our friends, Ocean of Fire is launching their newest album this 20-december-2009 at hard rock cafe in penang from 3pm to 5pm. entry is free of charge. some lucky guys/gals may receive a CD from them. they are one of the most consistent bands in northern malaysia and we are proud that they always believe in the music that they write and perform. talented and hard working guys. come and enjoy a special blend of ultra progressively and technically executed music with great taste!

halo everyone, finally finally finally…

the stories and photos are up…

i have uploaded over 300 photos (gradually) and details of our adventures and misadventures in Japan.

please feel free to comment and enjoy browsing while i continue rebuilding and upgrading my site, some links may not work yet:

participants:
1. chun wei
2. metal sow
3. uncle beh
4. boo2
5. ah leow
6. taisuan
7. silverisle

* tentative date of this activity is either 19 or 20 december. subject to change due our availability. goods purchased and delivery will be scheduled within the same day.

metal sow, lewis leow, uncle beh-beh, boo-boo and myself are going to start a side project. its a non-musical project. its basically slapping ourselves to ensure that we wake up feeling lucky to know we have the ability to live a fun and fulfilled life. we had the best life during our best years. so… while we still can, we want to return something to society. (entertaining a crowd is one of our obligations).

we are planning to give something back to the people whom have made this place better and now have been “isolated” from family and love. we are going to do a small tiny charity every once a few months. currently its two months once.

1st project – its x'mas time for the old and lonely. we are going to donate some food stuff to selected old folks home around penang or kedah. and we are NOT seeking any donation or money. we are going to do it ourselves. those who wish to join us:

1. we will identify one old folks home around penang or kedah
2. purchase food stuff/necessities from hypermarket (TESCO, etc). we'll group the cash to become a mini fund and make the purchase
3. bring the food stuff/necessities to the old folks home

if you guys know of any old folks home that may benefit from any help, let us know. for those who wants to join, you gotta do the three things above.

we are:

1. NOT going to collect money from you
2. NOT going to purchase stuff on behalf of you
3. NOT going to represent you
* you have to do it together with us

tentatively, we are going to carry out the above activities around christmas and it should be one of the weekends where most of us are free.

see you guys there. we are playing 30 minutes.

Hello all, long time I didn't write stuff at here then recently I had purchased quite number of Dream Theather's CDs/DVDs from …More than 10 discs from their official bootleg site(I think all except the discs are out of stock).

After go through all of them, and I decided to write something about em'. Listen to all their covers, I am very impress!!! They had covered Metallica, PinkFloyd, Iron Maiden, DeepPurple and etc etc… They can covered it with 100% perfection with the orginal's songs' soul stay into the song with Dream Theather's style. Take PinkFloyd's Dark Side of the Moon and Metallica's Master of Puppets for example, DT play the whole album with their own style without losing any PinkFloyd's feel on it; Metallica's Master of Puppets same….whole album with their very own style yet without losing any metallica's taste and texture on it. Both Metallica and Pinkfloyd are in different style but DT could cover it both without having any difficulties at all. Which is very impress hell out of me!!!

I think no other band like DT that's cover the band's whole album and with the bands are totally different in styles. After go through all these discs, I started to reliaze that they have only 1 guitarist, 1 keyboardist, 1 bassist, 1 drummer and 1 singer… Jordan Rudess is a very ass kicking keyboard player; I think none of other keyboard player can play like him!!! This guy is really talented not juz into the playability but also createtivity in “doing the sound”(programming)….. John Pettrucci, John Myung and Mike Portnoy no need me to explain more coz' many of you already know them.

DT is one of the very BEST rock band found in the earth, they are not juz good in skill, the playability but also very rich and great musician!!! Basically they can play anythings I would like to say to you all… I haven't go into John's solo project yet. I got his solo project name “an evening something with John” only Petrucci on guitar play with Jordan Rudess on keyboard, both can use their instrument create alot of FEEL and Texture, how amazing the sound that created by two guys only…

Back to DT, **Suan dun like em' and probably will disagree with me**…. DT is one of the BEST Band found in this earth!!! Juz watching the live DVDs name WOrld Tourbulence 2002 DT play Pull Me Under/Master of Puppets; this is really ass kicking song, play pull me under in the half way then change to Master of puppets then back to pull me in the ending is really ass butt kicking!!! love it so so so much!!!

END!!!

rock ON!

beh

below is the link of the song pull me under/master of puppets on youtube…nJoy!

(updated 10.58PM)

i am using pay-internet from hotel, super difiket to use the interface again.
we will be departing tomorow back to malaysia by evening.
everyone is very happy and satisfied after FISHING so many products…
take care everone. we took over 1000 photos and will blog the stories and events slowly for the next few weeks, as tai suan and me will be starting to work like dog again from thursday morning…
bye…

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RoXXX

(updated 10.40am 8th Nov Yokohama Grand)
The show is finally over. and here are the results for you, more updates in detail when i get my ass back to malaysia.

best guitarist: singapore (black)
best vocalist: indonesia (WAR)
best keyboardist: japan (sonoda band)
best bassist: korea (Paran Byeon)
best drummer: malaysia (Wind rising)

Champion: Indonesia (WAR)
runner ups: Korea (Paran Byeon), Japan (Sonoda band)

i have to pen off now becos i have to pen off.
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(updated 1.42am 8th Nov Yokohama Grand)

morning after breakfast, wind rising went to International Convention Hall for a morning briefing on the whole day schedule. intially, we were not allowed to the room where the briefing was going on bcos of Our Yamaha Representative (hereby referred as OYR). OYR told us that no other people were allowed to assist or into the venue except the country representative (OYR). We stood outside but decided to ask for permission…and easily entered the venue.

****************

during rehearsal it got worse, we were told by OYR we CANT go onto the stage to help wind rising, so i asked whether we could talk to them from below. OYR said try not to, bcos wind rising need to learn themselves. and off course they are just kids and emotion got the better of them. and they did not voice any thing to the stage manager regarding sound or positioning. their rehearsal was very very under utilized and made a mess of their positioning. then…. the astonishment of the year came, ALL OTHER contestants' teachers, assistants, photographers, tom, dick, and furry went on stage… wat the fxxx!

as we were walking back to the hotel, question marks appeared in our thoughts, we couldnt hide our anger on how wind rising screwed up the rehearsal. so after a short discussion, tai suan and me decided to go straight back to the hall, and have a talk with the yao yeng stage manager Mr Steve in the most diplomatic and courteous way in our entire life thus far.

he was most helpful and after discussing with the light manager, sound manager, stage coordinator, he granted us another stage check on positioning, and we summoned wind rising asap and did a better position check. but wat a shame, they were not allowed to do another full sound check.

thank you OYR!

*************************************************
(updated by Tai Suan)

tomorrow is the big day, and after watching most of the bands went through the rehearsals, i can say that the standard of Yamaha Asian Beat in Japan this year is the highest for many years by. and about japan, it is one of the countries that you will want to visit before you leave this planet… 

only stupid malaysian will put a malaysian band at risk at an international band competition. never seen so stupid jack bitch person in my life.

if michael and i dint make any effort to help malaysian representative band WIND RISING, we would have been swallowed in a gutter at the competition. we cant help much but at least some parts were salvaged at the last moment. chow chee bye… we cant even get a decent sound because of that bitch. traitor!

stupid malaysian only put their counterparts at risk. damn upset with the stupidity that we shown at international level. they should have put either me or michael as the representative so that AT LEAST the band has something to EAT (dinner) during pre-competition day. i am writing now from our hotel where the rest of the family is staying (hotel near the ISHIKAWACHO station in yokohama).

the most stupid thing i heard from the bitch was “let them learn and do it by themselves”. i think i was speaking to a retarded person who cant even think properly. tolonglah orang malaysia… janganlah bodoh sangat lah kat negara orang… kita buat bodoh dekat kita sendiri sahaja.

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Updated: 4am 7th November 2009

its now 4am in Yokohma, for the first time in two years i found my nokia E90 is so so so useful. the scenary from Yokohama Grand is unbelievable, one of the nicest hotel i have ever put up at (anyway, i dont normally get to stay in classy hotels)

however, the wifi here is sux to the lowest, it disconnects every 2 or 3 minutes and the signal strength is extremely super sipek low.

we dint really get to know the other contestants from other countries (yet), as for some weird reasons, we (tai suan and me) were not allowed to join the welcome party, infact, besides the members of Wind Rising, all of the reamaining entourage (mr, mrs ng…) did not manage to socialize with others at the official event. HOWEVER, eye brows raised when we see managers or representatives from other countries were joining the event.

*************
what the heck, anyway, we had even better times, roaming, inhaling fresh and cooling yokohama air all the way along the bay and in the town while the orientation party went on.

Wind Rising is scheduled to perform 3rd in the order of appearance, surprisingly no drawing lots taken place as the orders were pre-arranged and even full-coloured booklet with appearance order were printed prior to the event.

Seeing the kids (wind rising) enjoying the stay and having virgin experiece (means first time, not go to look for virgins…) in gigging abroad rally makes me happy and proud as an instructor and a friend. for the first time, tai suan and me did not travel abroad for a band show as a contestant or performer, our jobs are to make them (wind rising) as comfortable, relaxed, and assist them in technical or communication issues.

*************
i came back to the hotel around 8pm with kaevin and straight went to bed as the fatigue is unbearable, and now. well, while everybody is snoozing off, i am awake,looking through the window, beautiful, colourful scene, indulging myself in mid air yokohama.

tomorrow is rehearsal day and we have work to do, oyasumi nasai…

p/s: where can i watch MU chop off Chelsea's head on sunday night???

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

UPDATE 6TH NOV 12.27PM YOKOHAMA TIME

KON BANWA OGENKI DESU KA

? HAVE TO TYPE EVERYTHING IN CAPITAL?LETTER? BECOS I DUNO HOW TO USE THE JAPANESE INTERFACE LAPTOP, IT KEEPS ON POP UP JAPANESE CHARATER…

THE JOURNEY WAS TIRING BUT SO FAR SO GOOD, WE DEPARTED FROM KLIA (NOT SINGAPORE) AT 11PM.

WE ARRIVED IN????NARITA??????????????? LOCALTIME? ???? ZONE IS ONE HOUR FORWARD FROM?MALAYSIA.

LATER, WE TOOK A BUS FROM NARITA AIRPORT TO YOKOHAMA FOR AROUND 1.5 HOURS…

 THE WEATHER IS VERY NICE, A LITTLE TOO COLD TO ME?ABOUT 15c?, AND WE ARE SETTLING DOWN IN THE HOTELS AND ARRANGING OUR TRIPS…

MORE TO FOLLOW???

Wind Rising and friends will depart to Japan today for Yamaha Asian Beat 2009 Grand Finals. Good luck Malaysia boleh !!!!

our friends Wind Rising are representing Malaysia and going to Japan in less than a week’s time, to participate in Yamaha Asian Beat 2009 Grand Finals, which will be the GRANDEST of all Asian Beats so far, as it is held in the host country, Japan itself.

expect to see mind-blowing, nail-biting, jaw-dropping performance of super bands from all over asian plus mexico.

There is a side competition prior to the big show down next week, the organiser had set up an online voting through emails for all the bands. as i am typing this post now, Wind Rising stand at number 12th, the second last spot.

so, we hope you can land a little help in voting for them. the steps are relatively easy, please read on:

step 1~
go to:

step 2~
click the vote button on left side of the main page

step 3~
click on the band Wind Rising
(click the link below the photo, NOT the photo)

step 4~
a small web widget will pop up in your window (check whether your browser has blocked it if nothing happens)

step 5~
click the “COMPETITION” button on top left at the web widget,
you will see the following:
there are 2 buttons under the music player menu, the upper button
is the VOTE button, the lower one is EMAIL YOUR FRIEND button.
so you click the upper one.

step 6~
key in your VALID email address (do not key in same email address more than once, the system will trace and delete your vote).

step 7~
a confirmation email will be sent to your email account,
open that mail and click on the confirmation link,
you will see this confirmation in a new window.

please support these 3 little kids in pursuing off their dreams.

thank you from Uglymen.

we are going to watch MR. BIG reunion concert in singapore this sunday evening in SINKAPOH!!! all of us going except michael… sigh…

Mid-Autumn day is a time when people celebrate the the harvest, enjoy the getting-together with families and friends and appreciate good food and the most beautiful moon.

here ya go.

On 19 Sep 2009, Penang State Government, with Penang State Symphonic Band and Ugly Band Band performed “Live Band” at Esplanade in Action. From July onwards, watch multi-ethnic group performances every Saturday, courtesy of the Penang State Minister for Tourism Development Cultural, Art and Heritage.
Video by Thambi Rajan Rajagopal and Lim Boo Seng, Citizen Journalist.