Feedback Open Mic ft Lukarts & Sophia Andersen @ The Bee Publika / April 2016 Edition

26th April 2016: Feedback Open Mic ft Lukarts & Sophia Andersen @ The Bee Publika / April 2016 Edition. Here’s emcee and organizer Reza Salleh!

The Suave.

I was all like, our local version of Eddie Vedder!

Seibelle?

Isaac Ho.

The Mox?

The unstoppable Reening Lau.

He has a band!

Manics.

I knew I’d seen her before, on one of them Malaysian Youtuber channels!

Sophia Andersen, first featured act.

Her guitarist.

Chirin Chirin, stitched together.

The Message.

The Vist.

The keyboardist.

The Michael.

The second featured act, Lukarts.

C_C And The T_T

22nd June 2016: Jazzy Friday at Laundry (April 2016), 22nd April 2016!

First of two acts: Talitha Tan!

Checkout them guns yo.

You never know what you’re gonna get with this girl, as her band is also called Talitha Tan.

Her infectiously cute guitarist.

Second of two acts: Crinkle Cut!

More from the Samyang 35mm F1.4 UMC that I rarely bring out.

Vicky Chin, guest keyboardist.

We don’t got stars, so we serenade bokeh balls instead.

Ashley also sings in a choir! She also teaches piano. I’ve just not seen her with a guitar.

I scuttled over to pee and passed this busker, who had a backing track, from one of our fine 80s glam metal Malaysian bands.

Yuuup.

Random picture of the Don.

Random picture of the Talitha.

Saturday, Giggy Day

16th April 2016: A whole lot of music going on at Publika! I bumped into Samuel Lopez busking.

I then headed to White Box where I saw South & The Lowlands.

The whole day I wandered around with just one lens…

…the Samyang 35mm F1.4 UMC, a lens I wished I brought out more often.

Meanwhile, at the neighboring Black Box…

…and outside. 35mm is great for that street photography feeling!

I went for dinner and returned to see Pistols99 from Thailand.

Fortunately, the drummer wasn’t too far for the lens.

Arlyne, outside, rocking ash-dyed hair!

On the other end of Publika was Psytrus.

The occasion? Rock Legend Tribute Night – “Stairway to Heaven”.

Wicked Garden!

The night was a tribute to rock legends who have since passed on. As such, they covered stuff like Queen – Stone Cold Crazy and Iron Maiden – Aces High.


There was also this awesome medley of Pantera – Cemetery Gates and Metallica – Master Of Puppets. Particularly notable since I didn’t get to see a Dimebag Darrell tribute ever since he got shot on stage years back.

Velan, boss of the venue, BullsEye Pub.

Endleaves.

Outside, posters by the organizer, Zazz Productions, adorned the doors.

It was also Zazz’s first birthday.

I whisked over to The Bee…

…for a little drum and bass.

No really it’s Tasha Aleia who slays in leather while adding R to The Bee to make R&B!

She brought up a friend, Aalex.

Meanwhile, back at BullsEye…

Rock and roll with Temjin!

They strictly stuck to the theme of tributes, which I think Rafique Rashid, if he was seeing this, would approve of. Nearly 4 years ago, he got angry that Temjin played their own rock and roll stuff after covering Pink Floyd at a Pink Floyd tribute gig.

They did Gary Moore – Still Got The Blues, complete with all the solos!

They also did a regular cover – the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers theme song, Aaron Waters – Go Go Power Rangers. Aaron Waters is really just Ron Wasserman, who is still alive. He also wrote the X-Men cartoon theme song, which explains why it sticks so well! I say it still counts as a tribute since Thuy Trang (Trini Kwan or the Yellow Ranger) has passed away.

Cats In Love end the night.

The younger cats.

Lohan channels Pete Townshend (though I don’t remember them doing a tribute to The Who.) They did, however, cover Stone Temple Pilots – Plush and a few David Bowie songs.


They also covered Cream – Badge. It is thanks to this exact bassline, on a fretless bass, that drove me to get off a bus and buy an acoustic fretless bass. Rest in peace, Jack Bruce – you showed us how to rock and roll with a fretless.

Sadly, BullsEye Pub is closing! They are going to have a farewell gig.

What: The Curtain Call: BullsEye’s Final Farewell
Where: BullsEye Pub & Restaurant, D2-G4-03, Solaris Dutamas, PUBLIKA, No.1 Jalan Dutamas 1, 50480 Kuala Lumpur
When: 10pm Saturday 25th June 2016
Who: Pseudo Crescendo, Djezna’s Stalker, Infiltrate, Deumuseth, Wicked Garden
How Much: Free entrance!

Feedback Open Mic @ The Bee Jaya One ft. Annatasha & Yinthong / April 2016 Edition

12th April 2016: Feedback Open Mic @ The Bee Jaya One ft. Annatasha & Yinthong / April 2016 Edition. Here’s emcee and organizer Reza Salleh!

First up, A Virtuous Cycle.

At the tall table, we shot each other. Here’s the guy behind Sounds Of Kites.

Here’s the guy behind Happyfingers.

Here’s the guy behind… no wait, here’s Aiman.

Hello Luqman a.k.a. Loopman.

Atila who is so cute and pocketable!

Breis is a rapper.

It’s the B to the R to the E to the I to the S to the!” Super catchy rap lines!

The next act, Reening Lau, was no softie either. He brought up the funk soul sister in the audience, and she danced to his groovy tune.

Sounds Of Kites. Can you hear it?

Riyal.

First featured act, Yinthong.

Happyfingers.

Second featured act, Annatasha.

She was really getting into her rap!

Reza Salleh on the community guitar of the night.

David Soh, too!

Chirin Chirin.

Amrita Soon.

FAZZ at Rils’ bar

9th April 2016: FAZZ at Rils’ bar. Here’s keyboardist Grace!

Bassist Farouque!

Drummer Jone!

Vocalist Kevin!

Tonight, they were a big band. Here’s Liu!

Kian Seng with the blue hair.

Ad in the horn section.

Eizaz does saxophone solos.

Patrick Terbrack, surprise guest.

High fives all around!

The bar upstairs at Rils’ Bar, Telawi, Bangsar.

Kevin is one of a kind, and it is with great sadness that he would leave the band to pursue his studies.

“Hey mom I’ll call you back, I’m in the middle of a bass solo.”
“K.”

It’s always been Kevin’s dream to hear Fazz as a big band, as some songs need that sound.


Here they are, doing a cover of Friend Like Me, from Disney’s Aladdin!

Guest vocalist Lyn.

She brings a different energy to the band!

Rils’ is dark so I brought my Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm F0.95 Dark Knight Pro Edition lens. I shouldn’t take my manual focusing skills for granted!

’twas a merry night.

Show closing!

Cheryl, everyone’s favorite bassist.

Albert, everyone’s favorite photographer. (Ha, I’d hope…)

He’s not pining! He’s passed on! This parrot is no more! He has ceased to be! He’s expired and gone to meet his maker!” What wonderful decorations Rils’ has.

Jazzy Friday at Laundry (April 2016) with Melissa SaSa & Friends and Joey Tong

8th April 2016: Jazzy Friday at Laundry (April 2016), with Melissa SaSa & Friends and Joey Tong, at Laundry Bar, The Curve! Here’s the effervescent Joey Tong. There is both the pop star Joey with a band, and a version with just a guitar.

I had no idea whether Jazzy Friday was outside or inside Laundry – usually for outside I’d bring just the 50mm, but I took a chance with the 135mm.

She was joined by a guitarist.

I like the lighting outside more – far more dramatic light.

I like her voice. It’s not gimmicky nor does it have a particular tone which is nice at first, but dominates in all songs until it wears on you.

I also like Melissa SaSa’s voice – not gimmicky either, and versatile.

This time, Melissa SaSa & Friends had more friends. That’s Laura on bass and keyboard.

Power!

I wonder if drummers secretly tune in to ticking watches to keep time.

Joelle on keys.

Wei Ming’s fretboard is shiny!

That iPad holder is cool – no need for a separate music stand!

Duel Citizenship EP – Launch Party

7th April 2016: Duel Citizenship EP – Launch Party at Alexis, Great Eastern Mall Ampang.

First up, Talitha Tan!

The bubbly girl makes sure you get her name right.

She’s a rocket ship on her way to Mars.

Can’t stop her now!

Melizarani T. Selva speaks poetry.

Joe Flizzow! First time I’d see at least half of Too Phat – given that I’ve seen at least half of Poetic Ammo.

Omar on drums.

A guest vocalist.

An awesome phone case.

Awesome artwork accompanied each performer on stage.

Man of the hour, Q Sound. He launched his Duel Citizenship EP that night! I’d known him as the then frontman of Bassment Syndicate, but he left the band soon after that night.

He had a string section…

…and a horn section, with a dude who looked like Mike Einziger.

One half of the JUNY Brothers…

…and the other.

Yvonne Chong, backup vocals.

More horns.

Even more horns.

Joe Flizzow hops on!

Adil, the johan of saxophone.

Trombone time!

DJ Vin ends the night.

Camwhore selfie time with Ann Na!

My eyeshade is natural.

Glomper and the glompee.

Five Five

Today has been so full of hilarious randomness that I feel compelled to blog in the style that I used to, before I started flooding it with pictures.

Woke up late, rushed to the office, and had breakfast there. The cafeteria lady and her coffee machine makes a powerful latte. (I work in Menara Maxis now, and there is nothing more that I wish than for it to have a paternoster lift.) So I went to the comfortable toilet an hour later because y’know, coffee has a laxative effect. The gents has 3 cubicles and I took the middle one, since the first was occupied. I overheard a female voice talking on the phone. I then realized it was just an effeminate male voice. I then heard another voice, also from the same cubicle. Couldn’t make out what they were saying but they seemed to be joking with each other. I didn’t make any effort to be quiet as I entered the toilet, so they should’ve heard me.

Perhaps it wasn’t the noontime tryst I assumed, but a wardrobe malfunction that needed attention. Still, I’d think that if I was having a sexy time in a public-like place, that I’d pause and try to be as quiet as possible – no sexy time going on in here, no sirree…

This following disclaimer segment wouldn’t exist if I blogged about this 15 years ago when everyone was less politically correct:
1) I am indifferent to whether a toilet is hygienic enough or gross for an exchange of bodily fluids
2) I don’t have moral objections to homosexual activity
3) I’d think that those having a sexy time would be more grossed out by unsexy sounds and smells of a toilet, than somebody trying to unload and hearing somebody else blow their load
4) The office toilet is admittedly pretty clean by male toilet standards
5) I am indifferent to gendered toilets – if the argument for gendered toilets is to avoid possible perving from the opposite sex, what if a homosexual pervs on members of the same sex because he/she is allowed entry? Is a bisexual disallowed from both gendered toilets? Is an asexual allowed in both? Besides, we have ungendered toilets at home. If the argument for gendered toilets is space e.g. urinals, and I was a pre-operation transsexual female (meaning I was assigned male at birth), would I pick the gents if I needed to pee because I wouldn’t need to queue for a cubicle? (But then, gender expression is separate from sexual preference.)
6) I am often hesitant to commit these thoughts to text because people read this and think I will keep this opinion forever. (A common activist trap, which is why activists all get angry at each other, because either context collapse happens due to our affinity to call out instead of call in, and we consider an activist a hypocrite for changing their stance.) I’ll revise my thoughts sometimes when informed better.

As I told this story, I was asked if I heard any “piak piak” sound. That’s a term used in Malaysia, usually of penetration. I wonder what the non-penetrative version of this for female-only trysts is, and how it is spelled.

I wanted to ask this on Facebook, but my timeline is quite focused on particular topics, that it seems out of character. Perhaps I’m overthinking this, with my fingers to my chin, like a Philosoraptor.

I then remembered that there is an Albertosaurus! I thought that would be cool as a Facebook profile picture, where I’d call it my spirit animal, but the Albertosaurus walks on fours like the diplodocus, doesn’t it? I looked it up and found out that the Albertosaurus in fact walks on just its hind legs and is quite like the Tyrannosaurus Rex in appearance. So I could legitimately make such a meme, once I’ve drawn it, preferably in the art style of Pusheen, with a monocle.

So, back to the randomness of today. I got a phone call from an unknown number, and the guy spoke to me in Cantonese, and he said his boss spoke to me, from some network company. I asked what this was about, and he said it was about their company’s order of chairs. Apparently, I sell chairs now.

I for one would love a good work chair, for my home PC – one that has easy adjustments and decent headrest such that I could choose to lean back and sleep in it, for the times I want a short nap and avoid oversleeping if I take a nap in a proper bed.

Crinkle Cut LIVE @The BAR°N

1st April 2016: Crinkle Cut LIVE @The BAR°N, 1 Mont Kiara.

An occasional outtake, because outtakes can be cute.

Melvin Goh on keys, filling in for Vicky, who is filling in for Grace.

Ashley Choong brings fills with feels.

Frances Tsen brings feels.

Melissa SaSa (as she is branded) is the quirky second host.

While I was sitting outside guarding the band’s stuff in return for a seat, I overheard Sophia Andersen next door, at Taps Beer Bar.

Indie Mix Up Vol. 6

24th March 2016: Indie Mix Up Vol. 6 at Laundry Bar, The Curve.

First up: Amrita Soon!

I… don’t know if they’re twins.

Darren Teh, emcee.

Ocean Of Fire!

Here’s the finger-tapping Jaime Gunter who got a lot of bass solo time.

Kelvyn’s guitar isn’t the only thing that’s scalloped – his cheeks are, too.

Fist Of Pain.

Adam is the subject of the focus assist light.

Metal AF Christian.

No, Camero isn’t just taking a picture with a fan – he’s also playing bass wirelessly.

Slyde is in Dragon Red with a bunch of these guys…

…like Brandon Gomez.

Mutesite.

Finally got to see this post-rock band.

The occasional saxophonist.

The amused drummer.

Jyo-rin on keys.

Jie Er on bass.

Anthony beats both Js at being the prettiest.