Stepping inside Suhaimi Subandie’s house, it became immediately evident what he loves. The living room walls were lined with large cabinets showcasing a diverse collection of toys. Among the items in the room were a couple of guitars plastered with stickers of Suhaimi's favourite bands. And lounging around were his friendly pet cats.
Suhaimi's collection of guitars includes a middle guitar that was gifted by his wife. (Art direction: Jasper Loh; photo: Kelvin Chia/CNA)
Suhaimi posing with a selection of his toy collection. (Art direction: Jasper Loh; photo: Kelvin Chia/CNA)
Suhaimi spending quality time with his cat at home. (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
A close-up portrait of one of Suhaimi's cats (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
The 60-year-old Suhaimi is a man of many hats. He's been a judge on the iconic talent show Asia Bagus back in the 1990s, co-founder of the May The 4th SG community for Star Wars fans here, and most recently, the owner of toy shop Pop Culture Punch Collectibles.
But perhaps he's most known for being a legend in Singapore's underground music scene as the guitarist of Stompin' Ground. Formed in 1987, the pioneering hardcore band was instrumental in shaping the underground punk scene here.
Suhaimi is the guitarist of Singapore’s pioneering hardcore band, Stompin' Ground. (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
Suhaimi was one of the judges on the Asian star-search programme Asia Bagus in the 1990s. (Screenshot: YouTube/vectorp)
Suhaimi is the co-founder of May The 4th SG, along with his two partners, Hansen Khoo and Jefferey Koh. (Photo Suhaimi Subandie)
THE START OF STOMPIN’ GROUND
“Music has always been instilled in me, naturally,” shared Suhaimi. The self-professed kampung boy recalled being exposed to all sorts of music at a young age, living with his mother and extended family. He had aunties and uncles who were professional musicians, with one even recording an album.
In the early 1980s, Suhaimi and his family were relocated to a flat in Tampines, where the new environment proved less favourable.
“The place where we lived wasn’t very good. I told my younger brother that I didn’t want him to fall into bad company. So, around 1984 or '85, I started a skateboarding group called Circus of Mutants for people around my brother’s age, which was about 14 to 16, to build a safe community for them.”
Suhaimi's brother skating up a ramp at Singapore's first skating ramp in Tampines, set up by Suhaimi himself. (Photo: Suhaimi Subandie)
During their skateboarding days, they would often get skate magazines that came with free cassette demos, which they would jam to. It was through these sessions that Suhaimi met the future members of Stompin’ Ground.
Suhaimi Subanie, seen on the left side of the photo, poses with the rest of the Stompin’ Ground band. (Photo: Facebook/Stompin' Ground)
DISCOVERING HARDCORE MUSIC
In the early days, the band experimented with various genres such as funk and metal, and performed cover songs. It wasn’t until they discovered hardcore music through the American youth crew hardcore band Bold that shifted their musical focus.
“One day, my bass player brought a record by a band called Bold. The vinyl had a gatefold with many pictures, and we saw their cool antics. But surprisingly, the lyrics were all positive, with no themes of sex, drugs, or rock and roll. They sang about animal rights, anti-drugs, and anti-alcohol. We found it unique at that time, so we decided to try playing hardcore ourselves.” Suhaimi said.
The band adapted to hardcore music quickly. And through the skateboarding community and their music, Suhaimi recalled the positive impact these had on his younger brother and himself. His brother also joined him in another band called 4-Sides.
“Kids started going back to school; runaways returned to their parents. These were typical social issues, but hardcore music helped a lot of us become better people,” he said.
Suhaimi with Henry Rollins, vocalist of Rollins Band (Photo: Suhaimi Subandie)
One of the most memorable shows for Stompin’ Ground was opening for the American hardcore group, Rollins Band. That gig, however, had a negative impact on the community.
“After the show, there was negative coverage from a newspaper, which led to slam dancing being banned here. It became harder to organise shows, so we went deeper underground, doing smaller, discreet events to keep the community going,” he explained.
“I consider a lot of bands very lucky now. People have started to accept underground music, but you have to remember what people from the scene had to go through to get to where we are now.”
Lyrics from Stompin' Ground's Measured By The Richter Scale album (Photo: Stompin' Ground)
FROM HARDCORE MUSIC TO TOYS
Suhaimi and the band continued to perform in the underground scene for decades until 2022, when their frontman and Suhaimi's cousin, Hafidz Samsudin, died at the age of 50 of a heart attack.
With more time on his hands, the punk rocker began to focus on his other passion, which many in the underground scene might not have known – toys.
Suhaimi's collection boasts over 3,000 toys, some of which are showcased in his newly opened shop at Golden Landmark. (Art direction: Jasper Loh; photo: Dillion Tan/CNA)
A glimpse of Suhaimi’s toy collection (Photo: Dillion Tan/CNA)
Suhaimi's toy collection includes toys from the sixties to the nineties. (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
A selection from Suhaimi's toy collection: Gremlins' Gizmo driving a pink Chevrolet Corvette (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
“How I started collecting toys was actually accidental,” Suhaimi shared. “I used to work at Metro Beach Road as a storeboy before National Service. Every few months, we had staff sales with rejected or damaged packaging toys, ranging from 50 cents to S$1. I wanted to buy something for my brother. Because of the prices, I could buy two. If he breaks it, we would have a replacement.”
A piece from Suhaimi's toy collection, featuring an item from the Ultraman TV series (Photo: Kelvin Chia/CNA)
One of Suhaimi's favourite categories to collect is horror-themed toys, like this Frankenstein figure. (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
Mohawk from Gremlins 2: The New Batch (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in Raiders Of The Lost Ark (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
Mattel Mork and Mindy Action Figures (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
Thunderbird 4 (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
At the time, he didn’t realise that keeping toys in their original packaging could be valuable.
“One day, my neighbour asked if I would like to trade my Storm Shadow toy (from GI Joe) for a bunch of unopened carded figures. My Storm Shadow was already opened and had been played with, but he said it was worth S$90. That’s when I started learning about the value of toys, and the ball started rolling,” he said.
Currently, he has more than 3,000 toys in his collection, including modern and vintage pieces from the sixties to the nineties. His collection features toys from movies, TV series, music, sports and more. One of his first and favourite collections is Star Wars. In fact, Suhamie's such a fan that he named his twin children Luke and Leia.
A selection from Suhaimi's collection of vintage Star Wars action figures (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
One of Suhaimi's first and favourite collections is Star Wars. (Photo: Kelvin Chia/CNA)
Mego Buck Rogers Starfighter (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
A Darth Vader Tie Fighter die-cast 21 back vehicle (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
“I watched the first Star Wars with my brother and sister at the old Odeon Theatre. After the movie, we walked to Metro Beach Road to look for toys, and my brother could only pick one. I remember it was either Darth Vader or C-3PO. Star Wars is connected to many of my childhood memories,” he recalled.
THE TOY SHOP
With his ever-growing collection, Suhaimi eventually went into selling toys. And early this year, he opened a toy shop called Pop Culture Punch Collectibles at the Golden Landmark Shopping Complex, where visitors can find some of his rarest items.
Suhaimi's toy shop at Golden Landmark Shopping Complex, Pop Culture Punch (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
A selection of Suhaimi's toy collection at his shop (Photo: Dillion Tan/CNA)
A 1986 vintage Bionic Six Dr Scarab figure (Photo: Dillion Tan/CNA)
Suhaimi sitting in front of his toy shop (Art direction: Jasper Loh; photo: Dillion Tan/CNA)
“My toy collection has given me love for the last 30 or 40 years. Now it’s time for me to give someone else that joy. It’s not always about the money. Sometimes I give toys to my regulars for free because they’ve been wanting that toy for years. It makes me happy to find them a new home” Suhaimi said.
However, there are certain toys he will never sell.
“This toy means a lot to me,” Suhaimi said, holding a British Corgi toy car. “If you ask me which is my most expensive toy, I would say this one. It’s the first toy I found in a puddle at Geylang Serai while accompanying my mum to the market. It’s very sentimental.”
Suhaimi's first toy, a British Corgi toy car, which he found in a puddle at Geylang Serai market when he was a kid. (Photo: Kelvin Chia/CNA)
He then pulled out a Darth Vader Kenner figure from 1983's Return Of The Jedi.
“This is the toy my wife bought for me. It was her way of showing that she approved of my hobby. Even if you offered me a lot of money, I would never sell this. It’s the most sentimental toy to me.”
Suhaimi’s most treasured toy, a Darth Vader Kenner figure from 1983's Return Of The Jedi, bought by his wife. (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
OBSESSION VS PASSION
For Suhaimi, toys, music and his cats are some of his greatest loves in life, though he views them differently.
“I see a lot of people say they are passionate about something, but I don’t think that’s the right word for me. Passion and obsession are different. Passion is something you can live without, and obsession is something you can’t live without. For me, I’m obsessed with hardcore music and my cats, and I’m passionate about toys. Some might call music a hobby, but it’s my therapy. It has helped me through good and bad times.”
When asked about his plans for the rest of his toys, Suhaimi said: “I told my wife that whatever is left, they can do whatever they want with. At this age, I just want people to be happy.”
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Suhaimi's collection of guitars includes a middle guitar that was gifted by his wife. (Art direction: Jasper Loh; photo: Kelvin Chia/CNA)
Suhaimi posing with a selection of his toy collection. (Art direction: Jasper Loh; photo: Kelvin Chia/CNA)
Suhaimi spending quality time with his cat at home. (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
A close-up portrait of one of Suhaimi's cats (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
The 60-year-old Suhaimi is a man of many hats. He's been a judge on the iconic talent show Asia Bagus back in the 1990s, co-founder of the May The 4th SG community for Star Wars fans here, and most recently, the owner of toy shop Pop Culture Punch Collectibles.
But perhaps he's most known for being a legend in Singapore's underground music scene as the guitarist of Stompin' Ground. Formed in 1987, the pioneering hardcore band was instrumental in shaping the underground punk scene here.
Suhaimi is the guitarist of Singapore’s pioneering hardcore band, Stompin' Ground. (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
Suhaimi was one of the judges on the Asian star-search programme Asia Bagus in the 1990s. (Screenshot: YouTube/vectorp)
Suhaimi is the co-founder of May The 4th SG, along with his two partners, Hansen Khoo and Jefferey Koh. (Photo Suhaimi Subandie)
THE START OF STOMPIN’ GROUND
“Music has always been instilled in me, naturally,” shared Suhaimi. The self-professed kampung boy recalled being exposed to all sorts of music at a young age, living with his mother and extended family. He had aunties and uncles who were professional musicians, with one even recording an album.
In the early 1980s, Suhaimi and his family were relocated to a flat in Tampines, where the new environment proved less favourable.
“The place where we lived wasn’t very good. I told my younger brother that I didn’t want him to fall into bad company. So, around 1984 or '85, I started a skateboarding group called Circus of Mutants for people around my brother’s age, which was about 14 to 16, to build a safe community for them.”
Suhaimi's brother skating up a ramp at Singapore's first skating ramp in Tampines, set up by Suhaimi himself. (Photo: Suhaimi Subandie)
During their skateboarding days, they would often get skate magazines that came with free cassette demos, which they would jam to. It was through these sessions that Suhaimi met the future members of Stompin’ Ground.
Suhaimi Subanie, seen on the left side of the photo, poses with the rest of the Stompin’ Ground band. (Photo: Facebook/Stompin' Ground)
DISCOVERING HARDCORE MUSIC
In the early days, the band experimented with various genres such as funk and metal, and performed cover songs. It wasn’t until they discovered hardcore music through the American youth crew hardcore band Bold that shifted their musical focus.
“One day, my bass player brought a record by a band called Bold. The vinyl had a gatefold with many pictures, and we saw their cool antics. But surprisingly, the lyrics were all positive, with no themes of sex, drugs, or rock and roll. They sang about animal rights, anti-drugs, and anti-alcohol. We found it unique at that time, so we decided to try playing hardcore ourselves.” Suhaimi said.
The band adapted to hardcore music quickly. And through the skateboarding community and their music, Suhaimi recalled the positive impact these had on his younger brother and himself. His brother also joined him in another band called 4-Sides.
“Kids started going back to school; runaways returned to their parents. These were typical social issues, but hardcore music helped a lot of us become better people,” he said.
Suhaimi with Henry Rollins, vocalist of Rollins Band (Photo: Suhaimi Subandie)
One of the most memorable shows for Stompin’ Ground was opening for the American hardcore group, Rollins Band. That gig, however, had a negative impact on the community.
“After the show, there was negative coverage from a newspaper, which led to slam dancing being banned here. It became harder to organise shows, so we went deeper underground, doing smaller, discreet events to keep the community going,” he explained.
“I consider a lot of bands very lucky now. People have started to accept underground music, but you have to remember what people from the scene had to go through to get to where we are now.”
Lyrics from Stompin' Ground's Measured By The Richter Scale album (Photo: Stompin' Ground)
FROM HARDCORE MUSIC TO TOYS
Suhaimi and the band continued to perform in the underground scene for decades until 2022, when their frontman and Suhaimi's cousin, Hafidz Samsudin, died at the age of 50 of a heart attack.
With more time on his hands, the punk rocker began to focus on his other passion, which many in the underground scene might not have known – toys.
Suhaimi's collection boasts over 3,000 toys, some of which are showcased in his newly opened shop at Golden Landmark. (Art direction: Jasper Loh; photo: Dillion Tan/CNA)
A glimpse of Suhaimi’s toy collection (Photo: Dillion Tan/CNA)
Suhaimi's toy collection includes toys from the sixties to the nineties. (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
A selection from Suhaimi's toy collection: Gremlins' Gizmo driving a pink Chevrolet Corvette (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
“How I started collecting toys was actually accidental,” Suhaimi shared. “I used to work at Metro Beach Road as a storeboy before National Service. Every few months, we had staff sales with rejected or damaged packaging toys, ranging from 50 cents to S$1. I wanted to buy something for my brother. Because of the prices, I could buy two. If he breaks it, we would have a replacement.”
A piece from Suhaimi's toy collection, featuring an item from the Ultraman TV series (Photo: Kelvin Chia/CNA)
One of Suhaimi's favourite categories to collect is horror-themed toys, like this Frankenstein figure. (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
Mohawk from Gremlins 2: The New Batch (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in Raiders Of The Lost Ark (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
Mattel Mork and Mindy Action Figures (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
Thunderbird 4 (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
At the time, he didn’t realise that keeping toys in their original packaging could be valuable.
“One day, my neighbour asked if I would like to trade my Storm Shadow toy (from GI Joe) for a bunch of unopened carded figures. My Storm Shadow was already opened and had been played with, but he said it was worth S$90. That’s when I started learning about the value of toys, and the ball started rolling,” he said.
Currently, he has more than 3,000 toys in his collection, including modern and vintage pieces from the sixties to the nineties. His collection features toys from movies, TV series, music, sports and more. One of his first and favourite collections is Star Wars. In fact, Suhamie's such a fan that he named his twin children Luke and Leia.
A selection from Suhaimi's collection of vintage Star Wars action figures (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
One of Suhaimi's first and favourite collections is Star Wars. (Photo: Kelvin Chia/CNA)
Mego Buck Rogers Starfighter (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
A Darth Vader Tie Fighter die-cast 21 back vehicle (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
“I watched the first Star Wars with my brother and sister at the old Odeon Theatre. After the movie, we walked to Metro Beach Road to look for toys, and my brother could only pick one. I remember it was either Darth Vader or C-3PO. Star Wars is connected to many of my childhood memories,” he recalled.
THE TOY SHOP
With his ever-growing collection, Suhaimi eventually went into selling toys. And early this year, he opened a toy shop called Pop Culture Punch Collectibles at the Golden Landmark Shopping Complex, where visitors can find some of his rarest items.
Suhaimi's toy shop at Golden Landmark Shopping Complex, Pop Culture Punch (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
A selection of Suhaimi's toy collection at his shop (Photo: Dillion Tan/CNA)
A 1986 vintage Bionic Six Dr Scarab figure (Photo: Dillion Tan/CNA)
Suhaimi sitting in front of his toy shop (Art direction: Jasper Loh; photo: Dillion Tan/CNA)
“My toy collection has given me love for the last 30 or 40 years. Now it’s time for me to give someone else that joy. It’s not always about the money. Sometimes I give toys to my regulars for free because they’ve been wanting that toy for years. It makes me happy to find them a new home” Suhaimi said.
However, there are certain toys he will never sell.
“This toy means a lot to me,” Suhaimi said, holding a British Corgi toy car. “If you ask me which is my most expensive toy, I would say this one. It’s the first toy I found in a puddle at Geylang Serai while accompanying my mum to the market. It’s very sentimental.”
Suhaimi's first toy, a British Corgi toy car, which he found in a puddle at Geylang Serai market when he was a kid. (Photo: Kelvin Chia/CNA)
He then pulled out a Darth Vader Kenner figure from 1983's Return Of The Jedi.
“This is the toy my wife bought for me. It was her way of showing that she approved of my hobby. Even if you offered me a lot of money, I would never sell this. It’s the most sentimental toy to me.”
Suhaimi’s most treasured toy, a Darth Vader Kenner figure from 1983's Return Of The Jedi, bought by his wife. (Photo: Joyee Koo/CNA)
OBSESSION VS PASSION
For Suhaimi, toys, music and his cats are some of his greatest loves in life, though he views them differently.
“I see a lot of people say they are passionate about something, but I don’t think that’s the right word for me. Passion and obsession are different. Passion is something you can live without, and obsession is something you can’t live without. For me, I’m obsessed with hardcore music and my cats, and I’m passionate about toys. Some might call music a hobby, but it’s my therapy. It has helped me through good and bad times.”
When asked about his plans for the rest of his toys, Suhaimi said: “I told my wife that whatever is left, they can do whatever they want with. At this age, I just want people to be happy.”
Continue reading...