| Dear Mr. Hassan, i'm one of the people that attended the gig you organized that the actors studio last nite (sunday 7th september). i really want to congratulate and thank you for all your hard work organizing it. it was really really AWESOME. My friends and i had an amazing time. i'd say that calling it a simple gig is pretty modest. More like a super gig or a full blown concert! i'm an avid fan and supportor of the local indie-music industry , seeing local indie/alt bands coming out & playing like last nite was really great. i'd also like to especially thank you for getting Rehman Rashid to sing. I follow his work and loved his book. Never thought the dude could sing as well. Not bad for an old timer that hasnt picked up a guitar in a while. Gives his brother a run for his money ! Any chance you could coax Mr Rehman and his brother (Rafique?) to sing together? That'd bring down the house! i'd drag my dad along for that! Mei chern & Mia
Palencia have a bright future ahead of them. ( Mia already has a boyfriend
! <SOB! > <SOB ! > lucky bastard ! :-) ) Thank you again for your good work sir & keep it up! ariff Hi Hassan, I was at the 13th Acoustic Jam, and I thought it was AWESOME! Probably one of the best gigs I'd ever been to- seriously! the lineup was superb, and I regret not being able to stay for Ruhil's performance, cos I heard it was really good... Soft Touch was pretty amazing as well with drums and all, and Rehman Rashid was hillarious! Congratulations on a great show.. Looks like it's lucky no. 13 for you from now on! :) Sincerely, Nazneen
Dear Markiza and Peter, Firstly, I would like to commend you on a job well done organizing the Acoustic Jam series. It’s great that you guys care enough to open opportunities for indie artistes and artistes-to-be to showcase their talents. And what a lot of talent we Malaysians have! Definitely more than some of the commercialized recording artists we hear over the radio stations ad nauseum (I’m thinking of those boy bands and girl groups and other variants of that, eh…) With a venue like the Actor’s Studio, equipped with a stage and lights and other ‘canggih’ equipment, it was set to be a professional performance and boy, was I blown away! Never mind the bungling, small matter. It’s always made up by your emceeing, Peter. I enjoy listening to your introductions, it’s always from the heart with no frills and fluff. Unfortunately for me, I came in late and missed Gerard’s performance. Gerard has always been one of my favourite performers (I catch his show at 1957 now and then) and he’s always had a unique style, even when delivering covers. Caught Mei Chern’s last song and the infamous drop out on the guitar. But like you said, Peter, her talent shone through, never mind the non-performing amp. Mia is so natural and so comfortable on stage I felt like I was sitting in her living room and she was performing for a bunch of friends! Her ‘angry’ song is really where she shone with passion and originality. The rapport among her band members especially in between songs were a comic relief and my brother related to it coz he says his jam sessions are pretty much like that, 90% of the time! (it’s a wonder they get to play any song to completion!). Rehman Rashid had me rolling on the aisle with laughter (not literally lah!), never mind the short content of his set. He certainly left a lot of us wanting more. We should have more performers like him too! Naked Breed is great as always, although I think their strength is really in performing a full-blown open-air stadium rock gig with 3-storey high amplifiers. Their music must be heard LOUD, man, to fully appreciate it! Still, Reuben’s guitaring had me riveted. Hope to catch them again at Lo’s next Rock the World concert. Listening to Soft Touch was another totally cool experience. Thoroughly enjoyed Markiza’s playing and the songs were meaningful and very polished. Lurks will definitely have their niche fan base with their deep, mournful style of music. Very strong Deftones influences. Personally, I think their music is an acquired taste, and I’m not deep enough to acquire it yet, hahaha! Jason Lo is a funny guy. What a really funny guy, with his self-deprecating sense of humour. He certainly has his own musical style, which he brings across fantastically. Enjoyed his set thoroughly, quick wit and all. I must admit that I came with some pre-conceived ideas of how Ruhil may perform. I was expecting some Minah Rock squeaking out insipid balada cinta rock numbers but boy, was I totally convinced otherwise! She has a powerful voice that she controls well and her back up guitarists were definitely world class. The recording companies are losing a fortune here if they don’t market her properly. She could even do well in the more open-minded Indonesian rock market. And on a side here, it was also interesting observing the lovey-dovey eye contact her husband keeps giving her, hahaha! Nitrus may have been the last set but they were the right people to close the show with. I was kinda hoping to catch my fave Nitrus song, “Better Days” but they didn’t perform it, aiyah…Still, they have great compositions, whether it’s sung in English or Malay. Just one observation here. I couldn’t help noticing that some of the performers seem to have duplicated the styles of their favourite singers/bands almost ad verbatim. Nevertheless, there is a lot of passion and enthusiasm in the delivery by all the performers. As a musical layperson, I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in the ambience created by a group of musical talents pouring their hearts out in the lyrics and melodies of their creations. Aaah, should have listened to mum and continued my piano lessons… All in all it was a wonderful mix of different musical styles from folk to alternative to hard rock to even acoustic goth electronica (if there is such a genre). You’ve put a great show together and here’s to many more Acoustic Jams in the future! Regards, Ce-Cile
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