Settle in as David Cornish gets to know one of Vietnam’s top bands, The Props.
Mention live music in Vietnam and some might think it doesn’t exist unless it’s at a karaoke or in a club with a band from the Philippines playing cover songs all night. They’re wrong; just ask the talent-packed Props who are changing all that.
The Props are an original rock band featuring drums, bass, guitar, harmonica, vocals and a lot of personality. Comprised of members from all over the globe, their sound is influenced by many genres including punk, funk, blues, indie rock and alt-country.
The Hanoi-based, six man group invited me to join them before their CD-release party and performance where they dropped their recently completed EP album, Sonar Television. It’s a dose of what they hope will be a full-length album to be released later this year.
Comprised of Ian (drums, guitar, vocals), Drew (guitar, drums, vocals), Ed (bass, vocals), Brady (harmonica, vocals), Andrew (guitar, vocals) and Shaun (manager and “bringer of good vibes”) The Props have become one of the most well-known names on the music scene today.
The group, as Ian says, “Is an odd group with psychedelic tendencies and a deep southern swampy interior. Our songs are varied and different, indie yet cynical.”
It was 5:30pm when I arrived at one of Hanoi’s best venues for music, the Cinematheque Theatre. Some eager fans were already showing up and Hanoi’s incessant heat surrounded the outside of the Theatre as I approached to hang out with the band.
Preparations were already well underway as people worked to set-up the stage and theatre for the CD-release party. The new EP, Sonar Television, was blasting in the background.
I approached Ed and asked him what The Props are, and after some thought, he shared, “The Props. There are many connotations there.” Perhaps this is because The Props are many things, as such, defining them is hard to do.
You can’t really classify The Props into a specific genre, there are too many influences for that. As Drew puts it, they are an eclectic mix, “Most groups are formed around a unifying style, but we’ve got everything: country, rock, funk, ballads, pop and even reggae.”
The combined and varied personalities give them a certain charisma that no doubt benefits their creative freedom, each member putting in their own slice of energy, influence and direction musically, while keeping them tight-knit as a group. This is a group of guys that like to have a good time and don’t mind making fun of themselves. They are doing it for the love and for the fun. Every member of the band contributes to the writing process and provides vocals for the group. Their specialty? Live performance. This is what The Props live for and it is what they do best.
As Brady elaborated on the purpose of making an album he said,“We are a live band and that’s tough because a lot of people don’t get to learn our songs, so that’s why we released the CD, so the people can get to know us.”
The Props can surprise you with their ability to soothe or stir the crowd in different directions with a masterful stroke during a performance. Ian describes The Props, “As the sounds of 6 man-beasts carving their way through the streets of Hanoi and drinking beer as they do it.”
It is hard to put together such a good band in such a strange place, filled with members connected by all of those things. “We don’t take ourselves too seriously,” the band will happily tell you.
Andrew seemed to be very focused so I asked him how he was feeling about what would be his first time performing live with the Props. “I feel great. I feel lucky to join a group that has music they love to play.”
Being an internationally mixed group in a town that often has a revolving door of ex-pats, the band is not immune. They recently had to say goodbye to a member which, “Wasn’t easy,” but they were thrilled to find Andrew who, “Fit right in.”
The performance was another great success for The Props who are known to have songs that you can dance to. It doesn’t take them long to get the entire theatre moving, energy grooving and people jumping. Seeing them perform live is an experience and it’s where they thrive. It is music that you have to hear and see to understand. With this CD release, they are truly earning their Props as one of Vietnam’s premier bands.
Like Drew said, for The Props, “The best is yet to come.”
To follow The Props, listen and download their music for free check out the following sites:
● http://fossenbell.com/misc/props.html
● http://www.myspace.com/thepropshanoi
● http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Props/55534829981
