Rock The World 9 @ Bukit Jalil Stadium Carpark

Woke up really damn early, because my friend was leaving my house in the morning. Walked around like a zombie getting ready to leave my house around 11.30. Left at 11am, because I was shit bored. Headed to Bukit Bintang where Apit, Kiki, Amirul and Jaja would meet me up.

Headed to Hang Tuah LRT. Went to Bukit Jalil, pening kepala because Azam told me he had problems getting passes. Sial lah. But finally he managed to get backstage passes thanks to Moe (don't know what happened to the media passes in the end), and I arrived at Bukit Jalil with a major headache, and energy level down to 1.05%.

Headed inside and caught Bactrim at the Chill-out stage with Rangga and the Ipoh gang. Bactrim was pretty good, they had a constant funked up rhythm going on with the bass that made you want to boogie, or head to discos and dance to "Play that funky music white boy". Spent about the first hour walking from stage to stage to stage. Met Moe at the Indie Stage backstage during Robot Asmara.

Walked over to the Main Stage's backstage again and saw Firdoz who was crew for Federated, a kapak band who was playing on stage. Found out it was going to be Restraint next and true enough Razlan waved at me from where he sat. Can't believe I forgot he was Restraint's vox.. wth... hahahahaha. While waiting for Restraint, I walked over to the Chillout stage and saw Khottal, and bobbed along to The Woo Song!

Restraint. Tight, solid, and rageworthy to the max, as always. Couldn't mosh at first because I was too far back but I did bump into Faiz! Told me 40 winks was next at Indie Stage, left and when I saw Syafiq's red cap bobbing around the moshpit, I dashed towards it, found him and Amirul and the gang, and moshedddd. Woohoo!

Next up, 40 Winks! Haven't seen these buggers in ages, and was chatting with Faiz whilst eating my Ramli Burger, waiting for Nitrus to finish their set as they did a cover of "Mercy". Quite an odd choice if you asked me. 40 Winks went on, Faiz asked me to trigger the crowd, but there was no need for that, for the crowd seemed to have loved their music. Well who won't? It was what feel good is all about, you could skank, jump and mosh to it! What else can you want?? :D

Then as they ended their set, and I met up with Haziq who FINALLY came and clap boom! thunder and rain plagued the whole event and everyone dashed to the tents for shelter. Couldn't stand the guys whooping at wet girls eesh!

Walked back in when the rain died, found Atin, then I found Chaom, Nad, Jarrod and everyone else again, in time for us to separate again for the events as they started. Caught Second Combat and thank you Haziq for the mosh pics! :D

Second Combat overall were entertaining and their fans were ready to catch Second Combat's last performance of the year. Headed over to catch Monoloque, but I had to say I was disappointed with the music, because his music was more for bedroom moments, not really ace when coming to performance. It was hard for the fans to capture the style of the music and they seemed lost to how they were supposed to groove.

Headed back to the Indie stage to catch Syahrul LMB's side project with his wife, Labrats, and went back to the Main Stage to catch The Times, took a detour back to the Indie Stage (yes, tiring!), to catch Skudap Skudip as they played their last song "Mari Berdanska" aiyo!

Stayed at the Indie Stage but went into the crowd for Auburn, realized the sound system was crap and couldn't fit with the colossal music of Auburn, then headed away to catch Bleeding Mascara in action at the Main Stage.

Here was where hell broke loose, and I had to miss out on the remaining night, because my hamstring injury at Ipoh Trunker's Fest only got worse when I did the breakdown for Bleeding Mascara. Limped my way out after Republic of Brickfields, who were amazing, but the crowd pissed me off because they were not following the music at all, just crazily moving around. The guy in front of me was annoyed as well ahhaah, it was funny.

Surprised and excited when Amy Search made a special appearance with R.o.B, because Radio Rosak was cancelled, so he must've decided to conquer the Main Stage of Rock The World. Haha awesome dude.

Headed to ROTTW's booth, sat there through Yuna and Pop Shuvit, couldn't take the pain of sitting on the floor with an aching leg, went out with Haziq and sat outside the closed up event, and listened to Love Me Butch, Seven Collar T-Shirt, Disagree and all the rest from outside. Went to the foodcourt with Moe when Moe came out, and heard Bittersweet from afar. Disappointed because they changed their vocalist, Pijie is no longer singing. New vocalists only worked out for Meet Uncle Hussain, who ruled with the new two vox! Bunkface ended the show with a sad finale, for DBKL arrived at midnight and the sound had to get turned off on their last song. Ah well, no heartache for me. :)

Joke of the day: Hardcore Mamak cooking!

Celine will have to stop injuring herself, or she'll be sitting out to future moshpits!

Trunkers Fest @ Dewan Sukan, Ipoh

It's 12pm and we're on the road to Ipoh! Arriving three hours later, with Moe, Moshi, Apit and Azam, we were not surprised to find out we weren't even late, and the soundcheck was still on. Typical kot...

Me: *watches Azam*

Azam: *takes out cigs. takes out juicy fruit. holds juicy fruit in one hand and cigs in the other. stares for about 5 seconds*

Azam: "EH!" (ingat the juicy fruit was a lighter)

Glendora Records's Trunkers Fest 2009 was the fest metalcore fans have been waiting to pounce on. Held at Dewan Belia & Sukan, gig-goers from mixed states of Malaysia were thrown into a hall December-cold, energy slapping into their faces and waking them up for the gig. Waking us up, however, had the disadvantages, and there were noticeable faults here and there - the sound mixer was BEHIND the stage, and the sound system was wayward, with a constant crucifying screeching leaking out from the speakers.

Starting a few hours late, we enter the dark-lit hall to a bright stage. Amnesia, an Ipoh metal band ripped the stage open... and left the fans cringing from the friction. Sounds too raw and vocals unparallel with the music, screaming astray, you understand why the crowd were using this time to get comfortable with the icy cold hall. Serious xleh blah... Trash metal band Alarine from neighbouring town, Taiping, introduced us to powerful Satanic vocals that would've been much more appreciated if the music could produce the gut-punch pace needed to support such a vocalist. Got a message from Nik saying he arrived then saw him and Zify walking in. WOOHOO!!

Just as fans started doubting the reputation of the long-awaited gig, nu-metal band Kill My Bride picks up the pace and plunges through a solid set with a combo-pack of versatile duo vocals, and despite the occasional messy arrangements within their music, they got the crowd singing along and boosted up the energy in time for the next band, Everything Ends, who projected the true meaning of metal and succeeded in conveying their message of what Kuantan state's metal music is all about through the fast-paced instruments and manic showmanship.

Kill My Bride. photo by Azam.

But it wasn't until KL bands Deadscore and Thy Regiment that the crowd started heating up to the music, and the hall didn't feel shiverish anymore. Deadscore got me moshing, FINALLY! Despite the constant squealing of the microphones, Deadscore slithered their way through the set, professionally working into the energy of the crowds and maximizing it. The event seemed to only be heading upwards from there and with nothing short of orgasmic vocals and explosive music, metal 'otai's Thy Regiment twirled the crowd around their fingers and preyed on the fans with the underlying intensity of their metal genre.

The Ipoh Boys!

photo by azam. Deadscore and Thy Regiment

After a break sorely needed from the sudden mass mosh, it was The Padangs turn to show off, and so they did... but I missed them. BABI BTUL!!! But here's a picture from their performance anyway. Nguhhh!!!

the padangs. photo by azam.

Anyway, they left ecstacy hanging in the atmosphere for rock kapak Ipoh band Silent Migration to trash their way through their next set. In a rather mediocre level, I should say, tak beberape GEMPAK. But all is safe, when Dead Eyes Glow take their place on stage. The Terengganu boys are definitely worth crediting on their young talent. Original and powered up with furious energy, despite their missing bassist, the synchronized headbanging from the band members to the frantic guitar riffs definitely sent a rush through the audience as effective as Red Bull.

Dead Eyes Glow. photo by azam.

The next bands sailed through, giving us a taste of more Perak metal, with As Ashes Fall (AAF), Beneath The Remains (BTR) and Maiya. It was disappointment etched on the faces of the more professional musicians when the guitarist of Maiya went on stage and took a while to realize his guitar wasn't tuned. That uncertainty tainted their music throughout their set, and along with BTR and AAF, they were on a different scale to the reputation and talent of other respected manic Ipoh bands.

Creeping towards the end of the night, and the bands just keep coming in. Asthalin and Black Territory pleased the crowds with fierce music from Kuala Lumpur. Asthalin pushed their way through the set with deafening guitar riffs and raging vocals that built up the biggest moshpit yet in the entire event, whilst Black Territory strived in singalong counts and melodic guitar solo harmonies. And it all just gets better when Incarnation (www.myspace.com/incarnationcrew) steps up to drill in their sounds of metalcore, finally conjuring up the Wall of Death that had been missing from the event the entire day.

asthalin. photo by azam.

ipoh pyramid!

black territory. photos below by azam.

incarnation. photo by azam

You think 'massive' when you think 'metal', and massive is what Naratu gives you. Having to exert their always overflowing energy within just three songs, they ripped the rockstar masks off their faces and played purely for the crowd as the crowd, breaking the barriers between band and fans as the crowd jumped onto the stage and threw themselves onto Naratu's vocalist and his microphone. Ending the night with the almost-disallowed song 'Pukimak Kau' raging in your ears, nothing gets more hardcore than that.

naratu. photo by azam.

When the gig finished, we made our way through goodbyes and headed to Tapah for a late night chill/snack. Met Black Territory's convoy on the way, and had a mini lepak with them there. Headed home around midnight hours, and realized Black Territory's car was also on the road. Best part was when I pulled down my window and shot my hand out with a rock sign, and their car suddenly drove faster and shone their headlight from behind us. :D Siap buat muka buruk kan? Haha! Was a fun trip home, was even funnier when Azam gave RM1 to Moe when he asked for RM10, and when we asked Azam again for the money.... he was fast asleep again. LOL!

Celine loves roadtrips with her mates, and wishes her brodoh could've joined.