Christmas Eve, 24th December 2008, at Schokolart, a chocolatey heaven.

On the bill, finger-tapping extraordinaire Az Samad…

…and jazzy Shelley Leong! (Oh, and of course Zalila Lee in the background…)

She can kompang too!

There were a few remixes and style changes.

Often, there are songs that we are used to hearing in a sombre, melancholic way, best stripped down to just vocals and one instrument, that lose potency when spruced with fills and riffs. She did do a Berkley on Innocent Girl, I think… I told her later about this, which she had also realized.

Imagine Extreme playing their trademark funk metal over More Than Words, or Red Hot Chili Peppers freaky-stylin’ Under The Bridge. That doesn’t quite work…

Hot chick photographer!

Shelley has the amazing capability to hold completely still for… 1/6th of a second. 135mm F1.8 1/6s ISO3200 yo!

Meanwhile, Az has the amazing capability to never hold completely still for the camera.

Fear of the tuner.

I honestly have a slight fear of detuning my first string (the high E) because it has snapped twice while downtuning. Downtuning! Not tuning up!

“Why are you guys arguing whether I am a chocolate ganache or not?”

Az breaks out his new toy, the SoloEtte! This takes “reversed headstock” to another level.

Zalila stares out the Solaris.

The amusing Rafique Rashid on sound. He looks diabolical mixing sound sometimes. He also has a diabolical laugh.

Three shots here were taken with the Minolta 50mm F1.4 – the rest used the Carl Zeiss 135mm F1.8. A prize for you if you can figure out which ones!

Ask Az, “Who’s your daddy?” Our National Laureate with luminescent hair, but of course!

I had blue hair once. Here it looks like I have blue hair again.

You have to plug earphones in to hear what you’re playing! I realized that the form of the SoloEtte makes it look like a music-making stick.