Everyone's Garden

Many people have fond memories of The Substation Garden. The Substation's "countdown" gigs of our early years have gone down in the annals of local music as legendary events, particularly memorable for many young musicians who got their start playing in the Garden. The first 24-Hour Round the Clock at The Sub Music Festival was held on 31 Dec 1990. In the early 1990s, when space in Singapore was at a premium, The Substation Garden became a haven for local bands, especially indie, rock and metal bands whose brand of "loud" music was not always appreciated by the mainstream back then. The story goes that The Substation's founder, Kuo Pao Kun, who believed in the importance of giving young people a place to express themselves (even though he did not listen to their type of music), helped to clean up the rubbish in the Garden the morning after the first countdown gig.

Aside from gigs, the Garden has also been home to a wide range of performances. Among the notable ones was Pao Kun's The Tree Celebration, presented in 1991. It was based on Jean Giono's story "The Man Who Planted Trees", a simple and touching tale of a man who planted trees all his life quietly and untiringly, never minding if some of his plants were destroyed by men or other elements before they could take root and grow. The Tree Celebration brought together plays, poetry, photography, mime and installation art. It featured artists like photographers Ho Khee Tong and Lim Seng Tiong, installation artists Koh Nguang How, S. Chandrasekaran and Tang Da Wu, and drama companies like Hi! Theatre. Pao Kun's play "The Silly Little Girl and the Funny Old Tree" was also presented. And finally, the Giono story was read in English, Mandarin, Malay, Tamil, French and Tagalog. The Tree Celebration was probably one of the earliest multi-disciplinary, multi-lingual thematic events in Singapore arts.

Other memorable "outdoor" plays staged include "The Mahabharata Part I: The Game of Dice", presented in 1995 by the inimitable William Teo and his company Asia-in-Theatre Research Centre. Among the theatre companies and performers who have used the Garden setting to dramatic effect are The Necessary Stage ("Blue Remembered Hills"), Priyalatha Arun ("Marudhy"), Khairuddin Hori/ Naga Naga ("Wailol"), and World-in-Theatre ("Ramayana, The Royal Hunt of the Sun").

Today, The Substation is still a heart of activity for local music, but many groups prefer to use the Guinness Theatre rather the Garden, for various reasons, including not having to worry about the possibility of rain. Nevertheless, many feel nostalgic for the good old days. Now the space is used by Timbre Bar and Bistro.

Timbre bar and Bistro

Situated at The Substation Garden with ample parking lots (free after 5pm), Timbre is directly opposite the Singapore Management University (SMU) city campus and within the rapidly developing arts belt and museum circuit. Timbre's rustic tranquility sweeps one back to more youthful days when things were less complicated and everything was forward. and its al fresco setting amidst the hustle and bustle of town allows one to gaze at the night sky in quiet contemplation - an isle of calm amidst a busy city. Dine alfresco, while you rest your eyes on refreshing henna and teak hued furnishings and foliage. Or quench your thirst at our slickly designed outdoor bar with an extend platform bar. Now imagine experiencing all this with the backdrop of Timbre's delicious a la carte menu of Singapore's home-grown talent of music and arts, as it brings together and holds host to the rising circuitry of local expression. Please go to www.timbre.com.sg for more information and booking enquiries (Weddings, Concerts, Corporate Functions, etc).