the choice of Bandung as a crucial point for this tour was based on its very large macroeconomic potential. “This makes Bandung one of the sexiest markets,” said Tessa. In this concert, Slank also collaborated with Tony Q Rastafara, The Cloves and The Tobacco, The Sleting Down, Afterskema, and Mahalara.