SAOSIN w/Defying Decay
The Street Ratchada, Bangkok, Thailand
May 21st 2025

The eyeliner was heavy, but the shoes were comfy, as the elder emos of Bangkok poured into the top floor of The Street Ratchada. If anybody said emo is dead though, they clearly haven’t been to a Saosin show. 

In an interview before the show with us (you can read it here), their singer Cove Reber doubted anybody much younger than us (for context, mid-late 30’s/early 40’s) would be reading the article/attending the show. He was proven wrong as Saosin is now a band where their fans span generations, especially in Southeast Asia where they have an absolute grip on the region. 

Bangkok was their first stop in their SEA tour, which included Singapore and five shows in Indonesia, which they are currently making their way through. Before they hit the stage though, opening proceedings were local hyper pop metal act Defying Decay.

Now, at NOISE ‘N’ VISUALS, we have reviewed Defying Decay a few times- but as we’ve said before, it’s hard to know what to expect when it comes to seeing this band live. The only thing you can expect is a ridiculously fun time.

As soon as the band hit the stage, though, it was clear they meant business. While they had a limited space on the stage due to combatting not just the headliner’s equipment, but their own elaborate set-up- there was no shortage of movement. From the start, they had the crowd’s attention. Hitting us with ‘System of Sinners’ early on, it wasn’t long till a lot of the audience was jumping with them. ‘21 Stiches’ had a circle pit going and as always, ‘Meaningless’ always goes off.

For the first time ever, the band performed their cover ‘APT’. Even though they seemed to be a little hesitant to go all out with this one- they definitely brought a smile to the room. Finishing off with ‘Judas Kiss’, the performance descended into the bands signature chaos. With bass player SAXL swinging his bass in the centre of the circle pit, tour manager Somprasong Makkhasakul, known mainly as Jino taking over vocals while frontman Jay popped open a bottle of champagne. It was Defying Decay at their best and their best puts on a hell of a show. 

Before long though, it was time for our emo kings: Saosin. The packed out room provided a chorus of voices that from the first song, which happened to be ‘Sleepers’, a chance to sing their lungs out- something that continued throughout the entire show. Powering through some real classics like ‘Voices’ and some newer songs like ‘I Can Tell There Was An Accident Here Earlier’– the Bangkok elder emos never relented in their enjoyment.

The band seemed to feed off the energy and delivered an absolutely stellar set. Singer Cove Reber was on fire, barely missing a note and really throwing us back. His love for Thailand obvious, singing his rendition of ‘Made In Thailand’ much to the crowds delight. Also, expressing his fondness for Chicken Pad Krapow- proving that it was not just a superficial love. They continued on and steady, giving us ‘Finding Home’, ‘Follow And Feel’ and a plethora of Saosin goodness.

As they exited the stage, an encore was more than assured. They had barely finished playing ‘Seven Years’ when they walked off and with the chorus of Thai voices ringing throughout the auditorium, it quickly turned to chants of one more song. More than happy to oblige, the lads from California returned to play two absolute fan favourites: ‘It’s Far Better To Learn’ and of course, ‘You’re Not Alone’. 

The energy in the room was life alternating. Through their final two emo classics, I felt myself shedding a few tears. Those years of teen angst following me almost 20 years later, surrounded by peers that surely if I had lived in the same city as these guys as a teenager- we would have been friends.

That’s what music is about though. It’s about bringing people together. In that room, there were people who had known each other for decades, people who had grown up in Bangkok, others who were visiting. There were people whose first interaction with each other was in the circle pit or holding each other crowd surfing. There were new found friends with their arms around each other singing along. Thai and foreigner alike. We were all there to celebrate not just music that shaped our formative years- but to celebrate a band that stayed together to give us the opportunity to share in their past, present and future.

Saosin told us in their interview that they had a special relationship with South East Asia and that was evident from the minute you walked into the venue, right until the final note. With a new album on the horizon and a wonderful night like this, there is no doubt that we will be seeing Saosin back in the region very soon.  

Saosin still have 3 more dates on their South East Asian tour, all in Indonesia. Head to the Hammersonic website for tickets and more details.