What happened last weekend still feels surreal to me. Getting the chance to play keyboards for planetbumi was something I had never even dreamed of. This was all thanks to Peter from Anoa/Tarsius Records, who recommended me to them – I definitely owe you one, Pete!
The preparation was quite nerve-wrecking. I only started practicing a week before the gig, immediately after Mas Helmi sent over the setlist and chords. We only had one rehearsal the day before the show and I was still struggling on how I should play the keyboards part. I have to admit, I felt a bit under-qualified playing alongside musicians who have been performing these songs for three decades, but in the end, I think it turned out quite well.
We played at a gig called “The Centre of My Little World”, held at Psychocandy Records on April 11, 2026. It was organized by Cumi, multitalented musician/photographer friend whom I have known for 19 years. The event celebrated new releases from several indie bands, including planetbumi’s greatest hits album “Still Here After All These Years”. The album, celebrating the band’s 30 years in music, was released by Tarsius Records, a sub-label of Anoa Records.
Other bands performing that evening were H! (Cumi’s personal project), Annemarie (our beloved twee-pop band), The North Palm and The Fabulous Friends (both from Shiny Happy Records), and Sekuel (one of the signings of Tarsius Records). I will write more about these bands in the next blog post.
Planetbumi’s current lineup consists of Nyoman (vocals), Molly (bass), Helmi (guitar), Ekky (rhythm guitar), and Boy (drums). Our setlist included favorites like “Jumpa Lagi,” “Suci Pun Tertawa,” “For You,” and the hit single “Rindu,” where Arnes joined us on vocals. Just like Morrissey, he had flowers in his back pocket and tossed them around to the crowd. We closed our set with two covers by The Smiths: “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want” and “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out.” The energy was amazing – everyone was grabbing the mic to sing along.
Setlist:
- Jumpa Lagi
- Suci Pun Tertawa
- For You
- Rindu (featuring Arnes on vocals)
- Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want (The Smiths’ cover)
- There Is A. light That Never Goes Out (The Smiths’ cover)
Special thanks to:
Peter A. Walandouw (Tarsius Records)
Kakak-kakak Planetbumi (kk Molly, Bang Nyoman, Mas Helmi, Mas Ekky, Mas Boy)
Maarten Wesselius for helping me playing keyboards again
Cumi for organising the awesome gig
The totally awesome venue Psychocandy Records – Mas Nuki, Mas Bondi.
Photos by Muhammad Adimaja (Cumi)
Videos on YouTube by Maarten Wesselius
