13th September 2014: LOT 36: Dotters’ Division, at The Bee, Lot 36, Publika.

Dotters D featuring Sachie Amira! Yes that’s a picture I took!

From here, of course.

So here’s Rebecca on drums!

Joey on bass! (Yes, that’s her expression when you call her Joey.)

Linet the keyboardist and band leader.

Melissa the guitarist and singer. My friend asked if she was Indian, because the stage lights were strongly colored most of the time and he couldn’t tell. I had to show him this picture to convince him otherwise.

Jie Er. Okay lah.

The bashful crowd.

Guest vocalist Sachie Amira!

Their repertoire switched up a bit, adding Meghan Trainor – All About That Bass and Jessie J – Bang Bang. They’re having a lot of fun with this song!

This would be the first time I’d bring the Sony Alpha 7s to see them. Linet took this picture of Tiah, albeit misfocused due to the difficulty of manual focusing the Mitakon/ZhongYi Speedmaster 50mm F0.95 for those not familiar.

Linet’s ready for the future…

…while others are forced into slavery.

I think Adrienne took this picture with my infrared Sony Alpha NEX-5. So pretty!

The week after, 20th September 2014.

Denim theme time!

Linet, wardrobe coordinator.

Evelyn Feroza, guest vocalist.

27th September 2014: Ashley Choong(as) on congas.

The other end of the stage was the stickwoman.

Amused Cheras gangster.

“I tell you ah…”

Yeah, I like slinging my guitars up high too.

I didn’t notice at first, but I didn’t really get any shots of Ashley from the front, other than this one.

It was also David Teoh’s birthday, with drinks to wipe your memory! Minum semua bersih!

Later, at the mamak.

I think it’s obvious who the credit for this picture goes to.

11th October 2014.

Halloween’s the theme, and it feels like my home… except my home is dusty like this all year.

Damn, I’d not seen Rebecca this way before.

…or Melissa, either. *hides*

Member of Parliament for Segambut, Lim Lip Eng, spotted! The Bee, Publika, is in the Segambut constituency.

DJ Khye, guest musician for the night.

I find overexposure one of the few tactics to handle difficult stage lighting.

Bleeps and bloops in front, and a Korg at the back.

I also just bought a 64 GB 95MB/s read, 90MB/s write SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I SD card, allowing me to finally shoot a 120 frames per second 1080p video (albeit in APS-C crop mode, on the A7S.) So here’s a video of them starting Daft Punk – Get Lucky, shifted down to 24 frames per second, with the audio moved 2 octaves up (meaning the sound is slowed down 5 times then sped up 4 times.)

After-show group picture.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it…

27th September 2014: Essence of Music, at Page 2, Publika.

Page 2 is a quiet little bar above Plan B.

First up: Ethaya, a deejay who used to run the seminal Cloth & Clef in Changkat Bukit Bintang.

Next up: The funkalicious Gregory Ramanado.

He’s got soul and stage presence, no matter the crowd.

Funky beats.

Obligatory camwhore shot.

26th September 2014: Crinkle Cut at The Bee, Publika! This is the Frances.

Smiley Grace.

Concentrated Ashley. More human mass in a smaller area for high density, explaining the force of her hands.

Melissa’s voice is so powerful she stands far from the microphone.

25th September 2014: Laundry X AHM Records X Vans: #ProjectOffTheWall (September Edition) at Laundry Bar, The Curve.

Here’s returning rock band Relent!

Love their classic 90s anthemic rock sound!

Then came shredder Kelvyn Yeang!

Finally got to see his red Solo Bomb pedal in action!

He was also selling his solo album, Bunnies At The Carnival, which sounds just like its title. Awesome instrumental stuff with some songs where he sings as well. The disc even includes some backing tracks for guitarists to shred along to! Needless to say, I got myself a copy.

Another returning band: Car Crash Hearts!

Completely new lineup…

…besides Collin the frontman.

Ryan the everywhere stickman.

Darren Teh, organizer, emcee, and guitarist! This is the handsome, handsome Dean Z Straight-Six. Neckthrough body and the handsomest shape ever. The Dean Dave Mustaine Zero series also uses this shape, with the same headstock.

A surprise guest vocalist! Eve Oh, who I’d not seen in ages!

Collin sings along.

She’s all biker chick now.

She used to be in An Honest Mistake with Darren, playing guitar and singing.

Diandra Arjunaidi!

Cool sax.

Cool shades.

Cool eyes.

Cool guitar, on Infiltrate.

I remember this band, when it was called Infiltrated, from the days at Paul’s Place. They bring me back to the days of the sounds of Deftones.

He remembers me too!

Sara G, on guest screams.

Natalie on bass.

I like how metally menacing he looks.

The crew.

Beautiful Schecter Diamond Series Hellraiser guitar.

Sepet Vernz and her funky hair.

24th September 2014: Pisco Live Mic 2.30 with Talitha Tan & Crinkle Cut, at Pisco Bar, Jalan Mesui. But first, an open mic session!

I’m not sure, but I think this was Jonathan How & Friends.

Pisco Bar’s lighting necessitates the Sony Alpha 7S and Mitakon/ZhongYi Speedmaster 50mm F0.95 Dark Knight Pro Edition to be employed to freeze motion.

Hilarious emcee.

First featured act, Talitha Tan!

This would be the first time I’d see her in this format, just her on guitar and John on cajon.

Just the two of them.

Talitongue!

Group shot.

Second featured act of the night, Crinkle Cut! Loved their Daft Punk – Something About Us cover.

Ashley/Ashleg…

…who has a unique style of cajon playing.

Grace the cutest sepet keyboardist.

Frances the spacey vocalist.

Melissa Sasa. Not sure if I missed out a sa or two.

Gregory, getting into their acoustic funk jazz groove!

He joins to drop a freestyle rap. He’s superb at this!

Triblues, awesome instrumental rock!

Gregory Ramanado taught the bassist his version of Oasis – Wonderwall, who then really got into the groove.

Tan Jei Shian, a mean acoustic fingerstyle player.

Glass slide goodness!

Greg and I do our customary camwhore pose.

Another group shot, with all featured artistes!

23rd September 2014: Feedback Open Mic ft Cassandra Mary & Black Lightbulb @ The Bee Publika / September 2014 Edition. Here’s beatboxer Riyal!

I think Melinya took this picture. Ashwin, drumming for…

…the high-octane blues rock of The Maha Jeffrey Band!

Hameer Zawawi, emcee.

Middle Sons.

The Meow Meows.

With Crystal, the smug artist!

First time seeing her sing since bumping into her at gigs.

First time seeing Rames at a gig. First time I’d shoot something like this with the Sony Alpha 7S and Mitakon/ZhongYi Speedmaster 50mm F0.95 Dark Knight Pro Edition.

Reza Salleh, organizer, to introduce the next band…

First featured act, Black Lightbulb!

They play instrumental progressive rock…

…but this time they featured Hameer Zawawi.

Shreddicus.

Sid Murshid.

Second featured act, Cassandra Mary!

Leanna Red Panda, who was joined by Riyal.

Amoura.

Catchy red bass!

Mikhail.

Nazrin, who covered Bo Amir Iqram – Lagu!

Girish. Melinya took this picture…

…as well as this picture of Gabriel Lynch…

…and this, too. Amazing how he sounds produced even when playing live, with what seemed to be a very well-controlled volume fader.

Tammy Jayne, who is all about that bass.

Joshua, shot by Melinya.

Also featuring Riyal! I could get used to this, having other people take pictures.

Joshua is from Son Of A Policeman (not Queen as some may mistake him to be.) By this time I’d already trusted that she’d cover the shots.

Jenn is from So I’m Jenn, and Kiss Kill Mary. Picture is from myself. I think the difference in style is quite apparent!

This time, she was in her alter-ego, in pink, and not red.

Still got her presence pedal dialled to 11.

20th September 2014: Cats In Love Live at Bulls Eye Pub & Restaurant, Publika.

Rock and roll frontman N. Rama Lohan!

The most recent addition to the group, Zedes!

Wong Lip Kee now taking over making sounds like Jon Lord!

Gotta love Bulls Eye’s stage lights. The colors make it easy for white balance.

Ash, in the back, on drums.

19th September 2014: NIGHTSHIFT live at The Bee, Publika. Here’s Emmanuel on vocals and between-song-banter!

Jack doesn’t have this cool hairdo anymore.

Guest drummer Cliff!

Bass noodler Ian.

Guitar noodler Andy.

After this birthday shot one can expect not to remember.

16th September 2014: Moonshine Ninth Anniversary Malaysia Day Special, at Laundry Bar, The Curve! Here’s the persistent, consistent gig organizer, Reza Salleh, who has been doing this for 9 years now, from its humble beginnings as an acoustic show at No Black Tie, to many electric years in Laundry Bar (including an open mic session after, in the early iterations), and a short stint at The Bee, Publika, and returning to Laundry Bar.

Just for listmania, here are the first 10 Moonshine gigs ever:

1) 26th November 2005, No Black Tie
2) 15th December 2005, No Black Tie
3) 5th January 2006, No Black Tie
4) 2nd February 2006, No Black Tie (postponed due to complications with DBKL.)
5) 11th May 2006, Laundry Bar (same lineup as the postponed Moonshine #4, just relocated.)
6) 1st June 2006, Laundry Bar
7) 13th July 2006, Laundry Bar
8) 10th August 2006, Laundry Bar
9) 14th September 2006, Laundry Bar
10) 12th October 2006, Laundry Bar

The first leg of this Malaysia Day Special was outdoors, and Hameer Zawawi was on. Everyone was to do covers of Malaysian bands. Quite surprised he didn’t do Tempered Mental – Automata, in fact!

Zalila Lee on djembe.

Cassandra Mary, one of the grungier!

Saturday Afternoon.

Seriously digging Melissa’s tattoo!

They also did a cover of Estranged – Itu Kamu, as well as Disagree – Crumbs, cutting into Malaysian Artistes For Unity – Here In My Home.

I brought the Sony 16mm F2.8 E-mount pancake lens, modified for full-frame, for my Sony Alpha 7S, resulting in this funky image.

Next up: The acoustic goodness of Crinkle Cut.

Such heartbreaker eyes!

Ashley interestingly sports a cajon that is different than the run-of-the-mill standard-issue one. Ask her about it!

If you haven’t noticed, there’s a color theme going on…

Malaysia Day, and they were dressed in colors of the Malayan (and then) Malaysian flag!

This may be a breathing exercise. Probably helps with singing.

The second leg of the show was indoors, back in the usual stage…

…with the multi-part harmony of The Vochale Project!

I then bumped into Land Slyde of Poetic Ammo, who had with him, Dave Childs, who was their lead guitarist!

The other Poetic Ammo member I bump into all the time, C. Loco, was also there!

Amir Jahari.

Kyoto Protocol!

They did a cover of Butterfingers – The Chemistry (Between Us) and admitted to just reusing their Malaysian covers from Versus, a battle-of-the-bands contest. Still, solid stuff!

Frenchman singing in Malay.

Elizabeth Tan!

Her trusty guitarist John.

She’d been doing Malaysian covers for quite some time – so it was a natural fit for the theme for this Moonshine.

Here, she covered Darren Ashley – On My Toes! I was floored to hear anybody cover Darren Ashley’s older stuff, before he became the electronica cat he is today. She also did Estrella – Stay.

Meanwhile, outside… note the photobomber in the middle.

Jin Hackman!

This rap genius is at work!

His rockin’ band.

A Kevin Theng I didn’t recognize at first, looking a bit Keanu Reeves-ish here.

The decks.

He brought on Nadhira…

…as well as C. Loco…

To bring so many Malaysian hip hop classics!

They burst out Poetic Ammo – Who Be The Playa and Poetic Ammo – Everything Changes. This was in fact, my first time seeing a Poetic Ammo song getting covered, and my first time seeing a Poetic Ammo member performing a Poetic Ammo song.

There was also Too Phat, Teh Tarik Crew and Urban XChange! Almost forgot about Urban XChange.

I don’t wander much into the local hip-hop scene, sadly.

The ethereal Ali Aiman. He covered Najwa…

…who performed right after. Probably the only cover of another artiste also playing the same evening.

Najwa did a cover of Mia Palencia – Sayang…

…who Fook also plays for.

So there’s guitar, bass, and keyboard. I don’t think I’ve seen him play drums.

That’s what the amazing John Ashley Thomas is for.

Nish. Wait, more keyboards? Yeah, Najwa is going darker (and she plays awesome solo piano and sings herself!)

The big poster, with autographs.

That’s my autograph!

The full set of pictures is here, on Moonshine Productions’ photo album.