Big Ass

Infobox musical artist
Name = Big Ass (บิ๊กแอส)


Img_capt =
Background = group_or_band
Birth_name =
Alias =
Born =
Died =
Origin = Bangkok, Thailand
Instrument =
Genre = Thai rock (earlier materials) Nu metal (on Seven albums) Metalcore(on Begins albums) Rock
Occupation =
Years_active = 1997-present
Label = Music Bugs(1997-2003)
GMM Grammy(2004-present)
Associated_acts = Bodyslam
URL =
Current_members = Ekarat Wongcharat Poonsak Jaturaboon Apichart Promraksa Pongpan Pollasit Kachorndej Promraksa

Big Ass is currently one of the most popular bands in Thailand. It was originally a pop rock band but the music moved toward hardcore punk in some of the band's recent works. Big Ass latest release is "Begins", their fifth album.

History

Big Ass released their first album "Not Bad" in 1997 with music label Music Bugs. Their second and third album, "XL" and "My World" followed in 2000 and 2003. Big Ass won numerous awards for their work but attracted a rather limited group of audience during their first three albums. It left the old music label, Music Bugs, to join Genie Records label of GMM Grammy. Their fourth album "Seven" (signifying seven years in the music scene) was very successful in terms of awards and popularity. The album was recognized by both major music awards in Thailand: Season Awards, and Fat Awards [ [http://www.nationmultimedia.com/search/page.arcview.php?clid=18&id=76119&usrsess= Kitchana Lersakvanitchakul, "Indy music recognised", The Nation, March 25, 2003] ] "(See Awards section below)". Popularity-wise, they were also voted the most popular artist by fellow artists in Fat Awards #3 and nominated for the most popular group in 4th Channel [V] Thailand Music Video Awards. Their latest full album was "Begins" with hit songs such as "Kha Noi Somkhuan Tai" and "Prom Li-Kit".

Besides their studio albums, Big Ass has a song in the special album "Wan Fa Mai" (วันฟ้าใหม่) celebrating New Year released around the end of 2005. The song "Rao" (เรา) in the album was performed by Big Ass together with Bodyslam.

In 2008, an original soundtrack for Thai movie "Pid Term Yai Hua Jai Wawun" (ปิดเทอมใหญ่ หัวใจว้าวุ่น, also known as "Hormones") featured Big Ass. The band also appeared in the movie as themselves playing the song "Kon Tai" (ก่อนตาย) in a pub. ["Pid Term Yai Hua Jai Wawun" ("Hormones") movie]

Members

The Thai names and nicknames are given in parentheses.
* Ekarat Wongcharat, alternatively Ekkarat Wongchalard (เอกรัตน์ วงศ์ฉลาด; Dax or Dag, แด็ก): lead vocals
* Poonsak Jaturaboon (พูนศักดิ์ จตุระบุล; Off, อ็อฟ): guitar, backing vocals
* Apichart Promraksa (อภิชาติ พรมรักษา; Moo, หมู): guitar, backing vocals
* Pongpan Pollasit (พงษ์พันธ์ พลสิทธิ์; Oak, โอ๊ก): bass guitar, backing vocals
* Kachorndej Promraksa (ขจรเดช พรมรักษา; Kob, กบ): percussion

Note: In early albums, the bass guitarist of the band was Ekarat Rattanapinta (เอกรัตน์ รัตนปิณฑะ; Ton, ต้น).

Discography

* "Not Bad" (1997)
* "XL" (2000)
* "My World" (2003)
* "Seven" (July 2004)
* "Begins" (November 2006)

Famous Songs

* "Thang Phan" (ทางผ่าน) – "Not Bad"
* "Kon Tai" (ก่อนตาย) – "XL"
* "Goodbye" – "My World"
* "Kakee" – "My World"
* "Mai Khoi Tem" (ไม่ค่อยเต็ม) – "My World"
* "Len Khong Soong" (เล่นของสูง) – "Seven"
* "Khon Mai Ao Than" (คนไม่เอาถ่าน) – "Seven"
* "Dee Ta Pak" (ดีแต่ปาก) – "Seven"
* "Raaw" (เรา) – special song for Big Body Concert (with Bodyslam)
* "Plook Jai Suea Pa" (ปลุกใจเสือป่า) – "Begins"
* "Kha Noi Somkhuan Tai" (ข้าน้อยสมควรตาย) – "Begins"
* "Phrom Likhit" (พรหมลิขิต) – "Begins"
* "Yang Noi" (อย่างน้อย) – "OST PID TERM YAI HUA JAI WA WUN"

Awards

* Best new artist for album "Not Bad", 10th Season Awards (สีสัน อะวอร์ดส์), 1998
* Best rock duo or band, best rock album for "My World", and best rock song "Che Wit Lang Khwam Tai" (ชีวิตหลังความตาย), 16th Season Awards, March 2004
* Duo or group artist of the year for "My World", Fat Awards #2, April 2004 [ [http://www.siamzone.com/music/news/index.php?id=1803 Fat Awards #2 results] (Thai only)]
* Best rock group and best rock album for "Seven", 17th Season Awards, March 2005
* Song of the year for "Len Khong Soong", and most popular artist voted by other artists, Fat Awards #3, April 2005 [ [http://www.siamzone.com/music/news/index.php?id=2348 Fat Awards #3 results] (Thai only)]
* Best rock group, best rock album for "Begins", and best rock song for "Begins", 19th Season Awards, March 2007 ["Season's Picks", Outlook, Bangkok Post, March 28, 2007 [http://72.14.235.104/search?q=cache:P7s3BzWsxtEJ:www.bangkokpost.net/Outlook/28Mar2007_out05.php+%22Big+Ass%22+%22Season+Awards%22&hl=th&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=th (Google cache)] ]

In the news

"Dax" Ekarat Wongcharat, the leading vocal of Big Ass, made the headlines when a 17 year old men's magazine model nicknamed "Fai" appeared with her baby "Justin" and claimed that Dax was the baby's father on February 2006. Allegedly they had sex when Fai was 16 years old, meaning that Dax would be a child sex offender if the accusation was true. Dax was subsequently arrested and released on bail on 27 February. While Dax gave his blood sample for DNA testing in March, Fai and Justin did not give theirs until early May. On 10 May 2006 police announced that the result was negative. A retest performed by Khunying Pornthip Rojanasunand drew the same conclusion. Even through he is not the child's father, the trial for the underage sex offense remained. The trial began on 13 February 2007 and the court decision was announced on 21 March 2007. He received two years of a suspended sentence and must produce two anti-drug songs as pledged by the singer in exchange for a light sentence. [ [http://www.manager.co.th/Crime/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9500000032684 Details of case presentation and court decision (Thai only)] ] [ [http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30029866 Popular rocker given suspended jail term for having sex with underage girl] ]

ee also

* Thai rock
* String (Thai pop)

References

* [http://www.eotoday.com/music/artists/th/bigass/ eotoday.com Big Ass profile]
* News of [http://www.manager.co.th/Entertainment/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9490000023632 Fai's story coming to light] , [http://www.manager.co.th/Entertainment/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9490000027489 Dax's arrest] , [http://www.rssthai.com/reader.php?t=entertain&r=5262 DNA test result] (Thai only), [http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/05/20/national/national_30004480.php DNA retest result]