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| 2. Three times the fun | Today News Posted: 03 Jul 2012 06:51 PM PDT Three bands from two countries make one night very special. As far as live Malaysian concerts on television go, Gig Triple Play surely was one of the best ever. Even more so if you're in the audience, watching the actual show on stage. Held to celebrate TV9's sixth anniversary and – to a certain extent – to also further promote a new wave of local guitar music after the success of the recently concluded Versus programme, Gig Triple Play boasted the tagline of having three bands from two countries, sharing a single stage. Featuring two local acts in the form of indie stars-turned-mainstream forces Bunkface and Hujan (who were also winners of Versus), as well as Indonesian rockers Nidji, the gig had also promised a "shuffle" between the bands, as each would take turns to cover one another's songs.
Opening last weekend's show at KL Live in Kuala Lumpur – the concert was also broadcast live on TV9 – was pop punk sensation Bunkface, bravely playing new songs from its upcoming new album. A safer bet would have been to play its many hits from the last few years, but the band pushed on with fresh material. Its reward was a slightly underwhelming response from the crowd as everyone struggled to get into the tougher-sounding new tracks, with the exception of the band's latest single Panik, which got the audience enthusiastically singing and jumping along. Displaying a more punk rock image and more riff-happy songs, a bit like post-American Idiot Green Day and The Living End, Bunkface's new album should be one very interesting proposition. Its version of Nidji's Shadow was suitably punk rock, but a much better fit was its cover of Hujan's Lonely Soldier Boy, during which singer-guitarist Sam took to the drums and bassist Youk sang. Hujan, fresh off the release of its latest album Sang Enemy, stormed the stage next. Armed with the confident swagger befitting its newly minted metalcore tinged sound, Hujan kicked off its set with three cover songs. The first was a solid punking up of the already punked up Ekstravaganza by Bunkface, followed by a special dedication to fans and supporters who encouraged the band on Versus with its now famous version of Lamunan Terhenti by Aris Ariwatan, a track it made popular on the show. Nidji's Laskar Pelangi is already such a soaring and beautiful song that there's little need for Hujan to change it much – and it didn't. The cover was pretty much straightforward, but the band still managed to garner a lot of positive reaction from the crowd, especially when the chorus and escalating guitar lines came in.
The top highlights in Hujan's set, though, were when it ended with Ke Selatan and Rumah Kita. Both tracks were executed well with incredible heaviness and power, and with an amazing crowd support, the band didn't even need to have its own "screamer" or "growler" to respond to the hardcore and emocore-influenced parts. To this writer, that was the most memorable moment during the entire show. Nidji came on stage full of energy, with lead singer Giring totally owning the title "sexiest rock star" of the night with his gyrating hips, a dance move that can only be described as part Elvis Presley, part Scott Weiland, and a little bit Mick Jagger! Opening with Indahnya Cinta, the crowd went wild as they sang along. The ladies, of course, went wild with each move Giring made. Next came the band's interesting interpretation of Hujan's Muda. Nidji turned what was originally a kind of The Strokes-styled song into something really sexy, a la French band Phoenix. Its cover of Situasi by Bunkface was also similarly well-judged, as it enhanced the anthemic qualities of the song by making the drum beats a little bit … sexier. Nidji's closing track Disco Lazy Time might be energetic and fun, but it was during the medley of its own hits Child, Sudah and Kau Dan Aku that Nidji truly raised the bar, as the songs' soaring melodies reverberated throughout the venue. Naturally, everyone heartily sang along – another big highlight of the night. As an encore, the band was joined by Sam from Bunkface and Noh from Hujan, with everyone else pouring on to the stage minutes later, joyously ending the night with a fun and incident-filled rendition of Biarlah. Local gigs are rarely this wonderful, so to have something this well produced (with good audio, too!), and have it aired live on television as well, bodes well for the future of Malaysian rock music. Hopefully, there will be more to come. |
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