Alice Cooper - Apasal? Why So Late Then Informed??

memang happening la bulan September, October, November ni untuk peminat2 pop/rok omputeh kat Singapore dan Malaysia. Macam2 la, dari Elton John sampai Children Of Bodom, dari Linkin Park sampai Whitesnake dan all in between. Tapi harga tiket Elton John belah depan memang kannina betul. Elton John beb, legend. Empty Garden.. kecik2 dulu suka dengar lagu ni.



Tapi paling terkejut, baru je announced Alice Cooper main 5th October 2011 ( Singapore ). Terkehel betul umum2 last minit gini. Harga tiket a bit tight, tapi nampak nye main kat Hard Rock Sentosa, jadi aku jangkakan tempat yang kecik, maknanya close up dekat giler dan very intimate show dan since Alice Cooper ngah world-tour " No More Mr Nice Guy " jadi aku expect a full show ngan full stage presentation siap ngan sampah-sarap semua kat atas pentas. Stage dia kecoh siak untuk ni tour. Aik? aku berbual macam konfem pergi je eh? haha.

Tentu ada peminat rok kat Msia/Spore yang sebelum ni tengah ikat perut nak backpack gi Soundwave Revolution nye festival terutama Perth dates sepatutnya tak lama lagi. Van Halen ( with DLR ) headlining dan rumours ialah Aerosmith pun ada ngan Alice Cooper. Tapi hancur bocai sampai terus semua kensel. Jadi apa aku tahu Alice Cooper main banyak dates kat Oz dia punye show sendiri dan Spore ni ialah stopover sekali la. Tu la kot last minit.

ok meh cakap pasal Alice Cooper. Kita mula ngan make-up hias2 muka, sebelum King Diamond, kita dah ada KISS. Dan King Diamond pun dah pernah kena surat lawyer pasal dekat sangat salah satu design dia ngan design Demon Gene Simmon yang dah copyrighted.
Tapi sebelum KISS, Alice Cooper dah start make-up lagi awal. Dan aku rasa banyak stage performance dari pertengahan 70an, dan 80an , 90an sampai skarang, dapat idea dan dorongan dari Alice Cooper ni. Dari dia punya ular sampai dia punya tempat pancung alat guilotine tu. Dan lain2 alat2 macrabe dia yang lain2 cam alat gantung dan alat siksa dia.


Apa yang kita nampak skarang dari mana2 band, apa pun kita minat stage performance apa2 genre, semua ada permulaan nya lama dulu dah. Iron Maiden pun takkan sehebat apa kita tahu kalo Steve Harris tak cedok idea dan tiru hollow2 dari band2 lain masa dia membesar.



Lagu2 Alice Cooper lak, yang awal 70an tu masih evergreen sampai skarang. Aku masih kagum ngan Billion Dollar Babies nye melodi tiap kali dengar. Memang untung jadi rock fan bila dengar lagu ni untuk aku. Korang kat rumah, yang korang main atau anak2 korang main PS2 Guitar Hero tu, konfem mesti berkumandang School's Out. Budak2 skarang boleh singalong lagu tu just because pengaruh game ni. Legend abis lagu ni. Asal tak sampai buat rusuhan dalam bilik darjah dan bakar rambut cikgu pasal dah kena rasuk ngan lagu ni dah. ( Korang kalo tak tahu, ada kes dah jadi cikgu ngah tulis kat whitebod, anak murid dari belakang bakar rambut dia pakai lighter la siak, pelajar pompuan lagik, tak brutal tu? Budak tu pun tak sangka memang betul2 terbakar, aku rasa dia ingat cuma nak kasi gempak satu classroom je )

Lagu2 dia yang pertengahan 80an lak, memang pop hits/radio hits abis la. Untuk radio stesen kat Nusantara ni Poison ngan Hey Stoopid memang top giler la akhir 80an awal 90n dulu. Tapi serious berbual zaman ni lagu2 rock dia mass appeal abis.

Even sapa tak pernah dengar lagu Alice Cooper pun tentu enjoy Megadeth Hidden Treasure " no more mr nice guy " nye cover version.

Yang latest2 lepas tu aku tak follow, tapi...aku tetap ikut perkembangan Alice Cooper ni kat internet news terutama tahun ni pasal dia tahun ni ada shows ngan Maiden time festivals. Dan reviews Alice Cooper live ni kan, mesti best best. Kat youtube pun korang pergi tengok yang 2011 nye video recordings, feedback yang pegi tengok live semua puji dan cakap best giler.

Lagi satu, Alice Cooper standard ah, dari dulu band musicians dia semua terror. So mesti menarik la walaupun nama tak kenal. Dan ni ada kena mengena ngan soalan berikut.
Apa antara paling best pasal Alice Cooper ni?
Pasal....... KANE ROBERTS start famous dari jadi guitarist dia.
Aku suka ah Kane Roberts dulu2. " looking for an angel but heaven cant be found siot ". haha.




As Usual, a new blog posting wont be so exciting without some self-taken photos to decorate it.
So a quick rush thru my boxes of cds found this. Alice Cooper very basic but superb compilation called Classicks which I think focus on his Epic years in late 80s and early 90s.
Hit songs, songs released as singles. Very mass appeal quality although still rocking.
Loves A Loaded Gun has always been my favourite, Lost In America has funny lyrics about being dysfunctional both personal and family-wise " i aint got a girl cos i dont have a car, i aint got a car cos I aint got a job, now i'm looking for a girl with a car and a job " very hilarious song, House Of Fire with a fantastic chorus, and the travelling all over the world Its Me. Plus some of his early songs performed live. He did mentioned Birmingham on it.



So I expect at least half the songs here to be included in his setlist. And please...be it a full setlist and presentation that the rest of world are getting for this current tour.
The way I am saying is as if I am confirm going to this show.
How I wish. Lets see how it goes.


You took a first-class trip to Paris
You danced in the streets of Spain
You followed the sun to Rio de Janeiro
Cuz you got so sick and tired of the London rain
And after 40 years at last you play in Singapore.

Giler betul.

graphic books of all kind

Firstly
101 Rekreasi Hati.
which features a bit of of Iron Maiden :-)





Masa beli aku dah agak buku ni yang mengcombinekan hadith dan lukisan humour berunsur positif mesti best.
Tapi aku tak sangka memang best abis.
Banyak la aku boleh belajar dari buku ni, so aku sokong kalo buku ni untuk seluruh peringkat umur.

Kulit buku depan dan belakang..dan sikit contoh...macam biasa klik untuk kasi besar sikit.









Also, Walking Dead has now reach vol 14 for the compilation book.
I have to start reserving on the internet to read them, there is low chance of you easily finding the volumes you want lying around in the national libraries no matter which branch you go.
So if you have money, you can buy all these but if dont, The Library is the way to go.
Anyway, I find Walking Dead keeps getting more and more depressed..

And anyway, I have not seen the tv series yet at all. Pathetic giler kan?


These are the current graphic stories I just finished reading or am reading...




The Benjamin Button graphic novel version is very simple and entertaining, and a bit sad.
The Muhammad Ali versus Superman graphic story is simply superb.
Done in the 70s. It tells the story of some super powerful villian alien dictator, who accuses human and the planet Earth of being warlike, and thus could bring problems to all the planets in the universe, so before he destroys Earth, and seems Superman cant even stop his attacks, they decide on Earth sending a Champion Warrior - a boxing representative, to fight the alien's champion.
So before that Muhammad Ali must fight Superman in boxing to choose the Earth's Warrior. Superman superhuman power was to be neutralise so he can fight Muhammad Ali on even terms...BEST GILER!!.


Currently now I am reading a compilation of the Marvel comics called NAM.
It depicts realistically what happen to US Soldiers during Vietnam War.
Seems when its first realised on comics, the timeline is similar to real life then. Read the Incoming text to understand what I say.
Its so good, that when it first come out in 1986, it beats the movie Platoon, as the best description of what the US Soidiers go thru during that war.





I dont have any pics, but right now I am so obsessed with Captain America compilations. Not the ones he tag team with the avengers or any other group efforts,
but Captain America alone durin his early days and up to his current days after his rescue from the frozen waters. The Communist era witchhunt storyline is very nice.

a brief observation of this year's Hari Raya Aidilfitri

I realise I never post any Ramadhan/Hari Raya Eid Fitr related photos at all for this year.
So heres a few photos I randomly snap. Only JB and KL, Singapore none at all.

We celebrate 1st Shawal in Malaysia this year. And with the occasion just a day difference from Malaysia's Independence Day, it called for a double celebration for Malaysians.

I took this photo while waiting for my bus at Larkin Bus Terminal. The ketupat ( sort of dumpling rice ) seller has both the Malaysian flag and Johor state flag on top of her stall.


This is meanwhile the scene at Jalan TAR ( Tuanku Abdul Rahman ) in KL at the night of Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
Its the same atmosphere and crowded like hell as in Geylang Serai Singapore on the same night.




Reminds me of last year we were in Geylang Serai but avoiding the crowd by going for a chng tng ( lai chee kang or chikong or whatever you want to call the dessert ) at the hawker center instead.

I saw it on tv ( TV9) how the tv/radio station crew are going around Jalan TAR to ask simple questions and giving out Duit Raya. But I never saw any haha.
The makcik cant even name one TV9 program during Ramadhan, she was given a tip of "Seharum... " and she says " Seharum Ramadhan" or something, but she was corrected and still given the gift.
I got a feeling, maybe the makcik works so hard all day all night, that she dont have time for any form of tv viewing or any entertainment.
SHE IS NOT ALONE.





Anyway, apa aku perasan, Takbir malam raya ni makin kureng sikit makin kureng sikit, makin kurengggg sikit. This year aku tengok stesen2 kat TV pun makin kureng je tunjuk takbir. Tak abis2 ucapan...ucapan...ucapan....raya. Ye la, kalo takbir kat tv pun kita bukak kat rumah ada jugak tempias dia kita dapat. So actually dapat takbir dua tiga kali pelan2 atau dalam hati pun jadi la lepas Maghrib or whatever. Kalo tak hafal part solo tu pun aku rasa takpe, dapat takbir yang ramai2 buat tu pun jadilah...


Boleh? Takbir hari raya - part solo??
Siot je kan aku.

when hope is lost..

This Hari Raya season is a depressing one for me Arsenal-wise. Trying to convince my love one not to change team. 8-2 but as a kid, I grow up when Middlesbrough won 5-0 so its nothing that shocking for me.

Last I log onto internet before Eid-Fitr, Scott Parker was chased by Tottenham. I always thought he should be in Arsenal as he is good and he is English. While Arsenal are just chasing shadows with a few days left of transfer. I have the impression Arsenal can buy, but cannot afford the weekly salary.

Its like, you save up money to install airconditioning, and you ( I am referring to myself ) get it install, but you ( I am referring to myself ) know you ( I am referring to myself ) got problem paying the electric bill monthly, so you ( I ) dont do it :-)

Today, I log onto internet. Scott Parker is confirmed with Spurs. Sad for myself. But this means in Song and Frimpong we trust.

But Arsenal suddenly have
- The South Korean Captain
- The Werder Bremen Captain/70+ cap German international who will partner Vermalen.
- The Israel Captain who was booed and cause embarrassing apologies to be made on the behalf the people who boo this player. This is news worldwide, and it really is stupid and negative advertisement.
- The Everton playmaker who is 5th ranking in creating goals last season, and is a Spaniard to boot.
- The Brazil first choice left back though I never hear of this guy before.

I AM SO SHOCKED!! Its like a dream.

Better late than never..
So whatever happens this season, at least, effort have been made though it should have been done earlier.

Kumpulan Wings ticket , a coincidence date and I didnt know that Ozzy played a long set even up to 2003 and Warrant and Kiss and whatever.

I got the tickets to see Wings on 16 September 2011 in Suntec Singapore. For those who dont know, Wings is a Malaysian rock band which has been around for about 25 years, and has been so very consistent and I had always enjoyed seeing them playing live in Malaysia and Singapore. I bought their first album on cassette when it first come out and nobody knows them, purely on words of mouth of friends at school on how good they are and now, decades later I still enjoy their music.

But something special about this show for me not is only it had been a long time since I had seen them in Singapore as past few years I only attend their shows in KL and JB. I think last show they did in Singapore that I attended was back in about 2003.
The Special Thing is -
I AM GOING TO SEE WINGS SITTING DOWN. THE SHOW IS ALL SEATS. AND I AM GOING TO BE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AND IT WILL BE WEIRD FOR ME.

Sorry, but I dont like to sit down and watch a rock concert, unless its Esplanade. But I have no choice right? Or else I can choose not to attend.

Moving on... today is 28/8/2011, I was at work last night so I know the date as I opened/closed book at midnight.



Listening to a Maiden bootleg ( what else?? ), its the Reading 1982 festival, and I was meddling with my mp3 player and on the screen is stated the date of the recording.. ooo its 28 August 1982.
So its how long is it now? To follow Minoru Nihara's expletive words, its now 29 Fucking years.

And its a coincidence I listened to a recording made on its anniversary.
And, yes Nicko McBrain is someone we will always love, but hearing the fast and furious rendition of Murders In The Rue Morgue, and intro to Run To The Hills on this bootleg..
Well....Clive Burr always got that something attractive.


Ooo lets talk about Ozzy Osbourne, I am really not aware he played a spectacular long show, its so long that it takes a triple cd for the bootleg.



Seems its at Toronto Canada , during the days of SARS back in 2003.
Jason Newstead was on bass... but I hear it, I dont have any problem with the sound recording, but I dont like the drums, then he was using the Faith No More drummer, and I dont know, I just dont like the drums. So this is not a bootleg I will listen again although just check the setlist, a Black Sabbath celebrations on top of Ozzy's solo hits...and we get Miracle Man too.


Ok Ok Lets talk about the hottest rock n roll band in the world - KISS.
And check out this soundboard from Japan during the I think Revenge tour??
Not only Heaven, but Hell is also on Fire on seeing the songs on this show..Their famous songs all the way...




And lastly, Jani Lane death has me trying to absorb Warrant beyond their Heaven and I Saw Red... and this is a nice , super nice show... and its again what looks like a soundboard.

be(a)st wishes for a few coming dates & zakat fitrah

Lots of be(a)st wishes all around in the coming days


To all Muslims worldwide - Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri ( Eid Fitr )
To all Malaysians - Happy 54th National Day
To all Singaporeans - Happy voting for a new President and choose wisely.

To the rest of the world - World Peace and Harmony.

( hah ko banner tak agak2 kat TBS, lagi besar dari size dua bas ).

But before that dont forget the Fitrah Alms

Kuala Lumpur nye senang, satu harga, Singapore nye dua harga, terpulang kat korang pilih.
Masa aku bayar zakat untuk orang tua aku etc etc etc untuk kat Singapura nye, aku memang 'pa ka liao' la. So amil like tengok the figure aku kasi, so Amil sound aku " awak ni tanggung sepenuhnya ni semua ni ke?? " , aku cakap tak tapi pasal for their own convenience jugak and ala... bukan orang lain pun, walaupun ada macam2 cara zaman skarang nak bayar zakat fitrah. So amil warn aku la pastikan setiap dari mereka tahu aku bayarkan. Aku cakap ' ok '.

So ntah eh, pada aku just make sure la bukan korang ngan love ones korang je korang settlekan zakat fitrah, tapi especially untuk orang2 tua jugak dan kaum pompuan cam makcik korang ke, sibling pompuan or even ipar pasal sometimes for whatever reasons, and there are many reasons, tak salah kalo kita just ensure dan play safe benda2 gini.

So just make sure je la, the people around you...walau dimana mereka berada, walaupun dimana anda berada.

And kalo korang kena bayar zakat2 lain, korang settlekan la jugak setahun sekali je.