Shai Hulud LIVE in KL @ One Cafe, KL

Arrived just in time with NINDY, who surprised everybody, and was immediately set in a restless pace to get the media passes as well as the pre-sale tickets I booked off Dan. After a lot of running around and wagalagalagawarghhhh, we finally chilled and went inside as the gig started.

First band: This Order. Duo-vox, they were a little unblending in terms of vocals, not quite similar to the likes of This Sunday, but one could hear a good potential in their music arrangements and their vocals were fairly interesting melodic-wise. A lot more focus and practice will get them far, no doubt.

Wrote on everybody as we waited for Thy Regiment to hit the stage, and constantly fooling around with Big Show, who was the MC for the day. He makes an awesome MC. :D WHOOHOO good job, bro!

Thy Regiment. One of their most interesting shows I had witnessed so far. They plunged in features, with Ein SxC and Ijam Restraint/Naratu, and did with Ijam a cover of Naratu's very own 'Pukimak'. Obviously, the crowds who were familiar with AKD went all out. No. We exploded. Grabbing the mics, running around, jumping everywhere. Wargh. It felt so good to be able to just let go off everything I've been keeping inside the whole week, and just.... releasing it all. Woah. But that didn't come til later when Restraint performed. This was only the start.

Went out when Wynken Delirium performed because Azri arrived and I had to find him his pre-sale tickets. Wynken definitely had an interesting twist to their style, what we jokingly called "Metal Jawa"... Here was where Nindy slapped Apit because of some joke he made regarding their motto "Lembap dan Berat". Lol. Evil shiz. Outside, I just chilled around with Mia and Linda... chatted with a few people here and there and went back in for Meaning, the Japanese band on tour as well.

And crapzess, I was so... amazed. :) Meaning totally blew our minds. They were hyperactive, they were rawww, they were plunging full force into a whirlwind of hardcore/punk sounding music, as expected of Japanese bands I've seen in videos so far. Japanese = wildness, people always say so. It was not proven wrong. Their energy was there, their showmanship, their music arrangements were cool. They were just... wow. haha. Enjoyed their set a lot, a lot a lot.

Curi topi guitarist MEANING

Bergambar ngn Shai Hulud drummer

Next up is where I lost my mind. Restraint. What else to expect from them but a well loved and well put on show? A name known to all giggers present at One Cafe, they were facing a crowd that loved how they sounded. Here was where, similar to Rockaway last year, something ticked in me and I just... went blank. I can't remember much except singing along and trashing around and just... going wild. I didn't even realize I received a kick beneath my eye resulting in a bruise til their set ended when I felt a sting from the sweat beneath my right eye. Haha. Thank you very much Restraint, you guys rock.

Had to miss out on most of Second Combat's show because I was in a sore state (haha tak hardcore la tu), and needed an ice pack badly. Nindy realized the time and had to tell me she was leaving so chilled with her for a while before Moe was ready to send her back. After choosing to put a plaster over my bruise, which didn't look as bad after the ice nursing it, I headed back into the crowd and watched Second Combat's "The reason I stay" and watched Black Territory take their place on stage.

Black Territory. It seems a long while since I caught them live, and I was excited to see them again for two reasons. a) because I missed them, obviously, and b) SHORT WAS THEIR NEW GUITARIST!!!! Hehe. And let me tell you, he's awesome when a guitar's in his hands. Legend, sumpah. Anyways, BT put on a strong and active show, the guitarists looked cheery, as if happy to play, haha, and everybody seemed to just be enjoying the singalongs and the atmosphere of respect that was shared, especially when singing "Arms in arms". :) Nice. Went crazy singing along to "It's so Hard".

And finally, the time we've all been waiting for arrived, and it was time for me to rip off the plaster that was not helping my bruise, only itching it more. HAHAHA. That sounded so hardcore. PFFFFFT. -_-

Anyway, Shai Hulud didn't take long to set up which was awesome, because I was sick of waiting for bands to set up every time it's an international band. Haha. With a heart-pumping introduction of themselves, shouting into the air, they punched right in without hesitation with their first song.

The show went from crazy to crazier to uncontrollable. I got another bruise when a guy karate chopped my forehead with his leg, giving me ANOTHER bruise (gosh!) and everybody just trashed around headbanging like zombies. We had Moshi doing a front flip from the speakers into the crowds again, and again I couldn't take a picture. GWARSH. This was the first time (well actually second, the first was Saosin) I saw Ezzart go completely crazy for a live show. lol!

To give an honest opinion, I felt Shai Hulud sound a lot better live than recorded. Live, the rawness of the atmosphere they build really adds a flavour to their energy and their pounding hyperactiveness. They were good. Like. Good. :)

Oh yes and one member threw up on stage.

Finished off with some photo sessions (most of the photos with my face in it are on Ezzart's cam so none's here). I had a chat with SH's drummer, who was extremely friendly and told us we should all keep in touch. Haha. Nice dude. Meaning was a bunch of funny dudes, willing to pose for as long as possible and laughed when I explained my bruise with one word: "Restraint".

Headed to Grido studio afterwards and chilled till morning as we waited for the LRT stations to open so our mates could go home. Some played PS2, some jammed, some talked, some ate and some slept. Heh.

This day was Celine's lovely escape.