Comments on: SINGAPORE – Yamaha Asian Beat National Finals 2006 Diary

By: Yamaha Asian Beat Nothern Region Finals 2007 ~ my take | UGLYM3N - Hard Rock Band

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 18:06:29 +0000

[...] 2) Johor Finals 2006 (part 3) Kedah / Perlis Finals 2006 Penang Finals 2006 Malaysia Finals 2006 Singapore Finals (by Jonathan Rossie) 2006 Asia Finals (rehearsal day) 2007 Asia Finals (photo album) [...]

By: michael

michael — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 13:51:44 +0000

eh… its not easy to tell, but its not a dance really, its just a procedure or routine to make a certain phrase of music sounds and looks more powerful and more impact.

it can be just a nod of the head, sway of the picking arm, or even a head turn…

silver_isle face like that bcos we missed sondscape show a lot since not often to KL.

By: Rossie

Rossie — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 12:07:46 +0000

Silver: why that face? I assume they are millions and trillions of miles apart from the real RUSH?

Mike: Did you mean like the choreography they did in their videos? As in there’s a certain theme in our movements on stage, some sort of a dance?

By: michael

michael — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 10:27:28 +0000

thanks joanathan, saw the band before, i think silver_isle introduced to me some time ago, nice to watch.

By: Silver Isle

Silver Isle — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 09:16:24 +0000

Yes, from soundscape. =|

By: Rossie

Rossie — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 00:36:54 +0000

Thanks for the inputs!

About the word choreography… Erm… As in? Dance moves? Head banging? I’m now quite into an all-girl Taiwan band-CHERRY BOOM. Great songs and skills!
Here are some videos you can check out:

sheng1 ming4 yu3 ai4 concert part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dzlv3miqVtI

part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_xQ9IbNcrI

Dear Prince:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQrubZ46rZw

I Wanna Rock:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xorKM6_Xi6Q

Check out Dear Prince, they did some movements together on stage as a band to accomodate the mood of the song. Is this what you ment by choreography?

Malaysia also got RUSH?

By: michael

michael — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 18:01:21 +0000

good point there Jonathan, making serious music is good, but what i was trying to state was, Asian Beat is looking for uniqueness like adding some choreograph, that does not necessary apply to other competitions or text book. Your band is a progressive band and i love to watch bands like Mr Big, DT, RUSH (not the malaysian rush)… and they dont have choreograph off course. But most Asianbeat judges just dont buy that. So next year, when your band enters Asian Beat, its actually good to put in some non-technical factors in order to get the ace from the other teams

well, at least that’s how Asian Beat works

By: Rossie

Rossie — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 11:25:06 +0000

Silver: Our band audition went ok, organizers will let us know this sunday. We just took part in this competition for fun (again), plus our vocalist was too busy to help us sing because of her exams. So we did an instrumental version of Endless Sacrifice (with some bits and pieces from other DT songs to make it sorta like a medley), and John Petrucci’s Glasgow Kiss (the ending part of THE BLAZE’s number, remember Mike? Love this song so much). Not sure how they would think of us, went I was packing my gears, I overheard the cute girl, who was one of the auditioners, said something to the extent of “I never knew anyone could cover Dream Theater…”
But now the issue of originality and creativity worries me a little, just keep my fingers crossed.
Singaporeans DO have great gears, how they sound is another issue though. Take a look at this website: http://www.dyingtobeheard.com
Take a peek in the gallery section, look at the past year’s competition. Almost all of the gears are high end stuff. You have an Ibanez John Petrucci model (!), a Fender Jag, a YAMAHA JM2 bass etc. You get the picture. It will be so sad if the sound doesn’t live up to these killer intruments.

Mike: No problem at all. Singapore’s taste are very different from Malaysia’s.
About your last sentence:
“So, either a technical band with MEANINGFUL music lines, or a unique band with full of X factors, or a unique band with many teachnical difficultiesâ€¦”
So you’re meaning if you want to play with technique, then must go all out la?
I really really hate choreography, is it still possible to still out without it? As in we spend all of our time in our music, and make it as unique (musically) as possible. And of course, interaction between band members and audience is a must. But seriously, no choreography…

By: fleaman

fleaman — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 07:15:09 +0000

Yeah.. i think its NAO.. i saw them in 20th Leigth St, Pg. Mohawk look! n look very stone 24/7!

And i won so many local indie music.. via Tiger Beer lucky draw.. n i gave all away.. as i have no idea who were they.. i think suan n mikey got the disc hahahahhaahah… i missed out the ipod.. KNN.

Must have consume too much ! to win so many time…! ;0

By: michael

michael — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 05:59:28 +0000

Jonathan, thanks so much for sharing with us!

For the past years, Asian Beat has always been a competition to look out for unique bands that stand out from bunch of technically-fluent lot. However, we still see some silly resutls. That was bcos different views from different judges. For the past two years, i have been very lucky to be involved in judging 5 regional finals, of all the judges i worked with, all have different point of views. A champion band for judge A could be a non top-three for judge B. It was too subjective. But if i collate all my experience from these judges, i get the following conclusion:

1) Band with high techicallity is not certain to gain high points. You must be using your technical stuff to deliver your song. Many bands played very well (much action) with no purpose in the song. Sad to say one of the most techincal bands won Asian Beat Grand Final before (and i dont have to tell you who is that). Even if you played well, bad sound-balancing could kill you too. And lastly, like Suan said, if you practise your ass off just to be like some one else (for example Y Malmsteen, oh, i just saw not long ago a band tried ot be like Malmsteen so much, even the vocal, esp the guitarist althouh they sounded so so so bad, that really pissed me off, and i think everyone at the venue who knows music will agree with me) Its better i make a nescafe and sit at home watch Malmsteen DVD.

2. Bands with less teachnical fluency or bands with minimal techinal difficulties BUT full of X factors. Fancy costumes, humourous stage ethnics, looking confident, entice the crowd and judges with ease, song form which is out of this world, eye-catching CHOREOGRAPHY which i cant stress more here, decent presentation, nice arrangement (not necessary to be difficult, Lemon Tree, Summer of 69, Scar Tissue, All The Small Things, Take A Look Around, That Thing You Do…) These are very well arranged songs which you can pick up any time. But the execution of the songs must be perfect in order to deliver the taste and feel to the audience. This is what most of the bands I watched this year lacked off.

So, either a technical band with MEANINGFUL music lines, or a unique band with full of X factors, or a unique band with many teachnical difficulties…

you’ll be the judge. cheers.

By: Silver Isle

Silver Isle — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 05:09:15 +0000

Anyway, very cool write-up too Jonathan! Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us. Hope to see you in the Asia Grand Final.

So how’s your band audition going on?

By: Silver Isle

Silver Isle — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 05:07:01 +0000

Yes, I’m 100% sure he means NAO. Kekeke. Cause I was there too when he had his first time experience watching NAO.