enter malay

raya lepas, masa tengah raya kat Malaysia, so meriah join in borak2 kaum lelaki termasuk dengan yang tak kenal. Ada sekali aku join borak2, until aku realise dalam hati, 'eh, ni sua tengah bual benda2 agama sey', abis la aku otak jem kejap haha, ye la , bila campur masyarakat, kenalah pandai sesuaikan diri ye tak. Bahasa, perangai, kena tuning beb, nak2 topik gini.

Then aku perasan, eh satu brader ni muallaf la. Orang Penang. Masuk melayu.
So dia sebenarnye tengah highlight a few concerns of his sewaktu dia belajar agama Islam. Istimewa sangat bila aku tengok dia bersungguh2 nak tahu dan belajar tentang agama suci ni, supaya dia boleh menjadi seorang Islam yang lebih elok dan dapat mempraktiskan segala bentuk ibadah yang dia nak buat sebagai orang Islam. Aku cakap jugak kat dia pasal dia slalu kena turun Singapore, aku cakap kat dia senang gi Darul Arqam , Singapura punye Muslim converts nye building kat Geylang Serai Haig Road sana. Ye la, nak belajar agama, apa aku tahu kita kena banyakkan tempat2 dan guru2 agama. Jadi kita dapat variety of input yang kita boleh nilai dan tapis.

Coincidently, beberapa hari sebelum tu kat suratkhabar melayu Singapore sunday punye - Berita Minggu, ada artikel menarik tentang Muallaf ni.
Satu pompuan ni, dia siap kasi bible kat kawan Muslim dia. Dengan harapan supaya kawan dia dapat menerima agama dia la.
Kalo ada sesetengah kita mungkin melenting dan marah2 bila orang nak menceritakan tentang kelebihan agama mereka, tapi for this case, kawan dia aku rasa dia very calm and cool, dan sebaliknya menghadiahkan kembali terjemahan AlQuran kat pemberi bible tadi.
Tu la kuasa Allah, last2 benda tu jadi terbalik dan pompuan ni lak yang baca AlQuran tu dan at last hati dia terbuka terima agama Islam.

Lagi satu pasal this guy kat dalam, terpengaruh ngan rakan2 beragama Islam dia kat kat dalam dirikan solat dan akhirnya dia pun jadi Islam.
Part dia cerita pasal masuk masjid ngan badan dan muka penuh tattoo, aku rasa.. tak tahu cammana perasan dia dan budak2 lain kalo kena stare haha.
Tapi...Allah lagi mengetahui, who are we to judge kalo ada orang satu muka penuh tattoo ( nak nak kalo orang melayu ) masuk masjid sembahyang.

So aku simpan artikel ni. Dah ronyok2 dah
Pada aku, jangan la pasal kita ni yang dilahirkan kat dalam agama turun temurun, kita ingat kita dan bagus dan worse kalo kita merendahkan dan menghina mereka beragama lain.

Allah kalo nak terbalikkan hati, anytime. Tu kita kena ingat.

Dan aku, aku ada kawan, ada orang2 aku pernah tahu sepanjang hidup aku, baik lelaki baik pompuan...yang dari luar nampak pure decent homely type..
yang ubah dari agama Islam ke agama2 lain. For whatever reasons. Memang aku pun unsangkarable.
Aku stress ni, agama - agama lain. Bukan satu agama je.

Aku memang hancur la bab2 agama ni, tapi Semoga diri kita, love ones kita, ahli keluarga, sedara mara, kawan2 kita beragama Islam, semua berakhir hayat bila nyawa kena cabut ngan malaikat maut tu dalam keadaan beragama Islam. Akhir yang baik.

Taste Of India

..lingers on the tip of my tongue.

A bit of Deepavali light up for 2011 ( Singapore's Little India punye version ) just before some of the decoration lights began to be switched off as its very late already.

And I still think this is one of Aerosmith's best pop songs...

First time dulu dengar, aku was like...biar betik.. happening. Sampai skarang masih happening pada aku.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oF4JadD5BQ

upcoming books sharing a similar rocking theme

hi korang, amacam?
Besides the upcoming John McMurtie's On Board Flight 666 photo book, these are some other books that catch my eye, for the good or bad points.

Frstly, a book written by a crew member of two of my favourite ever bands, who was in both bands for a total of 30 YEARS. So his book on his experience with both Deep Purple and RAINBOW will I think be one of the best ever. Especially with all the explosives inside stories and backstage stuffs between all the ever-changing band members, his experience with the bands when they play live especially in the 70s and everyhing else that happens to both bands that I am interested to know.
Especially now I am waiting for David Coverdale's Ular Putih to come and I got the ticketssss.. ssss.. ssssss.. ( snake hissing sound ).

Check out the write up for the release
Colin devoted over thirty years of his life to these great rock musicians. This is his story and indeed theirs. A tale of excess in terms of greed, petulance, anger and devotion. It is counter balanced by extremes of pure talent, showmanship and, of course musicianship. He was the constant ‘man in the middle’ through all of the break ups, make-ups and revolving door line-up changes. Joining them at twenty-four years old and leaving thirty years later, he was there every step of their rock ‘n’ roll way. A story of two of the most innovative, often copied, rock bands; seen through the eyes, ears and emotions of their ‘mother hen’ (as Jon Lord described him). He was their minder, chauffeur, carer, provider, protector, father confessor & confidant. In truth he is the only one who can tell this tale of both bands as he was the only one there on the road throughout the life of, not one, but both gigantic bands.

Hart endured a roller coaster ride, working for Purple, during the band’s most successful period. He was there when the casino burnt down in Montreux, and witnessed Smoke On The Water being born; the legendary concerts in Japan; the break-up of the Gillan / Glover line-up; the auditions that saw David Coverdale join the band, and the California Jam performance in front of 400,000.

When Ritchie Blackmore left Deep Purple in early 1975 and formed Rainbow, Colin went with him and continued as Rainbow’s tour manager through the ever-revolving line-ups. He was invariably the man who had to break the news to many of the hopefuls that auditioned for the band: “We’ll get back to you” being the stock reply!

In 1984 when Blackmore disbanded Rainbow for the Deep Purple reunion, Colin naturally resumed his role with these rock giants as they embarked on a world tour that included the hugely successful 1985 US leg - the second biggest grossing US tour that year after Bruce Springsteen. A déjà vu situation occurred as Colin was in the middle of yet more band break-ups as first, Gillan departed, Turner joined, Gillan returned and Blackmore departed, while Steve Morse emerged to take the band into the new millennium, although for Colin his thirty years on the road with two of the biggest bands in rock history came to an end in 2001.
And the deluxe edition... really makes me crazy!! I think I am going head over heels for this specific book.
check out here - http://www.thehighwaystar.com/news/2011/08/28/colin-harts-book-details/


Next, there is this photo book called Murder In The Front Row , 272 pages of full color early days of Thrash metal bands at San Francisco. Big 4 and all the rest.
ok..
ok.. breath in breath out...breath in breath out.. haha.
But... D.E.S.T.R.U.C.T.I.O.N will not be in this book rite? Unless the book is called Murder In Ze Front Row , haha. So if you cant have their photos in this book, you can snap photos of them yourselves next month whehn they're on stage.
Contemplating.....contemplating... I dont sound like a person who will be out of job soon do I ? ooo the priorities of life, but its ok to treat yourself once in a while.

Aha, speaking of this book, I just remember the nice friendly lady at the Yishun branch of the National Library telling me the Library welcomes recommendations on any kind of books to bring in. Aha...I hope to recommend this book, although that latest Ross Halfin Metallica book is still not in the Library online catalog yet.


Next, something that I will expect high standard on, something that will be great, since I had already got the first book on Steve Harris ( you guys know how much I like this book on my blog post sometimes back ). So now Stipe ( Maidencroatia ) will be coming out with his second one on Adrian Smith called Stranger In A Strange Land, which is of course a Maiden song written completely by H himself. I dont know the people who will be sharing their stories about H for this book, but it will be nice.
No arguments about it but H returns play a big part in what Maiden had become now, being bigger than ever before. And if Steve Harris will only just allow H to take complete charge of a Maiden studio album, it will be the most delightful thing ever. Unfortunately...it will never happen hahaa. But, maybe it will?
This book will be out on H birthday next Feb. So I think I can KIV for the time being.




Lastly, there is this new book called The Ultimate Illutrated History by Neil Daniels. I think, I got a feeling this book is those that compiled photos and infos we have seen and read and just repackaged nicely by a person.
So I think..... I WILL SKIP THIS BOOK. I may change my mind but for now, I am not interested. Anyway its not out till much later.

At first, looking at the title illustrated, and with a Derek Riggs artwork cover, I thought its going to be something great, but then seeing Neil Daniels, and my heart says,... NEXT PLEASE. haha. But maybe can get a copy if I can afford it of course, but I doubt it, there are a number of Maiden related books that I am not interested already out in the market already.



Till then happy reading whatever you enjoy reading.

tunggu kat tbs

biar tercepat jangan terlambat. Satu bagus dan tak bagus nye Terminal Bersepadu Selatan ni berbanding Puduraya dan Bukit Jalil nye carpark, ialah bas jalan takde hegeh2 sangat. Hegeh2 tu ada, tapi sikit je. Kalo korang lambat thats it.. beli tiket bas lain le.

So kalo korang gi tingkat dua (actually aras 4 ke hapa ntah ), ada macam2 kedai tu yang Kenny Rogers ngan 'Wendy/Starbucks yang tak bukak2' actually kat row belakang tu ok jugak la korang lepak.








Memang class, dah macam airport, ngan screen info besar giler, dan pengalaman aku hari raya lepas, memang alrite.. no hassle, pengguna dan penumpang bas ekspress mesti gembira harga tiket dah tak giler babi sangat ngan hilangnya sebagian orang yang ambik kesempatan bila musim perayaan.

Tapi aku tak beli kat kaunter2 yang dijalankan pihak TBS, kecuali kalo aku nak naik bas konsortium etc.
Macam Transnational, causeway link, etc, semua masih pakai kaunter mereka ngan pekerja mereka ngan ticketing sistem mereka sendiri.





nanti sambung

"rasa macam kat wembley"

Just for fun, the cover is like this

and the back cover is like this.




Till we get an official release dvd and double cd ( I hope ), which I think will be the best ever Wings live official release and a sure hotseller, this is something to remember for those who are there, and also for those who are not there.
The full 2hrs show unedited.

A low quality fan audience audio recording, but I think this is one of my best. I had been listening a few times and it gives me a bit of goosebumps especially on songs like Hukum Karma and Taman Rashidah Utama. One fast, one slow, which demonstrates how both the band and the audience are into it.


I love it so much so I just put in on youtube just in case anyone is interested.
Malay Rock Music is seriously lacking in archieving all the live performances since the days of the 70s. I am not merely talking about a multi lineup pop concert with one or two songs being played by your favourite rock band, but a full 90mins-2hrs show.

Some of my older recordings are too embarassing quality to upload at least on youtube, but still if all these is not shared, then it will just dissapear..


enjoy - I think using a earphone or headphone at maximum volume will helps a bit.

01 intro
02 watari
03 opera hidup
04 hukum karma
05 semalam yang hangat
06 ranggi metropolis
07 lena diulit mimpi
08 bernafas dalam lumpur
09 awie stage banter
10 inspirasi taming sari
11 romania
12 keyboards
13 joe instrumental
14 jerangkung dalam almari
15 sejati
16 taman rashidah utama
17 musafir di aidilfitri
18 peronda jaket biru

review kumpulan Wings 16 Sept 2011 Suntec City Singapore

Ulasan pegi tengok smalam. Bila Wings umum live di Singapura, aku mula2 ingat dorang nak buat macam tu hari yang ada koir ngan orkestra tu semua, aku tak minat la nak keluar duit tengok Wings main lagu2 mereka ngan benda2 gini. Mesti aku kejong dan bosan tengok lagu2 Wings yang aku minat dari dorang keluar kaset pertama dulu diubahsuai ngan koir dan strings. Satu lagu ok la tapi kalo the whole show, aku kena fikir banyak2 la. Ni aku cakap untuk diri aku sendiri so don’t be offended. Everyone has a different taste and its your hard-earned money, time and effort so you make your choice.




Tapi bila aku terbaca, dorang cuma tambah satu keyboards player je baru aku semangat sikit dan terus beli tiket. Walau aku tak konfiden bila baca konsep ‘rockestra’ yang Wings nak tonjolkan.
Jugak, aku dah lama sangat tak nengok Wings main full concert atau headline act kat Singapura. Tu last yang Awie cakap kat tepi kubur dulu.Mungkin perasaan aku, tapi Wings kalo main kat Singapore macam ALL OUT semacam, Awie pun main lepas cakap je apa dia nak cakap. Siak je Awie, siap announce dia dah berair sampai dia punya bontot. Lagi kena declare tu air peluh lagi. Tapi his gay and nyah jokes are hilarious.



Aku tak masuk tengok kedua2 opening acts, jadi no komen. Bila aku masuk koyak tiket, dj Hafeez Glamour ngah buat segmen penuh lawak ngan beberapa peminat atas stage. Alrite la dj Ria ni. Aku ni bukan jenis dengar radio baik kat Spore atau Msia.

So masa aku kat luar aku study seating plans, tengok macam seats dalam 7000+, aku masuk dalam wow…not bad, Cuma belah kiri kanan je ada ruang kosong. Aku dah tak kuasa nak carik seat aku, so aku duk je tempat yang banyak kosong, lagipun aku nak bootleg untuk kenangan aku sendiri jadi kat tempat tak kecoh, I can try to get the best possible sound outcome using my humble little recorder.
Stage dia awesome giler for a Malay rock band performance. TIGA giant screens kat blakang band. Kamera video cover angles semua baik punya, termasuk angle tangkap penonton. Betul2 pandai tangkap sudut jadi kalo orang tengok video smalam dorang ingat full house haha. Korang semua harap la, malam tadi punya show akan keluar dalam bentuk dvd ( dan haraplah kalo keluar jangan cuma untuk pasaran Singapura saje ), pasal aku pun kagum ngan live editing yang masuk kat tiga screen besar tu, licin je dan semua angle menarik, ngan Eddie buat muka lawak waktu ngah belakangkan audience pun dapat dirakam dan terus live dipaparkan kat screen video besar giler tu. Sound pun memang best. Yamaguchi yang soundman jepun tu Awie cakap dia dulu Jepun, skarang dah tukar IC Jawa.



OK this is what happens ok, song by song review of Wings live in Singapore Suntec City 16 Sept 2011. Aku try selitkan apa2 happening seluruh persembahan ni termasuk Awie nya stage banters yang best kalo aku tak type tadi kat atas.
1. Intro by the keyboards player. Later that night, masa intro keyboards player Wings, Awie buat lawak cakap dah tiap2 hari dorang sama, dah bukan pemuzik jemputan lagi pun, ‘dah kira confirmed’ Awie cakap, tapi bayaran tetap sessionist.
2. Watari. Ooo masuk instrumental dulu. The sound is alrite la untuk halwa telinga aku.
3. Opera Hidup. Macam banyak lagu lain malam ni, dan apa aku perasan sejak dua menjak ni Wings ada improvise sikit intro2 lagu dorang, got good and bad for me as a fan. Negatifnya, ada lagu intro yang kita suka sangat dah terus tak wujud, tapi positifnya, kebanyakkan lagu jadi panjang sikit, pasal ada intro2 improvise ni. Tapi aku nak emphasis, once the song starts proper, it will still sounds like what you guys are familiar with.
AWIE TOP FORM malam ni. NI aku type block letter ok. Suara dia best, dan banyak pekik2 malam ni. Dan Awie handsome giler ni malam. Of course all Wings pun hensem2 belaka la, tapi siak je Awie cakap ni malam dorang cantik lak. Haha. Memang banyak jokes tu malam.
4. Hukum Karma. Terus masuk Hukum Karma nye improvise intro, tapi audience dah boleh baca apa lagu nak main, tetap dah “ooooo” tanpa apa2 prompting. Happening crowd malam tadi. Sebab tu kot Awie cakap satu part tu “ RASA MACAM KAT WEMBLEY”. Not only a live dvd please, a double cd also would be welcome.
5. Semalam Yang Hangat. Aku memang feberet lagu ni, so of course la aku happy. Bila audience dapat identify intro lagu ni, wahh meriah betul. Awie did mention about 4000 is in attendance tonight. Hey, that’s great considering considering its still Hari Raya season, $148-$68 seats, and on a Friday night. Remember its a normal working and school day in Singapore unlike in Malaysia its a public holiday. Kumpulan Wings is a huge famous name in Singapore and I think Wings themselves know that.
Dari berbagai umur, makcik pakcik ke muda remaja, dari semua golongan masyarakat, PAKALIAO. Macam aku cakap, sejak kaset Wings pertama keluar dulu Belenggus Iramas tu, Wings terus dah kat hati peminat2 Singapore and dorang maintain.

6. Ranggi Metropolis. Suka siak. Dah macam lagu wajib lak bila aku tengok Wings live.
7. Lena Diulit Mimpi. Surprise song untuk aku, happy woo, dan Awie perkenalkan lagu ni dan lagu2 lain malam ni ngan cara dia tersendiri , lagu Cindai tetap ada macam biasa. Also Malam ni setiap Hantu Kak Limah punya lawak yang Awie buat dapat sambutan hangat penonton. Sampai part nak ‘kita bako kita bako’ si Joe punya amp pasal overheat berasap. Tapi apa pun technical problem Joe is having, Awie memang pandai cover time ngan dia punya borak2.
8. Bernafas Dalam Lumpur. Awie introduce sebagai Bernafas Dalam Longkang. Lagi sekali stage banter Awie first class ngan ayat2 moral dan menuju kebaikkan dia haha. Tapi apa dia cakap semua betul. Apa berlaku hari ni ialah pengajaran untuk hari esok.
Anyway, apsal improvise intro lagu ni ingatkan aku kat Michael Jackson nye hold me like the river jordan tu.
9. Inspirasi Taming Sari. Cara Awie perkenalkan lagu ni, korang kena dengar. Memang best. Awie cerita dia ajak David Coverdale ngan Mariah Carey nyanyi lagu ni dorang tak nak pasal dorang bukan melayu. Tapi dia nak audience Singapore malam tadi nyanyi ramai2. Kecoh siak. Siap cakap Semoga Tidak Melayu Hilang Di Singapura. Macam aku cakap kat intro, video editing yang broadcast kat tiga screen besar tu memang best, jadi seluruh persembahan, korang dapat closeup untuk kesemua anggota Wings beraksi hebat dari dekat termasuk keyboard player dorang. Please la ada live dvd, pasal memang best. Kalo takde, korang tunggu la sapa ada rakam seluruh konsert tu pakai video handphone dorang.



10. Romania. Pleasant surprise again walau intro improvise lagu ni memang buat aku lost. Awie pun improvise lirik lagu ni, setiap akhir korus, Awie ganti “oh Romania” ngan “Oh Singapore”. Gerek.
11. Keyboard solo. Ermmm ok la anggota Wings nak rehat dan audience pun ada nak gi toilet kot. Tapi aku terhibur so no hal.
12. Joe Instrumental. Joe main instrumental dia ( sampai skarang aku tak tau apa nama title instrumental ni ) yang serupa ngan double trouble KL Bukit Kiara dan JB Stadium Larkin. Sorry la, aku type ni dari memori dan playback bootleg so aku type apa aku ingat je la. Lain2 latest shows Wings setahun dua selain DT dua tempat ni aku tak pegi so I don’t know.
13. Jerangkung Dalam Almari. Perasaan aku ke? Tapi lagu Jerangkungs ni macam dapat tepukan paling gemuruh je bila abis main? Hebat persembahan lagu ni.
14. Sejati. Intro improvise versi terkini lagu Sejati ni aku dah tengok kat youtube, sedutan dari kat mana nya tv event ntah, so takdelah mengejutkan sangat intro dia bila dengar smalam dan jugak Black improvisation masa guitar solo. Dramatik giler siak. Kenangan itu..”KENANGAN ITU!!!”. Eddie did the backing vocals on this " kenangan itu!!" and other backing parts. Aku suka sangat. Audience tak yah cakap la, semua pun nak tunggu nyanyi part backing ‘Kenangan itu’ dari first korus lagik, tapi aku tak boleh…nanti buat spoil macam bootleg Maiden kat Indoor Stadium tu hari, Shit!! I spoil it myself!!. Awie turun stage time ending part.
15. Taman Rashidah Utama, atau Rasyidah atau apa2 je la spelling dia. Awie intro lagu ni sebagai lagu wajib kalo main kat Singapore. Awie jugak perkenalkan lagu ni sebagai “ TAMAN YISHUN UTAMA”. Awie you have great taste , Yishun tempat gerekk haha. Tapi, maybe bad omen kot? Ye la lagu kubur haha. Apa pun best best best.



Then Wings leave the stage, then ni part aku tak tahu memang Hafeez Glamour dah pre-planned nak cover time tunggu encore atau pasal dah part yang kat seats atas semua dah hentak2 lantai kuat giler tu. Maybe dorang takut things get out of hand? Tu ah Hafeez terus masuk suruh bawak bertenang , be patient, pasal Wings keluar lagi haha. Siap cakap thats more like Singaporean lepas things cool down kot? Remember Sweet Charity nye 40 years show, Ramli cakap nak buat apa buatlah, asal jangan ada rusuhan haha. Aku pun fikir, beb tengok bola kat stadium kallang korang hempas dan hentak berapa kuat la 50,000 orang, stadium tu konkrete besi beb, ni temporary stands and seats, worse case scenario roboh semua siak haha.
16. Musafir Di Aidilfitri. Wings keluar, ucap selamat hari raya, maaf zahir batin etc. Terus Wings masuk lagu hari raya S Jibeng ni. Aku serious berbual, this is the song of the night!. Awie kan top form malam ni, lagu ni dia betul2 punya perasaan kot. Awie nye vocal part pekik2 wowwww. I think macam Bruce Dickinson top form of his life right now, Awie pun sama dari persembahan dia malam tadi. Aku heran bila baca orang boleh cakap Bruce dah tua, suara dah tak macam mid 80s dulu. Well....opps salah topic haha.
17. Peronda Jaket Biru. Crystal ke Kristal nye guitarist tu join in untuk lagu ni. and main 2nd guitar solo lagu ni. Wings then masuk dorang punya fast number penutup konsert and goodnite.

Total time dalam 2 jam. No popular fast songs like Awang Thrasher, no Bujang Senang, no Alam Barzakh, no Lipas Kudung and no some other songs yang whole night audience pekik2 jerit2 request. Tapi Wings banyak lagu orang suka dan dorang jenis tukar2 setlist nyeband. So mesti ada la famous fast and slow songs dorang yang ketinggalan.

The organiser/promoter has been great. I really enjoy attending this show, the security did their job with a smile and not being overzealous. Yes, I still find it weird sitting down, but other than that all is very pleasant. The place is actually fabulous so its my loss for thinking otherwise. You get the idea from the first two photos above ( click to enlarge all photos ).

Aku tengok kat youtube orang dah start upload. Very nice of them. Ada time aku upload macam Lovehunters tu hari.. Personal fan audio recording untuk aku sendiri sambil tunggu official live release ( if any ). Anyway this would make a nice cover wouldnt it?

tshirt resub & non-maiden derek riggs works..

Firstly this is the resub tshirt for the year 2011 for the maiden fan club. White, simple and attractive.




You're entitled to a resub tshirt when you renew your membership on time and dont let it expire before signing on again.


Next,
I always love Derek Riggs for his role in helping Maiden become what it is today, add that to him going the extra effort to giving me all the extras for his book, that makes him special.









Here's some of his late 90s rare works on sale by collectors, I think in his current style of using computers.
Its so different that I am not surprise people have doubt whether this is Derek Riggs. I think beautiful and cute hummingbirds are as far away as Eddie controlling the Devil in the bowels of hell. For me, Its nice to at least get to see his rare works on the internet.






The background to these late 90s works and his Wolfeyes Posters Prints are here and also some ebay postings.
http://austin.craigslist.org/clt/2591217301.html
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Iron-Maiden-artist-Derek-Riggs-EGYPT-Print-signed-Like-POWERSLAVE-OOP-/170695995262?pt=Art_Prints&hash=item27be462f7e
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Iron-Maiden-artist-Derek-Riggs-UFO-Print-signed-and-personalized-OOP-/170695993426?pt=Art_Prints&hash=item27be462852


Lastly, at his website, there are the prints of Robot Death Figure available, which I saw first time on his book which I had reviewed some time back. Nice. Very the Killers territory.

news - Malay Music Mania & comic strips tribute to 911

Some interesting stories from the cover story of Life section of the Straits Times (sokkabar singapore ) dated 2nd September 2011 with the title Malay Music Mania. I like the articles so I want to share it here for those who havent seen it yet.
Its due to the triple heavyweight shows that is coming one after another.. with rock band Wings, legendary pop singer Jamal Abdillah and I think the best of them all, the combination of siblings Anuar and Ziana Zain for the first time ever holding a full concert together.

Ticket wise I am so surprised that Ziana Zain + Anuar Zain first full show together has quite a surprising cheap price tickets range at Esplanade.
But doesnt matter, their fans will be so much happier, NO WONDER ITS BLOODY FUCKING SOLD OUT way in advance.
I am not going but from my own experience and listening and reading about other shows, when malay performers perform at Esplanade Concert Hall, it will usually be a fantastic experience with shows dragging to 3 hrs or more. I understand even Sheila Majid did about 3hrs if I am not wrong there.
I dont know, maybe its the aura of the place, and maybe to a general Singapore crowd, they can let it loose and be all out without worrying about what to say or show respect to whos who in the audience.



Jadi to summarise..

Anuar Zain + Ziana Zain, pertama kali buat persembahan bersama untuk konsert mereka sendiri, main kat Esplanade concert hall yang tempat kecik la 1600 max, tapi sapa pernah pergi tengok konsert Melayu kat sana atau dah tengok dvd Sweet Charity or Lovehunters kat sana tahu la betapa best tempat tu, walau aku tahu mesti ada tak suka Handphone lines semua kena block haha.


Kalo band melayu dari Malaysia la, aku nak tengok Wings main tempat ni... tak mau hegeh2 orkestra ke apa ke, just Wings je... mau giler kalo dorang tak mau stop main lepas berejam, dan tu la aku suka Wings...dorang kalo main dorang punya own show tanpa apa2 special situation, dorang boleh seret tak agak2. seret as in SERETTTTT.

Jamal Abdillah is a huge affair pasal main kat Indoor Stadium, tempat korang semua pergi tengok Iron Maiden tu hari haha, tapi aku rasa modified seating arrangement will make it a 7000 max. Korang rasa ada makcik2 nak diri kat railing first to the barrier ke haha. Tapi ni Jamiyah nye event so I think they must be confident about the show.


Wings...oooo aku tak pernah pergi tengok show kat Suntec, pasal...DUDUK!!.. So what am I suppose to do tengok konsert rock sambil duduk?
Aku bukan saja kena jaga etika aku, tapi kena ambik perhatian orang duk belakang2 aku so aku tak bleh suka2 je nak buat apa aku nak. And its hard to boo and shout insults if you're seating haha..


Aku tengok Deep Purple empat kali, last tahun lepas aku pilih duduk pasal aku takde duit nak beli tiket diri, Siol ah...KEJONG siak... Highway Star starting dia dan aku tengah duduk!!! tak macam sial tu. Kaki je la goyang haha. Positifnye the bootleg was proper haha. Ooo tu jam, cam biasa, langkah kanan, aku ngan kawan aku bergerak ngan penuh sopan santun ke arah seats mahal yang kosong, dekat sikit haha.

So Suntec Wings nye show boleh isi 5000 max ye? dorang mesti bukak2 convention hall lain2 punye dinding tu dorang jadikan luas kot? Banyak jugak bands besar pernah main situ kot, TOTO pun, hah tu aku tak gi yang suntec nye...aku gi TOTO yang Fort Canning nye haha.
TOTO - hmmmnnn memang kena sesuai la aku guna ayat band besar. The best of the best la dorang.

Aku harap Wings jangan lah banyak sangat rockestra or whatever estra2 ni semua, aku tak minat la sangat... full rock n roll please. Thanks in advance. Tapi dorang cuma tambah satu keyboards je untuk ni show so I am not expecting the worse la haha.

ok moving on....
Satu benda tiap2 hari kalau boleh... ialah baca comic strips. Aku suka giler baik kat mana2 sokkabar ataupun online pun jadi lah.
Aku memang hardcore Get Fuzzy, tapi apa pun la...aku tak cerewet.
And these are some of the comic strips yang keluar hari ahad lepas, since its coincident a Sunday, so more colourful and more bigger space.




Sayangnye Get Fuzzy tak buat lak, tapi Heart Of The City buat... aku suka lak Heart Of The City, walaupun dorang cute giler dan langsung tak brutal dan kurang unsur2 hooliganisma dan kurang ajar dan nak asyik nak perdajalkan orang je cam Get Fuzzy haha.

911 and Twisted Sister

I think everyone in this world is affected by 911. Till today after 10 years and maybe forever.
Whether you are travelling, reading about tragedies in other countries and most important the trust between fellow human beings. yes TRUST.
Do you guys remember where were you when 911 happens? How were you informed?

Aku tengah hegeh2 kat bawah blok rumah parents aku... magrib magrib gitu kot or lepas magrib ( erk hehe ) or is it Isyak dah, aku dah lupa exact time tapi aku tahu dah malam la, kawan aku tepon suruh bukak tv dia bilang kat New York ada kekecohan. Siak ah? aku macam apa sey jadi...So aku tu jam ada pasang cable ( zaman cable tv murah ) so ada cnn, so aku bukak la...
aku masih ingat first scene aku nengok tengah zoom dari jauh twin towers tu then commentary ngah ulasan, then satu bangunan ngah berasap, then kat screen tiba2 muncul lagi satu kapalterbang dan langgar lagi satu...siak ah...macam tak percaya.. tak tahu lak just in time aku bukak cnn nampak tu live atau replay. Ngan mula2 manusia, lepas tu bangunan2 tu lak falling down tu semua, aku sedih siak
So aku memang follow up la pasal 911 ni, dari hari tu, bertahun2, sampai hari ni, sokkabar pun ada keluar macam special 10(?? baru flip thru) pages 911 smalam, then dalam internet, macam2 la cerita.
Apa2 je la, aku baca semua dari berbagai cerita, dan pandangan...pasal menarik minat aku sangat.
Tu jam, aku beli wooo special edition Time Magazine ngan Newsweek yang relese immediately after happening tu.




Tu jam aku ngah fikir, abis la...dah takdelah filem2 Hollywood macam Die Hard ni semua...tapi kejap je..

Apa pun, ramai orang tak bersalah mati, ngah keja carik makan, dari pangkat paling besar big boss, sampai pangkat paling kecik basuh toilet, termasuk orang islam pun mati jugak masa serangan tu... dulu aku pernah cakap pasal 911 cover majalah Gila Gila, so tak yah la aku ulang lagi.


So then, NEW YORK STEEL HAPPENS!!...
This was like the biggest news for me as a music lover, because they were organising this fund raising charity benefit to support the family members of New York Police and Firemen ( NYPD and FDNY ) who die during the rescue and they got TWISTED SISTER to reunite and play.
After 14, FOURTEEN YEARS. Yes, I understand the reunion happens due to a terrible happening, but I tell you, on the day of the show, I think the Twisted Sister fans worldwide are glued to the internet to check out what setlist, the audio bootlegs and whatever they can get their hands on. I think that time Youtube is still not so happening as it is now. This show seems to be the trigger that made Twisted Sister plays until today due to the response. ( and I still hope to see them play live one day ).

Twisted Sister never in costume that day, just tshirt and jeans and no make-up.
I was so happy because, hallloooooo, I love Twisted Sister since the mid 80s.
Of course, people nowadays sample TS by listening to " we're not gonna take it", but I dont really like that song.
Some people who discover them later may think TS is crap, wearing girls clothes and make-up, and basically uncool glam metal, but I guess I got lucky, cause I grow up much earlier with the perfect " You Cant Stop Rock N Roll". Still one of my favourites. Still a cd ( previously cassette tape ) that I will bring along to a desert island with me.



Next time, if free I want to talk about other bands that I love, especially now Iron Maiden is lying low after the end of the world tour.

So back to the 911 benefit gig by Twisted Sister, I think an official release is just finally out on dvd, bundled with a 1982 show of pre-Under The Blade period. But take note, the WTC is not really recorded for official dvd release because I saw the sample on youtube and its a bit dark, but its the historical content of the show itself that is so important.
Maybe one day, I'll get this double dvd.