UGLYM3N

Reminder:

To all friends who are going to collect tickets from me, please prepare EXACT CHANGE, as i do not have so much change to carry with for 30 tickets. I will be at Pyramid Hotel Lobby 6.30pm-7pm. Please collect your tickets there. Thanks

-michael
2.38am, Saturday by michael:

What an eventful day, starting badly but ending up nicely but extremely tired. I am going to try zzz for sure after posting this final update for Friday (Rehearsal Day). Oceans and us had dinner together with Jonathan from Nightmare Cinema and some friends at Asia Cafe. We went home around 1am. Good night and tomorrow will be another busy day for me.

Ric and me having a nap at the hotel room corridor after a tiring day

Let's go dinner, supper, what ever…

eat, eat, eat and eat…

Jonathan (far right) with his friends and us at Asia Cafe.

9.41pm, Rehearsal ended:

Final band Hong Kong (Pick Phak Zhai):

Gorgeous MC for the day…

Smoke Sound on the water.

8.55pm @ rest area beside stage by michael:

Oceans did a good job in rehearsal with some hiccups at the ending, Kelvyn's effectors had some problem and we thrashed it out back in the hotel room later.

8.40pm @ back stage with Oceans by michael:

Warming and tuning up at back stage. Doing final preparation, and let's get serious.

7.12pm, Rehearsal started, by michael:
5 bands are through with the rehearsal, as at this moment, Poetical Kingdom is performing, the Oceans lad are warming up.

first up is Singapore (Eskimo Pie):

second up is Indonesia (Rempeyex):

3rd up is Taiwan (Alegu):

4th up is China (Chi Ren):

Hybrid Plus (Guest Band):

5th up Malaysia (Poetical Kingdom):

7:26pm @ stage side by michael:
I had a nice chat with Wes Borland just a couple of minutes back. Wes's a real nice guy and is very generous to answer all my stupid questions. Wes will be sharing his creativity ideas and how he develops a song, in his clinic.

Wes is one of the judges for the big show and he is looking on creativity 'wink wink' =)
His band's Black Light Burns latest album will be released on 5th June, but not in Malaysia =( bcos our “malaysia boleh” piracy problem

All the bands are preparing for the rehearsal.

Besides Kozo and Wes, a band from Japan called Hybrid Plus will also perform as the special guests in the big show

More report to follow

7:18pm by taisuan: it's raining cats and dogs in sunway right now. extremely heavy as a pounding machine. i just called michael, he said he is talking to wes borland right now. i think he's bullshitting me.

hooi and i + yin yang are going to drive out from my “who-wants-to-be-a-millionaire” flat soon. see you guys there.

5.47pm @ Subang Jaya leaving to Sunway Lagoon:
Super heavy rain, just look at the photos, the rehearsal has been put on whole because it would be done in open air.

Heavy Rain

This island came sliding down in the heavy rain and nearly hit our car

View from 16th Floor hotel room

The theme park

Me, Wes Borland, and Licky Ric

4:20pm by taisuan: full band rehearsal this evening 6pm at sunway lagoon. here's the bands in playing order:

1 – singapore – music style: funk rock
2 – taiwan – music style: metal rapcore
3 – indonesia – music style: not sure but will probably smoke everyone else
4 – china – music style: multi instrumentalist
5 – malaysia – poetical kingdom – music style: heavy metal
6 – malaysia – ocean of fire – music style: fusion rock
7 – hong kong – music style: rockability

p/s: mike, pls help change the above band music style if i have stated them wrongly, thanks man!

3:20pm by taisuan: ocean of fire and poetical kingdom are in the News. 5 judges will pick the best of asia tomoro night.

and guess what? limp bizkit ex-guitarist is one of the judges and he'll be performing some cool stuff. check him out guys!

2:20pm by taisuan: here's an interview (with photos) with hong kong band, PICK PAK. the band has a hot chick and the leader of the band, keyboardist really prepared for this competition and he has already looked at performances of his upcoming rivals on YouTube. “They play instrumental music and they are pretty good,”

he admits.

if i'm not wrong, he's referring to ocean of fire because they are the only band playing instrumental music. i like this guy cause he is prepared for this big competition.

Updated 1.41pm @ Subang Jaya by michael:

Just taken my bath, it has been really a hot hot day. Thanks to Ric, I can travel around KL. Ric, this is for you “arh arh arh arh arh…”

Ok, back to the serious stuff. They (the contestants) are taking a break for lunch, i'll be heading to Cheras and be back at Sunway Lagoon at 6pm to help out on the full rehearsal.
Here are some photos taken today:

Pyramid Tower Hotel, all contestants stay here.

Sunway Lagoon, competition venue

Oceans of Fire in sound check

With Taiwan band, Aleigu, according to them, Formulae (2004 2nd runner-up) are still active, while Jue Jin (2004 1st runner-up) already disbanded as all members are now working full time jobs.

The ever hard-working Kelvyn, working on his chops in the hotel room after sound check

Scully reading advertisements to see whether he can find “room service”… kekeke

Jonathan telling to himself while sleeping: “fcking choreograph, fcking choreograph, fcking choreograph….

You guys dirty la, quickly go bath first la…

More updates to follow…
Updated 1.15pm @ Sunway Lagoon by michael:

I am leaving Sunway Lagoon to sort some things out, Kelvyn wil get a chance to test his guitar again. I hv ordered a custom-made 30 feet cable from The Guitar Store for Jonathan, so he can stand out to the front of the stage when playing solo and choreographing.
Off to lunch now.

Updated 11.33am @ Sunway Lagoon by michael:

after all, I still managed to watch Oceans for 10 minutes or so. The house output was nice. Chiat's rhythm was audible, Jonathan's bass added a little mid, Scully's snare drum was a little bit soft so I asked him to take off the muffler. Kelvyn's guitar was humming annoyingly and we hope to solve that after lunch.
More updates to follow.

11:00am – BIG PROBLEM – kelvyn's guitar was humming throughout the whole soundcheck. the problem is still being investigated. not sure why there's humming. pst! pst! humsup Ric said hong kong band's vocalist is so damn hot he wants to arh arh arh…

9:50am - spoke with michael. michael and ric stucked at kelana jaya. oceans of fire will soundcheck in 5 minutes time and our plan is ruined because of the bloody tag. @#$%^&*

why mongolia band did not come? one of their band members met with an accident while on the way to the airport yesterday. the person is said to be in critical condition. oh god, please help this poor soul, the whole band must be devastated.

9:30am – i got the latest news from michael. he's in a traffic jam with Ric on the way to kelana jaya. apparently, things did not go as planned because michael and ric are supposed to help the malaysian bands but yamaha did not manage to get the sound crew tag done. he's in Ric's car now 9.30am (as you read this). i'm quite disappointed actually for michael and ric need to drive all the way from sunway to kelana jaya for the sake of helping the country band. i'm pissed off cause michael has to cancel all his guitar lessons from his boss, take a bloody midnite bus from alor setar to KL and arranging Ric to take leave from work and help OCEANS today but he's stuck in the traffic now.

i spoke to chieat just now (guitarist of ocean of fire). the stage is being finalized now and crew is making sure all instruments are in working condition. for unknown reason, mongolia did not send their band to compete. here's the bands who are going to perform in order below:

1 – singapore
2 – taiwan
3 – indonesia
4 – china
5 – malaysia – poetic kingdom
6 – malaysia – ocean of fire
7 – hong kong