The lights went up a little later than scheduled, but in a space like this, time is secondary to the feeling. Beyond The Verse was never designed to fit the mold of a common show production, especially in the context of what’s generally seen in Saigon. The night was stripped back to its absolute essence: a gathering of familiar and new faces and a shared stage. Five bands, carrying five distinctly different styles, stood on equal ground with a single, unified purpose – to pour everything through their instruments, delivering a sound that was unfiltered, raw, and unapologetically their own.
FUKO TEARING OPEN THE SILENCE WITH AN EXPLOSION OF RHYTHM AND RIFF
They arrived as a mystery, a duo from Nha Trang largely unknown to the local circuit. Yet, from the moment they plugged in, Fuko proved they possessed a sound capable of satisfying even the most demanding ears in the underground scene. The reaction in the room was visceral. What started as curiosity toward a “stranger” quickly turned into a collective state of shock. As the set progressed, the audience seemed pinned to the floor, overwhelmed by the sheer density of their sound. The air grew heavy, filled with haunting, addictive melodies spiraling out of the vocalist’s performance. Contrasting this wailing atmosphere was the razor-sharp drumming performance. Listeners, many seeing them for the first time, were left processing the intensity, caught in a trance between the sharp guitar lines and the unpredictable rhythm. Beyond the sonic assault, there is a deep layer of respect for this duo. Facing severe floods back home in Nha Trang, they still made the journey to stand on this stage.
SHALLOW VESSELS MASTERING THE PSYCHEDELIC DRIFT WITH PRECISION
Switching gears from Fuko’s raw energy, Shallow Vessels brought a totally different vibe, filling the room with the deep, spacey sounds of post-rock. They kicked things off with their latest single, “Lost at Sea,” hitting the crowd with waves of calm noise. It was all about that reverb-soaked guitar and their signature funky bass line. The lights helped set the mood too dim and moody, with just enough flickering to make the room feel like it was breathing along with the music. The crowd wasn’t moving much this time, but they were definitely locked in. Everyone stood still, not because they were bored, but because they were soaking it all in. The set flowed perfectly, with no awkward silence between tracks. One song just melted into the next, keeping the trip going without interruption. They sound tighter and sharper, and aren’t afraid to experiment with new sounds to find that sweet spot. It’s a style that’s becoming instantly recognizable as them.
BEDLAM ROYALS A DENSE WALL OF POST-METAL NOISE THAT SWALLOWED THE ROOM
Right at the beginning, Bedlam Royals hit us with a sound that was raw to the bone. No filters, no holding back, just pure, heavy noise in its rawest form. Rocking a fresh lineup, it feels like they are truly back in the game. After a few recent gigs, the new material they’re pushing is clearly getting darker and heavier. The sound was thick. Sludgy guitars that felt like they were dragging the room down, backed by drums that thumped right against your chest. The vocals kept people on edge, shifting from quiet, soft moments straight into violent roars without warning. The energy on the floor was intense. Everyone was headbanging hard, trying to thrash around as much as the tiny venue would allow. If this set is a sign of things to come, seriously hyped for whatever project they drop next.
7/4 SURFER LOCKING THE WHOLE ROOM INTO A HYPNOTIC GROOVE
The bassist lowered his head, fingers flying across the fretboard, and immediately threw listeners into a maze of shape-shifting rhythms. It was a fluid, intricate web of bass lines that kept twisting and turning just when you thought you had the beat figured out. 7/4 Surfers squeezed every ounce of sound out of their instruments past their limits. Then came the whammy bar, bending and warping the notes into these quirky, alien sounds that dragged the whole vibe from a funky jam into something totally spacey. They built their momentum purely through the interplay. The drummer locked in tight, providing a solid backbone, while the bass took off, creating a weird, floating sensation. The energy they summoned with just two players was unreal. It lifted the room off the floor, leaving the crowd drifting in a strange, hypnotic loop where the bass acted as both the rhythm and the lead vocalist.
SKELETON GOODE SENDING US HOME ON A HIGH WITH A HYPNOTIC DOSE OF RAW PSYCHEDELIC ROCK
Closing duties fell to Skeleton Goode, the heavyweights of the local scene. Most of the room knows them by heart; no matter how familiar the setlist gets, you just can’t quit it. The addiction is real. From the first note, they summoned a hypnotic wall of noise where every element still found space to breathe. Instruments bled into a swirling fog of sound. The sax cutting through the mix and the organ floating above, all while the bass, guitar, and drums locked into a tight, driving rhythm. People might not know what the vocalist is actually singing about, but those weirdly funny lyrics fit the vibe perfectly. It doesn’t need to make sense; it just needs to feel good. True to form, Skeleton Goode didn’t drop the ball, delivering a continuous explosion of energy from start to finish.
By the time the last amp was turned off and the feedback finally died down, one thing was clear. This is what the scene is supposed to look like. Five bands shared this stage, not as openers and closers, but as equal parts of a greater whole. There was no main event because the entire night was the main event. Beyond The Verse succeeded because it stripped away the industry noise and focused on what actually matters: a community of friends, raw sounds, and the undeniable power of five unique styles colliding under one roof.
Words: Van Minh Phat Huy
