Urbanscapes 2014 @ Genting Highlands

I would like to share with you 10 best things about Urbanscapes 2014 at Genting Highlands (because man, I like to do lists!):

Starting with number...

10. The venue.

This year's edition of Urbanscapes was held at Genting Highlands, another new site chosen after Serdang and Padang Astaka. I loved it! Why? It was quite near from my home. And the parking area was okay and provided for FREE! A little financial improvement from last years.

And still got the signature mud.


9. Side activities

I played ping pong, I drew, I ran through a brief rain, I played games organized by Nando's and got rewarded. One thing for sure, comparing to last Urbanscapeses, this year I did a lot of things besides enjoying live performances.


8. The Lemonheads

Seeing this 90s music sounding bit like Oasis was a pleasure.


7. Biji-Biji 

An area was reserved for Biji-Biji to showcase their creative inventions. There was a cool idea where I got to trade my healthy sweat (biking) for a sight of green liquid getting ejected from a water tower.


6. Food and beverages

San Francisco Coffee's buy 1 free 1 beverage promo. Nando's rewarding free meal vouchers via games. Nuff said.

5. North Bangsar

New thing I discovered at Urbanscapes. It got Borat-like Jon Mayer, funny signboards, cartoonist Zunar getting jailed and... Pony Eusoff.

4. Kimbra

I saw her last two years at Singapore and this time around I got to see her performing some songs from her new wicked album 'The Golden Echo'. Energetic as usual. The dress was so Kimbra.

3. Upfront Stage

Like last year at Serdang, I fell in love with the amazing Upfront Stage as it continued serving superb live sets with great sound and lighting system. I love it more than any other stage! Maybe I just love indoor-like stage and I have this belief that the smaller the venue and closer you are to the music, the better live music experience you would get. Too bad I only saw a few acts there; Cashew Chemists, Ali Aiman and... I'll tell you later.

2. Local Natives

Urbanscapes has this habit of introducing cool new music to me. And I have this habit of liking to discover new music and bands. I never heard any Local Natives' music before so I was skeptical about this unknown band they brought to the event. Well, now I am thankful to the crew I have seen one of the best live performing acts this year. Everything was moving on and off the stage. With an excellent Talking Heads cover performed alongside their owns, Local Natives were one of the magics which happened that night.


1. Jagwar Ma

Jagwar Ma! The last band I saw on Upfront Stage and boy, it was THE highlight of the event, for me. The band, the music, the crowd, the set-up (well, it's Upfront Stage! It can't do wrong.) and everything else about this performance were perfect. Perfect in the form of 10/10! So tight and mind-blowing.

Music Festivals 2015

FEBRUARY 2015

Feb 13-14: Future Music Festival Asia @ Singapore (Avicii, The Prodigy, Afrojack, Fatboy Slim, Example...)


Feb 21-22 & Feb 28-Mar 1: Soundwave @ Australia (Slipknot, Incubus, Faith No More, Gerard Way, Soundgarden, Slash, Marilyn Manson, Fall Out Boy, Papa Roach, Antemasque...)


MAY 2015

May 29-31: Rockavaria @ Munich (Muse, Metallica, KISS, Limp Bizkit, Incubus...)

May 29-31: Der Ring @ Nurburg (Muse, Metallica, KISS, Limp Bizkit, Incubus...)


JUNE 2015

Jun 4-6: Rock In Vienna @ Austria (Muse, Metallica, KISS, Incubus, Limp Bizkit...)

Jun 5-7: Rock Am Ring @ Vulkaneifel, Germany (Foo Fighters, Slipknot, A Day to Remember, Enter Shikari, Lamb Of God, Slash, Bastille, Marilyn Manson, Papa Roach, Rise Against...)

Jun 5-7: Rock Im Park @ Nurnberg, Germany (Foo Fighters, Slipknot, A Day to Remember, Enter Shikari, Lamb Of God, Slash, Bastille, Marilyn Manson, Papa Roach, Rise Against...)

Jun 11-14: Isle of Wight @ UK (Fleetwood Mac, Calvin Harris, Paolo Nutini)

Jun 11-14: Bonnaroo @ US

Jun 12-14: Pinkpop @ Netherlands (Muse, Foo Fighters...)

Jun 12-13: Download Festival @ UK (Slipknot, Muse...)

Jun 24-28: Glastonbury @ UK

Jun 24-27: Provinssi @ Finland (Muse, Calvin Harris, The Gaslight Anthem, Godsmack...)

Jun 25-27: Bravalla @ Sweden (Muse, Robbie Williams, Calvin Harris, Lamb Of God, All Time Low, NOFX...)

Jun 25-28: Rock Werchter @ Belgium (Foo Fighters, Muse, Florence + The Machine, Pharrell Williams, Alt-J, Damien Rice, The War on Drugs)


JULY 2015

Jul 9-11: NOS Alive Festival @ Lisbon, Portugal ( Muse...)

Jul 9-11: BBK Live @ Bilbao, Spain (Muse...)

Jul 10-12: T In The Park @ UK

Jul 18: Rock In Roma @ Roma, Italy (Muse)

Jul 24-26: Fuji Rock @ Japan


AUGUST 2015

Aug 20-22: Pukkelpop @ Belgium

Aug 28-30: Reading and Leeds Festival @ UK


SEPTEMBER 2015

Sep 10-13: Bestival @ UK


OCTOBER 2015

Oct 2-4 & Oct 9-11: Austin City Limit @ USA

Photos & Mini-Review: CHVRCHES Live @ KL Live 2014

 

Finally, a Chvrches show in Malaysia!

Here's what made it cool and better than the last time I saw them at Laneway Singapore earlier this year:

1. Their music sounded more amazing at KL Live.
2. Finally I got to see 'You Caught The Light' live for the first time. One of my fave tracks from their debut album.
3. Some guitar actions from the guys! And good lighting plays! But the sound system was kinda not balanced=(
4. They performed new song from Mockingjay OST 'Dead Air' and a remake track from Drive OST 'Get Away'. I love Get Away~
5. They played all songs from The Bones of What You Believe.

Felt short (no surprises like an Arctic Monkeys cover=P) but it was still fun. A good warm-up to other Satellite Shows and the main event: Urbanscapes 2014!

Thank you Define for the passes=)

 

Next Music Festivals: Urbanscapes '14, Laneway Singapore '15 & Soundwave '15

Tenacious D, Chvrches, Local Natives, The Lemonheads, Angus & Julia Stone, Lykke Li, Royal Blood, FKA Twigs, Jungle, Banks, Chet Faker, St. Vincent, Little Dragon, Courtney Barnett, Mac DeMarco, Future Islands, Slipknot, Soundgarden, Incubus, Marilyn Manson, Fall Out Boy, All Time Low, Slash, Lamb of God, Faith No More, Crossfaith, Gerard Way, Antemasque, New Found Glory, Godsmack, Judas Priest and more...

Mini-review: MTV World Stage Malaysia & Good VIbes Festival 2014

2014's MTV World Stage was okay. Honestly, I only came for Yuna and she was..averagely okay. Not her best show but I still enjoyed her songs from new (amazing!) album. I didn't stay for the headliner, B.o.B but managed to see Thaitanium and a K-Pop group. 3/5 stars.

Finally, Good Vibes' second year in Malaysia. And it got better. Some delay caused by heavy rain earlier but the night provided magical stuffs from Banks, Empire of the Sun & Ellie Goulding. EotS were outstanding in both of their performance and props. While Ellie... this is the second time I saw her and it's totally different. More energetic and insane on stage. As usual, she sounded great live. Good end. 4/5 stars.

Waiting for Urbanscapes 2014!!!