Friends of late S'porean musician Melvin Ong to put on final concert in his honour

Friends of musician Melvin Ong are coming together almost a year after his passing to fulfil one of Ong's final wishes.

That is, to bring together Singapore's alternate music community for a show.

Titled "The Final Road" — as a nod to a show Ong organised after receiving his cancer diagnosis — the Oct. 19 gig will feature four Singaporean bands and one from Kuala Lumpur (KL):

• Caracal
• Eat Sh*t and Die (KL)
• B.C.
• Amateur Takes Control
• Alt BPM

Ong was the frontman of local doom metal band Hrvst (pronounced “harvest") when a stage accident in 2019 saw him paralysed from the chest down.

In 2022, he was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, and he subsequently died from the illness in October 2022 at the age of 32.

"He still wants a concert"

Hrvst bandmate Sanjay Mohan, who is one of the organisers of The Final Road, told Mothership that Ong had initially hoped to put on the show himself.

When his condition deteriorated, Ong passed the baton onto Mohan: "He told me, 'can you please just fulfil this?'".

"We just want to complete [in his name], just to show that even though he's passed, he still wants a concert.

He wants something — not to remember him — but more of everyone coming together and just enjoying a show."

The Final Road will be held on Oct. 19 at the Aliwal Arts Centre.

The show will also see merchandise from Ong's clothing brand Green Spell on sale.

Proceeds from ticket and apparel sales will go towards supporting a local charity helping people with disabilities.

Tickets for the show are S$40 and can be purchased here.

The Final Road

Location: Aliwal Arts Centre, 28 Aliwal Street Singapore

Date: Oct. 19, 2024

Time: 6:30pm

Top image by Andrew Koay and from Green Spell's Instagram page