The Strongest Survives

Welcome back to my blog.

It has been a while, a long while of silence from a person who once had a lot to say. I have been gone from the scene, from the country for so long, but now, I've got my third eye, I've got another voice to use to connect me with ongoing issues that still live within the KL music scene - issues that a lot of people bring up but never do anything about it. Perhaps somehow, someday, my words are being read and discussed and made to fix what's now dying in the scene.

When it all comes down to one thing, that's the fact that people now fear.

People now fear to go to gigs, because they fear getting bored of the same bands, getting sick of the rude, inconsiderate crowd, getting scared of going into the moshpit because it is now a platform to "impress", no longer to express. People who once showed their faces every weekend at One Cafe, Noisy Studio and the long gone haunts of the scene, have now resorted to YouTube videos and once in a while shows because the good bands have all hidden away, paled out and replaced with a hundred mini-Bring Me the Horizons.

Where is the scene leading us down now?

Rarely now we find gigs that hold a different mix of music. Hardcore bands only play hardcore gigs. Metalcore bands only play metalcore gigs. So on and so forth. The unity within the crowds and musicians have dissipated into the throngs of judgmental opinions and non-constructive criticisms. All the new kids in the scene go to gigs to follow trends, not to go purely for the music. They think that making a band that sounds 100% like another famous band is creative. How many more bands with the same genre and same styles will he needed? Music where songs are not written to pass a message, but just for making a song with no particular emotion attached to it.

And I must say I am disappointed in the members of bands I once looked up to and looked forward to watching. Maybe some of them have moved on with life. Maybe some of them are too busy with other things. But the ones that have died down and stayed silent because they no longer can be bothered with the scene... what happened to the spirit and the soul of making a difference? If the scene's now shit, why not make a community that still puts out gigs worth going to and music worth listening to?

It's so hard now to go to a gig and find a band actually worth staying in the crowd for. How long has it been since you've seen a gig flyer and gone "Oh my gosh, I want to catch these bands!" rather than "Let's go to this gig just because it's a gig and there's nothing else to do."?

And on the subject of crowds? What happened to expression and enjoyment? Now, the pure moshers stay out of the moshpit because all the kids think moshing is to show who's the strongest, the most violent, the most obnoxious. Ten points if you shove a person, twenty if you kick somebody in the shoulder, fifty points in the face. When somebody falls in the pit, nobody now gives a shit, they trample over them, ignore them, no more friendship and unity of picking the person up, laughing at the fact that you shoved him by accident, and cheer on the band on stage. Gone are those days of pure bliss.

Sorry kids, but if you think being the way you are is contributing to making the scene a better place for everybody, take a walk down the streets, put on your headphones and beat up a random bloke, it would be similar.

With Love,
KL Mosher

Appreciate it, Malaysia.

So this is where we are.

A deadbeat. A scene falling into ashes. Everybody's just giving up.
Giving up their bands, giving up their gig-going, giving up their music, giving up their passion, giving up the phase of their life that would be considered the happiest in their entire lifespan.
Giving up.

That's the problem in this country isn't it? The problem we never escape from because everybody just loses their initiative to make something grow. This whole music scene thing? It's a joke. It's a complete joke. Only a handful takes it seriously and the rest of these kids? They just come and go, but they don't do so in a way that's even worth respecting.
They come, find faults, pick sides, judge, criticize, boycott, get bored and then, they go.

What we need, is a change, a new movement of the OLD folks, who have been passionate all their life, to find the opportunities to make more worthy shows. Our scene nowadays is filled with shows that lack in catching the crowd's eyes. They have quantity (say over 15 bands for a day), but they have no quality.
They start late.
Over ambitious.
Pricey entries.
What do you expect when you see an empty venue?

Who went to my birthday gig in October 2010 at Noisy Studio? It was small scaled. It was cheap. I provided free food & drinks. It was accessible. I had a good line up - a little too many I suppose, but at least I canceled just a few than tire everybody out by ending super late. And most importantly, at least everybody enjoyed it. So many people came, the studio couldn't even FIT everybody.

My point isn't bragging. My point is: if you want to do shows, know how to do it.

There is also no point in doing a show that's meant to be exquisite, without a big budget to fall on when profit never shows. One thing, guys, for a fact, is that all the nicer places are usually inaccessible. Again, how can you expect more than a handful if you spend loads of cash on an event with nice sound and equipment and quality yet the atmosphere and choice of performers do not reach the standard?

It's all about knowing what you are doing - starting small before taking out the big guns. You cannot learn to run before you learn to walk.

Have people perhaps thought of joining all these low budgeted/no-budget-at-all organizers (say Dyslexia, UxF, Nervhous, Vokill, etc...) and make one BIG organizing community?
And don't go "ew, communities" because that's just the biggest bullshit I can hear. If you call yourself hardcore or punk or whatever you say you are, you think you're 'individual'? Don't be fooled, you're part of a subculture, which is part of a group and is part of a community.

All I am saying is, since everybody now tries to do good shows without much budget, then failing and losing even MORE money, why don't everybody collaborate, split the costs and share profits? The shows then become more diverse regarding genre, places, crowd, bands, concept. At least with every show there is one organizing label that takes the higher stool depending on what type of event it is (Concert / International / Punk / Post-rock, etc).

Sure, many of the kids nowadays think the real musicians are not materialistic and dedicate solely to music. But you still need to understand business if you're going to want your music to get OUT THERE. Do you think Butterfingers just sat around waiting for their luck to come? Or OAG, or Pop Shuvit or Love Me Butch or Hujan or Yuna? No. They went out there, strategically, to find ways of branching their music out and pulling their money in.

'Tapi diaorang mainstream la...' - Honestly speaking, not really. Not all. And even if the successful ones are mainstream, they deserve it because their effort is there. I honestly am not much of a fan of a band called Bunkface but I have my small respects to the boys for doing it DIY with effort until they reach the top, top enough to charge ridiculous amounts for booking them. And then Sam starts the Azenders which is a completely different story.

I've strayed off topic, haven't I? Anyway. I'm just trying to say, there are so many bands with potential to make it big and so many organizers that can help the bands. With bands by your side, the organizers can go from just organizing gigs to being booking agents and work with other projects. Opportunities are there when you seek it.

The important thing though, is for everybody to appreciate and accept all the different genres in the scene. You don't have to enjoy them but there will never be progress if we always condemn each others' efforts and work. 'Ew, band indie'. Padahal band2 macam Thy Regiment bukan indie? Punk bands like Carbon4teen isn't indie? They're all Independent right? They aren't Indie Rock, but they ARE indie. Learn your terms well and know your definitions, because you only look a fool.

The scene is not about canalising and separating. There are no protocols or rules to music. If organizers themselves jeer at bands from other genres, they will never be exposed or mature enough to understand the purpose of creating platforms such as gigs for musicians to showcase their talent, whatever sounds they originate from. It's not about what u can or can't listen to. In order for the Malaysian scene to stay alive, everybody has to start supporting everybody.

You diss a shuffler for wearing a trash metal cap. So what? A techno-lover cannot enjoy hardcore? Are we so anal we have the right to stop people from coming close to our genres and scene? Aren't we, as musicians, organizers, scenesters, suppose to open our arms to all who want to venture?

Sure, a lot of these kids aren't passionate and don't stay for long, but everybody has the right to put their share, however little.

It is time we start to slash out all the negatives, use our common sense and gameplan and proper plotting to set the scene back on its feet. I'm leaving the country for over a year. I'd expect good changes whenever I return for vacation.

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With Love,
KL Mosher

Petty minds of a petty scene

The one thing that we still see a lot in the culture of our country, is unmistakably the lack of passion that leaves kids wasting a lot of time in useless pursuits, instead of focusing on a certain thing they want to thrive in and nothing else.

I've seen, witnessed, heard of and talked about a certain topic with a certain few of my friends who are unlike those that I spoke of above.

Sabotage;vicious mindless violence that offers nothing new" - (Crass)

Band to band:

Bands were once those people we look at and admire, people we looked up to, people we want to become. This value is slowly crumbling, not only because bands are now 'breeding like rats' (quoting Alak Knot Records), but also because bands don't seem to have enough respect for themselves anymore. They can't respect themselves, so they of course, are unable to respect others.

Such as a certain band, X, that comes from a similar hometown to another band, Y. The difference lies simply in the attitudes of the band members.
X is made up of a bunch of young boys who are ethically respectful. Y is made up of young boys who can be ethical, but instead decide to plunge into an immature feeling one cannot afford to hold while being in a band; jealousy.
SO as X starts getting shows, Y is chasing at their feet, calling up the organizers and backstabbing X, saying they (Y) deserve the slot a lot more. This had worked a few times because the organizers just don't want havoc and conflict, but dude... seriously?

Is this how you run a band, is this how you live as a band?
You can't even handle finding your way in the music scene without using spit-filthy tactics, you really think your band will reach the top, ever?

Being a band isn't just a group of friends making music, when you start being called for shows and start gaining fans, you're going to need a more mature behaviour. You're going to have to negotiate for your band in a decent, well-respected way. Sure, now you're getting gigs because you're sabotaging other bands, but sooner or later, through word-of-mouth by organizers you've bitched at, and bands you've let down, you're going to be nowhere, boys, nowhere.

******

Crowd to band

I've covered this before, and I will say it again. You don't like the band, get your face out of the crowd, don't stand there and make a shit face, don't stand there and laugh, don't stand there and jeer. Just walk away.

Especially if you're not in a band yourself and can't play instruments to save your life. How would you like it if one day you're laughing, and the band tells you to come up on stage and play something - since you seem to know better?

Bands play shows to give you entertainment, and if you can't appreciate that fact you're not a music-lover. Simply put.

Or being rude when they talk to you. Like when a boy was moshing by himself, in the back, behind the crowd, near a small kid. He was back-kicking, all that stuff. So later on, a member of a respectable band comes up and tells him, in a really loud voice "Hey you should be more careful, don't you see there were kids beside you, what if you kicked them?"
The boy stares at him, and goes "Yeah, yeah, I hear you, you deaf"

You don't want to know the rest of the story. Pahaha.

******

Crowd to Crowd

All this while I've been at crowds of different genres I have noticed and seen many things, from perverts grabbing to intentional backkicks at certain people you dislike, all the unethical behaviours, but never have I been as offended and ashamed by the crowd of KL as I was during Upon Arrival's set at MYMC Fest 2010.

There I was, unprepared to go for a gig; dressed in shorts and slippers, but enjoying myself to the max listening to Upon Arrival, the only band I went in for the event. Crowdsurfers, stagedivers, these people are all norms of any heavy gig you attend.
So there I am standing towards the front as people are jumping towards my head. I shove them backwards, I push them to other people - standard procedure.
But there is this one guy who stood behind me, who pushed a stagediver down onto the ground. The poor dude landed on his back, he bumped his head, he was in pure pain.
Then the guy behind me raised his arms in glee and shouted "WHOOO!", advancing towards the guy on the floor as if he was ready to kick him. I just pulled his shirt towards me and shouted at him, so loud, that almost everybody in front turned around. Berlagak giler, sial. I never felt such fury in the crowd before, ever since I punched a guy for trying to finger me in the crowd.

Bloody hell, this animosity is so strong in our scenes I don't bloody get it, people want to go to gigs to enjoy music! We want to have fun we want to appreciate the scene, but all these people kicking, fighting, laughing, mocking, hurting other people... why? What the hell do you gain?


Sometimes I wonder if these kids will always be this close-minded.

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With Love,
KL Mosher

Get off the bandwagon (and put down the handbook)

This has been talked about a million times at a million places
by millions of people,
but there is only one thing that remains
the lack of change and lack of awareness of this growing,
annoying, irritating habit.

One:

On one hand, you get avid fans of a band willing to travel
halfway across the world
or even halfway down a country just to see that one band perform
before their eyes because it's worth it, to them.

On the other hand you get 'fans' who pay a few hundred
to enter the venue and watch a band only to walk out halfway saying "I was not close enough, I couldn't connect"
and say to everybody else "Oh, yes I've seen that band!"

Or 'fans' who bloat about how big a supporter they are of the scene
but when there's a gig,
where are they?
Nowhere to be found.

Kiddo, if I can stand 20,000-100,000 TALL people away from Rammstein,
Muse or Iron Maiden and still bloody connect with their set,
and kiss the muddy ground after because I am so grateful to even SEE them before my eyes,
why the hell can you not connect with a band you're locked into a stadium with?

There are fans all over the world, real fans,
who look up to bands and are inspired by them
and really, really hurt when they slip a chance of seeing them perform, seeing them live
but shake it off by listening to them on their CDs/cassettes all night long.
And there you get others wasting their money, showing off, and not even showing an ounce of gratitude or appreciation of what the bands sweat out to give their audience.

If you can't connect with a band just because of the distance or quality of venue or sound... you're not a true fan, so why do you claim yourself to be?

Be honest with yourself and be honest to people around you, why do music listeners nowadays need to be so pretentious, and claim they are a fan of so many bands and buy band t-shirts but when they're put in a situation where they can prove what a fan they are... they bail.

If you're not a real fan, just say "I listen to them, but not much". What's so difficult about that? Shame? Street credit? You have to say you know them well too, because everyone else does?
You're not going to lose respect if you're the only one who doesn't listen to Metallica, or Paramore or The Ramones.
The loss of respect is if you promote your obsession of the band 24/7, when really you only listen to the band when it comes up on shuffle.
Believe me, shame is what you get when one day someone finds out what a phoney you are.


Two:

After my previous posts, people have been sharing their views about it and a lot about 'ideology' came up. All sorts, of all subcultures, of all ages, of all forms.

I only have this to say:
instead of forcing and pressuring
and controlling people to believe your ideology is right
take a look at what you're doing
aren't you being the exact same as the ones
your ideology's against (the big man)?
Control, Pressure, Force.

And you call yourself a real deal but
you spend your time dissing other people
well, instead of cursing at people on your facebook group
why don't i see you do something worth the time
start a riot or fight for your right,
not fight for your social pride,
why don't i see you do something physical to show what you stand for?

Prove to me your ideology holds strong
and I will salute you.

That is all I have to say.


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With Love,
KL Mosher

Left wing, right wing, you can stuff the lot

It may be true that actions speak louder than words, but people forget nowadays that the real influences come from what we say. Lyrics, quotes from famous/favourite people, quotes from films. Jokes, riddles, stories, rumours... all these words that stick to our heads and stay because they left an impression on us. How many people have used, re-used, changed and edited the quote "To be or not to be", for example?
Words. Nothing more, nothing less. I do not care how many people read my lyrics, my poems, my prose on things that matter to me, but as long as I know I've managed to express myself, that's enough. Isn't it?

Violence? Forthright actions? What do you gain from it, except hurt, anger and enemies?
Many say they want to fight the oppression and injustice of the right wing, political, racist violence by fighting back with their own,
but hey, doesn't that make you the same as them?
You're lining yourself up in the same boundaries as the ones you hate and that makes you no better.
It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from, when you act the way your enemies do, you're equal to them.
You call yourself a leader but you're just another carbon copy of the ones you despise,
because your actions speak no louder than the ones you victimize,
I'm not saying we should pity the ones who cause us all this headache,
I'm not saying we should listen to the politically minded who try to change our ways.

Sometimes it's true that anger takes a toll and you can't help yourself, but if you can't help yourself, do you think anyone else can? Do you think you can change?

When you read the news, you shake your head, but then you go and do something just the same,
and you're always the one pointing fingers,
like you do not dare to blame yourself for your own actions.
So who is the coward, you or them?

When you act with violence, you show a weak mind, and with a weak mind comes a loss of respect and pride from those by your side, and you end up standing alone with nobody to turn to.
Of course I believe in standing your own ground, but I won't want to stand my own ground if I did things I'm ashamed of.

All I am saying is if they fight us with control,
we fight them with restraint.

No use shouting profanity and ruining what they own,
when we can silently compile our thoughts and make a movement grow,
through speeches, through ideas we can rise against
not through violence, not through threats, not through physical provocation.

I believe strongly in determination, and if we are determined to change things, we can do it, but there is no need for all the hatred and all the angry actions that you will look back on and regret. We should start a sort of weekly gathering, where we can share our own ideas on an individual topic, and come up with ways to make it better. Without a rash mind, without irritation, just pure, civilized, sophisticated discussions.
We don't need to be part of a group, part of a class, part of anything materialistic and tangible to share our ideas, we just need to have the same minds, the same passion, the same determination.

Propagandas, zines, banners, poems, placards, flyers, blogs, websites, lyrics... all these form of expression we can use to get our words out there to the world, to the ones we want to attack, without physically attacking them.

As they aimlessly opress us, we stand and sing,
then we'll see in the end who's side will win.

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With Love,
KL Mosher

An education on unity

Hello everybody, I'm back from the long break I needed.

Back to the scene, back to reality, and I'm opening my eyes and seeing nothing but conflicts. I feel I should take on this in a less aggressive tone. I want to talk to you guys. I want you guys, you music-lovers, you giggers, you musicians, to read what is in my mind.

"Where have all the kids gone?"

Ever noticed how the crowds in our gigs have minimized? A venue that used to be jam-packed now result in handfuls. Ever noticed? No, probably not, because you didn't attend the last gig.

I understand, going to gigs every week is a tough thing to keep up if you're busy and have another life to live. But there are many people who can juggle their personal and music life, even combining both together. Why? Because they love, truly love music.

I'm not pointing fingers, and saying those who do not attend all the gigs are not music-lovers. But the ones I'm truly disappointed in are the ones who claim to be "a total gigger" or "budak gig/hardcore/punk", but never bother to attend the shows. Those who say "I love you, (band name), I want to see you live!" but never attend the band's gigs.

Mahal la, jauh la, tak de semangat la... Hm. Is that really passion? Think for yourselves. I know a vocalist of a band *name disclosed*, who has achieved a masters degree, working, going into full adulthood and playing in a band. There are many like these. How do they manage it? Because they want the scene to survive.

without you, without us, the scene will not exist.

Come back, kids. Don't talk about "a music scene" if you're not contributing to it.

Another thing that has always lacked in our Malaysian scene: girls. I think girls only take up about 15% of the whole scene? Girls that rock out, I mean.

Yes, we see many girls, but those girls are usually girlfriends to artists or girlfriends of the guys that mosh. How many girls to we see going crazy in the crowd? Not many. To be honest, most of the girls in KL who appear in gigs often... are all my friends. And that's pretty pathetic.

I want the girls that read this to know that it is not something menacing, our music scene is not a threat, it's not dangerous. Don't be intimidated to go to a gig to see your favourite band just because you think you might get trampled. It doesn't always happen that way. If you have the urge to rock out listening to a band on Facebook, you can have as much right to rock out at their shows. Show your faces, ladies. It's time we relive the grrrl power.

"Different genres, different tastes"

The amount of endurance we give to those who say "I am a hardcore fan only/indie fan only". Stop with that. Are you saying you have never grown up listening to Backstreet Boys? Never once head-banged to AC/DC, or never sung to Hujan? Be realistic.

You can prefer a certain type of genre, or band, but that shouldn't stop you from supporting other bands, other genres. The scene is not about pick-and-choose. It's about unity. It's about sharing with each other the different sounds we can create for each other. It's not about discriminating or judging or disliking. It's not about fighting in the crowds, it's not about getting annoyed at people who are jumping around too much at a band you don't like.

It's about being there to support. If you don't like the band, don't be an ass. Just walk away from the crowd and sit out until the next band. Don't you hate it when you're enjoying a band and there's someone beside you talking shit about the band? Well, don't be that person.

"Too much of the same doses"

Another reason perhaps: everybody's getting bored of the same line-ups, same places, same people. Understandable. But then again, if we never support the scene, how can the scene move forward, and change? If no new bands sprout out, if no one organizes/attends gigs, how can the line-ups and how can the scene vary?

If you're really a die-hard music supporter, you wouldn't be fussy over who's in the scene and who's performing. You should support whoever it is that's playing, playing for you. Like I mentioned earlier, be there for the ones you love, and respect those that you dislike; they are still musicians.

"We need the unity."

We can't continue living in a scene where there are all these people and communities who are against each other, or trying to create trouble amongst themselves.

We need a mixture, a mutual understanding, a crowd that has a choice to sit out or be part of enjoying the bands that perform. A good example is this year's KL BIG PARTY.

It was a mixture of bands. Indie, hardcore, metal, ska, everything. On one side, I see sooo many people attending, and it's great. It feels like there's unity.... until you go into the audience, and you see hardcore kids getting annoyed or taking the piss of the indie kids.

Guys, don't label yourselves. You're just... people. Humans. The whole point of these type of gigs is to allow everybody to have a chance to accept one another's music. It's frustrating that it's got to the point where we have to be taught to accept, when it should be automatic.

These gigs are meant to allow everybody to unite together and enjoy together.

If there's a ska band, come and skank and enjoy. Or just sit out. Don't stand in the crowd and complain about being shoved around.

If there's an indie band, come and pogo and enjoy. Or just sit out. Don't stand in the crowd and complain about being around overhyper people.

If there's a metal band, come and headbang and enjoy. Or just sit out. Don't stand in the crowd and complain about being knocked in the head.

If there's a hardcore band, come and release and enjoy. Or just sit out. Don't stand in the crowd and complain about being kicked in the face.

It is mutual understanding we need. You know how the crowds work for different sorts of music. It's cool that you want to check out the band playing, but you can't expect to be listened to when you say "Dude why the fck did you kick me!?" when everyone else in the crowd is kicking around. If you want to be safe, if you want to watch the band undisturbed... move away a little bit. This is just how it works. This will help create peace, help create a happy atmosphere in the gigs we go to.

And those who do enjoy and pogo/skank/headbang, etc etc... if you get mad at another person for hurting you... that's just... wrong. Before, we would accidentally bump a person, and end up being friends with them. Now, it's automatically, "Eh, babi la kau!"... Why?

Or those people who purposely kick and hurt people? I understand hardcore moves, I do, people go crazy. But whoever they hurt, whoever they touch, they don't do it on purpose. They don't purposely look for someone to hurt. It just happens because everyone is doing the same thing. Those people who try to hurt a certain person in the crowd, just get lost.......

Readers, whatever type of genre you listen to, I want you to know that the importance of music doesn't lie in the differences but the similarities. Music is melody, all sorts of genres are the same melody. One melody. Why should we keep up the conflicts and disputes, when we should be busy looking for better gig venues, new bands and contributing to a living scene?

Put away those angry emotions, and just come together to keep the scene very much alive.

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With Love,

KL Mosher

A small scene with big dreams

It kills me when I look at some things people who are completely unaware of our scene say (whether they are from or not from Malaysia). It's even worse when they are people who actually reside in Malaysia and perceive the place as their home. People who have been influenced so much into thinking "oh-my-god, international bands, awesome stuff, blows my mind, nothing can compare to these bands who are famous, these bands who are not your friends, these bands you need to go through security to meet!". These people who indulge in the intangible that they forget to appreciate those that are nearby and reachable. These people who look down on the things in front of them.

I have read somewhere of a person who has never received any promos, materials of any sort from Malaysia, but somehow manage to find a judgemental point of view, gutsy enough to say "releases from that area tend to be crap". Where's your proof? Where are you going to hide your face if you come down and witness a gig for yourself? Sure we do have crap gigs, but so do other countries all over the world. It isn't based on WHERE, as I have said once in a previous post. Sure, we do not have havoc similar to HellFest at our hardcore gigs, but the music is still good, the crowd is still devilish, the people still unite. Who gives a shit if the country is small and we are not known enough, when we have our own fun and we share our own happiness amongst one another? When will people understand, you don't need to be a colossal, rich and famous country like the US to have a strong ground of music? When will people realize that music did not just evolve from ONE place, but music found at one area can also be found in many others? You cannot say Asian music is shit, because Asian music can be similar to other music. You can't say Malaysians don't know how to produce, because it has been obvious that we have amazing music producers and bands around our country, some yet to be discovered, some already are.

We wouldn't have Restraint being compared to Sworn Enemy or Hatebreed if our music was shit. You wouldn't have Zee Avi being compared to Norah Jones, or Love Me Butch compared to Deftones, or big otais like our own Cromok being mentioned once in a Metallica interview as a "true meal band".

I also once came across a guy who rudely named our music scene as shitty, and compared our bands to Coldplay. When I asked him if he had even heard any Malaysian bands before, not those stupid songs you hear in a mini-market or whatever, he went 'no'. So who the fuck are you to judge? If I placed him in front of any random gigger, and told them to compare their music knowledge about international bands, he would've lost. No doubt.

Just because our scene is small, and hidden, and unexposed, it doesn't mean our minds are the same. The scene is our pillow to fall back on, but our minds are free to roam anywhere and everywhere. How would we get inspiration for music if we were unexposed to the outside world? Yeah, we do have jungles in Malaysia, but this does not make everybody living here orang kampungs. Fucking re-set your minds people. I have spoken to big acts like Shai Hulud and Buzzcocks, who were amazed at how active the scene was. I had a white guy attend a Buzzcocks gig in Malaysia and was completely blown away by the number of people in crust pants and mohawks and safety-pins he saw attending the show, unaware that there were even punks in the country. We have had overseas bands willing to come more than once because they loved the crowd that much. Our scene is our home, this feeling should be felt for every country with a local scene. Home.

We have Singaporeans loving our scene more than their own (though they should really support their own scene too) because of the pure unity and positive vibe they get from our scene. Okay, we're not a bunch of hippies, we have chaotic incidents too, but it's normal in a scene. It doesn't matter the size, it doesn't matter the place, as long as there's a scene, there's a dream and we fight for it.

You cannot simply judge music before hearing it, or judging the existence of a scene before attempting to find it. That just makes you an ignorant, oblivious and shallow person unworthy of being appreciated as a music-fan.

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With Love,

KL Mosher

When home is where music is

KL Mosher feels good about her life when things get tougher thanks to moments when she blasts her speakers up loud or have a sweaty crowd around during gigs, singing along wholeheartedly to songs that matter.

Places that rock:

One Cafe:

Everyone who are into the music scene should already know about this place by now. Booked with gigs from beginning til end of 2010, One Cafe is the hotspot for all underground and mainstream gigs to take place. The red stage, zebra crossing floor tiles, massage chairs at the back of the venue, who wouldn't love it?

Gallery Studio:

My jamming spot with my band, and also a place to meet and laugh with some of the AKD members :) I especially love the mamak-lepakings at Al-Mehraj, the busking boys at the hawker stall below Gallery (they are never the same, but the songs are always 'feel good'), and the pure colossal music in such a small environment.

Grido Studio:

Here is where everything is just chilled, where the kids who need an outlet from life to escape to and just talk about everything and nothing. With jam sessions that taste like hell (temperature wise - TRUST ME!) that occur in this place, this studio awkwardly feels like home and I can waste hours there without realizing the time.

Kitaro:

It's not really Kitaro and the annoying mamaks there, it's more about the moments when you're sitting with a bunch of friends laughing at the world, and the band that plays beside BB Plaza starts to play an old tune that melts your heart. And before you know it, you and others are just singing along to that distance, muffled music of a live band. :)

Sally Bum:

And finally, my beloved friend / partner in crime's car, Sally Bum. With a CD case titled "The Bum Soundtrack", there is never a moment in the car when you're listening to bad music... Unless you're switching CDs and the radio comes on.

Places beginning to rock up:

I've been, as you all already know, watching the music scene as closely as I can to find things to discuss and share views with. So here are a few gig spots to splash out to you guys!

Shah Alam, Sek. 13, Pusat Perniagaan Worldwide, Medan Budaya:

Okay, the name is long I know, but it's a new place which a music organization are starting to introduce to giggers. It is near Tesco Shah Alam, and is outdoors, with a shaded stage and a food + drinks stall. Could become something.

Upcoming event there: 25th April - Catastrophe, This Sunday and more bands.

Dragonfly/Orange Club:

This is an old place but recently gigs have been taking place there. With an awesome stage and awesome sound, this place is perfect to just blast heavy music.

Upcoming event there: 9th May - Typecast LIVE in KL

KL Live Center:

Okay I admit, NOT at all a new place, but it's only starting to become a regular gig spot. Big area, big stage, nice lightings, awesome bands that come to Malaysia and perform there. What else to expect?

Upcoming event there: 28th April - Stereophonics LIVE in KL

***********

It's not really about where you are, but as long as you have friends and music around you, that's when you're home.

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With Love,

KL Mosher

Subculture is not a religion

A short post.

Was living a normal KL day, jamming, lepak mamak-ing, taking advantage of public transport and walking... :)

I was with a few friends and we touched on the topic of subcultures (malas nak sebut yang mana), and my friend told me about a boy who not only dissed a normal lifestyle sans subculture, but also tried to preach people into joining his subculture.

Okay. Dude. Just one question. If you look back to your teenage years, were you even part of that subculture? Probably not. Probably you were still listening to stuff like Backstreet Boys, and doing things you would laugh at people for doing now. Doesn't matter. Push that aside.

I agak pening when my friend told me about him telling his friend to become part of the subculture, egging him on to doing the things he does. Mate. Why are you acting like a priest? Why are you acting like those people that walk around pushing religious books into people's hands, saying "Be part of us"?

Subcultures are not there for preaching. They are there to give you an ideology, to give you a lifestyle you yourself are comfortable with, to be the backbone you fall back on when you shatter. You do not abuse the subculture, and make it like a religion. You're supposed to live it, be it, and express, yes, what your subculture is. Leave the others to choose if they want to be part of it. Leave it to the others to make their decision about what they want to do with their life. Everybody's fighting for freedom, and you're doing it in your own way, but don't start banning other people's freedom of action. That just makes you one big hypocrite.

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With Love,

KL Mosher

Mosh Etiquette

Hahaha macam mosh ada etiquette pulak.

Let me take you on a stroll through the pushing bodies, flying kicks, circle pits, stage diving, pizza makers, two stepping, break-downs, windmills, air walking, crowd surfing and all these other things you see in a mosh pit and get to the facts I am intending to meet with this post.

If I was asked where is a place you can feel the best and most excited, one of my answers will definitely be "In a moshpit". But there are also times when I feel pissed off or completely laugh at those who make a fool out of themselves around or in the moshpit. They should seriously think about what they do and what their purpose of being at a gig actually is.

Dengar musik ke dating?

I definitely personally think dating at a gig... is super. I would love doing that. But that accounts for a few things. WHAT kind of gig it is, and WHAT kind of people you are. Do the both of you LOVE gigs just as much? Is the gig suitable for couples? Sumpah I tak faham people who bring their girlfriends along to a gig, dah TAU dah mesti chaos giler, but marah when they get pushed around. Look, if you reti bring gf to a gig, that would mean you've been to enough to know about them. You would know the kind of silly things friends do to each other in a moshpit and the regular heavy stuff others do. If you want to date, and don't want to get hurt, then just dude. Stay away. To the back, to the side. Indie gig ke.

Or even better, how about just not go and head to Times Square instead? We're all having fun and it's just not a nice sight to see someone pulling an angry face just because someone ter-pushed your girlie. Seriously man. Both of you should know what a gig is like, especially hardcore gigs.

Breakdown ke gaduh?

Yes, the heavier stuff do happen, as I justified in the upper column, but that doesn't mean one must take it too far and make it more about hurt than about fun.

I saw this. A guy having his fun moshing. Yeah, so what if he took the space? All you have to do is jadi berani sikit, go beside him and mosh until you get your space juga. There is no need, no need, to stand at the side, see the guy get closer to you, and suddenly do a huge kick to his legs or face. Seriously, that is horrendous. That is rude. That is barbaric. You don't go into a moshpit to create a fight. What's worse is people who usually do that tend to get PISSED OFF when the other person's friends marah dia. Cheh.

Think, man. We're here to have fun, not only you want to mosh, but everyone will get their chance to enter the circle. Or at least, why don't you just do a circle pit until you find a free space? Banyak cara, and gaduh isn't one of the best.

Freestyle ke ikut irama?

Some are even worse. They don't even follow the music. This refers to every gig. Some skank without the sound of ska, some pogo without ANY loud music, some two-step when it's the breakdown, some breakdown (this is the most annoying) when it's more for two-step. Aduhhhhhh.... dengar la musicccc... It's not about showing what you can do. It's about feeling the music. And when you look stupid just trying to show off your skills, that just proves you're not feeling the music at all, just using the music to get yourself out on the moshpit to show off your 'moves'. No need for that, it's not a dance competition.

Fashion show ke gig?

Senang citer. Everyone with a brain will know going to a gig will mean sweating and stinking. So if you don't want your clothes to get dirty, or your make up to smear or to stink... don't bloody stand in the pit!!!

Cari pasal ke cari fun?

This is quite similar to the first column, except it's not specifically about couples but more about one's own feelings. One gig tend to have many many fans. And many many bands. Bands that you love and bands that you're just okay with. And of course, during the gig your energy level may fluctuate and at some point you might feel quite tired and unwilling to stay in the crowd. Then... don't stay in the crowd. You staying in the crowd tired will lead to someone pushing you, and you getting angry, and then you not enjoying the set, and buat muka, so everyone who looks at you will just be like... "Dude, what's with this person, man?"

You know?

There is nothing wrong with walking out for a while to take a breather. Other fans from a band you don't like won't kill you for walking out on the band. In fact, they would be happy because they have the whole pit to themselves; people who are passionate for the music being played. It would, however piss them off more, if you stood in the crowd, making faces that suggests you don't like the band. Some guys in the pit are very sensitive, and cari pasal je. Doesn't mean you have to go out looking for it, too.

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With Love,

KL Mosher

No Need For Agression

Alright, just a little hippie side of me taking control here. I came across a story today that made me ponder on the attitude that some bands have to endure coming from other people. Or simply put, how bands have to deal with haters.

The story? Well a boy, who used to like this particularly band, but suddenly does not (because he heard the band was 'sombong' when in truth he has never spoken to them in his life), was walking past a mamak when he came across the vocalist of that band. Note here that he dislikes the band because of rumours, not because of the music.

Anyway, he saw the vox there, and dia jerit "________ sucks!" really loudly as he walked past the vocalist. The boy found this funny.

Tapi kelakar ke? Let's think about it. I'm pretty sure people who play in bands that are quite famous are bound to be damn used to getting stuff like this on a daily basis. I'm pretty sure they will soon get unaffected by it. I'm pretty sure most of them don't give a shit. "Pfft, haters... biarlah..." will be most of their response.

So in a KL Mosher devised scene, the vocalist will buat bodoh, buat macam tak dengar. People who heard the yell will look at the 'idiot' who yelled that. And then the vocalist. Satu jerit macam sakai, satu playing it cool. Who's going to look stupid?

Who's going to be the one who looks like a fool? The vocalist or the boy? You decide.

What's the point then, of agressively approaching bands you dislike to diss them just for your own satisfaction, when really, what you do will not change any ounce of your life, except make a good story for friends. What's the point?

Disliking/liking a band is a personal thing. You can share it with friends, you can go "arghhhh!" when their song comes on the radio, but why is there a need to be so rude and so impolite to people who are making music, who are spending hours and hours recording and touring to satisfy those who care and appreciate their music?

Grow up, people. Trust me, you get nothing out of it.

And if I may add, having spoken to many, and knowing the vocalist of that particular band myself, that the vocalist is actually the one yang paling friendly who tries to lepak with fans and friends during their shows. So, as I have said in a previous blog post... if you tak kenal diaorang tapi you dengar citer je, and 'fuck' band tu because you got teenagedly annoyed... doesn't that make you a bit naive to just believe everything you hear?

Agression is only at its best when it is for the pure passion of music, when it exerts in performances, when it is in the lyrics of songs, the shouts of vocalists, the twangs of guitars, the pounding of the drums.

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With Love,

KL Mosher

Local Pride

Right, here comes a little Malaysia love from me. Not being patriotic or anything, but I was in the midst of a conversation with a new found friend who was into grindcore and we stumbled upon topics of Napalm Death and Suicide Silence (and the Suicide Death gig last week)

This was one of his comments about Suicide Silence:

"oky la suicide silence tpi byk retak sme la u try dgr btol2 cm sme je sume..tpi xbole kte ape la owg putih yg bwt sume gempak2..btol x.."

Well... Tak betul, my dear friend.

I believe that we, in order to support our local music scene, must fully and truly believe in our music, and the progression of it. Why do we have to be let down by the potential of the international bands? We aren't allowed to criticize the works of white people, eh? That mentality can't get us anywhere if we want to strive further with Malaysia's - in my opinion - increasingly amazing scene. Plus, criticism is not always negative. We can give good feedbacks, and learn from it, to build up on our own works.

Yes, I admit, we have crappy bands. But so does the U.S.A. So does England. So does France, Germany... whatever. If there are no crappy bands, how can there be good bands to compare with, right?

As a local, we shouldn't be afraid to compare our local music to international music. I can name more than ten groups from the U.S that can't compare with the likes of our own bands like Seven Collar T-shirt and Love Me Butch. Do you seriously think Boys Like Girls are better and more original than Seven Collar T-shirt? Seriously?

Think about it.

Every band is different, and I believe we should destroy, trash and burn that barrier that separates local and international bands, because the difference does not lie in the country or place we are from, but the music that inspires and the road we take in making music. We have awesome international bands, and awesome local bands, shitty ones from afar, and shitty homegrown ones. The thing is... it doesn't matter. Don't let the big world intimidate our own world to striving. Music is universal. There should not be a 'we' and 'they'. There should only be a 'we'. Us. Kami. OUR music. From EVERYWHERE. If we're always going to think 'We can never be as good as them', how the hell do you expect to kick ass? Many people escape from reality into music because it is in music where there is no superiority, no government, no power (except the power to make us feel good) and no differences (except in genres). So why should we feel like we are inferior even with music?

... Btol x?

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With Love,

KL Mosher

Is Underground becoming a trend?

It's an annoying element to see the numerous trends that emerge in and out of the music scene, but nothing can beat the stink when underground starts becoming a trend.

Take a look around. It's one thing to have a striving metal/hardcore scene. It's another to ruin it by making it a trend. What do I mean when I say that? Well, okay, look here.

Last year, we had kids going to indie gigs because the indie scene was at its peak then, splashed around with kids dressed in colour and scarves. There's nothing wrong with that. One thing wrong is, well, those kids used to bitch about underground music and bitch about metal or hardcore. They used to laugh and diss at hardcore kids. They never listened to a lot of metal or hardcore stuff.

Then you take those kids and look at them now. Those same kids who used to laugh at other genres and say "Aku budak indie" now are dressed up in "Underoath" or "Sick of It All" T-shirts. And now they are laughing at indie, the scene they used to love. So what exactly do you love? Or is your passion for music fake, changes with the season, changes with the motion? All these newbies who buy metal shirts just because indie has fallen and metal has risen... do you even know what these bands sound like?

Or are you just buying the clothes, and dressing up like hardcore kids just to fit into what you guys think is a 'growing trend'? Underground music has always been raw, rough and most importantly, real. We never worried about becoming mainstream, never worried about being a sell-out.

What if. What if, that's what its becoming? Because of the mistake the younger generation is making? It's fine if you want to explore the genres, it's fine if you follow the flow, but don't be hypocritical about it. Don't say you're all hardcore or all indie just to turn around and backstab what you used to be when it's fallen to the pits. Who says you have to hate another genre to love one? Who says you can't love all types of gigs, ranging from reggae to acoustic to hardcore?

I love how the hardcore bands are now striving to puncture through as many gigs as possible, by keeping it real, all these bands who've been around for quite some time. Then I look at the new kids who are all deciding to join the scene by starting a hardcore band, a screamo band, a metal band. Are they doing it just because that's the in thing now, or because they really want to do it for the passion and music?

Don't start making the underground seem fake, don't change the reputation of all the bands that have been working hard to maintain the purity of what music is all about.

Go to gigs because you love it, not because you love being seen there.

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With Love,

KL Mosher

Positive/Negative movement: Same thing

I've rested for a while. Banyak orang dah puas kutuk I, but it's alright for I'm not writing because I want to be hated, I'm writing because I want to be heard. Before I start, though, I will apologize for one thing and that is to call anyone "stupid" or "smartasses", I believe to prove my point, I should've done so with a more mature manner. But other than that, I stand by my points firm. Hear me out when I say, I do not want to spend the rest of my time as KL.Mosher talking about race, because that subject to me is not important. I want to talk about music, I want to talk about how music can improve, how we can all improve together.

So my post on this, is about the hopes of our scene improving itself, and diminishing the racial discriminations, age discrimination, genre discrimination, subculture discrimination and unnecessary conflicts made against each other. Where we can all see each other as equals, as music-lovers, as a union. Here I choose two particular groups to vent about. Because I care about our music scene, and I want it to be a better scene, and I just think some people have to wake up and be real.

Negatives:

*a non-disclaimer: I'm sorry if you guys really want to shoot me now, but I have the right to speak, as a music-supporter, nothing else.*

Nazi racism; a short introduction:

I've covered this before, malas nak go through it again. Just think of it this way.

Nazi = a pure-blood ideology, simply put.

But the pure-blood ideology somehow translated to 'racism'. It's not only Malaysians, mind you, it's found everywhere. So that's what they are. Racist punks. But nazi also equals "germans". So technically, they are using the wrong word to spread their ideology of malay power (in malaysia), or russian power (in Russia) and korean power (in korea), etc etc.

To be honest, if Hitler was still alive, all these "Nazis" who wear swastika but speak their different mother language (not german), Hitler would hunt all these down and slaughter them. "You're not nazis, you brown-skinned swines". That would be what he would say. I hate Hitler.

So basically, if you're not blonde, and you don't have blue eyes, and you don't have white skin, how can you truly call yourselves Nazi punks? I think, for the malaysian ones who really want to show true malay power, they should name themselves... Bumiputra punks. This is not an insult, it's an idea, don't take me wrongly.

The hypocrisy & problem of nazi racism (I'm focusing on Malaysia):

As said, you're not white, you're not blonde, you don't have blue eyes. Calling themselves Nazi Punks but claiming to be strong Malay power-seekers, that makes them hypocritical, makes it wrong and completely unoriginal. If you want to show true Malay attitude, be original.

The problem with these guys, is they don't know how much they are destroying and separating everybody, including the Malays. They say they want all the Malays to unite, and banish everyone else, but they don't even respect their fellow people. Maksud I? Well, take a look.

Not all Malays are racist like them. Hell, maybe not all Nazi Punks are racist.

But those who are, they say they want Malays to get what they want. SO, basically, they should allow Malays to campur with other races if they want. Kan? It's not putting Malays as first priority, but the 'Nazi' ideology, their own little wants as priority. That isn't wrong, many people do that, but it's extreme to take it on this level.

Also, with these guys, people are starting to label bands, which is unfair for the bands. The music scene now do a lot of avoiding, a lot of choosing, and pulling away from the unity we should have. We get kids preferring to go to metal gigs, or reggae gigs, and so on and so forth. People who do not agree with the ideology of these punkers, they will automatically pull themselves away from any Rebelling Troops gig, or Malayan power gigs. In turn, the bands performing in those gigs will immediately be labelled as "racist". Though some of the bands aren't racist, but are just proud to be Malaysians. That is okay. Everyone should be proud to be Malaysian. But not to the point of wanting to be racist to others. People will start naming all the people who lepak/campur/play with Nazi bands as "Nazis". Wrong term, wrong thinking, misunderstandings. It's difficult for people to hang out without getting labeled, because others immediately place a person who's with a certain group as a similar kind of person. How unfair and misunderstood will people get?

Final hypocritical point? They say Malay power is first in line. But? Music influences are from? Whitebreads. Clothing style influences? Whitebreads. NAME of "Nazi" came from? Whitebreads. Tak nak cakap banyak la, tapi korang fikir je la.

The solution to making Nazi punks worthy of being in the scene:

One has to remember, from afar, everybody looks the same. When everybody steps into the big world, they are nothing, no matter how much you berlagak ke, buat hal ke. Everybody is NOTHING if they walk into the big world. Me, you, him, her.

Remember that, if you mix a Malay type-A blood and Chinese type-A blood... it's the same bloody blood type. They may not share same cultures, same skin, same language, but when we die, we all rot and burn in the same way. Our blood drips the same way. So how do you guys feel now? You're racist to people who have same blood as you. Meaning you guys share same blood with all the people you hate. So what? Do you hate yourself, too?

I accept that Malay power is not wrong. It's actually good, and should be supported. But the racism behind it, memang tak boleh blah. Just think about this. Kalau nak malay power, you have to make yourselves respected. If you've got a good attitude, act with the right idea, you're going to show that Malays are good, they are respectable, they are powerful. By being racist and violent, it will only make people want to look down on them, ignore them, and be prejudiced against them. So are you actually benefitting yourselves by doing all that?

Think.

Positives:

*a non-disclaimer: you guys have to find the strength to maintain positive. Don't hate me for pointing this out*

Straight-edge; a small introduction:

Welcome to one of the purest subcultures.

Simply summarized, they live by a rule: No alcohol, no promiscuous behaviour, no drugs, no ciggs..... basically a clean life. Vegetarians. Tame - no fighting, no violence.

But? Nowadays, we get the younger SxE followers who do not really fully understand the difference between brotherhood and gangs. They think that SxE brotherhood includes violence, if someone needs their help.

SxE bukan mafia la, bros... It's basically almost like a religion with music yang gempak gila.

The hypocrisy & problem of Straight-Edgers:

Okay, this is towards the younger, new born Straight-Edgers, who do it for the trend and don't fully understand what the ideology is all about. Kononnya SxE, tapi they are more towards Hardliners... heard of them? If you call yourselves SxE, you should know about these guys too.

Hardliners: The hypocritical side of SxE, simply said. They do extreme things, they fight, burn things up, and create havoc. Diaorang tak faham what the point of Straight Edge is. It's about living clean. It's about making right decisions, not sinning.

If you guys siap tak makan daging, tak hisap rokok, tak beromen dengan skandal2, then you guys fight, how does that work? If fighting is not sinning, then what is that? Bersenam? Exercise?

To be honest, we have a lot more Hardliners in Malaysia than we do Straight-Edgers, which is a pity because it makes people LAUGH at the subculture, and the true SxE followers are shadowed down by the newbies who are doing it all wrong. You guys always get pissed off and cari pasal when people don't understand about Straight Edge. But by acting so aggressive, and so violent, it shows that even you guys too, don't get it.

Okay, truthfully, many SxE's are aggressive, but they don't cari pasal. They are just... kings of the moshpit. But because of these Hardliners, who forget the true meaning of SxE, and in turn, the SxE bands are blamed for these influences. They are blamed for teaching the kids the wrong ideology, when really it's the kids who are not taking the initiative to learn about the subculture. You cannot say you're "positive" if you look for fights and talk about revenge and all that when somebody pisses you off. You JOINED SxE TO BE CLEAN, so buat ape nak tunjuk perangai rempit? If you want to be that way, why not just smoke, drink, and do shit you're meant to restrain from?

The solution to hypocritical Hardliners:

You guys should learn about SxE fully. Simple as that.

Understand that not a lot of people understand or accept the subculture, because it is weird, for it isn't the same as any other subcultures. Don't get pissed off when people say something wrong about SxE, or diss you guys. Just explain, just tell them, show the positivity of the subculture that should be respected.

Otai SxE people of the music scene should ajar betul2 about the ideology. I don't know. Spread blogs, write zines, write lyrics, make music about the ideology. Do what the Punks do. Spread your ideology through your music, but do it the right way. Talk about the positivity. No violence. You guys are basically the hardcore punk version of peace and love.

Kalau kata POSITIVE but tetap nak gaduh, you've got it wrong, kids. If you want to fight, take the X off your hands. Forever. Don't just sometimes be straight edge and sometimes break the rules. You want to be part of something, you have to commit to it and respect the ideology.

-----

Positive and negative don't differ much, they are filled with hypocrites and mistakes. It is the same with every other subculture. We have, unfortunately, a lot of hypocrites within our music scene, but if no one wants to step up to make that change, then that's how it's going to be like forever. They are so involved with themselves and their problems, and are way too impulsive to even think things through. They don't understand what morality is, they don't understand what respect is. They don't understand, most importantly, most sadly, what unity is about.

I don't think music unites anymore.

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With Love,

KL Mosher

Music scene or Hypocrite scene?

I am so disappointed.

I am so disappointed up to the point where I can't even TALK, I am that disappointed.

I can't believe that I could actually be so frustrated with the music scene until I feel like forcing it into a human body and slapping it.

Seriously. I have never actually EVER been this gutted by such CRAP we sometimes have around our music scene, consisting of people wasting more time shouting 'fuck you' about bands and on the other hand complaining about how the music scene is never equal or unified.

Bullfuckingshit, who caused that?

All the bloody peminat muzik. Korang nak tahu kenape our music scene is always fighting with each other because of genre, or subculture or bands or race or anything of that sort?

It's because of the giggers.

You guys.

Us.

The crowd of the music scene here, is the biggest moving body of hypocrites I have ever seen in my life. Let me let you in on a little story. It'll be like a little visual story, so watch carefully.

Peminat band A = PA Band A = A

Peminat band B = PB Band B = B

Bands : A B

Crowd: PB PA PA PB PA PB PB

PA PB PA PB PA PA

PB PA PA

PB PA PB PB PA

What do you see there? Fans from both band A and band B, campur2 masuk crowd. This is unity. The true unity, that have the fans of B near to band A and fans of A near to band B. If people don't like the music, like the PB at the far right, it's because they purely don't like the music. Bukan sebab vocalist buruk, atau guitarist sombong, or the band pernah buat hal with another band. Diaorang tak suka band tu saja sebab tak suka style music dorang. Itu la cara. That's acceptable. The fans of A and B mix together, they don't discriminate or judge.

This is how an ideal music scene should be like. You get those who love their bands but they mix together and accept other bands.

So, at first, I always believed the KL music scene could achieve this. It was true for a while, you'd get metal kids coming down to indie gigs, and vice versa, and gigs in KL tended to be very mixed up with genres, especially during the Meet Uncle Hussain/Bittersweet/Couple rise end of 2008 to mid 2009.

Then you get a gossip. Band A's vocalist sucks, he's so arrogant, he's cocky, he's homophobic.

Next thing you know:

Bands : A B

Crowd: PA PA PB PB PB PB PB

PA PB PB PB

PB PB PB

PB PB PB

See the change?

All because a trend to start hating a band comes around, suddenly everybody who once claimed to be 'PA', stop being fans of that band. They all of a sudden can go from loving their songs, singing their songs everyday in the shower... to hating them and dissing them with their friends; though they still secretly sing their songs in the showers.

The people who always say they hate A, they seem to know all the lyrics to all their songs.

So why hate them? Following the trend. Because their friend doesn't like them. Because it's fun watching them sink. We always want unity but we let a band sink because of conflict.

Seriously, why? What do you guys want?

Then A becomes well missed by everybody and poof! They're well loved again.

But no, it's not good enough for the music listeners to live with merely a happy-go-lucky scene with good music. They want to be part of the bands' businesses. They want to be the bands' best friends.

So one day, A tells B something, jokingly. B takes it the wrong way, and got offended. Like... really offended. They were so offended they decided to tell it to a minor public, and the minor public so happens to be all the giggers (we are society's minority).

So.

This is what happens, and this is what fucking.pisses.me.off.

Bands : A B

Crowd: PA PA PA PB PB PB

PA PA PB PB PB PB

PA PA PA PB

PA PA PB PB

KNOCK KNOCK, HELLO? Where the fuck has the unity gone to? And why is it gone? Why is it gone?

Is it gone because the PBs don't like A's music?

NO.

Is it gone because the PAs don't like B's music?

NO.

Then why? Well it's gone because the fans of B, who always talk about peace and harmony within the scene keeps saying "fuck A!", "Boycott A!", "we will help you fight with A!".

Okay guys, here's how I'm going to lay it down simple for you guys.

A) It's none of your fucking business.

B) You don't know what happened between the two bands.

C) The bands are OLDER and more MATURE than you guys. They don't need your skinny asses protecting them. If they're really good bands, if they're really professional, tak payah sampai nak bermusuh, nak bergaduh.

D) You guys are throwing away the unity with other people, some may be friends, just because they listen to the other band. The 'enemy' band. You guys don't like that band only because they don't get along well with your favourite band. Not because you don't like the music. You like the music, but you still say "Fuck that band!"

Last thing: Do you guys realize, by doing that, you don't look any better? You don't make your favourite band look better either? In fact, you guys make it look like band A and band B, and all their crowd are a bunch of immature attention-seekers, who purposely nak cari pasal, and sorry guys, but instead of helping your favourite band by hating the other band, you actually get people to lose respect for your fav band.

Get it?

You probably don't. You guys are too busy commenting on blogs or band pages putting your ass into shit that ain't your own.

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With Love,

KL Mosher

The Music's Forgotten

Okay, so, I've spent about a day thinking on whether I should post this up or not.

I guess you guys know what my decision was.

What this is about? Well, as the title is pretty self explanatory, I'll just skip the introduction and go into the details. Why are people starting to place preaching about subcultures and lifestyles before the music itself?

The music is where all these subcultures came from. But now people are placing the subcultures before the music. Ape benda tu, bhai? They pay so much attention to projecting their lifestyles and their outward behaviours that in turn, they're hiding their music away from the world because everyone are either annoyed or intimidated by them and are spreading word that these guys are not worth the listen.

Story?

Nazi Punks want to spread their lifestyle by getting more melayus to join them in the 'pure malays only' concept. Okay, other than the fact that they are living inside the stupid narrow-minded world of their own, and stopping other influences to broaden their music spectrum, let's stop and take a look at what you smartasses are actually doing.

Let's break it down and go step by step:

You guys want people to hear your music. Kan?

You guys want punk to live on. Kan?

But if you only allow your OWN Nazi Punkers to layan your music

- because your behaviour doesn't let any other subculture nak layan -

how the hell do you expect your music to be heard?

So in the end, whatever you guys are doing to create a scene, terpulang balik kat you, bros.

Oh sorry, I bukan your type, can't panggil korang bro. Lupa. Seriously, can you believe this kind of thing? You want music to live on, and you think music can keep living on, with you guys hiding away your own music? Come on lah, buka la minda.

Outro:

I'm going to name the Nazi punk bands because I believe their music is still music, and if people who aren't part of their group stumble upon their music, they too have the right to listen, so I won't post the band names up just to tell people NOT to listen, but I'm posting the bands up so everyone can have a listen.

http://www.myspace.com/spiderwar

http://www.myspace.com/brownattack

http://www.myspace.com/baldsyndicate

http://www.myspace.com/bloodybootsband

http://www.myspace.com/hujanacid

http://www.myspace.com/virusattackchaos

http://www.myspace.com/therevival98

http://www.myspace.com/jalanandistro

Listen to them, and show them what the universals of music is all about. You don't need to be a Nazi Punk to like their music.

No Dogs Body - http://www.myspace.com/nodogsbodyndb

Verbal Chaos - http://www.myspace.com/makihamon

Vixxen - http://www.myspace.com/vixxenkl

Steel Crescent - http://www.myspace.com/steelcrescent88

Revolt - http://www.myspace.com/therevolter

Huru Hara records - http://www.myspace.com/huruhararecords

Vetis - http://www.myspace.com/vetis88

Bintang Batu - http://www.myspace.com/bintangbatu

The Afflicts - http://www.myspace.com/theafflicts

Generation '92 - http://www.myspace.com/streetrockskin8

al azazhil - http://www.myspace.com/alazazhil

NSDM - http://www.myspace.com/448321025

Malay Power botherhood - http://www.myspace.com/malayanbrotherhood

JBH - http://www.myspace.com/399375788

http://www.myspace.com/spazzticcaoS

The Overdose - http://www.myspace.com/overdoseriot

Backlash - http://www.myspace.com/backlashattack

If you guys want to beat me up, it'll just go to show how extremely immature you guys are. I'm doing you a favour. Just criticizing you along the way. Nothing personal.

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With Love,

KL Mosher

The Theory of Conflict

It's a funny little thing; conflict.

No matter how many excuses people come up with to fight with each other and shit like that, it still comes down to one thing: ignorance.

Come, come, let me share you a tale I've been conjuring up inside me for quite a while. If I get slaughtered after this, well, I die proud. HAHA.

Let me begin: The Nazi Punk Theory

So. You get Nazis all over the world now, not just Hitler's time. Sadly. So it roughly goes along the theory of 'pure-bloods' and only the best should be able to reside in their country. Example, only Russian purebloods can reside in Russia, only Malays can reside in Malaysia and only White Americans should reside in America. Yeah you get the point. It's like how Hitler thought only White Germans were allowed lah, kan?

I was just thinking then. If they succeeded in washing away the rest of the humans off the planet, and they had their country to themselves, what if the lack of humanity makes it a necessity to conjoin all the countries to make one big country as a whole? Which blood will be the purest for that country?

Or have you guys never thought that it's pretty hypocritical, that all of you are wearing the swastika on your jackets and hating other races when you have other races wearing the swastika as well? LOL!

So you're all part of this lifestyle that basically doesn't exist because it cannot be shared amongst other countries as a whole, because you guys only believe in your own type. That's my theory. So good luck with your work... and well, see you in hell. :)

Conflict in general

I find it a waste that we have all these different subcultures and lifestyles and ways of living, that makes everybody want to be different to be everyone else, and feel that it is a need to dislike other people who don't share your same views. Looking at it from a point of someone who's not part of any group in general, and is friends with people from conflicting group, it's a real pity.

People say music unites, and everybody who loves music is one big family.

Then we get people who diss other people's taste in music

or diss their clothing

or diss their way of life

and I go; what the hell?

There's so many loops to the things people say, how do we know what's true and what's right, if so many hypocrites are still standing screwing up the music scene?

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With Love,

KL Mosher

Stay out of the gig if you like fighting.

SUMPAH BODOH SIAL. I am so fucking disappointed in the crowd right now. So disappointed. It's bad enough that we get a lot of annoying and rude kids in our scenes who have no respect for each other and the bands, but this time, things really ticked a nerve in me.

a) It is a complete disrespect to the music lovers and to the bands by just ditching a gig and ditching the music you came for in the first place to put your noses into people's businesses. To layan people who aren't even worth layan-ing. If people want to start a fight, if people want to cause trouble, you're not better than them by making it worse by joining in.

If people just learnt to ignore those trouble makers, then the gigs would go on, they would eventually just leave because they're bored, and can't pick a fight. Why must you guys sebuk2 go and join the anger? Join the nonsense?

Okay, readers, some of you are probably confused. Let me just set the story out straight. Two skinhead posers (I am going to talk about this in point b) came to a gig I went to this weekend, and they broke up the whole crowd to just make space for themselves. They showed us the middle fingers, they shoved us around. Then when the giggers decided 'lantak ar' and moshed, one of them accidentally kicked one asshole's face.

So what happens? They want to start a fight, because they're too damn pussy to just understand that these things happen in a moshpit. SO they start blaming every guy for kicking them, and then the next thing you know, everyone goes out. Leaves the gig. To watch the fight.

Look. Situation collision course: they want to fight. You watch the fight. This makes them feel cool. SO? The fight won't stop bodoh. Then the people watching say "jangan la!"

Well kalau korang tak nak diaorang gaduh.... don't watch in the first fucking place! -_- If everybody just stays in and IGNORES the idiots... sudah. Problem solved.

Which takes me to point b

b) A message to those two botaks a.k.a assholes... you guys totally trashed the meaning of skinhead subculture. You guys think by doing what you did, that's true 'skinhead behavior' ke? Suck me, man. So not true. A real skinhead won't go into a gig that isn't even a gig they enjoy. Lagipun skinhead minat punk, what the fuck were you guys doing in a metal gig? Saje je nak cari pasal kan?

What did we ever to do you guys? A real skinhead won't pick fights for no reason, because they don't have to prove that they're aggressive. Skinheads are known to be aggressive, they don't have to pick on random people over a SMALL pathetic, loser-ish reason like "kena tendang in the chin". Lagipun that kick wasn't even on purpose. It was a stupid accident.

You think by doing that, you seem macho? You seem aggressive? You seem hot and strong? My ass, lah. That just makes you guys:

- pussies

- kids

- and ouch! I know it hurts.... NOT a skinhead :D

So two messages for the giggers out there.

Next time there's a fight, don't fucking encourage it. Just ignore it. Just let the idiots have their fun and pretend they're not there. Don't tell me you guys suka ke, tengok your own friends and stuff get hurt by creeps like them? Tak kan? So? Stay out.

Second message?

Next time you guys decide to be part of a subculture, shave your heads and wear leather boots... actually KNOW what it is all about. KNOW the history of the subculture. KNOW what you're like.

Skinheads does not mean REMPIT. Okay? Tu benda lain. So learn your facts, dumbshits.

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With Love,

KL Mosher

No Lovers Allowed

Okay, this is a serious issue, despite the pretty erm.. 'humorous' title.

There's a certain obligation and compromise when you become part of a band. You have to divide yourself into two sections - Personal life and band life. You can't have people interfering with your dreams, nor can you have some lover/wife/boyfriend who is supposed to understand and adapt to the life of a rockstar in the first place, to tell you what to do with your band.

Unless, of course, it is good criticism that advices the band to strive.

This weekend, I hear of a band that recently had to switch members due to some wife's attitude. That is just absolutely unacceptable. The band's had a strong, tight line-up, not to say friendship, for about five years, and just because the wife of the vocalist had issues with jealousy and incapability to accept the band members and their lovers, (see what I mean by not letting 'personal life' kacau?), she tells the vocalist to kick out the guitarist and the drummer.

Okay, that's not the stupid part.

The stupid part is that he listened.

And who's playing the guitar now? Some kid who doesn't even know how to tune his guitar right and play the solos that once conquered the songs.

Piss off, I'm pissed off about this.

To musicians' girlfriends/wives/boyfriends/husbands/mistresses, etc:-

Look. You wanted to be with them because of who they are. So there's a compromise. There's a certain freedom a musician possesses that you have to accept the moment you hold their hand. You can't own them. You have to accept this. And their band actions should not have anything to do with you. If you have a problem with any of their bandmates, you just have to swallow it. That's what a supportive lover is. Not someone who tells your husband to kick out the drummer because you fell out with his girlfriend. Babi betul.

Musicians have a wild soul, they mingle, they socialize, they mix. They get famous, and people (both guys and girls) will swarm up on them. You can't even THINK about being jealous in this situation. If you want a guy who listens to everything you say and stay at home, marry a god damn business man. And even with them, you can't own them. So imagine a free-willed musician.

To the musicians with controlling lovers:-

You can let them control you on your TV programs, on the food you eat and the things you do, but never ever let them near your music life. You start a band, you love the band, you live the band. You don't suddenly give control of your band-making decisions to your wife/husband. That's just wrong. If they really are good lovers, they would want the best for you and want you to succeed. They wouldn't kick out GOOD musicians and replace them with background faces because they have stupid personal issues, that are half the time immature anyway.

If they can't accept that you have to have this part of freedom with you the rest of your life, I'm sorry man, you're going to be taking care of kids at home, cooking dinner for wifey in no time. If they respect you, they'd compromise, not hold your ball-sacks and expect you to obey.

--

Band name disclosed, by the way, I'm not a tell-tale. :)

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With Love,

KL Mosher

Welcome the ones we know, sudah!

Mind the lame sarcasm of the post title, and let's get down to the real point I'm trying to make here.

Again, I went to a gig recently, and there's something I've realized about the music-followers of our country. It applies to their reaction to bands, styles of playing and people in general.

They just think it's enough to accept what they already know, and don't even bother to appreciate the new things. I'm not saying this applies to everybody, but when you attend a heavy metal gig, there are just so many faults to pinpoint on. And isn't that what I love doing, anyway?

New bands or new-sounding bands:

People go to gigs to support the bands they like, I get that, because I do it, too.

But why do they have to be so cold towards bands they haven't heard of or just don't really listen to? The crowd gets a little quieter, the people turn their backs and walk away from a band that's sweating their butt off to make a show work and to play for them. Where the hell is the respect dude? Worst thing, they start cursing and insulting the bands. If you don't fucking like the band or if you can't wait for the band you're looking forward to, keep it to yourself and shut the hell up. Everybody goes to gigs to play music, and if you memang seorang peminat muzik, you won't bloody disrespect people making music. At least they are doing something - what do you have to say about yourself?

A different genre thrown into a set genre-d gig:

This is so unbelievably obvious in heavy metal/hardcore gigs. SO obvious.

You get bands who play hardcore and hell, people adore it. Then a band comes on, and they play this fantastic piece of acoustic guitar solo, and everybody just gets bored.

Take Black Territory for example. During their album launching, they played this absolutely heartfelt tune, but we hear people talking and walking away, and giving polite, SOFT claps...

Look, this doesn't show you guys are metalheads or fucking hardcore. This just shows you guys no NOTHING about the magic and the passion and the chemistry of friggin' metal music.

Metal isn't just about screaming about hate and death and whatnot. Metal's about the works of the guitars, the passion put into the pieces played out, the unbelievable talent it takes for someone to move their fingers across the body of the guitar to release some absolutely wild tunes.

You find all heavy metal bands are bound to have some soft tunes at some point. It's like... a tradition. If you can't accept that shit, you're no metalhead, and you definitely don't appreciate music, if you can't even appreciate a genius work played live for you.

Cliques and discrimination:

You see a person who's dressed a little different, mixes with a different group to yours, and what's your first reaction?

Normally, I would shove it off, tick it unimportant. But NO, that's not the case with some people. They go to gigs and stare and laugh at other people, not even bothering about making new friends. They think they know it all, they're all that. But hey, if you really are that respectable and 'great', you would have the decency and integrity to actually know what's the real meaning of socializing. It's not just about putting on some image and pretending you're that cool.

--

It's time these habits stop, it's time we open up our arms to more than what we know. This is probably one of the reasons why our music scene can never strive. If no one's interested in what's out there, if no one's willing to accept new things, how the hell do you expect us to break through this barrier of obnoxious, self-indulgent people?

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With Love,

KL Mosher