Naive Realism

With its distinctive sound, rip-roaring stage antics and as one of the few Indonesian bands who has had a tribute album, Naif is anything but naive. Monique Natalia catches up with the fun foursome.

Naif is known as much for their legendary stage performances as for their retro nostalgic sound. On stage front man David is willing to do almost anything to get fans in the mood. He does the twist, moon-walks, clambers onto stage railings and even attempts the splits, often unsuccessfully.

“My pants have been known to give up on me on stage,” chuckles the 33-year-old from his hospital bed after an exhausting tour of West Java.

“Once I even had the crew masking-tape my pants together. Unfortunately they put a bit too much muscle into it and it cut off all the circulation in my legs.”

Torn pants and the risk of being electrocuted while climbing on stage railings are the least of David’s concerns. What matters most is not disappointing his audience. He was driven to a Cirebon gig with an IV dangling from his arm. For the show he sucked it up, took out the IV and went on stage as his usual merry self ready to start a riot.

Although the band’s website includes a gasp-inducing photo of drummer Pepeng in boxer shorts, striped tube socks and sneakers, the band is known as one of the best dressed around. In their early days – they got together as students studying graphic design at the Jakarta Arts Institute, writing songs while working on  assignments at a friend’s house – they favored a ‘70s getup of flared pants, tight shirts with big collars and high-heeled shoes.

Today the inspiration is the‘60s mod look of tight straight pants, skinny ties and preppy suits.

Surprisingly, the legendary stage performances do not demand a lot of rehearsal time. We met during their first practice session in three months.

“These days we rehearse on stage,” says Pepeng. “When we are on stage it’s like we are practicing for our next stage performance.”

The rest of the gang nods in agreement. “We just don’t have time to practice now, our tour schedule is so crazy,” adds Emil, the band’s bassist. “We go on stage so often that sometimes it feels like we are experiencing a constant deja vu, when the stage looks the same and every face in the audience looks alike.”

Could this be why the band is now said to have mellowed on stage?

David, who is known for his zany sunglasses and his high-heeled retro boots (“I have my shoes custom made. I have a pair that reaches 7 centimeters high!”) claims that nothing has changed. “I am still giving the best performance I can.”

However, Pepeng admits, “I think these people are probably right in saying that we have mellowed. I was looking through old pictures the other day and I found so many pictures that made me think, ‘Dammit we were f****** cool in those days!’”

He adds with a hearty laugh, “I think our age has finally caught up with us.”

The comment gets disapproving looks from his bandmates, and Pepeng corrects himself by saying, “Or maybe it’s more of a weight factor!”

Guitarist Jarwo offers another explanation. “The music we are playing now is much more complex so that we have to concentrate more when we are performing.”

This is certainly true of the band’s latest album, Televisi. The music composition and lyrics have matured considerably on their fifth album, and there has been a definite progression from past hits like Piknik ’72  (the tale of a date in Jakarta in the early ‘70s), Mobil Balap (about a guy racing his car and getting into trouble with the police) and Rumah Yang Yahud (telling of a house built for two).

The new album’s greater reflection and contemplation are clear in Di Mana Aku Di Sini, which talks about the feeling of isolation, and Lagu Wanita, an homage to women. But their award-winning combination of simple meaningful lyrics, a retro nostalgic sound and contemporary music arrangement is still there. There are also upbeat songs, like their hit title track, which pokes fun at how Indonesian TV is now dominated by celebrity gossip shows.

Another standout track is Nyali, replete with a string section that perfectly sets off David’s melancholic crooning, about mustering up the courage to propose.

“We are more laid back now, trying not to overdo anything,” explains Emil while picking his bass.

“We are doing what we always did in our previous albums. We are just playing music the way we want it to be, never really caring about what the market wants.”

It is exactly what keeps their fans coming back for more.

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