The Gig

With a little help from my friends

2009-03-19T20:25:00.004Z

"what would you think if i sang out of tune,
would you stand up and walk out on me.
lend me your ears and i'll sing you a song,
and i'll try not to sing out of key.
oh i get by with a little help from my friends,
i get high with a little help from my friends,
oh i'm gonna try with a little help from my friends."
-lennon/mc cartney

there are no detractors. i see only questions.

the point of this event is the showcasing of musical talent. like the zapin dancers at a malaysian cultural evening, i guess. if it is a night of debauchery that we want, we'd be better off organising a clubbing event! and what kind of talent do you ask? any form of talent is welcome, and the gig has seen its fair share of n00bs flogging covers and guitar-slinging crooners belting out original material. all for a fee, of course. if you need to know, the £25 fee has remained so since the early days of malaysian student gigs in the UK, and i am talking about from the late 90's!

organising student gigs in sheffield has its moments (for those who have studied in this city will smilingly know what i'm getting at). the fundamental issue is that these students may be young but they do not need telling how to conduct themselves at events such as these. the people who partake in the action, may it be the bands or the punters, are students attending tertiary institutions of excellence, and not elementary school, and i daresay of sound minds. to those who think anything offensive happens in the gig, be prepared to be disappointed. i remembered our sound engineer telling us that the gig was the cleanest one he's ever been at. whether that was a compliment or an insult, i leave it to you to decide. to paraphrase the who - "the kids are alright".

this year was no exception. we had a ourselves a sold-out event. a couple of bands unfortunately couldn't make it but we pulled through fine. the evening flowed smoothly. the bands were wowing the crowd better than in previous years and we had crowdsurfers even on the first set. what one can see at the gig isn't recklessness. one sees discipline, respect, friendship (old and newly-gained ones) and trust. all the more reason that there'll be one next year, InsyaAllah.

to yasmin the light, the up/down band, por favor, bantal kekabu, asthmatic rhino, selamat pagi treforest amd the fourth theory?, thank you.

E-tickets - SOLD OUT!

2009-03-13T19:02:00.001Z

Tickets for the gig will be in the form of e-tickets.

If you have ordered the tix, here are the steps to acquire them:
1. Call 079599714362 or 07599428915, or e-mail us at sheffieldgigtix[at]gmail[dot]com
2. After making your payment of £5, you'll receive your e-ticket as an e-mail attachment
3. Print out your e-ticket, bring it to the show, show your e-ticket to us and we'll let you in at the door

EASY!

Directions to the Broomhall Centre

2009-03-10T20:32:00.006Z

CAR: An online route planner works brilliantly if you do not have sat nav. The post code for the venue is S10 2SB (full address: Broomspring Lane, Sheffield S10 2SB). Suggested websites are Google Maps UK or The AA. HAVE A ROAD ATLAS HANDY FOR YOUR CO-DRIVER, ANYWAY!

RAIL/COACH: From the railway/coach station, follow the signs for SHEFFIELD STATION/SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY tram station. Take any tram that stops at SHEFFIELD UNIVERSITY. Follow the instructions on the map above to reach the venue. For more info on how to get to Sheffield from where you are, go to thetrainline.com or the National Express website.

TRAM: Alight at the SHEFFIELD UNIVERSITY stop. Bear left, walk down Upper Hanover Street, past the crossroad traffic lights, until you see a set of traffic lights at a T-junction, where you turn right into BROOMSPRING LANE. You will see the venue on your right. For more info, get on to the Supertram website.

TAXI: Tell the driver to take you to the BROOMHALL CENTRE on BROOMSPRING LANE in BROOMHALL.

Frequently asked questions

2009-03-04T12:09:00.001Z

1. The time allowed onstage is a maximum of 20 minutes per band.
This means each band gets to play up to 4 to 5 songs on average. This does not include the 5 minutes allowed for the band to get onstage to get themselves sorted before the performance. We have to emphasise, that we will be strict on the 20-minute ruling. Look at it this way - if your band has to play after bands that play a 25 to 30-minute set, you'd grudgingly have to play a shorter set. And you'd be cheesed off.

2. Each band is expected to get ready by the time the preceding act gets onstage.
Please do all that is needed, like tuning your guitar / bass, way before your turn to perform on stage. Time is of the essence and the other bands would like things to go smoothly.

3. Equipment supplied by us are as follows:
We only supply the following equipment for the evening's performance:
• backline, comprising guitar and bass amplification
• a 5-piece drumkit and cymbals
• microphones
• extension wires to the mains

4. Equipment not supplied:
• guitars
• guitar leads/cables
• picks and strings
• guitar tuners
• guitar/bass effects
• drumsticks
Each band is politely requested to bring their own gear to the gig.

5. Will there be a soundcheck?
A soundcheck will be held at the venue at 6.00 pm. Whilst we did endeavour to get each band to do a quick soundcheck at this time, time constraints have shown that only ONE band gets to do a soundcheck. This will be the band who gets to play the first set (bands will draw lots to decide when they will make their onstage appearance). Whilst playing first may seem like a bad idea at first, the great thing about it is you get to do the soundcheck. In our experience, this does not create too serious a problem as most bands do sound okay onstage. We regret that we cannot do a full soundcheck prior to each band's performance after the gig has commenced.

6. How much do I have to pay for my band to play?
Each band will be charged an entrance fee of GBP25.00. In the event of a band withdrawing from the gig, a deposit of GBP10.00 from the total is non-refundable to cover adminstrative costs.

7. You can be in more than one band.
However, to be fair to other bands wanting to play at the gig, we would advise against having an individual in being in too many bands. It is understandable that bassists and drummers are in short supply. As long as you are not in like 5 different bands, we'd be okay with it!

8. Who can play at The Gig @ Sheffield?
The gig is opened to Malaysians only.

___________________________________________

ETIQUETTE AT THE GIG

1. Content of the performance
Notwithstanding the artistic license showcased by the band, as mature adults, we would advise bands to be wise in the choice of songs to be played to avoid offending any sensitivities.

2. Please know the time when your band is going to be onstage
Timeliness is very much appreciated as this helps in making the proceedings of the evening to go smoothly. It is advised that the band is ready by the time the preceding act gets onstage. Under no circumstances will the gig go beyond midnight. Unless you really feel like getting the cops on our backs.

3. Personal safety
In the possibility of the audience going all out during a performance, safety is strongly advised. Bodyslamming, bodysurfing or stagejumping will not be frowned upon but the organisers will not take responsibility for any injury sustained. Please be safe!

4. Keep it clean!
Please keep the venue litter-free. Bin liners are provided at the venue.

5. Antisocial behaviour
Everybody is at the gig to have a good time. Please do not show any antisocial behaviour (like booing) during a band's performance.

THE VENUE OPERATES A NO SMOKING POLICY. You may smoke OUTSIDE of the venue.

THE USAGE OF ILLICIT DRUGS/INTOXICATING BEVERAGES IS STRICTLY NOT ALLOWED AND WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.

The gig that was: 2008

2008-04-08T13:35:00.008Z

third year running, we had to endure a few organisational mishaps to run the show this time. the original date in march was scrapped due to the inavailability of the broomhall centre. we did look elsewhere, but in all honesty, nothing beats the broomhall centre in our books!

onwards, we had a dearth of sheffield-based malaysian bands. so much so, the conglomerate was borne out of ah lian and donut since the only difference was the drummer.

next up, lighter fluid had to cancel due to other commitments. we were rather upset as we really wanted them in this year's lineup. but, hey ho, we plundered on.

since no one wanted to fill up slot numero huit (was neuf initially), we called on the foundation that hujan would be able to play their entire set if they wanted. the reply was immediate, we were gobsmacked.

come the eve of the gig itself, we were informed that apocalypse kaw kaw had to pull out as their guitarist's car had broken down. all we need to hear next was that hujan was to cancel their set and we can kiss the gig goodbye.

but, alhamdulillah, in the face of adversity, things went rather well. we started half an hour later than expected and we had a shorter gig. things were more relaxed, sans bulging veins in one's head. and the crowd filled the balairaya as the years before. now, that was what we wanted!

and the pièce de résistance of the evening was simply mindblowing. we couldn't take that much credit apart from the fact we said "yeah, we'd love it if they can come play". all the hard work for bringing hujan to sheffield, and the other UK venues, was done by the kugiran hujan to UK foundation guys in caerdydd. here's to them!

we had a great time. we hope you did, too.

___________________________

go here for gig pics. or to idlan's, izad's, e-one's and kudo's.

*UPDATE from the madgrapetv guys in bradford. check it out!*

Important info for you punters!

2008-04-03T22:56:00.005Z

To those who have paid for and received your e-tickets, please print them before coming to Sheffield.

Your e-ticket should look like this when you receive them in the e-mail:

There are still tickets available, so e-mail kennypenjualtiket@gmail.com pronto! OR GET THEM AT THE DOOR TONIGHT!

The directions to the Broomhall Centre can be Googled here.

TO ALL YOU SATNAV USERS - POSTCODE FOR THE VENUE IS S10 2SB.

2008-03-23T15:49:00.000Z

Jangan lepaskan peluang keemasan untuk menonton HUJAN!

2008-03-23T15:09:00.003Z

They are back as you've never seen them before!

(Ladies, bringing your extra undies to the show is highly recommended!!!)

2008-03-23T15:08:00.002Z

2008-03-23T15:07:00.000Z

2008-03-23T15:06:00.000Z

These guys hail from the emerald isle across the sea. A Sheffield Gig first!

2008-03-23T15:00:00.002Z

2008-03-23T15:00:00.001Z

"Bang that head that does not bang." -seen on the back of the 'Kill 'em All' record by Metallica

The night that was

2007-03-23T15:27:00.000Z

by kudo

someone wanted a review. i wish i could, but as a co-organiser, as much as i would reassure my neutrality in my writing, people may still accuse me of some bias. as i did last year, i'd do a post-mortem on this year's event.

we had more people coming this time. so much so, we'd probably have a scuffle on our hands at the doors. on our part, we admit to our mistake of a recent online announcement of a handful of tickets being available. one person then thinks bringing five mates would do for a handful. but imagine when twenty people think that same thought. do the maths. we do apologise if this had caused some inconvenience to some of the disappointed punters. we are but human. although we would like to quickly point out, tickets were being sold many weeks in advance of the event. so, you all know what to do next year, don't ya?

we had great bands again, half of which were new faces. it was great to have new blood as we wouldn't want the gig to sound exactly like the 2006 gig. we had great guitar players proving, time and time again, it doesn't matter whether or not the guitar came from a car boot sale, you'd still sound fantastic if you're good. this would be the last time we'd see farid's faithful tama swingstar kit. so, we'd have to think fast of what to have next year!

this time, the presence of the opposite sex onstage had improved tremendously (we had an all-girl band from reading university in our waiting list last year - wonder what happened to them?), which was a welcoming change. this year also saw heavier sets played by the nine bands. we do encourage variety (remember terrel brigade last year?) and we still do for the coming gigs. so, if you have a mariachi band for next year's gig, please don't get discouraged from applying for a slot.

on the whole, the vibe we got from most of the people (can't please everyone, can we?) at the gig was the tremendous improvement of the audio at this year's gig. it was a great pity that two of the best available backline got busted (12th flames was one lucky band). we appreciated the difficulty faced by some of the bands (ours was one of them) with regards the sound onstage. it was natural that things improve as the evening went on, but that is how it is. the show goes on. some better and harder working real bands put up with shittier sound at crappy pub venues on a regular basis (and they do this for a living), so who are we to complain. big up to waq and chris for doing a great job and being real pros.

i think that summed up the gig pretty much. it'll be the same again, next year. same old venue. same number of bands playing a 20-minute set each. still just one band to soundcheck. that's what the gig @ sheffield is all about. glasto won't be glasto if they moved to blinkin' wembley stadium, would it?

unless someone gives us a million bucks...

_______________________________
kudo was a co-organiser of the gig @ sheffield and is impatiently waiting for a wembley gig in june

Coda, yet again

2007-03-11T09:13:00.000Z

it went by really quick. seeing all nine bands get onstage kicking arse (we're british,kan?).

we had crazier bands.

we had a better and more responsive crowd. and there were more of them this time.

what can we say? a really sincere thanks.

to the bands for practising, for making the journey to sheffield from wherever they came from and for giving some of the best band performances this year.

to the crowd for filling up the hall and for giving these bands the overwhelming response they deserve.

the gig didn't go without a few glitches, and we would like to say thanks again to the bands for understanding. as they say, crap happens. and there's this other saying, the show must go on.

12th flames, apocalypse kaw kaw, kemunchup chenta se-malu, ah lian hot pants, bantal kekabu, no smoking & a cup of coffee, from curry to kurma, scratch and forbidden donut. thank you again.

so, what about about 2008? watch this space.

AH LIAN HOT PANTS

2007-03-10T02:34:00.000Z

they're back. 50% old, 50% new.

BANTAL KEKABU

2007-03-07T18:19:00.000Z

these guys rock. period. some people are still nursing their sore necks from that gig in february.

KEMUNCHUP CHENTA SE-MALU

2007-03-06T22:24:00.000Z

Kemunchup Chenta Se-Malu (KCS - Kissthyass-kecis-kechelu) is a 7-piece band from London (only half of the band is from London actually!! 2 from Soton and 1 from Notts). The band consists of Shasa (vocals), Nik Yas (lead guitar), Shahmeen (bass), Cib(rhythm guitar), Nik 'Portnoy' Foy (drums) ,Iedil (dictator!!hahaha) and Basyar (roadie/tour manager/vocals during jamming).

We like to have fun so hopefully you guys have fun watching us having fun!!!

p/s: Iedil just turned 23. He wouldn't mind if you guys come up to him and wish him happy birthday, or give him a hug or a kiss when he is on stage. Girls, you can get his number after their performance.

SCRATCH

2007-03-03T17:10:00.000Z

Disclaimer: We're not gay!

NO SMOKING & A CUP OF COFFEE

2007-03-02T00:15:00.000Z

No Smoking and A Cup of Coffee is a self-proclaimed British band who have too much spare time on their hands despite the fact that 3 of the band members are in their final year in pursuit of their respective degrees. The band consists of Arfiz (vocals), Tok (guitar), Eugene (guitar), Mok (bass) and Farid (drums). Though they come from different backgrounds,they all share a common passion… music. They also enjoy poetry, art and a walk on the beach on a sunny day. Their dreams of becoming super rockstars may be realized in their first ever and probably their last performance in the highly-anticipated Sheffield Gig 2007.

A message from the band :

"We hope you guys will enjoy the show. We’ve posted the songs that we will be playing on the day; so, learn the lyrics and we hope that you will sing along with us. Bak kata orang tua-tua,

‘2,3 kucing berlari...
kucing itu penat,’

Cheers, mate!!"

APOCALYPSE KAW KAW

2007-03-01T00:19:00.000Z

Shaq (guitar) is an antisocial loner who experiments with electric shock every day, using himself as a guinea pig. He meets Kamal (bassist), who uses simple words to make a person's life drown in hell and once thought that this silly guy can fit through a letterhole, and Apeq (ex-drummer) who is an all-time nice guy except when it comes to Man U matches and Pro Evo. They jam all the time over a plate of Riverside beryani. Some time later, they meet Rashdan (vocals), a pyro freak who has always been inspired by the 1666 London Fire and a part-time counsellor to people with paedophilic problems. With Rashdan’s experience in performing, the band is directed to a new world of hope in a place they call a stage. After performing once, the band decided to go further. Because of this Apeq decided to leave the band since the government refused give him money to buy a new set of drums. The band later met Wilson (drummer), the surfer dude from Negeri Di Bawah Bayu, who plays the drums as if he's riding a tsunami. The last icing on the roti is Aston (guitar) who spikes his cooking to hypnotise people.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is Apocalypse Kaw Kaw… panas!

FROM CURRY TO KURMA

2007-02-25T12:09:00.000Z

Time to scream out from your heart! FCTK is back with a heart-rending and throat-wrenching taste of emo.

Strepsil supplements are advised.

Line up change

2007-02-19T22:56:00.000Z

due to unforeseen circumstances, we are sad to announce that BLEEDINGGUMS won't be playing at the gig this year. however, in their place, we are proud to present BANTAL KEKABU from leeds, who'll rock your socks off with their malay classic rock set. if you missed their scintillating performance at the liverpool gig last saturday, here's your chance to catch them.

FORBIDDEN DONUT

2007-02-11T22:10:00.000Z

the donut lads are back. this time with new rocking tunes. catch a glimpse of them before the gig @ sheffield in liverpool this saturday!

Promos

2007-02-10T10:37:00.000Z

exams are all over. it's band promo time!

just like last year, we'd like to have all bands to send in their promo shots. you can do what you want. last year we had faux mag covers, B&W promo shots, postcards, gig flyers and much more.

so, watch this space, punters. you can check out what the bands look or, better still, sound like!

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW. CALL THE GIG TIX HOTLINE AT 07703112743, OR E-MAIL kennypenjualtiket [at] hotmail [dot] com PRONTO!

Gig tickets

2007-01-06T15:51:00.000Z

you may purchase your e-tickets for the gig now.

they are £4 apiece and can be booked by e-mailing kenny at kennypenjualtiket [at] hotmail [dot] com (or you can simply click his icon in the sidebar). kenny can also be reached by calling/SMS-ing 07703112743.

how does it work? like last year, on receipt of your payment, either by online bank transfer or cheque, kenny will e-mail you your ticket to print. please bring your printed e-ticket at the venue and we will match your ticket with our list. easy as pie.

looking forward to see you at the gig!

That was quick

2006-12-16T10:38:00.000Z

we now have the complete line-up of bands for the gig.

kemunchup chenta se-malu
12th flames
from curry to kurma
ah lian hot pants
bleedinggums
forbidden donut
scratch
no smoking 'n' a cup of coffee
apocalypse kaw kaw

we needed NINE bands. we have nine bands.

like the previous gig, if you are still interested in playing the gig, there is a waiting-list policy, based on a first come, first served basis. please bear in mind that under no circumstances will we entertain a first pay, first served basis.

What to expect

2006-12-07T20:00:00.000Z

As they say, if it ain't broke, why fix it?

Sticking to that adage, The Gig @ Sheffield stays as it is.

It'll still be held at the Broomhall Community Centre on Broomspring Lane.

We still want NINE bands.

Each band still gets to play a 20-MINUTE set.

And we will still let you use quality backline and PA to strut your stuff.

For the punters, we'll let you know later when the tix are on sale (be quick this time, you remember what happened last time?).

So, you know the drill - thesheffieldgig [at] gmail [dot] com

[Not so fine print: PARTICIPATION IS OPEN TO MALAYSIANS ONLY.]

Post-mortem: The Sacred and The Inane

2006-03-26T12:21:00.000Z

it has been a week already. we were thinking of doing a poll of some description, but then again, a pictorial survey was deemed a better idea. please do bear with the inanity, it's the sangapness creeping in, post-gig!

Guitars
as you can see, fender (and squier) came up tops and ruled the roost. we had ten guys wielding these babies. from the hot-rodded chinese-made to the true blue american beauties, their tones rocked the gig.

there was a rag bag of guitar makes, otherwise. we had one for gibson, one for epiphone, one for ESP (horizon ooo!), three for yamaha (baitak's AES, kamal's APX3 and aboo's EG) , two for ibanez (check out xombie's SZ520QM specs), two for encore, one for stagg, two for crafter and one for tanglewood. we even had a line 6 variax! ~~not too sure what shidi used though, although it looked like a BC rich mockingbird~~ update: shidi used a maxine mockingbird copy. also, a takamine EG530SC would've made it in the gig if it wasn't for its dodgy electronics!

Drums
the TAMA swingstar kit was courtesy of farid from nevermind the hazatsu, fitted with remo clear pinstripe heads. the cymbals were hired, but additional crashes and stands were provided courtesy of kenny (forbidden donut) and fansuri (bantal kekabu).

Sound at The GIG
courtesy of waq and mark, as you all know. we figured 16 channels were used that evening (for the mics covering vocals, amps, drums and DI for the behringer bass amp head and terel brigade's guitars, as well as the two front HK wedge monitors). waq told us he used 1.8kW of power for us that evening (the full complement of 2.4kW would be enough for a venue holding 350 people). for vocals, all of us had the pleasure to use the industry's standard - the shure SM58.

________________________
if you really wanna know, the carpets (apart from the crappy blue one under the drumkit) were from here. hoho.

Coda

2006-03-19T16:39:00.000Z

"you people are the cleanest gig crowd i've ever seen in my life"

-mark the sound guy, after the gig tear-down, commenting on the event's teetotality

done and dusted. finito. khalas.

the gig was a resounding success, and we have these people to thank.

bleedinggums, terel brigade, lighter fluid, nevermind the hazatsu, bantal kekabu, forbidden donut, from curry to kurma, bandung and some band from sheffield i can't for the life of me remember - for their dedication, their time, their money spent on rehearsals and travel, and the support.

the kick-ass audience - for their support and willingness to attend this humble event of ours, no matter near or far.

waq and mark - for the most excellent aural and visual experience we'd never have expected to hear and see. i hope you guys enjoyed the nottingham ayam!

ROTTW magazine - for wanting to cover the gig. we are not worthy!

this is something we have dreamt of doing for quite some time, and alhamdulillah, everything went like clockwork. a million thanks to the willingness of every single soul who helped with the event, some of whom have come as far as caerdydd. this gig was indeed the culmination of the hard work of all involved, and we can't thank you guys enough.

this is also living proof that gigs aren't within the remit of entertainment for so-called outcasts. everyone had clean, good fun and had a rocking good time. truly a "no sex, no drugs, only rock 'n' roll" experience. it goes to show how far simple, decent and common sense can take you. we'd also like to add, pogo-ing had never been an exotic dance form to any of our knowledge.

a gig next year in the works? take a look at these smiling faces, and you will see the answer.

Tonight's the night

2006-03-18T08:41:00.000Z

psyched up? break a leg, not in the literal sense. we sincerely hope that everyone's gonna have some fun tonight.

see y'all tonight.

How To Get To The GIG @ Sheffield

2006-03-17T23:45:00.000Z

the gig @ sheffield will be held at the broomhall community centre in the leafy student suburb of broomhall, which is a few minutes away from the university of sheffield. it holds a capacity of 140 people. the gig is, therefore, pretty much of an up close and personal kind of affair.

for those coming by car, you can use this online route planner from the AA. the address and the post code of the venue is at the bottom of this entry. please have a road atlas handy, though, for easier navigation when you arrive in sheffield itself. there is ample parking around the centre (free on saturdays and sundays).

if you are not driving, the coach (SHEFFIELD INTERCHANGE) and rail station is situated close to the Supertram station (the SHEFFIELD STATION / SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY stop), which is clearly signposted. take the tram to UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD. for directions to the venue from the UNIVERSITY tram stop to the venue, click on the green rectangular icon in the website sidebar on your left.

for anyone wishing to come to the gig from the concorde leisure centre, take the number 47 or 48 bus to the SHEFFIELD INTERCHANGE, where you can walk to the tram station (as mentioned above).

for directions to the centre, please click here. detailed maps are available on streetmap.

broomhall community centre
broomspring lane
broomhall
sheffield S10 2SB

BROOMHALL COMMUNITY CENTRE OPERATES A NO SMOKING POLICY.

FROM CURRY TO KURMA

2006-03-17T03:22:00.000Z

LIGHTER FLUID

2006-03-17T03:11:00.000Z

It all started with Zul making frequent, totally non-sexual nap-stops between classes at Dan’s uni accommodation. Borne out of his exasperation with awkward silences, Dan decided to buy a guitar at a car-boot sale. Ironically, Zul played that guitar more than Dan did. In fact, everybody else played that guitar more than Dan did. Being a legend in itself, said guitar’s reputation preceded the owner’s, such that when Dan first met Adi on a bus he had actually heard about the guitar Dan never played rather than Dan himself (although this was made up for by the fact that Dan thought Adi was a mainlander Chinese and didn’t bother initiating the conversation).

Enough about the guitar, for now. Dan did meet Adi on a bus (and he really, definitely, certainly did think Adi was a chinese from the mainland) and they discovered they shared the same crap-tastic taste in music. Despite having only slightly more talent than a TV music reality show contestant, the trio started playing in various Open Mic Nights around the university. Their biggest gig to date being the Uni’s International Student Night last year with Adi and Zul on acoustic guitars and Dan on vocals (because he, as yet, still couldn’t play that guitar responsible for bringing the three of them together). Adi had been playing guitar since he was a pimply-faced adolescent, while Zul (pssst, lagi tua) was taking an overseas-studying break from his band back home in Malaysia, Global Deficiency, in which he played bass. Desperately, they seeked more excuses to perform, as they got cheap kicks (and chicks) through this avenue.

So, when they heard about the Sheffield Gig from a dear friend, Aizat, they decided that it was time to form a full rock ensemble. Aizat, well-known from his WITI times in KTJ, agreed to give it a try, and they found a “decent” drummer in the form of a ‘hazed’ (“form a band? What band? What are you guys talking about?”) genius of a friend, Ayi, by some freak accident, as he keeps insisting he is not really a drummer but a guitarist. Aizat and Ayi already have enough on their musical ‘plates’, as Aizat has WITI and Ayi is still active in his own Super Fajitas, an Ampunk-based punk rawk band back in Malaysia.

With a shared passion for music, the fivesome formed Lighter Fluid and jammed, and jammed, and jammed, to prepare themselves for the gig. Aided by delusions of grandeur, and fuelled by a desire to have a good time, they were ready. So, see you there, and let’s all enjoy it, ignoring the fuck-ups of course!

BANTAL KEKABU

2006-03-16T23:35:00.000Z

kira band ni ada remaja & golongan old timer. misteri mr. i tu - dia tak nak letak muka sebab dia rasa tak nak s*****r dia nampak. bantal kekabu start dulu dari "selipar hanyut" yg terdiri dari shidi dan fansuri, then terbubar. so ni kira line up baru la mostly. suhaimi ni kira stand in je la, sebab ade sorang tu sibuk buat thesis! suhaimi pemain gitar amatur yang syok sendiri, so dia main rhythm. nazri pulak second rhythm untuk memantapkan lagi overall rhythm bantal kekabu. shidi pemain gitar lead yang hebat - pasti membuat orang terbangun dari lena mereka. mat, the bass player ala-ala flea, while fansuri is the drummer with the double pedal: akan nyanyi one song setelah penat bedal double pedal. nantikan kemunculan bantal kekabu... yeah!

TEREL BRIGADE

2006-03-11T01:12:00.000Z

FORBIDDEN DONUT

2006-03-09T00:16:00.000Z

they ain't no krispy creme, nor are they made for dunkin'. from the depths of a filey street basement to a stage a stone's throw away from their front door, these chaps from the steel city have got some fine rawking tunes in store for your entertainment this coming march 18th.

check them out at the gig!

Tickets

2006-02-27T21:19:00.000Z

UPDATE

AS OF NOW, ALL THE TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR THE GIG ARE ~~FULLY BOOKED~~ SOLD OUT. UNFORTUNATELY, WE CANNOT SELL ANY MORE TIX DUE TO THE LIMITED SPACE AT THE BROOMHALL CENTRE (fire hazard and all that malarkey). THANKS TO ALL YOU PUNTERS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

NEVERMIND THE HAZATSU

2006-02-22T16:44:00.000Z

Indeed, this is a very peculiar name for a band. Hailing from Sheffield, they love playing any kind of music that they find enthralling, ranging from ear-shattering metal to mellow acoustic soul - this is what happens when each band member has a different musical interest. It is really hard to describe the vibe they exude as a band, which can be quite unpredictable and hypnotic, yet impossible to stop any hip-shaking from listening to the melodies they play.

Formed two years ago by guitar fiend Baitak, Nevermind The Hazatsu has evolved through various line-up changes, and seen some good times as well as hard times. So much has happened with the band yet they have not been forgotten by the Malaysian student band scene in Sheffield. Currently, the band also includes Wynn on guitar, M on vocals, Yamin on bass and Farid on the drums. After a few successful homemade demos, they are now ready to perform live at The GIG @ Sheffield. Be prepared for some serious sedation.....

AH LIAN HOT PANTS

2006-02-18T20:23:00.000Z

to call themselves the home band is a tad ostentatious, with there being two other bands from sheffield. ALHP got its name fortuitously from a comment in kudo's blog, a homage to all pasar malam-going ah lians and they hope to sound as sizzling as their namesake. a five-piece, ALHP is a potpourri of music-loving amateurs, from the skins-and-sticks aficionado, wong; six-string slingers, kere and kazman; p(a)unchy low frequency provider, kudo, to old-school sam zaki. they will be performing a few rocking tunes live at the GIG @ sheffield on march 18th at the broomhall centre.

so, check these guys out and, to paraphrase deaf leopard[sic], let's get rocked.

Playing a live set

2006-02-16T15:39:00.000Z

here are some great tips. no, we didn't come up with these ourselves¹, but we did learn something from reading the list below from the mag.

The band

Play songs that capture listeners' interest
Know your intros / endings
Know the form of the song - playing the verse when you should be playing the chorus is a big no-no
Assign one person to count-off duties - it's the drummer, usually

The set list

A strong first tune in the set, and keep the energy up before playing the slow, jiwang number
Avoid playing songs in the same key in succession, if possible - bosan
Don't waste time in between tunes - know your set list, have it in BIG LETTERS
End the set strong with the best tune you have - you want them to beg for more

The calm before the storm

Come prepared - extra strings / drum sticks, picks, guitar tuner, wire cutter, torch light - you know the drill
Use the adrenaline rush before your performance to your advantage - it's rockengGG time
Secure your guitar straps
MAKE SURE ALL GUITARS ARE IN TUNE!

Rocking in the free world

Stay loose - rilekkk....
Eye contact with the audience is important - unless you are one of the shoegazer band types
Wrong note? Just play on, don't make a face / jelir lidah /cuak
The nerves are playing up again? Remember that your audience wants you to rock
Show some attitude - be it animated like an epileptic who forgot to take some meds or standing still like a stone statue
Interact with your bandmates - it helps to make your band play tight

____________________________
1. Bradman EE, Friedland E. Take it to the stage. Guitar World's Bass Guitar 2005; 6: 30-42.

BANDung

2006-02-10T11:53:00.000Z

the site's first band promo. check it out! promos from the other eight bands will be out soon, so watch this space.

_______________________________

Two sets of friends from two places, brought together by love of music. Din and Luc went to KTJ together and were in different bands then. Luc floating around freeriders and guest drumming/guitar-ing in Bangers' Day Out, whilst Din was in the highly successful Talentime Champions, WITI, wowing KTJ with their hard mellow sound. As fate had it, the Manchester MS' Malaysian Music Festival in April of 2005 brought them together in Band-ting, with fellow KTJians Azlan and Aizat, as well as Helmi on bass. And that was where Kudo and Wong came into the picture.

Wong, a talented drummer from Sheffield, Kudo, with the Les Paul he didn't use (oi! -Ed.), and the rest of Maniacs took to the stage wowing Manchester with their Incubus covers, and before anyone knew it, Din, a huge Incubus fan, took to the stage with them, and so they say, the rest is history.

Nearly a year later, there was a calling. Luc was then working at Rizkee where he met Kudo again and was told about The GIG @ Sheffield. Inspired, he roused together the old Band-ting members for practice. As fate would have it, Azlan had to go back to Malaysia and Aizat was unavailable, so what came naturally was a merger... Manchester + Sheffield = Band-ung.

Watch out for the hard-hitting riffs and soul-pounding bass lines from Luc and Kudo, the technical wizardry of Wong sitting on the throne and the grungy yet melodic vocals of Din. Go on, sit still when Band-ung play, we dare you.

We got nine bands!

2006-01-24T20:47:00.000Z

we are happy to announce that we have the full complement of nine bands coming to THE GIG @ sheffield.

they are:

ah lian hot pants
~~the monkey medics~~ terel brigade
lighter fluid
from curry to kurma
nevermind the hazatsu
BANDung
bleedinggums
bantal kekabu
forbidden donut

much to our surprise, we have received emails and phone calls from other people wanting to play despite our announcement re: full house in our shoutbox last friday (january 21st). we apologise if the announcement placed in the box was too small for people to notice.

never fear - we do operate a waiting list for bands who really want to come and play, in the possible event of some bands wanting out. so, do email us and we'll keep you informed of any available slots.

as mentioned explicitly here, registration is on a first-come, first-served basis, and under no circumstances, first-pay, first-served.

Another addition to the backline

2006-01-14T21:04:00.000Z

we have hired a guitar amp, in addition to the pre-existing backline - the classic clean "JC" tones will be coming to The Gig! this 120-watt solidstate amp which revolutionised the clean guitar sound was developed by Roland in 1975 and still is going strong. its in-built chorus and reverb provides lush tones and this amp is also suitable for synths. used by artistes as diverse as albert king, kirk hammett and wes borland, it goes to show that the JC-120 is not only meant for the discerning jazz guitarist.

to check out the rest of the backline provided at The Gig much closer, please do so by clicking the icons on the site sidebar.

Gear

2006-01-12T20:28:00.000Z

Register now!

2005-11-26T11:35:00.000Z

following the encouraging response we received when we were handing out ads at the nottingham malaysian games a few weeks ago, it's time to formalise the registration for the gig.

we can only take a maximum of NINE bands. the registration will be on a first-come-first-served basis. the entrance fee for each band is £25. costs the same for a three-hour session at a rehearsal room you might say, but for 20 minutes of having screaming girls throwing their undergarments at you (if you are really optimistic -hoho) it's worth twenty five of your hard-earned smackers.

email us (slight technical problem for a direct download at the mo') by clicking on the yellow button on the left sidebar for an entrance form.

___________________________

any questions that you have? we have an FAQ which you can check out. it'll be regularly updated if there are any further queries.

First Catches

2005-10-18T04:31:00.000Z

we are pleased to announce two bands that have signed up for the sheffield gig.

the first is a trio from nottingham university comprising qisti, mozek and kamal, who have performed at the nottingham malaysia night early this year.

the other is the murg masalam blues band.

they have been together (on and off, via the internet) for the past year. separated in three continents (north america, europe and asia), they hope to play a gig in KL in december of this year. and if the weather permits, they'd be coming to sheffield! check out their material here on i-bands.net.

UPDATE! another band into the fold. we now have wilkinson street's own nevermind the hazatsu from sheffield wanting in! keep 'em coming!

__________________________________

we have not formally decided on the rules and regulations of the gig as of yet. however, here are a few facts related to this gig:

this is not a battle of the bands. the gig is to showcase your talents, so NO PRESSURE!
we charge a fee for each band. in the past the fees for a UK gig organised by malaysians fell in the £25-30 ball park. so, we forecast that the fees would be within this range.
you MAY play in more than one band. however, try not to have each band member change instruments just so you can have a new band! we know how difficult it is to get a drummer, for instance, and we may see the same drummer in several bands, but that is fair enough. life's too short to be for us to be that uptight.
the sheffield gig is, at the moment, NOT affiliated with any malaysian student body in sheffield (until further notice).

spread the word.

email us now.

come and play at the sheffield gig!

.

2005-10-14T17:04:00.000Z

we are organising a gig in march 2006.

we don't know who is playing.

we don't know when the gig will start.

we don't know how much the tickets would cost.

we don't really have an organising committee.

you come to this site and you wonder why is the site active if the organisers have no clue as to what will happen on march 18th?

this is how you can help us.

you have a band. or friends who play a couple of tunes with. or buddies that you go karaoke-ing with but all four of you decided to get rid of the cheapo mic and do it for real with some live music.

you will get a slot to impress your friends and other people. you get to use real guitar amps (real as opposed to wimpy 10-watters that are meant for the bedroom). you will be able to show that the song you wrote after your girlfriend / boyfriend dumped you is actually a top ten hit.

this is a gig that caters for all kinds of genres. death metal? bring your your spikes and shred that BC rich. R&B? get out your ladykiller gucci shades and woo the ladies. anything.

that is why we need you. tell us what you use. at the moment, we have enough amps for a guitar-based band. if you have keyboards or DJ turntables or even a full acoustic set, we may just have to look hard for other forms of backline. but we don't do symphony orchestras because we know all of us need to get real!

that is why we need you to tell us.

if you are interested in playing at the gig, drop us a line at thesheffieldgigATgmailDOTcom.

you know you wanna.

Help!

2005-10-14T00:51:00.000Z

Sonic nirvana

2003-05-27T17:37:00.000Z

do you play live music to indulge yourself or to please the crowd?

25 minutes of spinal tap's jazz odyssey for the love of the avant garde or a setlist of maroon 5's and linkin parks?

we were asked by james if we could play some music during dinner at the 2003 summer MASSOC ball. at this time, there was imran, firr, riki and myself left in sheffield. and as this was a formal evening, the setlist had to be mellowed down. way down.

so sod the belief in rock and throw in some R&B. we didn't go that far, to tell you the truth.

we called ourselves desperados, and believe it or not, not a single eagles song was included in the setlist. mellow? we included alice in chains' nutshell and pearl jam's sometimes. what a way to start off, especially when people are just tucking into their appetisers.

we practised for like two times if i can remember (i was doing a john lennon) at firr's house. whilst at yoko's, i practised on my own. since we've played together for so long now, we simply gelled on the first take. easy.

the formula for a good band, i must say, is the band in its entirety. every tom, dick and harry (and yours truly is indeed guilty of this) plays the guitar. it's fair enough as the guitar is an instrument that is piss easy to pick up and you can play it solo. drums are antisocially loud and expensive. the bass guitar gives out low boomy notes and not much else. and both instruments would sound so much better in a band. and how many people out there that are in bands? thus we see a smaller number of people who have interest in this unpopular yet important instruments.

the band won't sound good if the guitarist plays like eric johnson but the rhythm section can't keep the beat. nor would it be good if the instruments were played tight yet the vocals sound like a wailing hound from hell. all the band needs are the instruments to be in tune, played in time, and most importantly, to have the song to be sung well.

in my limited years of performing with friends, i have to say the gig we played as desperados was the best one i've ever experienced. both imran and riki sung superbly. this was the first band i was in that had vocal harmonies. the songs simple yet perfectly executed. without any stress. people say chemistry is rare and i daresay i now know what it feels like.

the mellowed down set, which included imagine, cloud number 9, in my place and imran's self-penned floodgates and transistors, was just a breeze. with people enjoying their food, we weren't under any pressure to perform. we just took our time. bliss.

we may have been paid a doner kebab with chips and coke each, and didn't have to play a million notes a second to impress, yet we found sonic nirwana.

have you?
____________________________________
whilst not playing diagnostician, kudo plays bass in maniacs, eats noodles and fervently buys gear on e-Bay.

Of bad animals and a stupid mop

2003-05-07T16:27:00.000Z

boo hoo productions and the malaysian society of newcastle university organised a gig in april 2003. at that time, only three members of suck were left in sheffield. liza at that time was on a hiatus with her medical exams and all. firr was in his final year and i was recuperating from an exam myself. riki was fortuitously back in sheffield and we thought it'd be great to hang out again like old times. when we were asked to play newcastle, we thought of doing stuff we never had the chance of playing. so, we did a setlist that covered old grunge anthems the likes of soundgarden's superunknown as well as new rockers like the foo's all my life. drumming duties was given to armijn who used to play for the then defunct spearmint. as a homage to the seattle scene, we named ourselves bad animals, after the recording studio.

we also met mure, a chap studying in newcastle, who was so into pearl jam. riki and i being pearl jam maniacs were then keen on the idea of doing a pearl jam tribute band, and we came up with the moniker stupidmop. amir was keen to play drums for us and we got dino, another spearmint alumnus and great bassist to boot, to join us. i had always wanted this as i had once played in a pearl jam tribute band called mookie and the one gig we played in loughborough university wasn't really one of my happy memories.

one thing about gigs (malaysian ones or otherwise) in the UK is the crowd. you need the right crowd. or a crowd that is musically open-minded. could you imagine playing a setlist of R&B tunes to a punk audience? unlike the previous gigs in sheffield or the ones that sheffield bands had played in, this one wasn't too receptive when it came to loud rocking tunes. it did affect bad animals' and stupidmop's performance to some extent, but rocked we did (we hoped).

the next time we played to an audience, we figured out an important (although not necessarily right) factor in choosing a setlist.

_____________________________________
whilst not playing diagnostician, kudo plays bass in maniacs, eats noodles and fervently buys gear on e-Bay.

Pria Mambo 2: Redemption

2002-04-20T00:49:00.000Z

some time ago in a residential school in kuala kangsar, a gig by the name of walpurgis night was disallowed by the teaching staff because of the connotations the name brings. that gig went on but by another name. the name of this gig in sheffield on april 20th, 2002 was a homage to that night.

malam temasya pria mambo 2. anyone (not many, though!) who has been in sheffield long enough would remember that gig. fresh from the BOTB in newcastle, shahid, firr and kudo got around to rally any band that would come to sheffield for a song or two. like suck, 4 out of the 5 bands that played in newcastle still had that itch and wanted in! in addition to the lineup, another sheffield band, remmy & the asmaras led by imran, was reined in as well.

sorting the gig was easy enough. kudo and firr provided the guitar amps, whilst all three of them got enough money to hire a party room above the eponymous khan's restaurant on west street, as well as a PA system and a bass amp from london road's moon music. james lent the gig organisers his drumkit whilst the drummers from siti's dimpples and scum 41 and a half were so kind to let every band use their expensive sabian cymbals on james' humble drumkit. firr printed tickets and flyers and away they went.

this time suck went in with a more relaxed attitude. a new set list was made and with bobby busy revising for his A-levels, they got siti's dimpples to lend them their drummer, amir. doors were opened at 8pm and the crowd milling in was not too bad, number-wise. with khan's being a small place, the gig had a comfy vibe going with the audience up real close to the stage. the evening kicked off with remmy & the asmaras performing a couple of original rocking tunes penned by imran. spearmint had a varied mixture of tunes up their sleeves, ranging from weezer's pink triangle to santana's black magic woman. pity there were no congas!

the winner of the previous month's BOTB, siti's dimpples, rocked the house (or room, rather) with nickelback and linkin park tunes. the highlights of their performance were the theme from p. ramlee's tiga abdul and sharifah aini and broery's seiring sejalan. syeikh's out-of-tune version of broery was somewhat endearing, to say the least!

it has to be said that when the home band plays, that is the band that gets the most support. suck came up next and kicked off their set with carburettor dung's boo hoo clapping song. their set flowed smoothly (with the odd hiccup) much to their delight. as firr once quoted, "music is to be enjoyed, not endured", that motto held true that evening.

the last act, scum 41 and a half got to the front, sans kilts and sporrans, and belted out punked-up 60's tunes a la those by me first and the gimme gimmes. after the gig ended everything was cleared in under an hour, with the help of all the band members. everyone ordered some late nite pizza and got home exhausted, followed by a little do at TGIF the next day.

this was to be sheffield's last proper malaysian gig to date.

Suck: Live at Northumbria University

2002-03-19T00:40:00.000Z

after a 3-year hiatus, the sound of malaysian students jamming was heard again, this time in a small flat in brunswick street. kudo, shahid and firr were toying with the idea of playing some tunes after being invited to perform at a battle of the bands in newcastle. kudo made a phone call to liza, who picked up the bass in just a matter of days, and they got bobby, a 19-year old drum ace who was then studying for his A-levels in oxford, to provide the beats. together they formed suck, which in hindsight was probably not a really good idea for a name as we get to see later!

the competition required each band to play one malay song and to provide a rendition of britney spears' ...baby one more time. bobby could only drive up on weekends which meant that suck only had a few occasions to practice as a unit. with a hitler-like jamming regime instituted by kudo, suck was ready to face the crowd and the judges in newcastle.

the battle of the bands was organised by newcastle university's malaysian society. they reeled in the best live gear money could buy (a chap who hires amps and PA for acts the likes of placebo and BB king!). the other bands that came to play were the home band, siti's dimpples, aberdeen's spearmint, glasgow's scum 41 and a half and portsmouth's so solid grass. as luck would have it, suck drew the short straw and had to open the gig. kudo messed up on a couple of songs but everything started to fall into place as they got going into the third song in their setlist. for the malay song, suck went across the pond and picked a sheila on 7 ditty. one criticism of the whole affair was that the audience took to sitting throughout the gig, leaving the floor almost empty. some rock affair indeed!

suck didn't win, but they weren't aware that redemption was just around the corner, a month later.

The Gig @ Tin Pan Alley

1999-04-04T14:02:00.000Z

after the non-winning, disqualified yet superb (hehe) performance at the student band competition, the guys decided that it would be great to hold their own gig. spearheaded by AJ, RAILZ productions and Ganjpup Studios organised themselves on a shoestring budget and got their act together. sheffield had three acts. a megadeth tribute act called rattlehead, bubu & friends and extended coordinates, renamed as f.a.k.a.p. nikotin, a band from london's imperial college who have been on the malaysian gig circuit in the UK was happy to come up to sheffield and so did some guys from the universities at liverpool, huddersfield and portsmouth.

the gig was held on easter weekend at a now demolished small room called Tin Pan Alley. backline was provided by AJ and kudo whilst spare backup amps were hired from moon music. a small and not-so-brilliant PA system was available at the room. the FOH soundman was the club owner and we had armijn playing roadie. tickets were selling like hot cakes much to their surprise and the gig kicked off with rattlehead opening with a bunch of raucous megadeth covers. the huddersfield lads got up next and played some old rock classics, with great vocals to boot!

bubu & friends got the crowd going with tunes from machine head and sepultura. the only bit that we could hear from the frontman was "the police! the police!", and adrie was up there riffing with his SG, smiling all the way in a not-so-metal fashion. metal mayhem seemed to be the order of the evening as the portsmouth (ex-lucknut) three-piece got up and did a blazing metal list.

for a little diversity, a bunch of liverpool university guys on turntables were DJ-ing and MC-ing, with AJ and karof from sheffield providing the bass and drum thumps. the MC was a medical student who would later form one quarter of malaysia's own teh tarik crew. altimet was dope, doing his thang off the cuff. nikotin got onstage and, as they have done at the various gigs they've done, played a great set of their own material. everyone was waiting for the headlining act. f.a.k.a.p. got to the stage and played an entire RATM set without the fear of being disqualified ever again! their performance was the one that had the entire room going absolutely mental. the one thing that can happen if one organises a 5-hour gig with a 7-band set and not having the amps mic-ed would be overheating. and overheated were the two marshall valvestate amps. virtually simultaneously. the last two bars of killing in the name was done with the aid of ganja's drumming and bagak's basslines only!

we packed up, ferried the bands/gear home and headed off for some freshly made roti canai at 27 filey street. safe to say, everyone had a blast.

_____________________________________
whilst not playing diagnostician, kudo plays bass in maniacs, eats noodles and fervently buys gear on e-Bay.

1999: The competition

1999-03-15T18:20:00.000Z

i first met red eye reduction at a gig organised by the guys from the university of north london, one fine easter's evening in 1998. they were the opening band, who played an entire set of original material with much aplomb. it wasn't a year later, that i got to fraternise with the bunch that was left behind after goof and bond left sheffield.

AJ and his mates were living at the legendary (after bode's tale, it definitely was!) 27 filey street. they had the best basement in sheffield, for they didn't really have any neighbours. it was such that you could jam till the cows come home.

it was one day at the students union when AJ and syatir decided to take a detour to buy a snickers bar. fate would have it that they saw an ad for the 1999 student band competition (gomez was one such band who won this competition). the closing date was on that day itself and they realised that the entry form had to be handed in like in 5 minutes! they scribbled on the form and came up with extended coordinates, the first thing that came to mind (don't ask). after handing in the form they thought nothing of it and after a while, came to forget about it!

it was a few months later when AJ got a call saying that they were in. they practised their asses off and got into tow three medics, riki, bagak and ganja, on guitar, bass and drums, respectively. riki was a tone-freak and was able to conjure up a multitude of sounds on his bas mini zoom multieffects while ganja was a talented multi-instrumentalist. bagak was on bass, syatir played rhythm guitar and AJ took the task of handling the vocals. the set list was three rage against the machine cover tunes.

the evening came finally and extended coordinates rallied the troops (and a camcorder) for support. i remembered vividly AJ asking the organisers if they could swear onstage (lyrical content for artistry's sake... haha). when it was their turn to get up there, all of us felt quite nervous. hentam saje lah! bombtrack was the first song. bagak handled the intro fine with the sheffield's lousiest bass and the band simply erupted. the lighting guys were great as they synchronised the strobes to the beat. AJ's vocals were a tad muffled but riki's guitar noodling and ganja's drumming were absolutely spot on, effects and all.

bulls on parade went well with a bunch of malaysian students going absolutely mental at the front. it wasn't till the final song, killing in the name, that everything went into full rapcore mode. unlike the other bands, we had this crazed metalhead together with the entire jive stormtroopers (the opening slipknot-like boilersuit-clad non-competing house band) joining in the malaysian melee, shoving their fists up in the air to the chorus. you know how the song goes.

it was great. sweaty backs patted and all. until this announcement came on the tannoy that extended coordinates have been disqualified. it appeared that during the rush of filling in the entry form, AJ and syatir didn't see the "at least one original song" clause. we felt quite down at first but after seeing the response the crowd gave and the fact that they got to play onstage with professionally equipped backline, PA and lights, it was one experience they will never forget for the rest of their lives.

The early days

1994-09-11T21:15:00.000Z

when i was a student many years ago, i remembered watching a band from sheffield performing at the imperial college malaysia nite. there was this kid named bode who shredded his way through joe satriani's surfing with the alien. little did i know then that a little music scene was burgeoning in england's fourth largest city. most of the older guitar-wielding malaysian sheffield alumni would remember the guys like bode, anwar, aleng and rizal banjar. those were the days when it all started.

i do not know any of these guys but i virtually bumped into bode last year on i-bands.net and he was kind enough to share some stories with me.

"...see it all started in 1988. I met Anwar (he played the outtro final guitar solo in Shyboy) who was a lonely guitarhead, and we started The Sheffield Music Coalition. At that time, 29 Filey St was THE musicians' hangout and where all the gear were. Other hangouts included Carlsbro retail (now Sound Control) and Big Deal!

"Rockers, R&B aficionados and jazz cats all lived together in peace and harmony, and would meet there. Life was beautiful. We even got people from other parts of the UK coming down to check out the musicians of 29 Filey St! The first band formed was Babyfish and it went through a few line up changes, but I wasn't happy with the band. The 1991 gig in Imperial College was the darkest time of my musical life. Our band, to me, was the WORST band that I've ever heard in my life...that night was a nightmare. The sound sucked (and the band almost didn't turn up for the sound check) and my equipment broke down 2 seconds before starting the gig. I had to borrow the other band's equipment and WE SUCKED ASS (I didn't think it was that bad! -Ed.). If I have the power to do it, I would track down every single copy of the videotape of that night's performance and DESTROY it. Hehe.

"Back in Sheffield at that time, my dear partner in crime and shredder extraordinaire, Anwar, the guy whom I started all this with, left home for Malaysia and I was left alone. And Sheffield was at that time risking losing it's status as the home of the best band ever (hehe). However, luck was on my side. I found a few new people who had the same firy passion for music and we rebuilt a new band from scratch called Moon. Lan Double Pedal (drums), Aleng (bass), Azwar (guitars, vocals, keyboards, drum...err..this guy is a musical genius) and Azman (guitars, keyboards, vocals). I remembered a performance at Keele University, where we performed Moon live (actually the only live performance of that song ever until now). We actually received a standing ovation from a 700+ audience and that nearly brought tears to my eyes.

"Moon disbanded after most of the other members left home for Malaysia and I rebuilt another outfit with Aleng. Our only live performance was probably of the video that you saw. I was banned a couple of hours after that gig from performing by the organising committee (you saw the video, so you know why). After that sour experience, I was never really in a band, just playing with different people I met. Rizal Banjar was passed down the responsibility to run The Sheffield Music Coalition and I went into my retirement, living like a hermit writing songs in my flat/studio while the rest of Sheffield didnt know of my existence at all."

then again, after bode left for malaysia in 1995, the music amongst the malaysian student community never really stopped.

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bode is currently an ENT surgeon in KL who also does session guitar work in studios for high profile local and international artistes, and movie soundtracks. check his work out here.