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For all the hype surrounding the Dee-Boyd Pop Fest held last weekend at Suwan Farm in Pak Chong, fans heading up to the hills seemed confused as to why the event was being separated into two musical festivals, one hosted by Grammy affiliated songwriter Nitipong "Dee" Hornak and the other organised by fellow songwriter Cheewin "Boyd" Kosiyabong.

After attending the first day of the two-day festival at Suwan Farm in Pak Chong last Saturday, it quickly became clear that the separation was not only a waste of time but that also contributed to the event being less than successful.

There were two main reasons why the fest didn't go well. Dee, who hosted the first day's show, might reasonably have been excepted to bring along big name acts from Grammy, much as he did as to his tribute-to-Dee concert held a couple of years back at Impact Arena. Instead, he had lesser-known artists from Bakery plus Academy Fantasia alumni performing covers of hits by Asanee-Wasan, Micro and Mai Charoenpura as well as their own songs. And while the youngsters received plenty of applause, it was from a surprisingly small crowd.

That's not to say that some Grammy artists didn't turn up - it was just that Amp Saowaluck and Nat Myria were singing numbers penned by Boyd. Unfortunately, the calendar worked against Dee, with several Grammy A-listers performing already booked for other concerts and festivals taking place over the same weekend.

Looking through the set list of artists scheduled for Boyd's show the second day, it was immediately evident why audience numbers began to grow as Sunday morning wore on. Big names included Groove Riders, Moderndog, Palmy, Crescendo, Flure, 2 Days Ago Kids and Boyd-Nop.

The second reason why Dee's concert didn't do well was audience age. Followers of Grammy idols, whose massive hits were penned by Dee, are mostly aged 35 and over and not so eager as the youngsters to spend a chilly night in a tent. More comfortable accommodation around the concert location was already fully booked, according to the organiser, who also admitted that ticket sales for Boyd's concert were expected to do better than Dee's.

That said, as a venue Suwan Farm came out on top, with vast fields and the surrounding mountains making it ideal for a festival. For those who enjoy the wilderness, when compared with Bonanza Khao Yai, host to Thailand's first Honda Winter Fest the previous weekend, it offers more chances to commune with nature.