Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Center Open Day, 23rd January 2011! Here’s a reading.

Switch On, an art installation outside, not quite impervious to rain, though…

KLPAC is right next to the beautiful Sentul Park.

And out of the park after the rain comes the The Gentle Snail!

Noel and his Polaroid…

…and his bright-lensed rangefinder.

A very cheery Afdeza of Poet Stories.

Peter Tan (and Wuan) spotted from afar!

Yup, there is no shaded parking anywhere in Sentul Park.

The day was far more camera-pr0n-ful.

Improv Comedy by AI:IA.

Back outside, the bubble-blowing machine was one of many devices that made sounds, that Switch On was connected to.

One could flip many switches to form a symphony of cacophony…

…which included printers, scanners, alarms, hair dryers…

…and a whole load of electronics.

I was too far away to hear the punchline.

I kept the flyer for the event, but I can’t figure out what performance this was.

Hmmm I have an idea!

Outside, a well-weathered building.

I then headed to Pavilion, since the open day was over before sunset.

Found a new food court at Berjaya Times Square. Why yes, I do like the Taste Of Asia!

20th December 2010: Moonshine presents Az Samad and One Lick Less (Julien Bansilhon) live at No Black Tie.

This is Az.

He normally slaps, scratches and knocks his guitar, but he can’t do so on one of these. One of Malaysia’s few accomplished fingerstyle guitarists!

Once in a while though he will have a haram note (shown above) followed by a legit in-scale save note (shown below). 😀

There was also One Lick Less, who did some serious folk…

…and then he brought out his lap steel guitar! That was the first time I had seen one. And then he proceeded to play the sweetest slide guitar ever. Sweet but in a bitter emotional way.

A metal slide, much too big for one finger!

Reza Salleh launched his debut album, Realize, on the 26th of November 2010, at one of the early Moonshine: A Homemade Acoustic Show venues – The Apartment Downtown, KLCC.

Narmi starts the show.

First time I’d ever seen an electric guitar at The Apartment Downtown!

Pedal set! Okay so not the first time I’d seen this here.

The stage was decorated with Reza’s colorful photos.

This time around, I did a fair bit more documentary work – shooting who was there that night, when the other photographers were pointed at the stage. Hello orang Astro!

Jia Wei.

Cheng Vei, orang Astro jugak.

A wide shot. I brought only my NEX-5 with 16mm F2.8 pancake and the Opteka 85mm F1.4, and that was enough.

Where’s Wally?

I had never seen The Apartment Downtown so crowded! This was an amazing sight indeed.

Admittedly, a still audience is much easier to take than a moving musician, especially in low light.

Cool shirt bro!

KLue people.

Standing people.

Reza starting a joke.

Tablas meant the earthy world music of…

Asmidar!

Realized anything about the background?

What, ah? Xtal asks. Why Xtal? You aren’t even black.

Liy to the Fiz. Liyana Fizi!

More F1.4 ISO3200 goodness.

David Knight and his magic guitar and pedals bring you into another dimension, in a far more comfortable way than Radiohead would.

Yes, hypnotizing indeed.

Unfortunately, I had to run, as I had to wake up at 4:30am the next day to shoot a wedding…

Of course, I did not forget to buy his album. 😀 Spot my mention!

Moonshine: A Homemade Music Show had its 5th Anniversary on the 25th of November 2010. Here’s Narmi, punk rock drummer turned sensitive guitar crooner, flanked by Jeremy and Izaad.

Asmidar, who is out of this world! She goes all worldly and fusion on us. And yet despite the eccentricity there is a danceable poppiness and a earthly vibe from her music.

Figure Of Speech, rapper who goes straight to the source and hits you with a deep line. One in the political commentary lane, just like his hero, Gil Scott Heron.

All you other rappers out there better know who Gil is – a black guy who just read poetry over music, and that became rap as we know it. He was the Godfather of Rap.

I’d met him earlier, where he was in talks in a collaboration with a certain sweetheart of the local music scene. I can’t wait!

Mia Palencia the shortly returning songbird! There is something about her voice that makes her distinct, and soothing while still having a certain edge.

I seem to be in the habit of taking pictures of performers’ feet.

In case you’ve ever wondered what Laundry Bar looks like, here it is. I brought my Sigma 12-24mm F4.5-5.6 EX DG for the first time to a gig!

Reza Salleh, Moonshine organizer, takes the stage.

Hanafi rocking again with a Fender Jaguar, this time in black.

Reza was to launch his album the next day. As I tend to blog in chronological order where it comes to gigs, you’ll know what to expect next.

Melina on bass.

From the back. Hello Steph on drums!

Then came a shiny cocoon.

It wasn’t Jay Kay, it was Sharon… O.

She, Melina and Steph make the Yeah Yeah Yeahs tribute band, Hamsterdamnaged.

Now this is what we call a rock show!

Man she was bobbing all over stage that I had to use the flash.

Yeah, there’s a lot of Karen O in her!

Thundercats!

I didn’t get her name, but she was singing on stage with Auburn.

Aidil rips up a very heavy, driven bass. I have to say, I like this new sound!

Steph on drums again. Tak pancit ker? (Won’t you be exhausted flat?)

And of course, Izuan, main man.

Awanband.

Indie rock, in case you can’t tell from their dressing.

26th June 2010: Urbanscapes 2010, down at the scorching Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Center. Well done, bomohs!

Not that this picture has bomohs – they are just celebrating a traditional ‘moving house’ done gotong royong style.

“You no parking here sir!”

Smile.

Dustyhawk and BBoyRice getting on the remix.

Cheesie, and the EeChing who introduced her to blogging, and Her Royal Peacock�.

Alda Tan, who feels like he is being watched.

Wei Wei, wei!

Yin Xie!

Yi Ching!

Haaa see this is the reference picture of you that I had in my head. With the smaller eyes.

Fellow dino-shirted attendees!

Fellow camera owners.

A fellow of the Quaintly school of cute.

Which is, really, the only reason why I tagged her. Hello Su Ann!

George Wong who needs to blog more than about just his gig listings and apparently his new job as a movie reviewer. 😀

Kyoto Protocol, who I almost always miss.

The unforgettable Panda Head Curry waaargggghhh with their hit single/game-show Wanita Atau Wookie?

Sometime back, July 15th 2009 to be exact, Ken of LifeInKL and I did a collaboration. We shot Estranged, a Malaysian rock band with a modern sound!

I first saw these guys at the first ever gig I went to, at the original location of No Black Tie!

Red + Green + Blue = White

Azwin found his claws.

Getting out of bed the hard way.

Rich has an invisble forcefield.

I loved this spot. Too bad it is now closed off.

We then adjourned to Azwin’s blue-walled room which became a blue-walled studio. This is Din Hormatov, rhythm guitarist.

One light from the left, one light from the right, and one ring flash coming right up!

Richael Gimbang, lead vocals – crooning and the occasional bridge-section-screaming.

Yes their wardrobe is sponsored by Badger.

Azwin Andy, drummer.

He is one of three brothers who are all drummers in Malaysian rock bands – Pop Shuvit and Frequency Cannon are the other two.

Hanafi, lead guitarist, without the ring flash.

One more, with. Though the room was airconditioned so I’m not sure where he got his windswept hair from.

The making of – thanks Ken for this picture! You can see one of the two off-camera flashes, as well as my DIY ring flash.

More shots of rock bands here:
It’s True It’s Dragon Red
Five Parts Metal

Dragon Red launched their Resureksi album at Black Box, MAP, Solaris Dutamas, on the 15th of October 2010.

Amil is a good MC!

Incidentally, Adam and Slyde are both MCs. So that’s 3 MCs and no deejay!

The back door of Black Box.

Naked Breed started the set with a rockout.

Two Sides To A Story. Long time no see!

Wake The Night.

You can tell they are heavy!

Ash, for Velvet Aces.

These guys rock and roll…

…in that order.

Rolling Sixers were next. Man I love it when the lights are all different colors from all different angles!

Left: Khai burning fretboard; right: Eddy and his funky harmonica mike.

Roshan of K-Town Clan.

Like a judge!

C. Loco, brother of Slyde.

Tech the co-emcee.

Deja Voodoo Spells.

Shreddus maximus!

I am starting to really bite into their second album, Bite.

We all pray to the guitar god who has played with the likes of Steve Vai, Herman Li and Marty Friedman!

Guest vocalizing is the order of the day.

Wakaka Crew breaks into the scene.

And then, it was the flaming pyrotechnical Dragon Red!

Manshaan on drums.

Amil on guitar.

Slyde on rap and now, the occasional growling.

Adam is the crooner, shouter and the most uh… facial personality of the band.

Camero (which is a glamor name for Kamarul, LOL!) on bass.

Looks like Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath here, who coincidentally plays bass too!

Pyros go boom!

That was not all, though. There was Beat The System, a potent mix of rap and metal!

Finishing the night brutally was Endzeil.

I finally got to see my favorite bouncer buddy in rock concerts, shoving some of the most brutal metal in my ears!

Slyde joins in.

BWRAAARHRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Admittedly I don’t have long hair to headbang with anymore, but I still conserve my energy for Dragon Red!

Now I know some people have written articles in magazines that dismiss nu-metal, but hey it’s still enjoyable and very much a guilty pleasure of mine. So when people bring you down, what do you say?

Yeah!

Oooh! On the inside of the album, on the last page of the album sleeve, is my picture! It was taken at the back of Adam’s house (which is ironic since we planned to travel far for the band shot but as we got in the cars we found it to be a fantastic location!)

I didn’t blog about this picture earlier, though.

More pictures here:
Dragon Red’s first album launch
Five Parts Metal

I find it funny that I tend to prefer metal albums that have this vintage sound, as opposed to remasters and later works by the same metal band but with a modern sound.

For example:

Black Sabbath

I prefer the first four albums with Ozzy Osbourne, excluding Ronnie James Dio and Tony Iommi’s newfangled obsession with synthesizers. Sorry Ronnie, you rocked too, but that’s Heaven And Hell now, not Black Sabbath. (RIP Dio.)

Black Sabbath – Paranoid (the sound is a fair bit more amped up)

Ozzy Osbourne

I’ve just started getting into his solo stuff, since I wasn’t before although I had his songs – I never knew why I veered towards certain songs and thought some other songs just sounded… cheesy. Then I read up on Randy Rhoads after rediscovering Mr. Crowley on Guitar Hero: World Tour and I found out I preferred the earlier sound from Randy’s time! (RIP Randy.)

Ozzy Osbourne – Mr. Crowley

Metallica

There is just something so greasy and grimy when I hear the thrash metal from Kill ‘Em All, and to a lesser extent, Ride The Lightning. Musically I still enjoy the stuff up to the Black album but… I like how the first 2 albums sound, best. (RIP Cliff Burton.)

Metallica – Jump in the Fire

Megadeth

I now sit on their side of the fence in a Metallica-Megadeth argument. Though again, I prefer their early, un-remastered stuff, from the searing hot leads in Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? to Rust In Peace. Countdown To Extinction onwards had this modern sound which I didn’t quite like. (RIP Gar Samuelson.)

Megadeth – Good Mourning/Black Friday

Oh, and have you heard the first album from The Scorpions? Totally nothing you’ve ever heard before. Unless your name is Adlin “Metalpedia” Rosli.

5th October 2010: The FEYST 2010: Indie Youth Festival made its round to Black Box, MAP, Solaris Dutamas on a Tuesday night, where I could just walk over right after work!

Jasmine Low of Go International was the emcee and organizer. This night featured acts who she brought to Australia as a random sampling of Malaysian independent artistes!

I finally got to see Ray Cheong and was utterly blown away. Here was a solid blues/funk shredder with blistering solo instrumentals, and songs which are in the key of John Mayer, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jimi Hendrix, and…

…fingerstyle guitar-slapping acoustica!

Izzy does sing as serious as she looks in this picture. Though she does make some good corny jokes.

Liyana Fizi is so tall she makes me dizzy.

Ady Suwarty is a solid R&B crooner, the kind that should be selling out stadiums and causing undergarment changes.

The event poster. Hey isn’t that a familiar picture?

It was taken from this blog entry of mine. Without my permission and without any credit. Please, poster designers, you need to ask!

Moonshine: A Homemade Music Show, a certain 7th of October 2010 ago. I had just gotten my Sony Alpha SLT-A55, so these are practically the first shots from it!

Aiqa Halim! Dig her drawl.

Stonebay, reminding of the better days of 90’s rock.

Ojie with a more acoustic sound this round.

Interestingly, Laundry Bar renovated, with some funky art in the back!

I like how his shirt matches the background, somewhat.

Next up, green tree-hugging Ferns!

All smily and with a forgotten side of less aggressive rock.

Initially I wanted to do a heavily processed process on this series of photos but then I saw this photo and I was like hmmm maybe I won’t do it here, because of this shot.

On the similiarly melodic continent of rock there was Lightcraft.

Man I hadn’t seen these guys in ages!

Ambient was the theme.

You may or may not be able to tell which shots were from my A900 and A55 – the A55 was processed with Lightroom 3.2 while the A900 was processed with DxO Optics Pro Elite. A notable difference is how weak the reds were from Lightroom (a more puritan rendition, I’d say) compared to DxO’s subjective flurry of red. Lesson learnt from later trying to tune the reds back in Photoshop? Process them all in Lightroom until DxO supports the A55.

Reza and the soundman.

Oh and here’s a video!

Lightcraft, performing “All In My Mind”. Recorded using a Sony SLT-A55 with the Carl Zeiss 135mm F1.8 ZA and audio is from the built-in stereo mike. Unfortunately with no audio monitor I didn’t know it was clipping the vocals so pardon that – I gotta get an external mike. AF is on, with the center AF point used.

Converted from 1080p25 to 720p24 (the overrated 24p magic number.)