Stereophonics - Dakota - Live Lounge

A Month of Gigs - Part 2

So having gotten through the first half of my month of gigs feeling like a rockstar for having had such a wonderful time, even though I was broke as a beggar, It was time to face the music, literally, with Naturally 7, Coldplay and Oasis yet to go. Naturally 7 - 22 march - Esplanade Concert Hall So I must admit, I have never heard of this band ever before. But I got a couple of free tickets thanks to a TV promo, so I thought what the hell. Naturally 7 were in Singapore, as were Battles, as part of the Mosaic Music Festival, which also featured N.E.R.D (Pharrel Williams ring a bell? the Song Lapdance? :D) and a host of other new and upcoming, or on-the-way-out Artistes. I think Naturally 7 most definitely belonged to the former category. The only thing I did know about these guys before the gig was that they were an acapella group. So my expectations weren't high. Which is probably why I was astounded by the sheer brilliance I witnessed that night! What I did get to know is that Naturally 7 are a band that aren't acapella. Self proclaimed, they are of a "vocal play" genre. See acapella is when you use many voices and only voices to make melodies and harmonies using words, lyrics. Vocal play is when you use human voices to create life like instruments, such as a full drum kit, an electric guitar, piano, harmonica, trumpets, saxaphones, BASS GUITARS (yes, that low!), etc. My mouth was literally wide open right throughout their performance and all I could say at the end of each song was WOW. You need to see it to believe it, so check this out: Well, if you do get a chance to see em, don't hesitate. That's all I have to say. One of the most entertaining bands I've ever seen! Coldplay - 23 March - Singapore Indoor Stadium Wow. I'm sorry RD, but I have to say, to see these guys live was a dream come true. Coldplay played to a sold out arena of 12,000 people. For me, this has been the gig of the year so far. The energy that the band brought out was electrifying. To actually see hits that you have loved for so long to be played for you was magical. Watching the coldplay show was a little like watching a theatre performance. Set changes, back drops, props (such as massive yellow balloons falling on the crowd all over the stadium during "Yellow"), lights, arty video, and a lead actor in the form of Chris Martin: makes for thunderous applause each and every time. Coldplay played a total of 24 songs in 3 sets during the performance that lasted a little under 2 hours. Their second set was a beautiful acoustic set, which they managed to play while standing amongst the crowds in the balcony, which was a surprise! They even managed to get the crowd doing a mexican wave with their mobile phones which was great. This gig was definitely goosebump worthy, and I certainly had my fair share of em. And you know what RD? This gig was a lot of fun!!! Oasis - 5 April - Singapore Indoor Stadium Oasis were really an out and out rock gig. It was not fun, it was fucking awesome. It didn't involve any theatrics. It was pure in your face rock and roll, complete with the attitude and arrogance Liam and Noel Gallagher are known for. Having managed to get free-standing tickets, we went 2 hours early and joined the queues. When the doors opened we ran inside so we were about 10 metres from the legends themselves, squashed inbetween a bunch of kids who were probably not even around when Definitely Maybe came out in 1994. When Oasis came on, the crowd went wild and we went flying forward, pushed from behind. Now this was a rock band, featuring Chris Sharrock on drums (thanks for the heads up RD, he was super!) and a Gandolph look alike on the keyboards. What made it super was that they played all their old hits, including an acoustic version of don't look back in anger. It was great to join in with the crowd to drown out the band during some of their biggest hits. However, I was disappointed that they didn't play "don't go away", however, had they played that, I might've cried! 2 hours later, dripping with sweat, I had ticked off yet another band off my "To See" list. With much glee might I add. So now it's back to the old routine, but obviously with cheap lunches and dinners in order to save cash to pay off credit card bills for all these gigs. Oh, but maybe after Vertical Horizon on the 2nd of May :D

Singfest - Day 1

This was never really part of the plan. But with a free ticket for the first day and Travis on the bill, who the hell would say no? Spent a very chilled day (and night!) lazing on the grass with a great view of the stage watching some great live music. To be honest, I was only familiar with Travis' music and a few songs by Simple Plan. But other big names included Lost Prophets and New Found Glory. So since Travis was to play last, I thought might as well check the other guns too! My biggest find of the day was Melee. They seemed an easy going bunch who play music that is very easy on the ears and pleasant. Before today, I had thought Melee was more of a Busted-type of rock band - i.e. cheesy rubbish. But I was wrong and, they reminded me a lot of The Fray. I'm definitely getting their album, and I think you should check em out too. Highlights? The Bassist of Dearest climbing up the stage scaffolding and playing from about 30 feet up, New Found Glory playing a cover of Aerosmith's Dont wanna miss a thing, Simple Plan playing a cover of the hip hop song "get low", Melee, Travis' set which was brilliant, and the chilled out atmosphere of the entire event. Tomorrow, Jason Mraz, Alicia Keys, Panic!at the Disco, One Republic, Jamie Scott, Pussycat Dolls.

53A at Timbre @ the Substation

I've heard alot of good things about Timbre, but i've never really managed to head out there. So finally found the time to go there and boy was it worth it. So Timbre is an outdoor live music venue. It's very chilled out, very spacious and has plenty of food and drink. But the best thing about it was 53A, a band with a female lead, a crazy talented bassist who has an awesome voice and plays some kick ass drums, and two other guys. But together, they are impressive. Playing alt/indie rock covers and some spice girls, they sure knew how to keep the crowd going. Highlights included "the Pretender", "starlight" and "take me out". It was nice to see the female lead vocals tackle songs from testosterone fronted bands such as U2, incubus, coldplay, muse etc etc. But two thumbs up. I'm going there again soon...Wanna join?

Drastic Fantastic - Singapore

(photo by loh_junwei) I had a few issues about going alone for a gig. But I'm new to Singapore, so from the few people I know, I couldn't find any who liked KT Tunstall enough, or knew who she was for that matter, to go for her gig. So it was decided. I'm going solo and it'll still be a blast. And it was! I thought it was going to be a pretty intimate gig with maybe about 500 people. But boy was I wrong. The Suntec City Convention Room 603 had been transformed into a gig-hall complete with seating for 2250 and standing capacity for about 500. However, although the gig was scheduled to get on the way at 8, when I got there at 7:45 the place was almost empty! So I was thinking "poor KT Tunstall, she's never gonna want to come here ever again!" But I was wrong. At 8:30 when the gig actually kicked off, the place was full, and it actually was a room full of KT Tunstall fans...I sure wasn't out of place:) As soon as KT took the stage, the crowd went nuts! She played right into the hands of everyone there that night. The sound was brilliant, the band was tight and not flashy, the back-up singers were hot, the lighting was mood-friendly and KT Tunstall was amazing and lovable! What a combination! Moreover, what a talent she is! She went through the slow acoustic numbers and the fast rocky songs with equal intensity, keeping the crowd focussed on her music more than anything else in such a way that there was pin-drop silence amongst 3000 people. Between songs she'd talk to the crowd and crack jokes, making us all laugh. She'd also explain what her songs are about, for instance "Funny Man" is about a friend of hers that lost his mind, Black Horse & the Cherry Tree is about good and evil, which made the whole thing very personal. KT really won the hearts and minds and, possibly, a few thousand extra CD sales from, the entire audience. She was truly lovable. The highlights for me were firstly, her solo version of Black Horse & the Cherry Tree, which I had been dying to see live ever since I caught it on youtube, Funny Man, her version of Walk Like an Egyptian and Suddenly I see. What a night. 3 Thumbs up! Btw, she did mention that it's a fact that when you take all the people who lived on this planet ever, there's only 9 dead people for every live person. Is that true?

The night that Light Grenades went BOOM

Might I warn you, this has not been love. This has been infatuation. I first came across Incubus some time in 2000, when I heard "Drive". Back then I didn't even know who they were, let alone the fact that they'd been around for about 7 years by then. But the song was an instant favourite with me, as it was to a bajillion others. I loved the sound of the funky acoustic guitar riffs coupled with scratchpads, weird noises, great drum and bass, and a beautiful voice! And that was what sparked it. Then I did what every right minded Asian kid did back then, back when downloading wasn't big, especially in Sri Lanka on dial-up. I went and bought the CD "Make Yourself" for 150 bucks from Majestic City. I didn't listen to anything else for weeks. Months even. To-date it still ranks as one of my top picks, and it would be with me on the dessert island, should I end up on one. Some of my favourite Incubus songs ever is on that album, such as Pardon Me, Make Yourself, Stellar, and Drive. This was one fucking great band. Back in 2002, the Lady gave me "Morning View", and it wasn't from MC, so I was in my element! From start to end it was a brilliant work of art. It was definitely not a powderpuff. This was a heavyweight. Packed with a variety of songs such as the red-bull-like "Nice to Know You" and "Aqueous Transmissions", the super-massive hit "Wish You Were Here", "Mexico", "11 AM" and "Warning Signs" amongst others, the album changed the way the world saw Incubus. Or at least they changed my world. But that sounds corny. Nevertheless, this album is what officially made them my favourite band. Although "A Crow Left of the Murder" did not receive rave reviews, to me it was a great album. I had been starved of new Incubus music for a while, so when it was released I headed down to MC. By the time "Light Grenades" came out, I'm happy to say I had a stable broadband connection:) So you have obviously gathered by now that I have been dying to see them live for a long time. I missed them in the UK twice because, first I was broke, and then the next time I was in Sri Lanka on holiday. Sigh. Having finished 3 years in the UK, when i returned to Sri Lanka I was pretty convinced that I was destined never to see them. Mind you I had seen a gazillion of their gigs on screen. But I used to think that they'd probably break up before I can manage to find myself at a concert of theirs. And then there's fate! 2 Weeks after signing on to a new job which was to send me to Singapore for 6 months on work, Incubus announced that it would be playing Singapore on the 7th of March as part of the Light Grenades Tour. I hadn't even started work, but I bought my ticket in December. I wasn't sure who else was going or whether i'd know anyone there, but i didn't care. This was fate, and I wasn't going to play around with a chance like this. However, B, also a die-hard fan, got tickets too. So we planned to do this right. Having found myself in Singapore, one of the first things I did was pick up my ticket. When I did, I breathed a sigh of relief. On the day, I was excited, but still I couldn't believe that I was actually going to see the band of my dreams live! Unfortunately I was hounded with work, so I only managed to leave office at 6pm. The gig started at 8. I made it to Fort Canning Park by 6:30pm, by which time there was already a kilometre long line to get in. But the queue moved first, and I managed to position myself in the middle, where I had this view. I wasn't far from the front, so I wasn't disappointed. The plan was to be close enough to the front to be able to wringle my way through as far as I could go;) Saosin, dubbed as one of the hottest bands making waves now, opened with an hour's set. To be honest, I hadn't heard their music before, but judging by the crowd's reaction, they were pretty darn popular. Most of these kids knew every word to their songs and were already moshing and bouncing off ppl! I, on the other hand, was saving my energy for Incubus. The crowd went wild when Incubus came onstage. Chris Kilmore kicked things off by setting off some eerie melodic sounds which was to be the start of "Quicksand" off "Light Grenades", the first ever song I'd ever seen/heard Incubus play live. Thank god they started with a quiet one, cause the energy in the air could've been cut with a guitar fret board. The mellow beginning only lasted for a few minutes, as they quickly lashed into "A Kiss to Send Us Off", and that was it. The sweaty bodies moving, swaying, jumping as one had begun, and it was to last for an hour and forty minutes. Oh man, from that point on it was all a blur to me. I mean, I can remember everything, but it's beyond description. There was so much energy, so much intensity, so much talent on stage, and not enough water. I can't tell you how many songs they played, or in which order. Some highlights were definitely the whole crowd of probably abt 2500-3000 jumping up and down together for Anna Molly and singing the words to Drive with Brandon and only Mike on guitar. What am I saying, the whole concert was one big highlight. B and I were jumping so hard our bodies still hurt. It was so hot that we had to take off our t-shirts just so that we could breathe. It was just one mass of sweaty bodies, and had the attention not been on Incubus, I would've had a problem with that. When they played the opening chords to Megalomaniac, I dedicated that moment to Mahinda, and then went nuts. I was thinking earlier today that it was real, I was there, and I have lived. Now, when will I see them again?

Of highs and lows

If ever I've hit a low as an amateur musician, this is it. Two vastly contrasting evenings. The christmas party was absolutely crazy! I've not had so much fun in such a long time. It was just pure entertainment, so much so that I felt like I had to be the dancing queen's king. Good food, great company, lots of booze, fun and games, a super DJ, all of which added up to be the best retro party I have been to. When the fun and games were over, most had left, the good food had been cleared, the super DJ decided to belt out some slow tunes to which the great company decided at 3 am that they should add their vocal talents in unison as there was still lots of booze left. By 4am the waiters had had enough, and had surrounded us, albeit subtlely (or not so subtlely, as we noticed), as if to say 'enough!'. We didn't sound all that bad though. When I got home at 4:30am, with 6 bottles of left over booze, I was indeed a happy man. Until I realised I have to be up by 7. At 7:30am the day from hell began, where the night from heaven had ended. By 9 am was at the studio, where the album is in it's last stage of production. By 11 am I was falling asleep, and my attention span was as short as Jehan Mubarak's longest innings. I was craving for some sleep. But it was not to be. I ran home at 2pm, ate, showered, ran out again carrying a 40kg amplifier, my guitar and a man bag of necessities for the gig. We had another drummer playing with us tonight as Jim is out of the country, so I had to run to his house and make sure he was tight with the songs. By 4pm that was all sorted. Got to Rockapoluza 2 as fast as we could. It seemed nice and chilled out. But my confidence was lagging. We hadn't practiced as a band in a while; the bassist hadn't even met drummer-for-the-night properly. To cut a long and horrible story short, when we came up to play we fucked up. It made us sound below amateurish and there's no one else to blame but ourselves. This was the perfect opportunity to dish out some of our music to an audience who had never heard us before. Our song selection was poor, our co-ordination was shit, and we went right after Powercut Circus, probably one of the top 3 alternative bands in town. We really missed Jim this eve. He definitely brings out the best in us, and is the key ingredient to how tight we are as a band. I had a bad day as a guitarist. I kept missing my notes, and my guitar tone was rubbish. Live and learn they say. One thing's for sure; the bitter lesson is that you should never take any gig too lightly. I swear to you now, I will never play another gig without adequate prep. There's too much embarrassment and humiliation involved in fucking up live.

The show must go on...

Monsoon Sunday is finally over. For now. It's been a hectic two weeks in which we put on this show. But the 50 minute set was well worth it. We might've not made any money, but hopefully we have a few fans now. I'm thankful to all of you who turned up, especially those of you who stayed till the very end! Also to the bands that played, great job guys. We set ourselves a high bar to jump over by opting to play right after Hollowpoint Halo, who, incidentally, were super as always! If any of you caught 10 Second Rule at Monsoon Sunday, I'd love to hear what you thought.

Cynosure at Monsoon Sunday

(Monsoon Sunday - 8th Dec, 8pm, the Zetter. ft Hollowpoint Halo, 10 second rule, Anil Balasuriya, Cynosure and S.A.M.) (write up courtesy Cynosure) Cynosure is a group of 6 musicians between the ages of 18-21, concentrating mainly on the genres of alternative/slow rock music. They have been in the music industry close to 3 years and have performed in many events and competitions and the highlight of which is Sri Lanka’s premier event for local artists, TNL Onstage. This group of individuals first formed in school as teenagers and from there on developed into one of Sri Lanka’s well known alternative bands. Some of the band’s highlights have been competing and entering the finals of TNL onstage in the year 2005 and also in 2006. Another major highlight of the band has been the releasing of their first Original "On a Road" which received very good reviews from various radio stations here in Colombo and also large amount of air play. Other than the Usual guitar and drums this band also emphasizes the importance of the piano be it in the originals or the covers they play. This Fusion of guitar and piano brings out a sound that is unique to the band. Currently the band has taken up the Endeavour of releasing an Extended Play (EP) better know as a miniature album which will comprise of 4 songs composed and written by the band itself. Band Members Shezri Junaid - Vocals Ruvin de Silva – Drums Shivane Wickramasekera – Guitar Ahmed Nuski – Bass Shehan Michael – Keyboards Peter Vittachchi - Guitars

Monsoon Sunday : The Gig

With all the confirmations finally in, we have a gig on our hands! 8th Dec, 8pm, at the Zetter (formerly known as Tabu). This is exciting for a whole bunch of reasons! We paid a visit to the Zetter today and it looks abso-fucking-lutely super! Pristine white interior, with a bar that runs all the way through the club (you'll never be too far from the drinks) and the fanciest sound and lights system i've seen at any venue in Colombo! This is a far cry from the dark and intimidating interior and atmosphere of the old Tabu. Hollowpoint Halo, probably the biggest band in the Sri Lankan underground scene, confirmed to play, and are promising a new sound, which would be a step away from the acoustic sessions they've been known to play. S.A.M. was one of the most exciting bands at Onstage this year, and we were more than happy to invite them along for the ride. 10 Second Rule will feature a new drummer: The fabulous Jim Sykes, the American that you've read about previously here. Our line up is also likely to include percussionist Ravihansa, which should add to the new flavour that we plan to introduce at the gig. Over the next 14 days watch this space for more information about the gig. For now, make sure you keep the date free!

TNL Onstage - The Finals

Onstage comes but once a year. Some say it's a good thing. But it's definitely a great platform for young and emerging musicians to get out and play in front of which was probably the biggest audience you get at a gig out here. Last night were the finals; 6 bands, 6 solo artistes and 4 from the hip hop and rnb category made it. I'd say there were roughly around a thousand people there, maybe more. However, I made the mistake of thinking that this year will be pretty much like last year where it started 2 hours late, the changes between the acts dragged on and it finished at 5am! So by the time I managed to get to the Convention Centre, Thriloka had already finished their opening act, which was a real bummer for I really wanted to see them! TNL had got their act together this time and started sharp at 9pm, and I must add the show was slick! The stage was magnificent and was made up of probably the best lighting system I've seen at a local venue. The hall was decorated in black tapestries on which there were tiny lights which gave the effect of the night sky, but not so well. There were 2 drum kits on stage, instead of one, which was a great move, and helped reduce the loss of time between the acts! TNL also mixed in the order of performers so that the bands, solo singers and hip hop artistes were playing in random order. Last year the solo singers went first, then the bands. By the time the bands came on last year, everyone had left. So kudos to TNL. I walked in to the sounds of S.A.M. (which stands for, believe it or not, Surface to Air Missiles!) who play a John Mayerish groove. They did an original of theirs and then did a medley of covers which included a bit of Cannonball, Calabria and ended When the Sun Goes Down (Arctic Monkeys). They were super! I had only been there 5 mins but I was jumping around. However, I still think their name doesn't match their genre. Gray Mind Domain played a cover of Eric Clapton's Layla, but they failed to impress. It was just another cliche-ic rock band with nothing new about them. Merlock were technically sound, but a tad too heavy for my liking cause I'm not a death metal fan. But they were good in what they did. Could've had better vocals though. Wagon Park played a killer version of Comfortably Numb, and they looked the part of stoner rockers! Icarus started with Snow Patrol's run, which lacked oomph and zest. But their second song was brilliant, and it was an original! I could not understand why they did not play both originals, they would've had a better chance of winning. Hollow was the last band, again a little too heavy for my liking but boy were they good! Their drummer was off the hook! The guitarists had a great understanding and played great licks and leads and combined together very very well! They played The Final Countdown and that just blew the roof! However, being heavily influenced by my musical taste, my favourites were S.A.M. They need a new name though. Did I say that before? Most of the soloists were nothing much to talk about. But Mariam, who opened by dedicating her first song to the late Ruwani Seimon, was great! She had lots of stage personality and, by the end of it, plenty of young male fans thanks to her gyrating grooves with an umbrella! CC, who was a classmate at school, brought with him a refreshing energy to his performance, which most of the others lacked. I have never seen him sing like he did last night and everyone was stunned! Two thumbs up! Their were two hip hop groups, Dirty 4 Four and Nouty Coast (sic), who were quite good. The others didn't deserve a mention. So any guesses for who took it away last night? Well, I really can't remember who took the hip hop category, but it was one of those two groups. Wow, aren't I helpful!!! Mariam was the first runner up of the Solo category and CC took away the honours for his scintillating performance! Great work! I hope we'll see more of the two of them! In the band category, Merlock emerged runners up. The winners for 2007 are Hollow. Doesn't my opinion count though? Maybe it was the name. Link here for pictures posted by Shehal.

Doctor of Drumology

5 papers down as of today, and lucky number 5 had to be the worst one. Who bothers with the constitution anyway? Bah! So after trudging away from the exam hall looking and feeling all too glum, i headed toward the infamous green path hangout. The plan was to jam. On the way, I stopped at Colpetty junc and got a yummy egg bun and a chinese roll. Food always hits the spot right after an exam. Actually food always hits the spot, period. At green path you always meet new people and, more often than not, they are fascinating! Today was plain ol' Jim, who is doing a PhD in drums and percussion! Now how fucking cool is that? It gets cooler. He's in Sri Lanka for a year to learn Sri Lankan drums as part of his course. So here he is, learning the language, suffering in the heat and playing everything from gata bera to hak gedi to kala, all the while earning more credits towards his PhD. So at the end of all this he's gonna be a doctor in drumology? Woah! Not only that, as soon as we started jamming I realised he's fucking brilliant! Over the course of a couple of hours, about 8 of us switched between guitars, bass, drums (not me:D) and percussion. Probably the best impromptu jam session I've ever had! I'm still buzzed about it. Tomorrow, 10 Second Rule heads off to record some new material in a strangely unusual way. I'm excited, but I hope it goes off well. Fuck exams. I know what i'm gonna do my PhD in!

The Mind-blowing KT Tunstall

Mixing some serious talent with a loop pedal, the gorgeous KT Tunstall turns out some amazing music. Check out this version of Black Horse and the Cherry Tree. One not to miss.

Rockapoluzza!

Although I never did quite agree with the title for the evening, it turned out to be one hell of a gig! In typical Sri Lankan fashion, the gig got under way at 9:15, a good hour and a quarter late, but that was mainly due to the fact that the crowd was slow to trickle in. But, by the time it got going, with 350 people packed into the onyx (including RD - Nice to meet you mate) it was sure to be a good night. Daddy kicked off the proceedings with a tight, 3 song set, which included their song "Mage Massina". HollowpointHalo followed with Black eyed lullaby, Pardon me (incubus), The Pot (Tool) and Lost Horizon Star. Playing an acoustic set, the line up included Marsh, Ranil, the lil Bass guy and a guy on congos that i'd never seen before. They were tight. They were good. But, to me at least, they lacked the oomph they generally generate. Next up were us, 10 Second Rule. 'Twas our first gig together and we had a blast. But i'd like to hear what people in the audience thought so please comment:D Anil was supported by some great musicians and pulled off a good set, which included music from his album "Last few pieces of April". He also did quite a good rendition of Snow Patrol's Chasing Cars, which was well received. I had been looking forward to getting a taste of Powercut Circus live and they did not fail to deliver. Picture funk mixed psychedelic melodies with an amazing drummer thrown in and some pretty interesting voice effects they were nothing short of different, if not entertaining. I love their compositions. I love how Shehan's bass gels with Dhinesh's beats. It's great! Can't wait to hear more from them. When I think of Paranoid Earthling, I still think of them as the punk band that played a super cover of The Offspring's "the kids aren't alright" at the 80 Club. Back then their music was more punk, more grunge, and for the faint hearted, more listenable. However, they've taken a turn towards sounding extremely metal-ish. Even favourites such as 69 are sounding heavier than ever, at which point I had to get out of Onyx for some fresh air. All in all, it was a great night for live music. Rumour has it that the next one is in Kandy.

Live tonight...

There's been a lot of hype about tonight's gig, which does not help calm my, already frazzled, nerves. This being at work is not help. Neither does it help that the closest guitar store does not have any G-strings, let alone E-strings, in stock when i desperately need one! (having broken a string last night at practices). Well, all hitches aside, 10 Second Rule is finally about to hit the stage. But I like my blog title so I ain't changing it, although, technically at least, my search is over. I digress. Excited? hell yeah! It's been 8 months since i've been on stage. it's been 4 years since I last played in SL, and that last time was also at Onyx (then known as MKOP). I digress again. Blame it on the nerves. It's going to be a dive into the deep-end of a freezing pool to be playing alongside some of the biggest names in Sri Lanka, ie HPH, Paranoid Earthling, and, the soon to be famous, Powercut Circus. But it's a good challenge to take on. See you all tonight!

GIG!

10 Second Rule's first live performance will be on the 3rd of August at Onyx alongside HollowpointHalo, Power Cut Circus, Paranoid Earthling and Anil Balasuriya. We will also be releasing a 10 track album entitled "Monsoon Sunday 2: Storm" on the night. Doors open at 8:30-9 pm methinks. For those of you who are not familiar with venues and who will be down in CMB during that time (i.e. RD) Onyx is at the Taj Samudra. Be there...somehow!

"Acoustic Jams", what went down...

Last evening I headed down to Sugar (the new bar above H2O) for the acoustic gig organised by Yes FM. It was a gig that was different in ways, yet plainly stereotypical in others. It was great to see Yes FM get in on the act in a market usually dominated by TNL, gig hosting wise. Entrance was by invite only, which was great cause there was no cost involved, and the show was scheduled to kick off at the sundown hour of 6; a nice change from what we've come to expect of such gigs which generally start late. Early start meant early finish; perfect for when monday blues are what's left to expect. The show actually got going at 6pm Sri Lanka Standard Time (note to reader: generally when this is used expect a delayed start. This time please add 30 minutes to the given time) which wasn't that bad. The crowd was trickling in at that time and there was plenty of space to walk around. USB (Usually Sounds Better) played a few great covers to start things off. Ben Harper's version of Sexual Healing was nicely pulled off. This was followed by a mediocre Cynosure. The band has potential, but a lack of creativity amongst their ranks has ensnared upon them the curse of predictability. They pick obviously hacked songs that have been played over and over again and play em as close to the original as possible. I'm sorry but I don't have much respect for such musicians. Next up was Ranga accompanied by Shafi. Seemed like they hadn't practiced much, which resulted in a so-so performance. Soul Skinner were good, the first band to actually play an original on the night. They are lucky to have amongst their ranks too amazing guitarists who suddenly spring out into dazzling solos. Azlan took the stage next with his 12 string accompanied by Joel on bass and a bloody amazing lead guitarist. I haven't the foggiest what his name is but I wish I knew. He's the guy who played lead for the soloists at TNL Onstage, as well as at Simplicity. Now you know who he is don't you?:) So anyway, wow this band was nothing short of entertainment! They got the crowd going really well. Again it was all covers, which was slightly disappointing, but done differently so Yay. The highlights of their performance for me were their cover of "What goes around comes around" (JT), when the whole crowd started singing "Time of your life" together, and finally the scintillating and mezmerising leads! This guy has the most humble look on his face when he plays the most riveting lead parts, as if to say that he is too shy to handle everyone's awe inspired appreciation. Top marks. It was plainly too obvious that everyone was waiting to catch a glimpse of the ever elusive Hollow Point Halo. Ranil, Marsh and Roshan took the stage carrying the burden of everyone's expectations. They started strong with a track that I hadn't heard from them before. This was followed by "Lost Vegas Star", which was nothing short of amazing. Having heard them play the same song at Simplicity, I think they've improved on greatness and achieved what they played yesterday. Next up was "Sacred Ordinary", one of my favourite HPH songs. I can't understand why they've taken it off their website. Finally, and to meet the anticipation of the masses, they belted out their rendition of TOOL's "the pot". Special mention must be made of the pint-sized bassist who matched Ranil's brilliance, off-beat for off-beat. Having stood for 3 and a half hours straight for lack of seating, my knees couldn't handle another copycat cover and walked out while Jada performed. However, I heard from a reliable source that Shaun (formerly from Jacob's Ladder) had rocked the house towards the end. All in all, great show. However, I was disappointed with the choice of venue. Sugar is no doubt a great bar. But that's just it, it's a bar, not a live music venue. The stage is set in an awkward angle, most of it is blocked by the imposing bar which looms a few feet away and directly infront of it. Add to that the looming speakers being placed right infront of stage covering half the band, and 80% of the crowd could not see who was playing. Luckily I went and stood my frame right infront, making sure that the remaining 20% had to crane over my shoulders to get a peak. Selfish? damn straight! Now, what i'd like to see is a great gig, but this time with music the way it's meant to be. Enough of the acoustics, bring on the big guns!

Jenny you are crazy! First i'm perfect then i'm lazy?

Catchy lyrics, bluesy guitars, soulful pianoes and groovy drum beats are all central to this great album. Paolo Nutini, a little known Scottish guy is growing in popularity faster than Sri Lankan's can kill each other. Although being only 20, he has a natural ability to tell a story in a song with much sincerity and conviction. My favourite is "jenny don't be hasty" where when he was 18 he met a girl at a gig and he told her he was 23 because she was. Eventually he confessed that he was only 18 at which she slapped him and left him. Harsh. But great inspiration for lyrics like "I'll be around again to see these other men That are more adequate in the age department I did not think you cared.There'd be no problems here But now you're looking at me like you're disgusted Then I'm definitely waiting for you to smile and change your mind Then I'll say I'm sorry and I'll wrap my arms 'round your body I really hope that you forgive in a hurry And don't just ask me to leave". Brilliant. Having missed him in the UK, where he has gained tremendous popularity within weeks of launching his album last summer, i turned to trusted youtube and also to a gig airing right now on www.msn.com. The performances are nothing short of electrifying and make you wanna get up and jump around crazily as if you were really there. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a mood booster. His voice is very mature for someone of his age. His strong Scottish accent and thick lisp make him almost unintelligible when he talks. But when he sings you just don't want him to stop. Raspy yet soulful, much like Jacob Dylan and Jack Johnson. The music on the album is great. My picks are "alloway grove" (which reminds me a lot of Johnny Cash for some reason - must be the tripping blues type of beat), "last request" (a ballad which is already on the charts), "rewind", "these streets"(the title track to the album) and "loving you". These Streets is music for a rainy day. A mix of slow ballads and bluesy beats. I'd compare it to the likes of John Mayer, Jack Johnson, Joshua Radin and even the Wallflowers.

Papare music, first thing in the morning!

When i get into the car to head to work the first thing i do is switch the radio on and tune into YesFM (for their morning show is damn entertaining!). It was a sombre morning thinking about work that needs to get done and about tonight's impending slosh session at ssc. Just when i thought "ah important match tonight", the radio starts blaring papare music! Immediately i was transported back to the Roy - Tho. Only my mum's imposing presence stopped me from putting my hands up in the air, kicking my heels and doing the silly baila dance. But bloody hell did it liven up the mood! I don't know what it is about papare music but to Lankan's there is no substitute. I don't know who started it or when, or where it found it's influence from. But these guys are musicians in a class of their own. These guys can improvise and do all sorts of shit and it just comes so naturally to them. Amongst other talents, they have an amazing alcohol capacity. Usually musicians fuck up when drunk. But these guys are fucked up if not drunk! Makes me think, maybe it's in the alcohol. Maybe i should ask them for some of what they drink. 30 minutes later i was at work, and the papare music was still going on. As i got out of the car this SUV passed me with the same papare music blaring out loud! It's great to be Sri Lankan.

Open Mic Nights in Colombo - A Distant Dream?

Every musician, whether amateur or pro, would love to play to an audience rather than just to the furniture in his/her room. It takes a lot of balls to pull off a live performance, but the rush you feel is magical. But in Sri Lanka there are almost no opportunities for people to play as often as they'd like to. The gigs that happen only showcase a limited list of hacked bands playing hacked covers. The majority of the crowd that go to those gigs are there only to be seen rather than for the music. It's pathetic. What I want to know is where are the real live music fans in colombo? Would they be open to a new concept to promote Sri Lankan artistes and music? I wish someone would introduce "open mic nights" over here, where people could come, pick up an instrument, play and/or sing something...anything. Who plays on the night would depend on who wants to play. I'd love to see people try to be different at such nights. The audience would be music fans and not 'wannabe's. There'd be no boo's even if the guy is shit. Only applause to cheer him on and for having the balls to go up on stage. There'd even be the possibility of an impromptu jam session! It would be a great opportunity for musicians of any level of ability to take the stage, to gauge audience reaction to an original song, to play a cover in a completely different way to the original, to be themselves! What do you guys think? any ideas? i'm dying for such a stage. But is this too much to ask?