By Rudolf Dethu
The Hydrant has made history. These four guys from Bali, the pioneers of rockabilly revival in Indonesia, have the honor to perform at the biggest rockabilly festival in the world, Viva Las Vegas, in the month of April 2016.
Tom Ingram, the originator of this most prestigious and longest running rockabilly event—it’s now the nineteenth year—personally sent an invitation letter. He warmly requested The Hydrant to perform, together with dozens of other rockabilly artists from around the globe.
Why historical? Till this nearly 20 years of the festival, never ever before an Indonesian band lucky enough to be on that prestigious concert stage in the rockabilly Mecca: Las Vegas. This is also a kind of little reminiscent where in the past a band from Timor, Eastern part of Indonesia, Tielman Brothers, gloriously amazed the Western world with their Indorock musical style.
The issue is, these young men are not really from a financially well-off background. Each member of the band still has their own day job to support themselves and their family. One is a beach life guard, the other a barber, the rest is an illustrator, a guitar teacher.
Yes, they need your help. Marshello, Adi, Vincent, and Christopper, need your support to show their amazing music skills and beautiful stage acts, to let the first-world people know that a band from a developing country is as awesome.
Let’s be part of history!