小记 Soundmaker’s Gig 9 by SITI HAJAR ABD AZIZ :
Sign language, loud music and laptops were integral elements at an indie band gig in Penang, writes SITI HAJAR ABD AZIZ.
HUI Se Di Dai (which means Grey Zone) vocalist Teoh Siang Kuo, 27, looked really angry but no more than the other four band members or than the other participants of Soundmaker’s Gig 9 held in Penang recently.
While strumming and plucking his electric guitar, Teoh screamed and shouted in Mandarin, and showed the audience the "sign of the finger".
If you are wondering if the small crowd at Church Street Cafe on Lebuh Gereja returned the favour, the answer is no. Most of time, the crowd at this gig called The Alternatives were happy to loll back on the chairs or shake their heads to the beat of the music.
Armed with anger-driven singing, twanging guitar riffs and pounding drum beats, the Penang-based Hui Se Di Dai treated the audience to a loud version of its "neo-pyschedelic post-rock concept".
Teoh said the songs were about the band’s frustration with society’s lack of morals.
He said the band members were upset that the actual world was much "darker" than the held-up ideal.
"In school, teachers told us that we should be honest and disciplined, but in reality, you may end up being bullied.
"We are taught about the importance of love among family members, but the truth is fights and social problems are becoming common in the society,"
This is why our songs and music are our way of releasing our frustration."
Teoh said the band played from the heart.
Bringing a different feel to the gig was Dian Bang, a newly formed two-man outfit from Kuala Lumpur who offered their version of experimental noise music.
Using two laptops, Lee Yin Jiun, 22, and Yong Chan How, 25, held the audience captive with their music which had elements of fantasy and Nature.
"Laptop music is quite new and can be produced even when you are at home," said Lee, a mechanical engineering student.
"One can compose a piece of music just by downloading from more than 100 sounds and instruments from the Internet," he said.
Yong said he often gets ideas from art films and documentaries. One of the best places for sound is the National Geographic site.
"Playing instruments is fun, but with laptop music, one person can create his own song without having the depend on others," he said.
Other indie bands who had performed that night were Damn Dirty Apes, Colour My Iris and Whitelight.
* You can catch more indie music in the 12 Bands Of Christmas series which ends with Estranged, Throne Away, Beat The System and Dragon Red. Venue: Jam Asia Rock Station (19-1 Jalan 22A/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur). Date & Time: Dec 30, 9pm. Admission: RM15. Call 03-2095-3045.
原文转自:http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/Showtime/20051225091302/Article/indexb_html