3rd March 2014: BALLSY! An Open Mic Show #3, at Page 2, Publika.

Here’s Riz Rashid!

Shaneil Devaser, emcee and host, who would cue each performer to introduce the next performer. Gotta love this style!

Page 2 is above Plan B. No food, just drinks.

Priscillia Xavier with an intricate Fanndec acoustic guitar.

Brendan James De Cruz.

Ariff AB.

Malcolm Ambrose.

Fuzzy.

U Music.

Waves of positivity by Chris Bourge.

Maha Jeffery.

Malcolm returns on cajon.

Adriel Chan.

Gotta love the background – a wall of old televisions.

25th February 2014: Feedback Open Mic / 90s Throwback @ The Bee Publika ft Shelley Leong & Seth Lael / February 2014 Edition! Fuzzy who sings a song I can’t get out of my head.

Kenneth.

Intan.

Lukarts.

Nazrin covers Barenaked Ladies – Allstar. Truly 90s.

Steve Aoki spotted at the counter.

Nurul Zaina, all smiles.

Fahmi Reza and Lew Pik-Svonn, awesome activists – for their work in making activism accessible to the younger crowd.

I’d bumped into them after hearing of another gig going on at Black Box, Publika – DOOM – Live in Kuala Lumpur!

Came back to see Lost Symmetry.

Goliath.

Shelley Leong, first featured act of the night.

Shelley had taken on more instruments than I’d seen her with before – meet the percussive instruments!

Her husband Seth, on guitar.

*poke*

With that poke, his guitar transformed into an electric guitar.

Shelley, with awesome hair. I say this as I reminisce my previous long-haired hairstyle.

Seth has a cool gadget on his guitar…

…that interfaces with his iPad and iPhone!

Seth Lael, second featured act of the night.

He had some very unique-sounding music. Also, Zalila on djembe!

Remy J. doing an interesting variation – an emo four-piece band, unlike his happy solo self. It was pretty nice to hear this variation, though!

Keino Mess. Awesome fro, bro!

Faizz Ariff.

Zero.

They have this awesome Rage Against The Machine-like sound!

Tight three-piece band.

Basil Foo.

Tika.

Perhaps I should’ve asked, “Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?” to have her reply, “Yes, I have the foot injury to prove it.”

Ariff AB.

Fook!

Joined by his bandmate from Bassment Syndicate, Marcus.

Basil won the challenge, to do the best rendition of a 90s song.

17th February 2014: “Radio Reboots” featuring Zalina and Zalila Lee, Nish Tham, and Melina William at No Black Tie. (Yes, the event page says 18th, because it was a two-evening thing.)

Melina on bass and harmonized vocals!

Nish Tham on keyboard and the rare vocal solo!

Zalina Lee on vocals and between-song entertainment!

Zalila Lee on percussion!

The theme was Radio Reboots – by that, they’d remix songs together in an unexpected fashion. For example, they’d start with the bassline to Queen – Under Pressure and segue to Feminin – Untukmu, or use Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication‘s bassline for another song.

Interestingly, there was not a guitar in the whole band.

Zalina is quite the entertainer! Love her stage presence.

Nish sang Boyz II Men – Water Runs Dry! Always a rare delight to see her sing.

I remember them doing covers of TLC – Waterfalls, KoRn – Freak On A Leash, John Lennon – Imagine, and an awesome The Carpenters medley with Rainy Days And Mondays, Sing A Song, and Close To You! I know this because I bootlegged their performances, heh.

Zalila being goofy.

Yes, they are sisters! I could not stop being amazed at how much Zalina’s gestures, expressions and even sense of humor are amazingly like Zalila’s!

At the end of the night, we went to the mamak nearby and spotted this simply handsome cat.

15th February 2014: JUMERO featuring Brandon Sta Maria, at Merdekarya!

I think this guy was Afiq.

Ashley Chan!

Didn’t catch this guy’s name.

Prakash Daniel, stand-up comedian with a guitar.

Then, for who we’d been waiting for, acoustic funk disco boys Jumero!

Ryan Gomes on percussion.

Featuring Brandon Sta Maria on electric guitar!

The later part of their set included covers of Queen – Another One Bites The Dust and Bee Gees – Stayin’ Alive, done acoustically. They teleport you out of your Converse sneakers into sandals and fine sand in your toes.

Ann then? Ann then? Annnnn thennn?

Camwhore time! Vishnu is a action figure. Pull his hair, and his tongue springs out.

Merdekarya’s artwork steals the limelight of pictures all the time.

Regretfully, my camera decided to focus on the artwork. Argh!

It was Shane Tan’s last night, so we all gathered in musical merriment.

Kevin Vong is sitting on someone’s throne (the inscriptions on the panelling tell you who.)

Right to left: Ann Na, Arlyne and Adeline. Well no, her name is not Adeline. I don’t remember her name. Let’s just pretend everybody’s name started with A. I blame Alcohol for this.

Ryan is the combo breaker here. Otherwise, left to right: Andrew, Ryan, Ann Na, Ashley, Arlyne.

Shane is about to be as Azn as he can get in Australia where he’d pursue his Masters.

Derrrp.

Dudes in shirts.

Some Ministry Of Blunk boys with some Son Of A Policeman boys.

13th February 2014: John Mayer Valentine Special, at Rockafellas Bar, Petaling Jaya. This is Cassandra Mary, a big John Mayer fan who covered him well, doing him justice!

She was joined by John Mayer’s Chinese lookalike.

William Koong, emcee for the night.

Russell Curtis, who I’d seen many times to be very much influenced by the balladeer-turned-bluesman.

Gregory Ramanado pops on stage for open mike, after the show ended.

These guys were metal and unashamedly so.

Tiametria ripping it out! Rage Against The Machine – Killing In The Name and Lamb Of God – Walk With Me In Hell.

Shane Tan sang along as best as he could to metal.

The emcee joins in.

Shred.

Gurdave is brutal.

12th February 2014: MOB presents Pisco Live Mic v.26, at Pisco Bar, Jalan Mesui!

Before Ministry Of Blunk’s set was an open jam, with this blues meister.

Nur Izzati, with Isaac on kajon (not pictured.)

Random white guy, because Pisco Bar rolls it like that.

Kevin Theseira, surprise of the night, playing bass and singing! Ever since I got my acoustic fretless bass I’d wondered why nobody did that. He covered Katy Perry – Teenage Dream, Lullaby Of Birdland, and Alicia Keys – If I Ain’t Got You.

Jam!

Raja Farouque brought a guitar this time!

Esmond, with Keino’s guitar.

Superb beatboxing.

Farouque takes his regular instrument for Fazz.

Grace and her synthesizer!

Kevin Vong brings us to Broadway.

Isaac, on the band I know him for…

Ministry Of Blunk!

Vishnu on Kelvyn Yeang’s beautiful guitar (so beautiful I forgot her name) and Kevin sessioning on some really funky, funky lines. I can’t wait to hear the two tracks fully produced.

Shane Tan, blues-laden frontman, passing the mike.

The night turns into a jam, and Farouque is up again, playing an instrumental cover of Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight.

Grace also sang Happy Birthday to Shane, in Korean, and later had her synth talk.

Kevin on the mike again.

Keino Mess.

Cassandra Chong!

Grace shoots. Does she score?

Nur Izzati again.

Grace on melodion, needing a mike.

Keino has this song that I can’t get out of my head, but I don’t remember the title. The chorus asks “Why?“, repeatedly.

This is just such a big mishmash.

Harmonica man.

Pisco Bar isn’t all that evenly lit.

Cassandra does Peggy Lee – Fever and a version of Summertime that is off the charts of funkability.

More blues and Jimi Hendrix!

Maha Jeffrey does a gritty Hey Joe.

Cassandra teleports to the drums.

The harmonica man now sings.

Poova, soul diva, randomly walked in and was passed the mike.

What a night!

11th February 2014: Feedback Open Mic Valentine’s Special @ The Bee Jaya One ft Elizabeth Tan & Izzi Izzati / February 2014 Edition. This is Keino Mess!

Kajon buddy.

The Televisi.

I walked to 7-Eleven to get lozenges, and spotted this cat stretching outside.

Aiman + Eugene.

Not sure who is who.

This is what The Bee, Jaya One looks like. Nice faux vintage look, meant to attract hipsters.

Ariff Jazz Man.

Luqman The Human uses a Boss RC-30 Loop Station.

Shelley Leong, back in town for a bit!

Faz Aznam does her usual guitar duty for many.

Seth Lael, who has some very unique, interesting music.

Norton 500.

These guys have been around.

Elizabeth Tan, first featured act.

Definitely the honey of the scene, being a Youtube superstar.

John Jeevasingam on guitar with this tall lass.

Havoc!

She’s got this voice that’s like… evaporated caramel.

Hameer Zawawi, emcee.

Izzi Izzati, second featured act.

Remy J, not so emo this time.

Paolo Delfino with a song called Valentine’s Day Sucks. He was obviously gunning for the prize – the best love song would win stuff!

Ian Tai.

Tiah. On guitar, Faz.

Calico with Yvonne Chong and Faz on guitar.

Yvonne did a powerful cover of Destiny’s Child – Emotion! (She did a cover of Beyonce – Love On Top before.) With that, I later found, she won the prize.

Dean.

Samantha De Lune on vocals.

Faiz Ariff.

Lukarts.

Sweet acoustic bass! Then again, acoustic basses always look sweet.

9th February 2014: NBT Independent Music Showcase ft Anna Chong, Reza Salleh & Hameer Zawawi at No Black Tie, Jalan Mesui! Here’s emcee and organizer Reza Salleh.

First act: Hameer Zawawi, prince of game-influenced melancholic music.

Raja Farouque on bass! Interestingly, there was a hair band on the neck, usually used to help make clean tapping on electric guitar. This would be the first time I’d see it on a bass!

Ashwin Gobinath on drums.

Reza Salleh, prince of modern folk/soul.

Sharon Chong and her sexy Korg SV-1. The way it’s just such a spaceship from the front…

…and yet so normal from the top, is interesting. The panel full of knobs is sweet, too, though that’s not very clear from the picture.

Zalila Lee on percussion and Melina William on bass.

Savy Ho on violin.

Reza puts down his guitar for a trembling ballad – I Can’t Make You Love Me.

Anna Chong, princess of floating souls. Backing her on ethereal vocals was Keith Tan.

This is the view from the upper floor of No Black Tie.

Anna Chong’s music is dead serious, but she has a funny stage persona.

Ken Chung, on fretless bass. Gotta love how he slided into all those notes!

Her music is intense.

Keith, again.

Pimping out her CD.

8th February 2014: GIG ALERT! : FAZZ @ The Bee Publika (yes, the event was 8th February 2014 then apparently repurposed for 8th March 2014.)

Fazz plays Broadway-cabaret-styled music.

Fun fun fun!

Kevin asks, “what’s the point?” to immensely catchy, danceable music.

Raja Farouque on bass, and occasionally guitar, is always smiley.

Jone, half-Thai drummer who gives the music that start-stop drama.

The rabbit wears a hat.

Grace on keyboard on synthesizer.

They have an infectious energy on stage. A must-see act!

Grace with her hot-teacher look.

Farouque doing the shredder-rock Billy Sheenan-ish pose. Wrong gig, dude!

They did a Disney tribute!

Grace unties her hair for serious musicality. So hot.

They also covered two Beatles songs – I Saw Her Standing There and Oh Darling.

Then it was somebody’s birthday…

…so Grace sang Happy Birthday in Korean, because she is after all Korean.

In the audience, Joni and John were spotted. Their table initially was packed, but all the kids left, leaving the married couple sitting there, guarding the bags.

Besides the honky dirty sound of the synthesizer, used previously to cover dubstep and Daft Punk, there was the youthful sound of the melodion.

Video!

Towards the end, there was a Russian Kalinka…

…I think.