Today, I found myself.. (Day 286)

Today, I found myself relieve on so many levels with a pair of sticks and shaded eyes. 

Today, I found myself.. (Day 155)

Today, I found myself getting my jam on under the onslaught of ringing cymbals and crashing rides. 

Today, I found myself.. (Day 147)

Today, I found myself locked in a heart shaped box with sheer awesomeness.

HSB: Nirvana

Today, I found myself.. (Day 146)

Today, I found myself reinventing the urge to create and express.

B.Jovi

Today, I found myself.. (Day 93)

Today, I found myself happy and finding a new sound.

Today, I found myself.. (Day 75)

Today, I found myself a precious break to keep me in check.

Lonely Road; The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus Live in Concert.

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Lonely Road Concert, Live in Singapore.

What a horrible idea.

Yes indeed it was, as you managed to get out of your seat and squeeze your way out of the packed bus 88, with majority of the commuters on board being the after office crowd.

For the pass hour or so, you’ve been stuck on the bus, trying to get to Downtown East, more specifically for the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus concert; something you’ve been looking forward to since one of your friends told you about them coming to town a few weeks back.

And as you got off the bus, a quick glance at your phone revealed no more than 45 minutes to the “start” of the show. Well, at least that was the timing written on the ticket.

but most importantly, your friends were already at the concert venue, waiting for you. You felt really really bad for making them wait and after explanatory text messages and even phone calls, you decided to take a cab; desperate times calls for desperate measures.

-

Not long after, the cab reaches the destination and you got off, with much a heighten sense of rush and of course, anxiety.

In the distance, you see a vague outline of a tent which is D’Marquee, the concert venue.

You decided that it would be faster to take the “back route” and as you were walking pass the back of the tent, you notice a couple of men dressed in suits who struck uncanny resemblances to a couple of members of the band (namely Bassist, Joey Westwood and Drummer, Jon Wilkes).

However as you were running short on time, you decided that it would have been wiser to join your friends, who were already in the queue. (later on, you realise that those weren’t members of the band but were merely part of the entourage ie. sound guys/stage hands.)

-

The queue was of significant length but thankfully, your friends were already at the front portion of the steadily moving line of concert goers.

And not long after that, you guys were already in the concert hall.

The venue was relatively small as compared to previous concert venues you’ve been to (ie. Singapore Indoor Stadium, Fort Canning Green) but nevertheless, it provided ample space for everyone, a crowd of about 200 strong and growing with people streaming in steadily.

You and your friends decided to filter right as you know what happens in the middle of the crowd during rock concerts as such. (!)

The Set, for 2 bands on showcase.

A glimpse of the stage revealed the set for the night’s entertainment. As you understand from one of you friends, A Vacant Affair, local band from Singapore, will be opening the show, thus explaining 2 drum sets on stage. (another one clothed, behind the other, faintly seen in the picture.)

And you knew that it was due to the fact that Jon was a left handed drummer, which meant that he would have to use a different set configuration.

Hunger soon exhumed in the form of stomachs growling as you and your friends soon felt the tinge to eat, having to have not had anything decent to eat prior to the concert.

Your group soon engaged in casual conversation while waiting for the show to start. (With topics largely centred around food.)

-

A while later, the stage lights dimmed and the crowded erupted into cheers. Needless to say, the opening band was about to perform.

Local rockers, A Vacant Affair, soon took the stage and warmed the crowd with tunes of their own.

A Vacant Affair’s set.

You felt that A Vacant Affair’s set was a tad too loud for your liking and you didn’t really grasp the lyrics of their songs. You also thought that their guitars were over cranked and overwhelmed the rest of the band.

You did however, enjoy the stage presence that the guys from AVA brought out (they were really energetic).

But at least the band got the crowd warmed up for the main event and as they left the stage, the crowd was all hyped up for the band that they paid and came to see.

Chants of “red jumpsuit, red jumpsuit!” were heard from sections of the crowd, indicating their excitement.

Perhaps the worse part of the whole thing was waiting. As hunger was already creeping up on you and your friends, it made the wait seemingly longer, and nearly unbearable; evident from the rest of the crowd as well.

You knew that the crowd had gone restless (and on the verge of insanity) when they starting cheering at the sound man who started to tune the guitars and tested the microphones.

And so you waited. And waited…

-

After a seemingly lifetime’s duration of waiting, the house lights started to dim, and as if on cue, the crowd went crazy.

Yes, it was about time. Slowly, you see the various band members come onstage in minimum lighting.

The hi-hat sounded and a familiar tune soon resumed. The crowd went wild.

High Octave action satisfies everything.

Sounds of their newest hit single, “You Better Pray” soon filled the air and everyone jumped along in excitement and anticipation.

You too felt the rush of excitement and was soon grooving to the catchy beat of the new tune, as with the other people in the crowd around you.

And strangely, your hunger pangs were seemingly cast aside as you sang along to the familiar tune.

The New Line-up.

You knew that not too long ago, Elias Reidy, former guitarist, left the band and the once group of five was reduced to a 4 man set.

Interestingly, the band managed to find a stand-in guitarist (dude with the red guitar to the right of the pictures above) and was introduced to the crowd, though unfortunately, you didn’t get the name of.

In a moment of comic relief, you and your friends agreed that he looked like Jack Black. You even shouted out to him, much to the amusement of the people around you.

Tunes which you already know by hard.

More familiar tunes were belted out. From the highly energetic “False Pretense”, which got the crowd clapping, to the head-banging favourite of “In Fate’s Hands”, there was hardly a moment’s respite from the high tempo rock tunes that the band jammed to.

You felt really good as you sang along to almost if not all of their songs, for these guys are probably the top of your list of favourite bands.

You also felt that most of their songs were very suited for crowd interaction, as the crowd could usually clap along, sing along, or in someway or another, get involved with the song.

The song, “Waiting” was one good example, where the crowd had to sing to parts of the chorus.

“We’re gonna play more songs off our old record tonight since we’re here for the very first time.”

This led to even louder cheers from the crowd as lead singer, Ronnie Winters, interacted with the audience, clearly being more comfortable and familiar with the older records.

You also thought that Ronnie’s ability to scream for such sustained periods of time was simply amazing and awesome.

Mellow at times as well.

The night was not all rock and roll though.

Melodic tunes ensured in the form of “Cat and Mouse”, a sub-piano piece where guitarist Duke Kitchens took to the keys. The song got the crowd singing and swaying as Ronnie showed his vocal capabilities in the form of mellow and highly emotional melodies.

Head Bang. Now.

Everything soon resumed after that mellow respite.

“What do you guys wanna listen to now?”

Drummer Jon Wilkes questioned the crowd only to be responded by endless tirades of “Face down!” screams from the crowd.

That all too familiar starting drum rift soon played and the crowd when into a mode of frenzy.

You thought your ear drums were going to give way as the crowd around you screamed at the top of their lungs.

Naturally you know that everyone in the hall would know “Face Down” and as if to confirm that claim, everyone sang along to the catchy song about an abusive relationship.

You felt that the lyrics to the song after, “Justify” were especially interesting and thought provoking.

A crowd pleaser.

Your legs are tired. Your voice, sore from singing along. Your stomach, growling.

“Pen and Paper”, your personal favourite from the new record was played but other than that and the opener, “You Better Pray”, you hardly remember any other songs from the new record.

A mini interval followed and several members of the band left the stage. Ronnie however, walked over to reach for his acoustic guitar.

And the crowd knew which song it was for.

He started out a couple of random tunes on the guitar but you couldn’t really make out what song it was.

“Your Guardian Angel” soon echoed in the air and everyone sang along, obviously to a song that they’ve heard or have come across before.

“I wanna see that mosh pit over there reforming.”

The concert was drawing to its climax but the crowd’s spirit remained as high as ever.

For a moment you felt like joining in the mosh pit that had opened up for the last song, “Grim Goodbye” upon Ronnie’s request, but you chose otherwise.

And with one final octave, the concert ended and the band left the stage, throwing drumsticks, guitar picks and random balls or tape (which was stuck to Joey’s back at one point) into the crowd. You almost managed to catch that ball of tape.

Awesome Experience. Awesome Concert.

Your legs crumbled as you walked out of the concert hall, clearly satisfied. Your voice is sore from singing along to all the songs played by the band.

And as you hobble off in search of food and refreshments with your friends, you can’t help but think that that was one of, if not the best concert you’ve ever seen in your life, thus far.

With tunes still replaying in your head, you head out through the exit, as with hundreds of others, with that look of satisfaction splashed across their faces.

Hopefully these guys will be back, you thought to yourself. You could really use such an awesome experience again.

-> The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Lonely Road concert live in Singapore, 10 March 2009. 2 thumbs up!

-

Hope you guys enjoyed the little review for the awesome concert that is the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. Be sure to check back for more updates and feel free to comment and feed back if you have something to say!

*The owner of metallic-stains apologises for the poor image quality as seen in this post largely due to the fact that resident camera, Audrey, wasn’t on duty on the night of the event due to safety concerns. The songs as mentioned in the post wasn’t the full set list for the night as memory fails on some of the titles played. This review of the above event only represents one opinion and may or may not be an accurate indication of the concert’s entertainment level. Readers are advised to discredit or credit the post, based on your opinion.

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Now playing: The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Waiting
via FoxyTunes

The Education Medium

Complication leads to Beauty.

Teaching is never easy, with much variation from the saying "those who can't do, teach".

In my opinion, teaching and educating is one of, if not, the most demanding profession in the world. A big claim I know but few of you guys out there might agree.

Just reminisce and think back on the times when in school, especially high school, where your inner child would unleash himself or herself, much to the disdain and inconvenience to teachers and educators alike.

I'm guilty of that, and I'm sure many of you guys out there are too. Looking back, those memories are certainly amusing yet interesting to ponder over.

For me, my interpretation of teaching constitutes to commitment and that would mean passion; passion comes naturally with commitment. And being a part time educator myself, I've seen my fair share of hair pulling moments.

Take the session today (well, Thursday) for example. I guess my limits were tested and this is why I've always admired educators; they're able to extend their personal limits to boundaries which no ordinary human profession can.

To Learn and to Understand.

On a personal level, I've experience my fair share of awesome as well as not so awesome educators in my course of education for the pass, (pause to count the years) 12 years or so (including kindergarten, yea I know).

Thankfully, I've been more exposed to positive influences in the form of educators rather than those of the opposite spectrum. From those who literally became my "day care mother" to those who deeply inspired me, each and everyone of them etched in my mind.

There has always been this "power distance" between educators and students, an unknown "rule" between both parties (but more prominently amongst students). At lower levels of education, this is especially obvious, well for me at least.

During my days of primary education, I've always thought and looked at teachers with this aura like thing; teachers and students are not allowed to have friendships amongst the other, like how they treat their peers.

It a good thing though, I feel. For one, that certain level of respect is cultivated and it is definitely something that every human being will need to know and learn.

However as I progress through the levels of education, I noticed a change in this "power distance", especially my recent graduation to tertiary education.

At higher levels of education, we find that the distance between educator and student lessens. Lessens, but does not cease to exist, which can be a common but dangerous perception.

I feel that as that distance lessens, students and educators build closer bonds amongst each other and that is good, and healthy.

The declination comes when this distance is totally ignored.

As mentioned, it does NOT cease to exist and some people overlook that fact and the result? That level of respect is lost.

They say that respect is earned, and that everyone lives to be respected to a certain level. And when respect is lost, people feel violated, offended and insulted and that's where things go out of hand.

I guess that line has to be very distinctly drawn, the line that signifies and differentiates respect and building a relationship.

Underrated as it seems, I really feel that educators deserve all the credit that we can give them. After all, it is they who teach and educate, isn't it?

Well, that's that for a little update, on to the more realistic side of life.

I realize that this and the previous post were all themed around education and the such. I guess that might be a little mundane and dry but hey, we cannot deny the fact that its something each and every single one of us is exposed to can we?

On the lighter side, I foresee that next Tuesday, 10 of March, will be a really really good day, cause yet another awesome (in my opinion, haters feel free to dis) band is coming to town!

Lonely Road, their latest release.

Yes, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.

I've been a (loyal) listener of their works since a couple of years ago and these guys are certainly one of the first few alternative/post hardcore bands that I listened to, so certainly an influence there.

Their latest release may come off as a little "pop-ish" and "mainstream", but all in all, a change in direction for the band, which may or may not be a good thing.

It still strikes a good chord with me though, so its all good. Be sure to check out their music on myspace or youtube, if you're interested (and go get the tickets if you're really up for it).

Alright, I guess that's it for this little update check back for updates and the lot. More good stuff to follow, I promise.

Till then, Godspeed.

*the owner of metallic-stains is in no way affiliated with the band as mentioned in this post but does express support in their music and style of expression. All songs and references made belong to the band and all rights belong to their respective owners.

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Now playing: The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - You Better Pray
via FoxyTunes

A (weird) new goal in life, i guess.

A Hundred (Weird) Things To Do Before I Die
*IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER WHATSOEVER*

1. Smash and totally ruin a guitar
2. Balance a book on my head and take a sip of (really hard) liquor
3. Drink coffee (preferably from Starbucks) through my nostrils
4. Bite staples
5. Use drumsticks and make holes in drumheads
6. Wear jeans inside out for a date
7. Order a Subway club, foot-long, sandwich at Starbucks
8. Order a Coffee Frap, Venti-sized, at Subway
9. Cut my pinkie on purpose just to see it bleed and collect my blood in a pill bottle
10. Be a Chink for a week
11. Drink from my (huge) cup without using my hands
12. Sit on my head and complete a miserably hard Sudoku puzzle
13. Tell everyone I know that Black isn’t really my favorite colour
14. Try wearing makeup (eyeliner, mascara etc) (√)
15. Eat a whole tube of toothpaste and live to tell the tale
16. Tell someone on the streets that he/she has BO (even if its not true)
17. Be an Emo kid for a year (that means all black, LONG fringe and angst)
18. Not talking for a month
19. Being trapped on an island alone
20. Wedgie a friend
21. Spit at someone without getting into trouble
22. Tell everyone and everything that the world’s gonna end
23. Force myself to scream (very very loudly) when I stub my toe
24. Go without sleep for around 3 days
25. Go without laughter for 2 weeks or more
26. Eat out of a straw
27. Confuse the person who makes the drinks at Starbucks
28. Go and actually stay overnight at a 24 hour MacDonald’s outlet
29. Help every person I see for a day (even if they don’t need or want it)
30. Drink a cup of water out of Dad’s fish tank
31. Kick a moving car
32. Smash and totally ruin a useable cell phone
33. Stand in front of an audience (more than 20 people) and say something weird
34. Use hairspray as an air-freshener for my room
35. Break one of those fire alarm things
36. Go into a car showroom and yell “(brand name) sucks!”
37. Dial 999 just to hear what actually goes on
38. Drink Coke and eat Mentos just to see what happens (√)
39. Taste Ink
40. Sleep for more then 20 hours
41. Pay a hundred dollar (or more) bill entirely with coins only
42. Eat Subway at least once a day for a week
43. Speak only Chinese for a week
44. Order chicken rice without chicken
45. Clean the windows of a Starbucks outlet using a window wiper
46. Unscrew a lighted light bulb
47. Travel in someone’s car boot
48. Try to break a thermometer using heat
49. Sit in every chair in a particular Starbucks outlet
50. Do a pushup in a crowded area
51. Do the weather forecast once
52. Sleep through a really really really boring movie
53. Learn to rap (properly) in a foreign language
54. Get shot by a stun-gun (just for kicks)
55. Convince someone to do something on this list
56. Try and convince a female friend that her boyfriend/soul-mate/husband is gay
57. Praise everyone you know for one day (even if its not really complimentary)
58. Learn to speak Jamaican and/or African
59. Tell only lies for a week
60. Tell only the truth for a week
61. Take a bath sitting down
62. Take a particular bus from the interchange to the next interchange and then back again
63. Learn to sing an entire song backwards but in melody
64. Eat something exotic (like a live animal)
65. Say something mean to a famous person
66. Taste (or smell, rather) pure Oxygen
67. Strike a casual conversation with a stranger on a public transport
68. Throw something at a television set and break it
69. Lie to someone that you have a terminal disease
70. Take “Neo-prints” with only guys
71. Give a ten dollar bill to a street entertainer
72. Do a “power slide” in front of parents
73. Walk into the toy’s section and look at every Barbie doll on sale
74. Taste pet food
75. Act as if you’re 5 years of age for a day
76. Shower with the door open for once
77. Try and pay for something using monopoly cash
78. Tell a lecturer/teacher that he/she is beautiful (√)
79. Swim in a public water feature (eg. Fountain)
80. Take a bath in the rain
81. Use the laptop while on a tree
82. Break a PSP
83. Buy a Blendtec (or any other high powered) blender
84. Sit in a public shelter until it rains
85. Fall asleep while walking
86. Go up and down the escalator for one entire hour
87. Tune all the clocks and time devices in the hours 3 hours faster for a day
88. Learn and try to perfect the ability to fart on demand
89. Sing (horribly) in front of a (huge) crowd
90. Have a dog or a cat eat up a piece of my work
91. Taste waste (ie. human waste, animal waste, you know the lot)
92. Take a swag of Wasabi powder via the nostrils (Jackass Style)
93. Sky dive without a parachute (Jackass Style)
94. Watch Television programs for 24 hours non-stop
95. Start a mosh-pit in a crowded area
96. Walk to school or work place (from home) to and fro for a week
97. Convince a smoker to quit smoking
98. Swim or get wet in an artificial water feature
99. Use the wrong side of chopsticks for a week
100. Do a particular task on this list again

Those tasks that have a tick beside, (√), signifies its completion.

[/EDIT 10 October 2008] I've managed to update the list and fill up all 100 spots. I will be, however, revising some of the tasks on the list due to feasibility and interest so check back soon for updates and details.