Monday, June 30, 2008

Bluessyyy Review on The Music Event "Blues At The House"

It's getting a bit quiet here. The crickets seem to be occupying this site. Yaya…I have been so tight up with my own work and music stuff. It’s time to rock this place up! The Blues Bug disease have finally come to an end. For those who are still searching a remedy for the cure, u can find the clue below to find the magical medical herb:


Personal Review for “Blues At House” Music Event at Timbre

Taking a brisk walk along Singapore River, my view on the stage of Timbre was already filled with its gorgeous costume outfit in musical instruments, banners and audio equipments. A sense of "bluesy spirit" was already flowing all over the area as some awesome blue musicians carried out their experimental sound check.

Friendly staff gave me the "green light" signal to go when I showed them my tix. Wow...so many people were all chilling out around. Haha...it's time for me to bond and check out these cool people in Timbre.



Soon the show started... . Obviously the first line-up was "Smokey & The Bandits". It must have been a whole deal of stress to be the first band to perform. For me, it would have resulted in a cold sweat seeing 30-40 pairs of boggling eyes staring at me if my mind was not fully prepared in performing for such a great festival. Through the sound clips of the band on the internet, they seemed to be a pretty decent band but are they really that good?

Upon hearing live sounds from this band, it totally reassured me that their bluessy sound were authentic. For an instant moment, my soul was teleported to the state of Chicago when the top harmonica player "Smokey" blew his way through the hearts of the audience. His sound is definitely in the league of great blues music. Here's a picture on his live performance of crazy classic crazy show-off blue tunes on the event itself:



Of course when it comes to the guitar, how can we forget the guitarist in a blues band? Here's a pic of awesome Guitarist Greg showing off his blue lickssss!



With tight Gopalakrishnan setting off the time bomb on his drums and tough Chris grounding his feet on his bass, this band is surely moving up to the local "Blues Music" chart list!





Another local band "Heritage" arrived on the stage after "Smokey & The Bandits" ended their gig. They were a pretty cool seasoned band. Obviously...come on...they must have been playing for years judging on the "mature-looking" looks on their faces. An Singaporean in the band featured himself as both volinist and fluist in a blue band? OMG that is actually the first time I ever seen such instruments blending with guitar and drums into blues harmony! The way he played the flute almost made that man look like Pied Piper who's well-known in his propelling breath for luring all the children to follow him. Fantastic! It was a wonderful chance to capture such moments...with my digital camera! Oops...the pics are a bit too blur...my body must hv been moving too much. Here's some pics of that Pied Piper in the band:




Soon my whole body was grooving to the music. My energy level must have caught the eyes of a musician.

"Hey there! U seemed to be enjoying yrself a lot in the music." A friendly man nearby came over to me with a smiling face. "Yap...the music is awesome!" I cried out to him. Soon we were exchanging friendly greetings. Haha...guys can u imagine? I thought he was a friendly audience in the crowd yet it turned out that he was Bowie from the Indonesia band "Gugun & The Blues Bug" (one of the bands performing in the event)!

Finally "Heritage" finished off with its piece of eclectic blues music. Next up coming was a revolution Thai band "Soi Dogs Blues Band". This band naturally plays their pieces with such tight rhythmic blue patterns and notes. No wonder they are considered one of the best blues band in Thailand. I personally love the vocalist's deep husky voice...it just adds a rocky flavor to the songs. Here's some pictures featuring their live performance:






After the performance of "Soi Dogs Blues Band", something really amazing happened to me. Bowie actually asked a favor from me to be "Gugun & The Blues Bug" Videocam Man. Yes...To help them record their live gig when they were playing in the event! Isn't that cool? How can I reject him? So I took up the challenge and recorded for them.

When it was time for them to perform, the stage rocked! I can't help but admitted that among all the bands, their energy was the most EXPLOSIVE as compared to a blowing dynamite! The crowd was cheering and clapping for them! Only words to describe their music: Bluessy rocking grooving music with a funky edge to their sound! Ooo...it was so fun recording them especially on the part when excuting that 360 degree turn on the spectators' excited looks. After their performance, I ended up as a saleman for that brief moment as people approached me to ask enquires on buying their CDs. When did I become their promoter sia?

Coming all the way from Australia, "Blue Shaddy" was the only western band in the whole event. Various instruments such as harmonica, lap-slide guitars, bass guitar and singing tuned to their rythmic dance blues tones. They were demonstrating so much of musicality sense that the band rightfully deserves the "2007 MusicOz Best Blues & Roots Artist". It sure sounded like we were catching on the horse ride with all those action-packed sounds.





Time for a kit-kat break...A few photos of me and some musicians during the break:





The final showdown came when the bands "Ublues" and "The Soulfellas" launched off with the Blue & Soul Jam Sesssion. Musicians on the stage were pulling off rolls of flying music notes and blues scales all over Timbre. So much so that I caught the Blue Bug flu...my legs and body started to create random dance steps. Towards the second half of the session, musicians from the other bands were also joining in the boogie sounds. A group of ladies were also dancing to the swinging beats. Of course I also glided my way towards the dancing crowd. Haha...the other people sitting around us were also swayed by our "crazy" energy level that they began to dance with us.

All in all, I really truly enjoyed myself in shuttering pictures, talking to musicians & cool people and becoming the videocam cum saleman. Those who didn't manage to attend the event really miss all the fun, excitement and laughter this year. No worries...tho. U can still enjoy the seized moments of that event. Just a glimpse of my pictures and videos: Click HERE!!! (facebook) or THERE!!! (myspace)


Another mini-blues Festival should be coming nxt year! Hope to see u guys soon!

P/S...My special thanks:


To "Smokey & The Bandits" : Thanks for showing us the real blues music genre and "Smokey" for being such a great dude in revealing these marvellous harmonica tunes to everyone in the event!

To Gugun, Eti & Bowie in "Gugun & The Blues Bug" : It's been a great pleasure talking to u guys. Thanks for the CD. Btw don't forget to grab my picture with u guys at the airport. We should collabrate more with bands in Asia to create such wonderful music out there! Hope to visit Jakarta one of these days!

To musicians like "Heritage" , "Soi Dogs Blues Band" , "Blue Shaddy" , "Ublues" & "The Soulfellas" : For being part of my wonderful musical experience!

To the event management team and Timbre: For making it all possible for the event to happen!

To all the wonderful people who I have met: Thanks for making my day at that event such a memorable day of my life!













Friday, June 13, 2008

Free June Music Workshops '08 At EpiStage Academy!




Wow...is this for real? Freebies? Haha Singaporeans are well-known for their "kaisssu" culture to grab any freebies. If u are one of those "cheapo" music lovers who wants to get good free quality stuff, here's some free entertainment and education news for music training:


EPiSTAGE Academy, a new music school is holding free workshops to promote our courses! Do sign up to enjoy a free music lesson for the instrument of your choice. Workshop attendees also enjoy special discounts for music courses, taught in line with syllabus from Berklee College of Music (US) and Trinity Guildhall's Rockschool (UK).

Whether you've always played with the idea of learning an instrument or if you're a dedicated bathroom singer wanting to develop your voice to its full potential, our workshops are a great opportunity for you to begin exploring the intricacies of music.

Taught by passionate and experienced musicians, these workshops are a great starting point for you to try your hand at any of our music courses - Guitar, Bass Guitar, Drums, Keyboard or Voice. What's more, they're totally free. And you can even bring a friend.

This summer, we're offering the following 1-hr workshops.
I. Sing & Play (Guitar)This workshop includes short lessons on both voice and the guitar, as well as tips on how to coordinate strumming to vocal accompaniment.

II. Sing & Play (Keyboard)Similar to S&P Guitar, we give you an introduction into both voice and keyboard, and then show you how to combine the two.

III. Drums and Bass In a band, the drums and bass guitar must work together seamlessly as the rhythmic voice of any song. This workshop gives you insight into each instrument so you can decide which to pursue.

*Workshops may run overtime to allow for Q & A Session. Our workshops are always in high demand, so do RSVP to confirm your place. Participants who RSVP will receive…- Workshop notes- First 5 sign-ups…. We look forward to jamming with you!

Cheers,EPiSTAGE Academy (formerly known as FusionX Music)

If u guys are still doubting if these trainers are creditable, just take a look at their profiles:
HERE!!!


For your information, their latest trainer on Epistage Academy list have worked as Chief Mixer in the making of promotional song for Beijing Olympics 2008 with regional artists such as "Cao Ge" before. Yes...did I mention Mandarin singer "Cao Ge" who sang his own rendition of song "Super Woman" to fame? U r rite! If that fails to impress u, yr standard of trainers is just way too high lol...!

Btw remember to mention that it was Weijie (student of Epistage) who recommended u guys to Epistage. Or else they get blur like sotong and start searching HIGHHHH and loooowwww for yr name in the whole list of enlisted wanababes.


EpiStage Contact information
Office no: 63388913 (latest location moved to a BIGGER and COOLER PLACE: Excelsior Shopping centre)
Website: http://www.fusionxmusic.com/


Enjoy yr workshops and have a GREAT TIME JAMMING AND WHACKING the music!



Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Chase away the Blue Flu with purchase of "Blues at The House" Music tix!


<-Hi folks, watch out! Stick the right Talisman on yr head to chase away the evil "spirits". Most of us are catching the blue flu! Probably the flu might be caused by all these "bad" wandering creatures.

Be sure to read the instructions on the Talisman to see how u can recover from the blue flu. U will definitely feel awesome when u attend such events to see the music healer!

So are we getting the last glimpse of the blue flu? Seriously no idea at all...maybe a fellow Singaporean can keep me informed...lol. ;>





Friday, June 6, 2008

Chicken Shack Revival Gig at Mel's Place Bistro and Bar on 6th June & 7thJune 08

Hey guys I am back again....Haha...wow...last min Greg sent an email regarding his other band "Chicken Shack Revival" gig this wkend. Enjoy the groovy movements to the sounds of Chicago Blues! Boogie on to the cool West Coast blues!

"Chicken Shack Revival" Band bio:

Current lineup:

Greg Leow - Guitar
Chris Gomez - Electric Bass
Justin Teo - Drums
Louis Lam - Vocals and Harmonica



Here are the details to great food, great music, great company!

Venue: Mel's Place Bistro and Bar
Date: Friday 6th June 2008 & Saturday 7th June 2008
Time: 9pm to 1145pm


Just in case, u guys get lost like small kids on the road. Attached is the map of the location: HERE!!!


Chill out...in the bar!!! Just make sure u guys don't get frozen like ice...Ciao!!!

Signing...off

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

BLUES AT THE HOUSE (FESTIVAL CLUB 2008) IN 14thJune2008

Ok...Here I am...back with the gig information for our lovely blues band "Smokey and The Bandits". Check it out below:

Coming up... "Blues at the House" event on 14 June 2008, fans can catch top-notched blues artists from Australia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia at the specially created Riverfront Stage along the river promenade next to Timbre @ The Arts House and a dinner concert at the newly furbished The Hall at The Arts House. Blues at the House brings the blues, soul and funk experience to the Singapore River on two different stages, where audiences can choose their individual blues experience with performances by Blue Shaddy (Australia), Gugun & The Blue Bugs (Indonesia), Heritage (Singapore), Smokey & the Bandits (Singapore), Soi Dogs (Thailand), The Soulfellas (Singapore) and ublues (Singapore).

This event is presented by Timbre Music in partnership with the Singapore Arts Festival.

Date: Saturday 14 June 2008
Venues: Timbre @ The Arts House, River Promenade and The Hall (The Arts House)
Time: 6pm – 2am / Buffet dinner commences at 7pm sharp.

Tickets:
Standard: S$25.00* (includes one drink)
Standard: S$22.50* (includes one drink) for DBS Live Fresh Cardmembers

Dinner Concert: S$50.00*
(includes one drink and buffet dinner)
Dinner Concert: S$45.00*
(includes one drink and buffet dinner) for DBS Live Fresh Cardmembers

Tixs can be purchased through the following methods:

OVER THE COUNTER
The Arts House Box office
1 Old Parliament Lane
Singapore 179429

BY PHONE
The Arts House Ticket Hotline: (+65) 6332 6919

BY FAX/E-MAIL
On the website, clink on
Ticketing Info on enquires in purchasing tixs via fax/e-mail.




Guys better grab the tixs soon! The tixs are only available while stocks last! Gee...these words remind my brain and legs to run all the way down to the Arts House to collect the tixs... . See U guys Soon if u are coming for the gig!


Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Featuring the cool Blues Band "Smokey and The Bandits" in their first local all blues album


Hey guys,

it's time for me to make some news for the local musicians here in this sunny island of Singapore.

This month June, people are catching onto the blue flu. Latest upcoming local band which has spread the "dreadful" blue flu...is our local blues band: "Smokey and The Bandits".

What can I say about this band? We Singaporeans are well-known for almost coming in first in anything. This band has made a claim on their list: "The ever first blues band to produce a local all-blues album in Singapore!"

Of course if any musicians/people out there who want to protest or disagree with such a claim, pls kindly provide us with evidence of other local musicians who have released such an album before.

"Smokey and The Bandits" Band bio:

Current lineup:
Kelvin Ng- vocals, harmonica
Gregory Leow - guitar
Chris - bass
Gopalakrishnan - drums

Btw the musician in the picture above is not me. Nooooo me not skillful enough to be in the band...lol...it's Kelvin from the band in his earlier days at Chicago Blues festival. Kelvin "smokey" Ng is killer on harmonica lol..!

Hey so where can we buy their offical CD to plead them to sign their autography on it? Err...well we all have to wait patiently like some old men until the cows come home. Who knows when will that be??? Pressing cds and getting the cover done is not even processed yet according to Gregory's information! For now, u guys can only purchase the songs in MP3 digital format on the web.

Location to check out their songs in their album & profile: HERE!


If u guys are wondering the disappearance of an ex-band member Thomas Wong (guitarist featured in the album), Gregory has offically replaced him as a guitarist since he is constantly travelling around the world due to job commitments. Oops...does it sound a bit like the same situation of band member Daniel Sassoon (guitars) leaving Electrico?

In the meanwhile, Smokey and The Bandits will be performing their first gig at the Arts House in the later part of the month in June! I will be posting up information for their gig! Be sure to support them!

Till then, Tata... .;>

Reporting Live from this deadly accurate moment at my wooden desktop
AJ

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