24th September 2013: Feedback Open @ The Bee Publika / September Edition. Here’s Jocelyn Wong.

Left to right: Rohnie Tan, Jeremy Lim and Ryan Lee Bhaskaran.

Remy J. with Ryan on kajon.

Nazrin.

I missed Matthew McKelson‘s performance, but he was eager to play a song even as we were sitting in the outdoor area of The Bee, so we went over to a quiet place in Publika, ripe for practice. He has a thing for Malay jiwang karat songs (so do I!) and he played Iklim – Suci Dalam Debu in this little resonant lift lobby

Didn’t catch this guy’s name…

…or his keyboardist.

Devon Chew and a guitarist in the hood.

Didn’t catch his name.

Son Of A Policeman.

Joshua on guitar, and Tan on bass.

They played a metal version of The Rembrandts – I’ll Be There For You!

I think this is The Message…

…but Syakir Khalid, with the sweet scalloped guitar, do correct me if I’m wrong!

I missed Meliha Faisal and Benson & Hedges, the featured acts, because I came from a dinner.

22nd September 2013: Tres Fest, at The Square, Publika. This is The Endleaves.

90’s rock with solos.

Cool Volkswagen van!

Talitha Tan!

Small audience.

While her and her band played, a soon-to-be heartbreaker looked a girl right in the eye, and then his cap fell off.

Ministry Of Blunk.

These guys are young old-schoolers.

Shane on blues/funk vocals.

Kita-kita.

Christian Theseira, with a rock supergroup! Spot Jimmy of Tempered Mental and Oh Chentaku in the back.

Julian of The Infernal Conundrum and Bokazzi and oh I don’t know on bass!

Hiran of Bassment Syndicate on keyboard and Raja Farouque of FAZZ on guitar!

Ariff Danial.

Free Deserters.

Brendan doing the shoe-gazing thing.

Devroni & Sheree.

Nabeel Zulkifli!

This time, he’s not the only one playing guitar.

Nice bass.

This would be the first time I’d see him playing as a solo act.

Panda & The Astronauts.

Aseana Percussion Unit.

Percussion, of course!

Asian instruments represent.

Take it to the bridge!

Birthday song for birthday boy Ian (also an organizer of the event!)

The gig continued.

Spry frontman! A long time ago, I remember Prema Yin singing with them, too.

Sarah Danielle.

Ian filled in for keyboard duty as she sang.

Emilia Z..

Ann Na in full hipster-loves-Star-Wars mode.

The tilt is always a convenient way to defeat perspective causing height disparity and getting more subjects in the picture.

Like a robotic North Korean triangle player.

So, I’m Jenn. This is Jenn, and she dedicated her catchy song, Friendzone, to Daryll.

Each time I see her untethered by a seat it is as if there is a Stage Presence pedal and its Presence knob is cranked to 11.

Ethan Pnwee, magician, with a cute volunteer.

OHNEO!

Cool battery tattoo on Stanley’s shoulder.

Jumero, who played an awesome cover of Electric Light Orchestra – Last Train To London. Disco to acoustic guitar? Completely possible.

Shane was playing with my Sony Alpha 99 and Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 135mm F1.8 ZA. This is what it does in low-contrast moonlight, with some spillover ambient light from the stage.

Hina; I’d meet her again later.

Amrita Soon.

Fazz brings Broadway music.

Gotta love the energy this band brings!

Cassandra pulls Hina to dance to the music.

Prakash rolls by on a trolley.

Grace smirks. It’s probably only once per show she lets her hair out.

20th September 2013: The Mezzanine, at Rasa @Damansara, Glomac Damansara. I had trouble finding the place, but it’s best described as it is on the road that the Tropicana City Mall ramp out to TTDI, leads to.

Nice deco! I love the clock.

Gotta dig the wall art, too.

Going up the stairs, you can see two lines of colored tiles leading down.

The mezzanine, upstairs.

Vincent & Friends.

Vincent Chan, organizer and self-professed older dude in a relatively younger music scene, has a rocker voice.

Mark Christopher on kajon.

Sound engineer on sound panel.

Talitha Tan & Friends.

Coincidentally, her mom owns the place.

One of those rare times she’d be up without a guitar.

Melvin, amazing keyboardist.

Derp got fans.

Percussionist got fans.

Josiah Tay.

Tallitha.

The amazing Darren Ashley, in an old configuration, sans Kaoss Pads, with guitar and beatbox in his throat.

Jocelyn Wong…

…and friends?

Juju.

Daniel Yoong.

Nick Davis.

Christian Palencia, whose hair is either floppy or funked up. This is funked up.

Melvin adds to the sound.

Talitha, still around.

19th September 2013: Moonshine: Online / September Edition. This is the area traditionally occupied by artistes.

A twist to the regular gig is that this was streamed online!

Tonight was a slightly different format – the songwriter’s round!

All performers would be on stage at the same time, taking turns to play.

It cycles for a few rounds.

Sometimes they’d improvise or sing along when another performer is playing a song.

Az Samad, fingerstyle maestro.

Azmyl Yunor, folk hero.

Az’s new purple guitar is beautiful.

Azmyl Yunor, intrigued.

Reza Salleh, emcee and organizer, telling a lame joke. He was also part of the singer-songwriter’s round.

Paolo Delfino, still juicing heartbreak for the best sad songs.

Az shows us the extra soundhole, useful for hearing yourself over the band.

The camera used to capture the video input for streaming.

Az and his magic box.

The microphone in the guitar also picks up voices!

He then got up from his tall stool (not so tall, by Az standards) and played.

Dance music suddenly heard from behind, where the deejay console was. Reza discovered the culprit – somebody was charging their phone there, and he was getting many missed calls!

Az, in a intricate ballet chord.

14th September 2013: RAWR!!! The Gig: #TheComeBackShow + Tattoo Party, at Paradox Art Cafe.

The Box Focal!

Rashdan rocking out.

Ash drumming and singing.

Ministry Of Blunk brings the funk.

Vishnu, a metalhead, melds technical runs into a groovy funk song.

Sufiz.

Mystical Mirage.

I like how the drummer’s shadows fall.

Cool shirt, even cooler guitar.

HWC.

Heart Meets Hurricane.

All shots with the Sony Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm F1.4 ZA SSM, hence the not-so-telephoto look.

A real pretty Schecter Diamond Series. Something about string-through guitars just looks better.

Kelvyn Yeang explaining Indie PG, a gig he organizes in Penang.

Ariff Danial.

The Marquee with a rock sound I really like.

Michael Leaner on vocals.

He brought his own vocal effects.

Red glasses, red T-shirt, red guitar strap, red scalloped-fret Fender Stratocaster, red velcro cable tie, red capo, red lights on a multi-effects pedal, red guitar bag, red guitar cable… what else?

Edit: An Honest Mistake Records answers: Red watch and red shoes!

Kelvyn Yeang.

I first saw this insane shredder with Ocean Of Fire, at Laundry Bar. He also had a thing for red and shred music then.

The Summer State.

They hail from Singapore!

On guest vocals, a familiar face.

Talitha Tan!

It looks like the microphone stand is pinching her cheeks. Some days I feel like doing the same.

A Sleepless Melody.

He looks like a doppelganger for Paul McCartney.

Gotta dig the hair.

They hail from Australia.

12th September 2013: Moonshine: Upcoming / September Edition, at Laundry Bar, The Curve.

Rizla Lynam.

This fascinating singer-songwriter plays what I’d think to be Brit rock…

…but for some reason it sounds remarkably fresh and refreshing.

Daymien Nathan.

I don’t remember who he reminds me of…

…but he played some reggae, among other things.

Hameer Zawawi.

This time, not by himself! Spot the guide tape strips on the otherwise fretless double bass.

I don’t know what it says.

Daryll on double bass.

Reza Salleh, emcee and organizer.

Ray Cheong, funky bluesman who plays guitar like he was black in a past life.

Kevin, before the haircut.

Julian, who still has his hair.

Ray’s pedalboard bag.

Jonathan Khor, epic violinist.

Reza with Jessica. I don’t get what happened to her feet in this picture.

Tonight was all electric blues and blistering solos, instead of the fingerstyle acoustic I knew him for.

Setlist, with descriptions!

5th September 2013: Laundry X An Honest Mistake Records Present: #TheAcousticShowcase at Laundry Bar, The Curve! This would also be Sheryl Goh’s final show with An Honest Mistake as she’d be leaving to study overseas.

Jenn Chia, not performing, but hosting. She’s a natural entertainer!

Opening act Ariff Danial, who summoned the vocal powers of Emilia Z., but she lurked silently in the crowd instead.

Second opening act, Skyward, with a slightly different lineup.

Ming Han, Youtube sensation himself.

Ming Yew, his brother and a Youtube star himself.

Ashley Wong. I’d seen the other bandmates when she performs as Ashley Wong.

An Honest Mistake!

Drummer and the iPad.

Full on acoustic, with cello backing.

Violin, too!

Extra percussion.

Let’s do this.

A slower moment.

A rockier moment.

Sheryl has grown from coming to audition in a Mickey Mouse T-shirt to pop-punk superstar.

I blog this, to immortalize an anecdote I’ve heard.

Darren summons the power of Grayskull and his jacket disappears!

This should explain how a band with song titles like I’ll Take You To The Drag Strip; We’ll Cut To The Chase write setlists. (It’s #5.)

I brought the Sony Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 24mm F2.0 ZA SSM just to get the wide shot of them all rocking out. I still haven’t gotten the shot.

Almost looks like one of those false perspective shots.

29th August 2013: Moonshine: A Homemade Music Show August Edition Part 2, at Laundry Bar, The Curve.

This is Ariff Akhir!

It’s been a while since I’ve seen him, and I don’t recognize his bandmates.

He is, however, still the big guy with that laidback folksy voice and rocking repertoire, doing his classic stuff as well as a cover of Queen – Another One Bites The Dust.

Platform 11.

Theatrical.

Ornate.

Reza Salleh, emcee and organizer.

Halfway Kings! It used to be just Joachim…

…and Adeline, for quite a while.

They’ve expanded since, adding a bassist, Eu Gene, who needs more frets!

Diane, Joachim’s wife, on backup vocals.

Eng Hooi on drums.

Joachim’s shiny Schecter.

The stage just got smaller.

This is Tilu.

Zaim!

Mira on vocals.

She prances about, with energetic singing.

Definitely a party band.

Up on the speakers.

They make it possible to cover Bruno Mars – Treasure.

Keytar solo!

27th August 2013: Moonshine & The Bee presents Feedback Open Mic Publika August Edition. This is Ariff AB.

Talitha Tan!

This is a different setup – two guitarists this time.

The amazing Raja Farouque holds the fort with the chords.

Park The Spaceship.

Dean Shaari.

Matthew McKelson does an awesome Search – Isabella.

Aice.

Izzy.

Zarul…

…Hani…

…and Zue.

Together, they form the first featured act, Zarul x Hani x Zue.

Nazrin.

Ashley Chan.

She is backed by one keyboardist.

Grace…

…Raja Farouque…

…and Kevin!

Second featured act, the theatrical cabaret-jazz-like Fazz!

Mia, South Apple And Wan.

Lukarts.

Rizal.

Jumero.

They did an acoustic version of Bee Gees – Stayin’ Alive, with the groove intact thanks to these boys.

Shane Tan, who covered Stevie Wonder – Superstition.

25th August 2013: JUICE Revolver Sessions #2 @ The Bee, Publika. A freestyle jam session where the first musician plays for 5 minutes. He/she is then joined by the next musician for 5 minutes, and then he/she leaves, replaced by the next musician, and so on. Fascinating concept! (The first session was here.)

Here’s Takashi Aiman (also known as DJ TKI) on electronic effects.

Helmi on drums.

Andri on synthesizer.

Nikki on a sofa.

Yong Yandsen on saxophone.

Faidhal Faizan ‘Mustaq’ on bass.

A Fender mandolin guitar. Very nice, and weighty for its size.

Ray Cheong on guitar.

Emir, in waiting.

Emir Syazwan on guitar. They had a blues jam!

Azam Hisham on drums.

Ray and his beautiful guitar.

Azmyl Yunor on mandolin guitar.

Kuning Pening on tambourine.

I salute his crazy performance art.

Some laughed, some cringed. Oh and Khairi Iskander on drums.

Darren Ashley on electronic effects.

Az Samad on guitar.

Due to technical difficulties, Az took over the job of making futuristic sounds.

Darren got on drums.

Difficulties fixed.

Much later, a bunch of them got up and jammed.