Today, I found myself craving for an open bar and a different life.
Showing posts with label alternative. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alternative. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
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. (!)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
----------------
Now playing: The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Waiting
via FoxyTunes
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Discretion or Inspiration?
Was down at the Cathay an hour or so back for a little R&R and guess what I saw.
Well, say "aye" if you're a car fanatic as you'll probably know where I'm coming from. But that wasn't all...
An ENTIRE row of Astons. Right in front of me. I swear, the radius of a hundred meters around me was probably worth well over millions.
I soon found out the reason for such a gathering.
Apparently, Cathay was gearing up (pun intended) for the premier launch of the latest Bond Movie, Quantum of Solace (out in theaters in a couple of days).
And thus explaining the reason behind all the Astons parked there. Talk about a publicity stunt.
Alright, time for a little update.
I've noticed a trend in my post frequencies as of recent durations. No, blogging hasn't converted itself into a weekly affair; I'm just too caught up with school work and the such. The added disadvantage of not having stable access to the internet during weekdays further amplifies this issue.
But fret not readers, articles and updates will be posted soon and in fact, I'm actually considering registering metallic-stains as an independent domain by itself.
This is very subjective though, due to various factors (ie. costs) and simply due to the fact that the idea came along as a random thought.
Week 4 marks the start of various ICAs and for my readers who require clarification about the abbreviation, its simply your average graded assignment (ie. project presentations, written tests).
I realized that creativity is the essence of success as seen in multiple cases (like Apple Corporation for example). Sure, there's a certain degree of difficulty in being creativity, but I believe that everyone is creative to a large extent thus there is no excuse for success.
On a side note, I never thought that time would fly so (freaking) fast. Barely a year ago, I would be cooped up in my house, viciously mugging and remembering as much detail as I possibly can in preparation of the O level examinations.
There are certain events in life that can literally break or make a person and I guess that this crude and somewhat critical education system that we're currently in does have its positive outcomes as well.
At this point in time, I would like to share a little narrative that I thought about while in the shower a couple of days back (told you guys that one of my main periods of thought occurs during showers didn't I?) and here goes;
"
A cold winter morning blew a bitter chill over the flat country lands. Everyone left in search of new hope when the immerse colds struck. While only a few others decided to pursue seemingly broken dreams in the harsh waste land.
The farmer was one of them.
This plot of land was the only thing he had owned in his entire life and not even the harshest of winds would have deterred his will to stay rooted there. In a way, it was more than just a home to him.
Yes, winter had come early this year in this region but as usual during this period, everyone in the country left towards warmer urban areas, in hopes of new opportunities. Only the old or sickly was left behind, largely reluctant to leave due to emotional bonds similar to that of the farmer.
But the farmer was only 18 of age.
There was something different about him for sure. While others of his age had snubbed the idea of staying in the country, he saw what he needed to do here and has thus decided on his decision to stay.
As the farmer sat down in his small shack shared with his elderly parents, massive sacks of seeds surrounded him. He knew that winter would soon end and it would be time. Time to make a change and time to move on.
The farmer wasn't without ambition; he had big plans for this land he had valued so much over development. One day, he told himself, people will see the value of country lands.
Indeed, he has studied the lands in the country for one too many years and had thought that he knew everything there is to know. But what he didn't learn was that every winter was different from the previous, a crucial detail that he ignorantly overlooked which he'll soon pay a deep price for.
Soft cracks presumed as the farmer diligently separated and sorted out the seeds.
-
Too many bone biting winter chills had passed since the farmer sat in his shack, sorting the seeds out. He knew that winter was about to end, and before he slept that night, he prayed to whichever god he knew, asking for the dawn of a new hope and chapter in his life.
The grim overcast skies of dawn showed no improvement. A crack, however, soon printed itself in the center of the vast greyness. Slowly but surely, it widen and a golden ray of warmth and hope pieced the dull monotony of the country side.
The farmer felt warmth on his face as he stirred in bed. He smiled with his eyes still closed for he knew that the time was here.
-
The seeds were all planted in the vast area of land that the farmer owned and valued more than anything else. And with a satisfied look from his face as he viewed his pass week's effort to plant the seeds, he felt confident about his progress. His aged parents too, felt his confidence and they too, basked in it.
The coming of spring saw the return of the those who left and new faces in the country.
The farmer knew that they wouldn't last the winter as they would probably be too impatient and thus made no efforts to befriend them.
-
A festive-like atmosphere soon filled the country side. The farmer visited the country's market square only to find tents and bonfires being erected and smiling faces filled the streets.
It was a common sight in the non-winter seasons as considerable numbers flocked to the market square to gather supplies, interact as well as soak in the various festivals that spurred the people in the region of the country side.
After a quick visit to the local blacksmith (he needed a new pitch fork), the farmer decided to stop by the animal vendors to check out the livestock, vital to any farm though he never had money to afford a proper investment as such.
As soon as he turned the corner, his eyes met with another; dark brown pupils with beautifully framed eye lashes. Shifting out of focus, he saw the face which the eyes belonged.
The girl was beautiful, easily the most appealing ones he's seen in his entire life. A confused look framed her face as she held an arm to her hips while the other griped a belled staff tightly, as if anticipating an attack.
A shepherd! The farmer had never expected one of her kind in these regions for the lack of need for wool; there was simply no economy here for such a trade to exist as people only came to the country side during the warmer seasons of the year.
The shepherd looked away as the farmer muttered his apologies for bumping in like that.
"Oh, its alright. Can I interest you in some sheep for your farm?"
The farmer wasn't looking for sheep to even start with, probably a chicken or a pig but a sheep had never crossed his mind, and thus decided to dismiss that offer.
The shepherd looked dejected and turned the other way as she slowly walked back to her herd of sheep in the distance.
"But wai..."
She never looked back.
-
Day after day, the farmer headed back to that very same spot in hopes of "bumping" into the shepherd again, largely to no avail. Traders never stayed in one place for too long and he knew of that only too well.
But since that fateful meeting, he felt a strong connection with the shepherd. As if someone had sent her there, only to make him suffer day and night as thoughts of her filled his mind.
On his usual round one day, he decided that he wasn't going to come back tomorrow, or the day after, or even the month after that. In essence, he had given up, physically, though his mind betrayed that emotion.
He look out a piece of paper, wrote a note and hammered it onto a nearby wooden lamp post.
The farmer didn't come back the next day, nor did he the day after or the week after. But in his mind the prospect of the shepherd remained vivid, as if hinting that there was a possibility of hope.
-
As the months passed, the farmer's crops grew but harvest was poor as compared to previous years. Evidently, the farmer was disappointed; it would be a really tough winter this time, to tide through, if they were able to even make it at all.
The autumn months brought about rains to the country side, and by now, people were already evacuating, with rumors spreading of a horrible winter ahead; the worse in the country's recorded history.
Floods were on the feared tongues of land owners and the farmer too, had to be on the alert.
The morning will bring new hope, the farmer thought to himself as he climbed onto his bed as fell asleep. A soft rumble, barely audible, vocalized in a distance just as the farmer fell asleep...
(END OF PART 1)
"
Okay I'll stop here. Hopefully there's a hook factor in this narrative. I'll continue and conclude the story soon. Feel free to share your thoughts about the narrative above. I'm as always, open to feedback.
On a random note, I think people misjudge and misunderstand the term "emo" namely, emo music. I've developed a recent liking for emotional songs, probably due to occurrences as well as being able to relate to a distinct few.
Call me weird.
Alright, its late and time for bed. More content coming soon on metallic-stains so please check back often.
Cya'll later.
"This Heart, it Beats"
----------------
Now playing: Paramore - My Heart
via FoxyTunes
A beauty isn't it?
Well, say "aye" if you're a car fanatic as you'll probably know where I'm coming from. But that wasn't all...
Oh. My. God.
An ENTIRE row of Astons. Right in front of me. I swear, the radius of a hundred meters around me was probably worth well over millions.
Though Astons aren't exactly my personal favorites, this spectacle would probably wow typical car junkies.
I soon found out the reason for such a gathering.
Apparently, Cathay was gearing up (pun intended) for the premier launch of the latest Bond Movie, Quantum of Solace (out in theaters in a couple of days).
And thus explaining the reason behind all the Astons parked there. Talk about a publicity stunt.
Alright, time for a little update.
I've noticed a trend in my post frequencies as of recent durations. No, blogging hasn't converted itself into a weekly affair; I'm just too caught up with school work and the such. The added disadvantage of not having stable access to the internet during weekdays further amplifies this issue.
But fret not readers, articles and updates will be posted soon and in fact, I'm actually considering registering metallic-stains as an independent domain by itself.
This is very subjective though, due to various factors (ie. costs) and simply due to the fact that the idea came along as a random thought.
Week 4 marks the start of various ICAs and for my readers who require clarification about the abbreviation, its simply your average graded assignment (ie. project presentations, written tests).
I realized that creativity is the essence of success as seen in multiple cases (like Apple Corporation for example). Sure, there's a certain degree of difficulty in being creativity, but I believe that everyone is creative to a large extent thus there is no excuse for success.
On a side note, I never thought that time would fly so (freaking) fast. Barely a year ago, I would be cooped up in my house, viciously mugging and remembering as much detail as I possibly can in preparation of the O level examinations.
There are certain events in life that can literally break or make a person and I guess that this crude and somewhat critical education system that we're currently in does have its positive outcomes as well.
At this point in time, I would like to share a little narrative that I thought about while in the shower a couple of days back (told you guys that one of my main periods of thought occurs during showers didn't I?) and here goes;
"
A cold winter morning blew a bitter chill over the flat country lands. Everyone left in search of new hope when the immerse colds struck. While only a few others decided to pursue seemingly broken dreams in the harsh waste land.
The farmer was one of them.
This plot of land was the only thing he had owned in his entire life and not even the harshest of winds would have deterred his will to stay rooted there. In a way, it was more than just a home to him.
Yes, winter had come early this year in this region but as usual during this period, everyone in the country left towards warmer urban areas, in hopes of new opportunities. Only the old or sickly was left behind, largely reluctant to leave due to emotional bonds similar to that of the farmer.
But the farmer was only 18 of age.
There was something different about him for sure. While others of his age had snubbed the idea of staying in the country, he saw what he needed to do here and has thus decided on his decision to stay.
As the farmer sat down in his small shack shared with his elderly parents, massive sacks of seeds surrounded him. He knew that winter would soon end and it would be time. Time to make a change and time to move on.
The farmer wasn't without ambition; he had big plans for this land he had valued so much over development. One day, he told himself, people will see the value of country lands.
Indeed, he has studied the lands in the country for one too many years and had thought that he knew everything there is to know. But what he didn't learn was that every winter was different from the previous, a crucial detail that he ignorantly overlooked which he'll soon pay a deep price for.
Soft cracks presumed as the farmer diligently separated and sorted out the seeds.
-
Too many bone biting winter chills had passed since the farmer sat in his shack, sorting the seeds out. He knew that winter was about to end, and before he slept that night, he prayed to whichever god he knew, asking for the dawn of a new hope and chapter in his life.
The grim overcast skies of dawn showed no improvement. A crack, however, soon printed itself in the center of the vast greyness. Slowly but surely, it widen and a golden ray of warmth and hope pieced the dull monotony of the country side.
The farmer felt warmth on his face as he stirred in bed. He smiled with his eyes still closed for he knew that the time was here.
-
The seeds were all planted in the vast area of land that the farmer owned and valued more than anything else. And with a satisfied look from his face as he viewed his pass week's effort to plant the seeds, he felt confident about his progress. His aged parents too, felt his confidence and they too, basked in it.
The coming of spring saw the return of the those who left and new faces in the country.
The farmer knew that they wouldn't last the winter as they would probably be too impatient and thus made no efforts to befriend them.
-
A festive-like atmosphere soon filled the country side. The farmer visited the country's market square only to find tents and bonfires being erected and smiling faces filled the streets.
It was a common sight in the non-winter seasons as considerable numbers flocked to the market square to gather supplies, interact as well as soak in the various festivals that spurred the people in the region of the country side.
After a quick visit to the local blacksmith (he needed a new pitch fork), the farmer decided to stop by the animal vendors to check out the livestock, vital to any farm though he never had money to afford a proper investment as such.
As soon as he turned the corner, his eyes met with another; dark brown pupils with beautifully framed eye lashes. Shifting out of focus, he saw the face which the eyes belonged.
The girl was beautiful, easily the most appealing ones he's seen in his entire life. A confused look framed her face as she held an arm to her hips while the other griped a belled staff tightly, as if anticipating an attack.
A shepherd! The farmer had never expected one of her kind in these regions for the lack of need for wool; there was simply no economy here for such a trade to exist as people only came to the country side during the warmer seasons of the year.
The shepherd looked away as the farmer muttered his apologies for bumping in like that.
"Oh, its alright. Can I interest you in some sheep for your farm?"
The farmer wasn't looking for sheep to even start with, probably a chicken or a pig but a sheep had never crossed his mind, and thus decided to dismiss that offer.
The shepherd looked dejected and turned the other way as she slowly walked back to her herd of sheep in the distance.
"But wai..."
She never looked back.
-
Day after day, the farmer headed back to that very same spot in hopes of "bumping" into the shepherd again, largely to no avail. Traders never stayed in one place for too long and he knew of that only too well.
But since that fateful meeting, he felt a strong connection with the shepherd. As if someone had sent her there, only to make him suffer day and night as thoughts of her filled his mind.
On his usual round one day, he decided that he wasn't going to come back tomorrow, or the day after, or even the month after that. In essence, he had given up, physically, though his mind betrayed that emotion.
He look out a piece of paper, wrote a note and hammered it onto a nearby wooden lamp post.
The farmer didn't come back the next day, nor did he the day after or the week after. But in his mind the prospect of the shepherd remained vivid, as if hinting that there was a possibility of hope.
-
As the months passed, the farmer's crops grew but harvest was poor as compared to previous years. Evidently, the farmer was disappointed; it would be a really tough winter this time, to tide through, if they were able to even make it at all.
The autumn months brought about rains to the country side, and by now, people were already evacuating, with rumors spreading of a horrible winter ahead; the worse in the country's recorded history.
Floods were on the feared tongues of land owners and the farmer too, had to be on the alert.
The morning will bring new hope, the farmer thought to himself as he climbed onto his bed as fell asleep. A soft rumble, barely audible, vocalized in a distance just as the farmer fell asleep...
(END OF PART 1)
"
Okay I'll stop here. Hopefully there's a hook factor in this narrative. I'll continue and conclude the story soon. Feel free to share your thoughts about the narrative above. I'm as always, open to feedback.
On a random note, I think people misjudge and misunderstand the term "emo" namely, emo music. I've developed a recent liking for emotional songs, probably due to occurrences as well as being able to relate to a distinct few.
Call me weird.
Alright, its late and time for bed. More content coming soon on metallic-stains so please check back often.
Cya'll later.
"This Heart, it Beats"
----------------
Now playing: Paramore - My Heart
via FoxyTunes
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