9 lives, 9 lives.
So where was I?
Oh ya. After a series of unavoidable events, the date with my step cousin didn't happen at all. So that's that.
But I had a good few weeks at the tail end of 2008. TD somehow couldn't dish our fullest during the Campur Chart show but it was still ok I think. A bit miffed at Azhar for knocking me off balance at the pinnacle seconds of LIVE causing me to land awkwardly on my pedals and disconnected one of the cables which made my guitar went mute for the entire section. I guess I only find solace with the fact that our new song (named as Ampersand now) received positive nods from our peers. We're now 3-4 songs away from the recording studio.
But my night was ruined by a loss. Some idiot stole my black sling bag Ibu bought from London. Ass.
Then there was Faiz's sister's wedding. It was nice gathering of sorts. The food was awesome, and so was the free flow cendol for desserts. Peter Tan took this nice photo of us. Raw, unedited.
Then came Christmas. My best so far. Akak organized lunch, late lunch I must say (we ate close to 5!) but it was heavenly. All of us didn't let out a pip once our forks sliced through the tender bird, releasing its intoxicating aroma. I look forward to this new tradition in the coming years. Had fun helping out too.
It was around this time too that the PSP was my best companion in between things to do. Was hooked on FIFA09 -despite popular disbelief, it is enjoyable than the PES series. At least on PSP that is- doing well halfway in Ligue 1. My Lyon was nothing short of inspirational. Govou certainly has superb vision with his super through balls that always find itself in front of Benzema's firing range. Ederson may be lacking in pace and stamina but his crosses are deadly. And there's always the wildcard that is Makoun. His sudden blazing shots proved to be the Kryptonite to many goalkeepers throughout the season. But I can't fathom the astounding fact that Lyon has the worst defense in Ligue 1 (38 GAs) but is still at the top of the table (98 GFs) after 25 games.The only constant threat to my team was St Etienne's B. Gomis. He alone scored 4 goals against Lyon in our first meet. Astonishing.
When Yuna came back from her Euro vacation, we already had a series of shows lined up till New Year's Eve. Couple's album launch @ MCPA was by far the most physically demanding show I've ever played with any band for that matter. The heat was beyond unbearable. Ojoe even threw up back stage after Couple's 1st set. We then had a short post-show drinks, before calling it a day. We only had one day to prepare for Kuching.
Kuching Diaries
We were invited to play 2 shows there (30th and 31st December) with all expenses borne by Boulevard Mall Kuching and Permai Rainforest Resort. The last time I was in Kuching was close to a decade ago and obviously so much has changed since then. The airport's like a mini-KLIA really. The fact that the resort was next to the resort I stayed years ago (an hour away from town) brought back flashes of fun memories. Anyways, by the time we got out of the van it was pouring decently. Met Rahim the owner and then we were ushered to our lodgings. The resort was actually a former outbound camp, so the route was very jungle trek-y. That, was the single most arduous part of the whole trip. The rain got tropical which made the bags heavier, and the steep hill we had to climb wasn't helping at all. By the time we got to our cabin (the girls stayed on the very scenic tree house) I was completely out of breath. We unpacked and napped a bit.
Gabriel wasn't kidding when he told me that we'll get the best sound in town. It was in fact the best sound we ever had! Faiz did a fab job for this one. I was already tapping my feet and banging my head like crazy during soundchecks because it sounded so good on stage. Both Efry and me got JCMs (didn't know there was one for bass!) and like 2 floor monitors each and the mix in our monitors are just as how we like it.
When we were offered to play in Kuching, our first concern was whether we have a decent fanbase there to even play a show. But the moment Yuna came on stage, that concern completely faded away. We ripped through all 11 songs without any major hick and the crowd was more than happy.
What made us happy was that we went for mee kolo straight after our set at Boulevard Mall. Bliss.
We had to wake up early the next day for the radio interview at CatsFM. We were amazed that the radio station have their own big ass building, & an even bigger ass studio. Made FlyFM's look like a tiny cupcake. Then had press conference/lunch back at Permai.
We bid farewell to Kuching the next day. But not without some souvenir shopping first. Took a couple of photos with the super awesome Abang Hanafi, our driver for the whole trip.
End.
I should be getting ready now. Soundchecks for Sunday's show @ Youth09.
See you there?
