My night with the stars of Sunburst (Part 2)

Well, it wasn't really just MY night with the stars. It was probably shared with around 15,000 music fans. 15th March 2008 at Sunburst Music Festival will probably be memorable to many. I know mine was, not only because I had the wonderful company of my friends, but also had a Paparazzi Pass that allowed me to get closer to the stages. And adding more exclusivity to my night, I had a meet and greet with Incubus right before they performed. Now, I'm no groupie but I wouldn't pass off an opportunity like that!

Now...the performances... Incubus was excellent although I did feel that this would be their last performance in Malaysia ever. Why? He went from shirt to singlet, and singlet to topless. Now, now...Malaysia doesn't allow that! I'm pretty sure, the oganisers got that message across to them right? So, I'm thinking they probably just don't give a f**k anymore here. Despite the fact that the entire Sunburst schedule was delayed and they sure didn't look all bright and sunny at the press con right before their performance. I love these guys...but if this really was the case...shame on us for making our guests feel how they did.

Nonetheless, John Legend was a good performance - he grabbed someone up on stage, thankfully without a boner this time. From the local platter, Reza Salleh put on a wonderful performance, introducing himself several times to the crowd (Reza, we know you by now!). Che'nelle ... well... I'm no big fan...but she sings so close like she does on record, one would question if she lip syncs. Meet Uncle Hussein was a crowd pleaser to some, with Era FM announcers giving away free t-shirts right before the performance.


Off stage, I'd say the ambiance was great. The setup of the Tuborg beer garden, the fire juggling performances, and the food by Planet Hollywood, it was all good work.

A shoutout to the horsies who put up with the noise - Thank You!

My night with the stars of Sunburst (Part 1)

Fantastic! Even before the event, it was FANtastic (pun intended). I was privileged to have Tuborg invite me to a pre-event-closed-door party with the artists of Sunburst, a night before the event at the Ritz Carlton KL. It was a little cocktail party for invited guests to meet and greet local celebs and the Sunburst artists, as well as have a sneak peek of what would be in store for us the next day at the music festival itself.

I was so eager to meet Incubus but sadly, only managed to see Dj Chris Killmore and not the rest of the band. George Clinton was recognisable through his cool braids. John Legend was there for a bit (he's not as tall as I expected him to be).

But that night really made me realise that in this time and generation, the Malaysian music scene really has the potential. Two names i give you now, to look out for in the coming years - Reza Salleh and Yuna.

Reza Salleh is no stranger to the local music scene, thanks to his contribution to Laundry Bar's Moonshine music show. But who interests me the most is Yuna. She has sounds so very similar to Corrine Bailey Rae + Frente. I might be setting high expectations here, but this is really one talent to look out for. I had a few minutes with her to find out about her future plans. Sadly, she's not looking to be recording anytime soon due to studies. go check out Yuna's myspace.

All in all, it was a good start for the event of the year and most definitely a memorable experience for me. Here's a shoutout to Siao Ling and Chui Hoon for making all this happen.

Sunburst KL 08 - The Fun Starts Tomorrow!

Just one more day people! For probably the biggest music festival to actually happen on our soil. Hope all goes well with the weather tomorrow, but I doubt even a little rain would ruin it...in fact, it'll just make the mosh-pit even more exciting yeah? I wonder though, if there'll be "discounted drinks" from Tuborg (I know I might be sidetracking a little here, but the new tuborg...definitely better than a Heini anytime). Anyways, with all this artists coming down, I'm sure the media people would have loads to write about assuming they have backstage passes (So cool wan!).

Oh yeah most importantly, here's an updated copy of the Sunburst Music Festival KL 2008 schedule. Pick when to come see your artists or better yet, just be there from the start till the end... bring a mat, an umbrella, an extra t-shirt, friends and have a fun time.

Bands of Sunburst KL 08 - Reza Salleh (Part 4)

Those who frequent Laundry Bar should be familiar with the name Reza Salleh. He's the man behind the Moonshine music show here. For those of you who have no idea about this homegrown talent, Reza's got tunes that are somewhat (to me) similar to Matchbox 20/Rob Thomas and Ryan Cabrera.

Bands of Sunburst KL 08 - The Roots (Part 2)

Under the Def Jam entourage, The Roots (sometimes called The Legendary Roots Crew) will be set to entertain the crowd with some hip-hop/funk music come Sunburst KL 08. I wonder however, if they'd be performing "You Got Me" that features Erykah Badu (that may mean she's coming?). The video to that track has been put on this blog for a peek of what they sound like.

They were nominated for Best Rap Album and Best Rap Performance by a Duo/Group in last year's Grammy's.

Bands of Sunburst KL 08 - Incognito (Part 1)

I've decided to include some postings on the acts that will be performing at the Sunburst Music Festival this March. Hopefully this would help you out in deciding which 1 out of the 4 stages you would be rocking it out at.

The last time I saw Incognito was at the Panasonic Jazz Festival in Malaysia, years ago. And I gotta tell you, they've got some real groovy pieces (explains why Roger Sanchez, and David Morales have remixed some of Incognito's work)

They are a jazz/funk/soul outfit hailing from Britain that have been around for 20 years. Now, that's more years than most British acts I know of. There's probably a reason to it...we gotta watch them to know then i guess...

Sunburst KL 08 - The Fun Starts Here!

Well, well.....already claimed to be the largest outdoor multi-genre music festival, the Sunburst KL 2008 is getting much hype all over - by fellow bloggers, music fans, roadies, facebook, and just about everyone else involved with the local music scene.

How it would be nice to have a real music festival for once in Malaysia with an ala Woodstock or Big Day Out...with camping, tattoos, and whatever have you. But I guess this is the best we can do in Malaysia.

The festival (held in Bukit Kiara) on 15th March 08 will have four stages and 26 acts, and the organisers (Pineapple Concerts and Tuborg) hope to reach some 20,000 music fans.

With this lineup? I'd say it's possible but they definitely could project a better turnout if they really did finalise the deal with Velvet Revolver and Offspring to come as well.

But I am proud to say that this country is actually putting the effort in making things happen. The Fun after all can only start with the initiative of organisers. Thank you Tuborg! and Pineapple!

Klang Valley ticketing outlets are Hard Rock Cafe KL, Planet Hollywood KL, Rock Corner outlets, Music Valley (Ampang Point), Fantasy Music (Sunway Pyramid) and Connection, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. Tickets priced at RM200 are available now at www.ticketpro.com.my or check out www.sunburstkl.com for a list of ticket outlets nationwide.

Oh...and here's the line-up:
International Acts
John Legend
The Roots
Incognito
Incubus
George Clinton+Parliament Funkadelic

Regional Acts
Gigi
Tompi

Local Acts
Joe Flizzow
Pop-Shuvit
Gerhana Ska Cinta
Estranged
Search
Love Me Butch
Tempered Metal
Reza Salleh
Meet Uncle Hussein