Gig Review: One More For The Road Day 1

Wake Me Up Music or WMUM for short, one of Singapore's biggest indie record labels announced earlier that they will be closing the label for good after more than a decade in service. So to commemorate the closing of the unfortunate chapter on a high, WMUM held the 'One More For The Road' show at Homeclub last weekend with a host of current and former WMUM artists including Plainsunset, Surreal, Kate of Kale and more as a sort of farewell and tribute to the influential record label and local music staple.

Day 1 featured a host of current WMUM artists namely The Marilyns, Winter Halter, Kate of Kale, Caracal and lastly A Vacant Affair. Here's a lowdown on the performances for the day.

The Marilyns

First act for the night The Marilyns played a delightful set to open the show with a slew of indie pop inspired numbers. For a person like me who love indie music and have never watched The Marilyns before, my first impression was that they kind of sound like The Get Up Kids, which is a compliment of course. Frontman Aza was struggling, down with a flu and had a box of tissue beside his pedal board, but it wasn't a bad set at all. Enjoyed myself here but the crowd was somewhat disappointing though. Well, this show did coincide with Zoukout at Siloso and Kpop megastars Girl's Generation at Indoor Stadium.

Winter Halter

By this time, there were more people in the venue so that added to the growing hype of the show. I remember sharing the stage with a particular Vargus Pike Band at Scape last year and I can't help to wonder, is this the same band? With all the props and theatrics and Nick Chim's pink hot shorts, it was definitely a sight to behold. Music wise, there isn't much to say. It's one big experimental Rojak, they sound punk in one song, pop in the other, and out of nowhere a Led Zeppelin style guitar solo was added in! Anyways I think the main focus would be on the visuals and antics of the band in the show. I will say this though, they sure know how to entertain!

Kate of Kale

Local punk rock veterans Kate of Kale played a tight set, showcasing why they are one of Singapore premier punk rock acts. Being in a punk rock band myself, I was screaming with joy on the inside when they played MxPx's Punk Rock Show to open the set, snippets of Ramones' KKK Took My Baby Away and also a Descendants classic but seems like most in the crowd are not familiar with the materials that they played. I wasn't familiar with their original stuff as it was my first time watching them live, but I enjoyed them nonetheless. And yes, at times they were sloppy, but they are experienced enough to cover them up. Definitely one of my favorite sets of the night.

Caracal

Talented local act Caracal were up next, and it sure does seem like majority of the crowd were there for them, signalling their influence and popularity despite their young age and the more older bands playing with them on the day. I have followed their progress in recent years and they sure as hell have come a long way since Chris was still their vocalist. It seemed almost impossible to see them play stuff like Best Defence Is Nonsense or Last Night now, but their new stuffs are way more polished and accomplished. Musically, it's more mature and they wouldn't look out of place if they were to share the stage with international alternative rock bands such as Thrice or Thursday. They played new materials which sounded impressive and a couple of songs off their album 'Bear.Shark.Wolf' such as Charlatan, where they engage the services of fellow members from various local bands for additional vocals, acoustic guitar and horns, and they finally closed the set with the crowd favorite 'Cheers to Love', much to the delight of the fans in attendance.

A Vacant Affair

I remember watching A Vacant Affair way back in 05 or 06 at Baybeats when I was still a secondary school student and they were one of the first bands that caught my attention in the local scene. Being totally oblivious to the local scene at the time, AVA made me realised that hey, local and regional bands are not bad at all. There was a time when AVA had 3 guitarists, and then it was just Rudi and Josh, and yesterday, it was just Rudi on the guitar with Josh, who also happens to be the frontman for The Fire Fight, temporarily on hiatus from the band. They were impressive as usual, Matt with his usual high-octane performance, engaging the crowd with the rest of the band holding steady with their respective roles. Mirrors and We Are Not The Same were played among others from their album 'Reasons to Leave'. Great way to close the show, they hardly put a foot wrong so I was pretty happy with the set, although I was hoping for them to play Connecting the Dots, which happens to be my favorite song of that album.

One More For The Road may seem like a farewell show, but to me, it's more of a celebration, the coming together of various bands and individuals who are responsible for shaping up the current local scene for one final weekend. I wasn't able to attend Day 2 due to personal commitments, Sunday was when the more veteran local acts such as Surreal, Plainsunset, Fishtank, Vertical Rush played but from what I hear, it was pretty epic with a much better crowd attendance and also more well-received than Saturday, which was expected considering the status of the bands who were playing on that day.

With that being said, thank you Wake Me Up Music for a decade of service, The local scene was alive and kicking when you ruled. We will miss you.

(All photos are property of photographer Donald Soh Poh Soo)

LiveoMusic's Featured Writer!

Apologies for the lack of articles here! Just thought I should inform you that I am currently a featured writer for Liveo Music on www.liveomusic.com. I will be writing weekly articles on local and regional music, album and gig reviews and such on that site. Check it out, have a read, God bless. :)

Crossing Rivers EP Review

Local rock musician Iman or Nuriman Md Nor can be considered a nomad in the local music scene, plying his trade in various bands such as fronting the band Frostymug which is currently on hiatus, playing the keyboards for popular Malay band Rancour who were the winners in Mediacorp Suria's Anugerah Band 08 competition and formerly sessioning as the drummer for punk rock outfit Random Arrival, among others. A veteran in the local scene with years of experience and being a talented multi-instrumentalist due to being proficient in every department available for a rock band from vocals to guitars to bass to drums to keyboards, it's only a matter of time before Iman decide to release a solo effort.

And so, Iman formed his solo pop-punk project Iman's League and released his debut EP in July called 'Crossing Rivers'. I was introduced to this EP when my band performed together with Iman's League at a previous show where Iman was launching the EP, which he sold for a mere S$3 each to the show attendees as an introductory offer. We were treated to the songs off the EP at the show and I was happy with what I'm hearing and told myself to listen to the EP as soon I get home. 

After a couple of listens, I got myself going back to the tracks from time to time. What I love about the EP is that this is a classic, straight up pop-punk effort. No complicated riffs, no experimentation, no screamings, just pure fun pop-punk. There is a strong American pop-punk influence when you listen to the sound, think No Use For A Name etc. Simple hooks and melodies are preferred and the lyrics take the spotlight instead of the instruments that are played. The songs are catchy and easy to relate to, dealing with everyday issues such as friendship and relationship among others. Before you dismiss this EP as an emo-fest, the songs are actually uplifting and positive in nature.

Standout tracks definitely would be the title track 'Crossing Rivers', a simple, catchy song with simple riffs to go along which would have you singing along to it without you knowing it. 'A Moment At A Time' is another great song where we are treated by some delightful piano playing at the start by Iman before it goes to the trademark pop-punk sound that is showcased throughout the album.

Album art and finish is impressive and also, the mixing and recording are decent enough to compete with releases by fellow pop-punk bands locally or even on the regional level. Fans of pop-punk should definitely get their hands on this EP. It's not about supporting the local scene, that's all good but for me, it is always about supporting GOOD local products and this here, is a good local release by a good local band. Easily one of the best items I have bought at only S$3.

Band: Iman's League
Album / EP: Crossing Rivers
Tracks: 6
Standout Songs: Crossing Rivers, A Moment At A Time
Sounds Like: No Use For A Name, MxPx, NOFX, The Ataris etc

Like Iman's League page on Facebook. Iman's League Facebook

Information on how to get Crossing Rivers EP is available at this link: Iman's League Crossing Rivers EP

Live at Chocolate Bar's Halloween Party Gig!

(Photo taken by James Toh (Supertzar's Lead Guitarist)

The Misfit Ramones were invited by the organisers of Soft.com.sg & SOFT's Band Collective Singapore (SCBS) Halloween Party Gig held at Tanglin Community Centre's Chocolate Bar last night and we had a blast. It was an intimate event with fellow bands and guests in attendance, enjoying the atmosphere and ambiance of the bar and the music being played. It was a small venue, so in terms of the sound, every instrument played manage to cut through, so it was pleasant for us to play and for the audience to hear as well. Granted, our kind of music may be out of place in such a intimate setting but judging from the reception during and after our set, I guess it went pretty well so I'm happy with how it turned out.

A couple of prominent individuals in our local scene were in attendance such as James Woo, owner of local music forum www.soft.com.sg, Donald Poh, popular photographer in the scene who have shot for numerous local gigs and also Ron of Blueprintstudios.org, famous for recording local gigs and posting them on his gigvideos page on Youtube. We planned a setlist that would be relevant to the Halloween theme so we played a lot of Misfits classics, a cover of Turbonegro's I Got Erection and also a cover of our drummer Mizar's Malay horror band, Zombie Kampung Pisang Band's Hantu Tetek. The crowd requested for an encore so we settled on our original, Bird Shit and that was it.

Supertzar who were the final act for the night were brilliant with their Sabbath covers. Frontman Peter deserves a bigger stage with his persona and presence while the rest of the bands were real tight, especially James Toh on lead guitar and Antonio Lee on bass, both armed with sick individual skills that were showcased from time to time in their set. Val on drums keeping everything together on drums and there you go, a bunch of talented individuals coming together to make one great band. Very entertaining stuff.

I am really glad the our set went well and everyone enjoyed themselves through the night cause my team disappointingly lost 3-5 to our rivals Arsenal, so you know, this really made up for that disappointment. Even made friends with a fellow punk rocker, Joe Sarre, who's from UK's South London scene, giving us compliments and offering to get us beer after the show. :)

Ron of Blueprintstudios.org recorded our entire set. You can watch it on his Youtube page. All links related to this post will pasted below.

Local Music Forum: SOFT
Blueprintstudios.org: www.gigvideos.com
Supertzar: Supertzar Singapore

LiveoMusic.com Made in Singapore!

(Photos taken from LiveoMusic Facebook photo album)

Last Saturday The Misfit Ramones were invited to perform on LiveoMusic.com's Made in Singapore program where the show invites local talent to perform on their set to be shown live on their website. It was the first time they are inviting bands instead of their usual repertoire of acoustic, solo or electronic acts so we are honored to be added into their first show with a full band setup.

It was also our first time to be performing on such a platform so we didn't know what to expect. We were really glad that the guys over at Liveo were playing good hosts by making us and the rest of the bands feel welcomed and at home as soon as we arrived. I am impressed at the setup of the studio, complete with cameras, screens, lightings and other gadgets I am not too familiar of. For a moment, it really felt like those AOL Sessions I am used to watching on Youtube! There's even a backstage area complete with sofa sets and coffee table for us to relax before we go in to the studio to play. A good place for us to sit together and chat with the other bands we just got to know on the day. Again, very impressed at the professional, yet 'homely' and intimate setup of the studio.

On to the performance, we were not really sure what to do or expect since we are used to our crowd singing, jumping around, even snatching our mics during our sets, but we just soldier on anyways. I really appreciate that the guys over at Liveo were encouraging before and after our set, which made me personally more relaxed as I was initially slightly intimidated at the whole concept of the performance. Looking back at the video of our performance, one major flaw is the inaudible guitar volume on our first song, 'Bird Shit'. Maybe it was due to the fact that we didn't manage to soundcheck before our actual performance due to a minor internal problem. But the guitar was more prominent on our second and third song 'CSI I Love You' and 'I Just Want A Seat' so that was a saving grace for us. 

Overall I take this experience as a good platform to showcase our talent and an opportunity to network with the people in our local music industry. Liveo Music are brave enough to do something to promote our music scene so any bands with the opportunity to appear in this program should grab it with both hands. I hope that Liveo continue their good work and who knows, someday they're gonna be a fixture in our local music industry, attracting bigger names or even overseas bands to appear on their show instead of humble bands like us. 

Lastly, more plus points to the Liveo team in how quickly they uploaded our photos and videos into their Facebook page and website. Within a few hours after our shows, they are all up for public viewing. Now that's what I call efficiency!

Watch our performance here: The Misfit Ramones Performance on LiveoMusic.com

LiveoMusic.com website: LiveoMusic.com

LiveoMusic Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/liveomusicsg

The Misfit Ramones go LIVE!

My band, The Misfit Ramones, will be appearing on LiveOMusic.com, Asia's first Live video station this Saturday! Our segment goes on air from 3pm-5pm and we will share the spotlight with fellow local bands such as our friend Nuriman of Iman's League/Rancour who will be performing his solo materials off his Crossing Rivers EP. Other acts include The Rejeks, Mutators and Victoria Street. 

We will be playing 3 songs (Bird Shit, CSI I Love You, I Just Want A Seat) for this show. This is our first time performing in such a platform, so we hope we don't screw up much as we always do cause there's no 2nd takes if you go LIVE! 

For more information visit their website www.liveomusic.com or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/liveomusicsg . Catch us in action from the comfort of your computer screens this Saturday, 3-5pm, LIVE! Spread the word guys. Cheers!

Invincible Youth Returns!

When KBS Invincible Youth decided to end its series in December last year, I was a little distraught since it was one of my favourite Korean variety shows at the time. So when it was announced earlier this year that the PD will be bringing back the show for a brand new season, complete with a new lineup and format, I was jumping for joy on the inside and have been waiting patiently for more updates.

PD Kim Ho Sang announced in August that IY will return for a 2nd season and will premiere sometime around November. Rumors have been rampant the past few weeks on who will be part of the fixed cast from the MCs to the female idols. My dream lineup would be Boom, who recently returned to the media spotlight after completing his mandatory military service, as MC and the staple G7 would consist of Kara's Jiyoung, f(x)'s Sulli, Secret's Hyosung, Rainbow's Jaekyung, miss A's Min, Dal Shabet's Subin and After School's Lizzy. That would make a sick lineup considering the variety pedigree they have.

Alas, the lineup was announced to the media 2 days ago and I must say I'm satisfied with the cast they came up with. Here's a more detailed breakdown.

MCs

Boom - Simply a crowd favorite. Would be able to entertain the girls with his ssanti (cheap) or sleazy antics that he's famous for. Also helps that he's always keeping up with the trends in the idol world so he would easily fit in with the G8.

Lee Soo Geun - Accomplished entertainer who appeared in the ever popular 2 Days & 1 Night and Gag Concert. Good addition to the team.

Ji Hyun Woo - Not too familiar with this guy, so I'm not too sure what he can bring to the table. But am very interested to see how he holds his own against the other 2 more popular MCs.

G8 (Previously G7)

SNSD's Sunny - The only returnee from Season 1. Everyone loves Sunny. Have always been the number 1 standout female idol when it comes to variety. Also the most useful when she was in G7 with her surprisingly good farming skills. Undoubtedly the leader of the G8 as the old head with her experience.

SNSD's Hyoyeon - Fans have been crying out for Hyoyeon to be appear more in variety shows and now they have gotten their wish. Excited to see her as a permanent fixture in a popular variety show.

Kara's Jiyoung - Kara's maknae (youngest) Kang Jiyoung would definitely freshen up the show with her energetic and bubbly personality. Will be the darling of the group considering she is the maknae of this G8 as well.

miss A's Suzy - To be honest, I am not too thrilled with this. I was hoping for Min, who seemed a better fit in this kind of variety show. Even when Suzy acted in Dream High and appeared in Running Man, she doesn't seem to give it all. Hope she can prove me wrong this time around.

Sistar's Bora - What Bora can bring to the team is her athleticism that she have showcased time and time again during Idol Track & Field meets. Her enthusiasm would also be able to brush off against the others during work and play.

f(x)'s Amber - Pretty sure she's in just to provide a different dimension to the team due to her tomboyish looks and nature. But from what I've seen in a couple of shows she appeared in, she's a sporting character.

Rainbow's Woori - Not sure about her variety skills but certainly an eye-candy! So no complains from me regarding Rainbow's rapper. :)

Jewelry's Yewon - The lesser-known member of the G8, a newcomer compared to the rest of the girls. Hope she can make use of this show like how T-ara's Hyomin and Secret's Sunhwa used it to catapult their status to superstardom in the variety world and put her group Jewelry in the spotlight.

So there you go, a breakdown of the season 2 cast. Personally, I can't wait for the premiere of the new season. Invincible Youth Season 2 will premiere on the 11 November 2011 in Korea, so mark that date fans!

Singapore 0-3 Jordan

(Photo by AFP and Reuters)

As it stands, we are currently bottom of Group A after 3 rounds of play with 0 points in the bag. We will have to win all our remaining matches and hope for other results to go in our favor for the slimmest chance of progressing to the next round. As a die-hard fan, I can't bring myself to be pessimistic of our chances but at the same time, I'm also a realist and with 3 games left, it may be too high of a mountain to climb for our Lions. In other words, mathematically possible, virtually impossible.

I was there at the Jalan Besar Stadium, just as I have always made myself available for every other Lions competitive home game since 2004, sitting at the Gallery stands with the boisterous LATW (Lions All The Way) crew, who are gaining steady popularity for their voice and unwavering support. I believe that the final scoreline is flattering to Jordan as Singapore have more possession but lacked creativity to open up Jordan's defence and when they manage to create those chances, they are not clinical enough. On the other hand, Jordan took their chances with open arms, the first being a free header from the far post, the second a set piece which fooled everyone including keeper Izwan Mahbud and finally the third goal which the Singapore defence allowed Ahmad Hayel to run past them easily and slotted the ball to the bottom corner. All are soft goals which can prevented if not for our lapses of concentration.

With our hopes of progressing now hanging by a thread, maybe we can use the rest of the matches for the players to gain some invaluable experience and look forward to the next best thing, qualifying for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup which will be hosted by Australia. On a side note, I am very impressed by Khairul Nizam's short cameo in the 2nd half. Quick and fearless. Reminds me of a young Noh Alam Shah. Aleksander Duric's replacement in the future? 

175 and counting.

For a player deemed to be on a decline by the media and public, 4 goals in 2 games including a hat-trick in the 5-1 win against Bolton last night is not a bad way to silence your critics. Well yes, Bolton were hapless last night, conceding 4 goals in the first 25 minutes with a shocking performance from Adam Bogdan in goal, responsible for letting in the 3rd and 4th goals. But what was impressive was how cool and clinical Frank was in front of goal. The 1st and 3rd goal was a perfect example on how to finish and put away your chances from the Chelsea veteran.

Special mention to Daniel Sturridge as well, scoring the other 2 goals and constantly tormenting the right flank with his pace and trickery. Looks like it's going to get even harder for Anelka and Kalou to break into the first team.

A Different Kind of Fix/Junk of the Heart

Bombay Bicycle Club - A Different Kind of Fix

The Kooks - Junk of the Heart

Latest releases by acclaimed Brit acts Bombay Bicycle Club and The Kooks. BBC impressed me more with a more mature sound compared to their debut release, 'I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose'. Whereas The Kooks had it trademark sound and catchy tunes intact, which is not bad at all. Loving both albums so far.

In other news, Bloc Party is not Bloc Party without Kele. Work it out boys. 

17.09.11

I can see a good 10 years more of raya outing with this bunch. Would be interesting if by then we're all married and have our own kids to bring along! 

Oh, anyone else thinks Amira's carbon copy pose on the photos she appeared in is a little creepy? And she always happen to be at the same spot! (Bottom left corner) :D 

Blast from the Past!

Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver (1976)

Walter Hill's The Warriors (1979)

Martin Scorsese's GoodFellas (1990)

Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Jonathan Demme's Philadelphia (1993)

Thanks to my good friend Faris, I have been indulging myself these past few weeks with these cult classic films from the 70s to the 90s and it has been quite a treat. What I love movies about from these era is that they make up for the lack of extravagance, special effects and CGI normally seen in Hollywood today with brilliant script, charismatic performances and genius dialogue improvisation or ad-lib by the characters. 

Can't wait to check other films from this era! I already have Scorsese's Casino, Raging Bull and Tarantino's Pulp Fiction lined up next. :)

Yes Encik! No Encik! Yes Sir! Sorry Sir!

Yes, I am still serving the nation with the Singapore Civil Defence Force. For those who are curious, I enlisted on the 2nd November 2010, so come 1st October 2011, that would make a good 11 months in the service. Time flies huh! Due to my PES C2L9 status, had a physical fitness-free 5 week modified Basic Rescue Training, went through Clerk Course for a week after, and was finally posted to CDA SSU (Service Support Unit) Office as the Commander's Assistant.

A lot of people came up to me and said I was lucky or fortunate that I was deemed unfit due to night-blindness but to be honest, I was disappointed that I couldn't go through basic training like any other normal, fit males. Call me a traditionalist, but I wanted the proper rite of passage like others, and it was actually a tough 5 week in BRTC mentally when you see the rest getting pumped or punished and we couldn't do anything of the sort. We couldn't even go for a jog during our free time! It's like we are ostracized by everyone there, dealing with prejudice, staring and teasing from everyone else. But I was lucky to have friends inside and outside of camp that were understanding and empathetic of us so that gave me strength to give my 100% every time I came to work.

All those disappointments and insecurities are in the past and work so far is cool I guess. Getting on well with the rest of the camp personnel, got a lot of inside access and first-hand details due to working closely with high-ranking officers. In a way, I guess I have earned a lot of people's respect in camp with the way I go about doing my work. If things go well, I will be promoted to the rank of Corporal in November after 1 year of service, which means pay increment! It's peanuts compared to a SGT or LTA pay of course, but hey, it's still better than the $440 I'm earning every month! :)

New Beginnings

Not cool or hip enough for Tumblr. And if I were to use the classic Blogdrive, I might as well create a Friendster account to go along with it like the good old secondary school days. Tried Livejournal, prefer Blogger over it. But one thing's for certain, I need a new outlet. So this is probably the best solution, creating a new blog on Blogger! I will try my very best to post a new entry once a week, fingers crossed guys!

To those who are interested to read on my previous adventures or misadventures rather during my adolescent years, I have not deleted my old links. 

http://nofingers.blogdrive.com (2004-2005)

http://syam-41.blogspot.com (2006-2011)

Apologies for the juvenile style of writing in the previous blogs. I was just a kid. :P

Cheers to new beginnings!