The Green concert series made a welcome return to the Bangkok stage on Saturday after a three year hiatus with a truly fabulous show at Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani.

Proving the popularity of these productions and of the headline act, former rock star Mai Charoenpura, tickets sold out within days, leaving many disappointed.

The female rocker, who is still sexy if a little plumper, had the adrenaline flowing from the opening bars with a power-packing medley of hits "Khwak Huajai", "Jing Jai Wai Korn" and "Ruang Man Jam Pen", before segueing into an emotional mix of "Sia Jai Dai Yin Mai", "Ther Roo Rue Plao" and "Loke Haeng Khwam Fun".

Mai appeared in a series of different costumes, going from a sexy spy with four swinging followers in the first medley, to full of Eastern promise with an Indian outfit in "Montra Prathana Arom".

She crossed to hip-hop in "Tam Jai Pak" with Joey Boy rapping on the soundtrack and with scenes of graffiti on the monitor.

And while the costumes took the audience back to the rock star's glory days, Mai kept them in the present with frequent doses of look thung (country folk) style chat.

Disco funk band Groove Rider's Burin Boonvisut drew screams as he emerged to duet with her on "Mai Mee Panha" while Moderndog's frontman Tanachai "Pod" Uchin did the honours on "Sud Rit Sud Dej".

DJ Om Sunisa joined Mai for "Yang Ngai Mai Roo Si" and Om had the audience laughing as she teased Mai about associating in public with a well-known tomboy.

Mai's legions of fans roared their approval as she expertly wound her way through her best loved numbers from all her albums, finishing the three-hour concert with an encore that saw her being soaked to the skin in a spectacular downpour.

So are the Green concerts getting a new lease on life?

Grammy's Green Wave aren't confirming but perhaps the brief appearances by Byrd & Heart, Pan Paibulkierti, and Viyada Komarakul Na Nakorn on Saturday hint at a revival of the series.

Kitchana Lersakvanitchakul

The Nation