Friday, August 12, 2011

New season of heartbreak, sadness, anger and stress has arrived

Miserable time for me and I think its going to get much much worse, going thru all the London-based fans websites and discussions for these past few weeks. Near to an utter and complete disaster pre-season preparation and team-building except for some bright spots.

Start la balik seluruh musim Arsenal kena long distance dedication yang banyak maki hamun yang penuh kasih sayang dari aku.

Apa pun, banyak2 aku bingit pun aku boikot pun satu dua hari je lepas tu sibuk go thru all the news and discussions boards balik. Tak boleh ah, cam sial pun tetap dah dalam sanubari haha.
Aku masih tak kensel aku punye Arsenal Online subscription, tapi kalo main macam nak mampos jugak first few games dan kena titik ngan Udinese, aku akan kensel. Bahalol kan? carik penyakit sendiri. Hah!! Udinese dah tunggu dah. Demam seminggu ah kalo tak dapat clear ni game.


Aku dah tak boleh tahan ah tiap2 musim cam gini -







Apa pun, aku pertama kali dalam hidup aku simpati ngan Tottenham pasal rusuhan kat territori dorang.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

I add some text on Samurai artworks and this is the result

Saje2 je ada free time sikit kul 3 pagi tadi..

Front Cover


Back Cover



Mungkin kalo aku rajin dan ada time, Untuk Kenangan mereka yang sekepala pasal hidup makin padat dan penuh ranjau .. Mungkin lain kali takde time untuk ni semua....
Hidup kena susun priority.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Why must I bother about the official Mirrorball when...and two other newish titles

Ingat nak upload foto2 Terracotta tu hari, tapi takde mood museum lak. Mood rock tu maintain lak. So…

When I read Def Leppard are finally releasing an official live cd I was very happy. I thought surely I am going to try to get a copy if my pocket permits. But, then I check out the songs appearing on the double CD and I got disappointed. To make it worse, they add three new studio songs and I tried to listen to one and its not so nice to me ( the Queen sounding song ). When I think its better they make it a 100% live album and just add much more live songs, and since the recordings are from a few years back from different places surely they have no problem with that. Anyway, I still try to give the new cd the benefit of the doubt by checking out the samplers on youtube and I don’t find anything special except for the pristine quality recordings. I am crazy for the long Rocket but not on Mirrorball.

But like in most cases, great, good or even low quality fans audience recordings can gives greater satisfaction than fancy official releases.
I was thinking, why oh why they cant release an official live album with this type of superior content and setlist.




This is a super audience recording from a San Francisco show on 14 Dec 2002 on the tour that promotes the X album. We get all their famous and fantastic songs. On this recording they played an 8 minute version of Rocket with a very nice instrumental break in the middle. And Hysteria is perfection.
We also have Women, but more importantly we got two songs which for me is one of the best popular songs that Def Leppard had done since the late 1990s – Long Long Way To Go and Promises. To leave these two songs out of the official cd makes me down really. Also, I really love the song Stagefright very very much. So its a mustIt would be nice if one day I can see Def Leppard live.I grow up listening to their songs and still do. It must have great seeing them with Steve Clark in the 80s. When Vivian Campbell join in the 90s, I was so happy but then thru the years reading about his issues with Ronnie James Dio. I am a bit sad really.

Ooo speaking of Dio and Vivian Campbell, I think Dio Disciples is a brilliant idea with big names- at least if you are a Dio fan that is. A band with the backbone of 3 ex Dio members which coincidently includes my favourite guitarist & also a distintive drummer ever (at least to my ears) in any Dio lineup, and also the one with best hairstyle ever in the 80s ( talking about Craig Goldie of course ), celebrating the life and music of Ronnie James Dio and playing songs from Rainbow, Black Sabbath and Dio. Plus other band members are also popular names in heavy rock/metal music ( James Lomenzo is always loved as a part of White Lion but me seeing him playing with Megadeth few years back was madness haha ) and using 2 singers. I was tracing down a complete full live recordings of them and luckily the Moscow show pop up as in many places Dio Disciples play festivals and thus reduced playing time. I think this is the first ever night of Dio Disciple plays.




Check this out, their setlist in Moscow. Stargazer with the two lead vocals is explosive. and Killing The Dragon is an unexpected surprise and even with mistake is so rocking. Catch The Rainbow Craig Goldie intro is nice too. A super quality recording this one. Now I am keen to find a full show with Doro singing as the Iced Earth singer was not available for some shows. And Doro singing Egypt When The Chains Are On is so suitable if you guys heard her studio version from some tribute cds many years ago.

Lsst but not least, I was also curious about all these news and reports on the internet about Dream Theater and their new/old drummer. So this was really an anticipated bootleg by curious me. I think this is their very first show with the new drummer Mike Mangini. Very very good taping too.
Somewhere in Germany...09072011.






By the time I was listening without much focus and reaching the wonderful song Fatal Tragedy, I suddenly realised Mike Portnoy usually sings backing vocals on this song live right? The " THERE CAN BE NO TURNING BACK! ", Other than that, I hear this bootleg like I listen to Dream Theater official or bootleg recordings of any era - Very Much Enjoyable ONLY if listened occasionally. If Dream Theater comes and play again, I want to go again just to see the new drummer. Ooo they better play Count Of Tuscany. I like the version on this bootleg.

Monday, August 8, 2011

SNSD bulan Feb 2012 pun dah announce.. tapi yang ditunggu takde lagik..

Aku belek2 kat porum, ooo Girl Generation nak perform bulan Feb 2012 kat Singapore tapi akhir bulan Julai 2011 dah announced dari promoter show ni. Jadi nak dekat TUJUH bulan advance notis. Hardcore fans boleh plan awal, mana yang nak budget duit tiket, yang nak kena travel, apa je la. Giler babi beb harga tiket concert untuk Asian acts, Faye Wong lebih S$300 kot front section? tapi if youre a fan apa kan daya selain just do it..Apa pun.. blog kotak ajaib dah ada cerita pasal ni ( bukan cerita girl generation, tapi metallica ).

I understand in Europe its the norm to have big bands being announced the dates and locations and ticket pricing of their shows at least six months in advance. So I guess their fans can make plans and my impression of foreign act shows in Malaysia and Singapore or nearby, and admitting myself as one of them, one of the biggest stumbling block is usually the ticket price structure itself (and that is why I love Fort Canning ) and if you are a hardcore, then the cost of travel which will dramatically increase the amount spent especially if there is a need to take a budget plane.

So speaking of big bands, I think there is maybe a few bigger than Metallica. They have year by year since early 90s drop down on the list of what I consider to be enjoyable to me but the size-of-mass-appeal-wise, they are still arguably the biggest and most popular.

In fact on the Death Magnetic tour, I and a friend was seriously contemplating backpacking to Perth for their two dates there, as we were discussing to at least see Metallica once in our lives, and also because I know there are quite a number of people in Singapore ( and I guess Malaysia ) who save up and travel budget to Australia to catch them, but I have to brush it off as I was saving up for my trip of a lifetime to see Iron Maiden playing three shows across Australia early this year. And yes I am already saving up for the next Maiden England dvd / next history tour. Mumbai is budgetly possible and speaking of India this song pops up in my head - "God I love the sweet taste of India..Lingers on the tip of my tounge " - And some gossip mongers are saying Aerosmith is coming to Singapore, Because they are confirmed in Japan end of this year..

I had missed the 92 Metallica show at Indoor Stadium and still remember being ' mulut terngangah and jakunised' listening to others telling what happened that night. So it would be nice if I can make it this time if I can afford the ticket and time.
So announcements that are as soon as possibly can, is crucial like I say for
**
-people like me and maybe some of you who need to be discipline in budgetting their hard-earned money for a bit of occasional rock moments
-people who may need to travel a bit
-people who may try to find a solution budget-wise to try bring their love ones along to see Metallica because its like an experience to at least see them once in a lifetime.
-people who can only afford a show and have to choose about one and I think all these Metallica rumours are making some people ( ME!!! ) k.i.v.'ing on David Coverdale and company tickets and decision have to be made fast for the early bird offer is ending in August haha.
- and lastly give time to people like me, who have no choice but to either borrow, download or go to youtube to listen to St Anger and Death Magnetic and load and reload haha.
Hey!! maybe if I see Metallica live then I can finally say " nice new songs...or...seday sey lagu Metallica yang baru2 eh" As songs can transform when being played live.
- and really last, I got to check if there is change in stage position of Metallica members because I dont want to stand in front or the area of the new bassist side. I dont like him at all.

I was contemplating the timing just now, if really its 2nd Dec in KL then considering San Francisco is behind us in timing but can Metallica possibly finished a show on 2nd Dec in KL and pack up and fly all their huge monster tour equipments to SF and unpack and be ready for the 5th. Must be some super human efforts but hey its Metallica.

Friday, August 5, 2011

skarang ni pagi jumaat so aku nak cerita sikit

ok, pertama sekali aku nak wish semua yang baca ni yang beragama Islam selamat menempuhi bulan Ramadhan ngan mendapat apa2 je la yang baik yang korang mampu kerjakan ikut 'evil dan devine' masing2.
Ada yang aku pergi blog korang ucap selamat berpuasa, ada yang aku tak type kat blog korang, ada yang aku nak type tapi aku tak boleh type ntah apsal ntah for example - blog wan beruas. So korang cek la blog korang, ada kot yang pangkah nick aku kot.

Tu hari aku run satu errand kat satu masjid ni, tak payah cakap la kat masjid mana kat negara Msia atau Spore.
Aku masuk pejabat, pegawai tu yang bertugas pandang aku kejap terus buat bodoh pandang komputer dia.
Aku kasi salam kat pintu la, dia jawab tapi tak pandang aku pandang komputer dia.
So aku pergi kat ngan dia, aku tetap diri.
Dia tengok aku, tak senyum pun, so aku diri je la, tak heran la aku tak dapat duduk pun, so dia then cakap " duduk ".
Then dia pandang komputer lagi, lepas tu dia keluar dari mulut dia " nombor IC ", so aku kasi la, dan segala proses tu dia tak senyum langsung...dan aku rasa,
dia sebagai anak abu lagik, is a horrible disgrace, tapi mungkin kat aku je la dia layan cam gitu kot...biasalah aku pun dressing tshirt jeans selipar je. Aku tak expect layan best tapi basic courtesy, dan aku rasa dia memang fail.
nak tak nak layan dan basically rude and arrogant, dan kira cam siol la perangai...
padahal ngan jubah bagai, ngan logo authority kat jubah dia...

Aku was like, first time dalam hidup aku jumpa pegawai cam gini punya anggek.. tapi takpelah dia pegawai, wa takdebenda. So ok la dia berlagak gitu , obvious rabak punye UNFRIENDLY.

Cuma, dia adalah dalam posisi yang terbaik untuk menunjukkan dan mengiklankan budi bicara seseorang muslim yang sedang bertugas dan berpakaian melambangkan tugasnya dalam bidang keagamaan.

Pada aku rugi besar la perangai cam gitu...

Tapi aku terfikir balik , mungkin kat pintu tu dia dah nampak aku, dia nampak atas kepala aku ada SETAN BESAR kot? ye la, I am not exactly an angel ye tak.

Tapi walaupun dia nampak kat atas kepala aku ada Setan Besar pun, that is not an excuse nak berlagak dan perangai yang piss me off. Tapi aku cubalah cakap lembut dan hormat kat dia sebagai pegawai agama, dah la aku kat kawasan masjid, bulan posa lagik. Lantak dia la nak perangai cam mana cuma RUGI la pada aku dia perangai cam gitu.

So to all, bulan Ramadhan ni, tak yah rabak2 nak lebih2 sombong atau berlagak la, just endure a bit, smile, tolerate, give an example of a proper way to behave in public and at work especially dealing with public, cakap ngan terang dan bukan cara kurang ajar especially terang2 orang tu ialah lebih tua dan jangan anggek. Be Humble and show humility whoever you are.

Aku harap masa aku bayar zakat fitrah kat mana2 masjid di Spore dan KL nanti, aku takkan jumpa perangai pegawai/staff cam gini lagi, tapi aku konfiden dorang mesti gerek pasal aku selalu every year borak2 ngan amil2 zakat fitrah kejap. Ye la dorang pun mesti boring kan duk je kat meja haha

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

These Colours Dont Run

Ogos (August),
paling meriah sekali ngan bendera dan banners dan kain rentang...
baik kat Malaysia dan baik kat Singapore
berlumba2 kat dua2 negara ni dari bangunan kerajaan, bangunan pejabat, rumah flet, sampai construction site tapak pembinaan, gantung bendera dan apa je la unuk sambut merdeka/hari kebangsaan/national day/independence day and whatever la korang nak panggil masing2.

Ni aku snap tadi pasal aku turun LRT kat Masjid Jamek nak gi Masjid Negara jalan kaki. Ooo siang2 dah gantung. Cantik ler, tourist tersnap2 gambo...



Apa pun, Singapore akan sambut dahulu 9 Ogos before Malaysia sambut 31 Ogos.

Like Bruce Dickinson says ' these colors dont run! ".