School of Kachang Putih

Its going to be end of June, and I am still a blondie, because of me being a blondie, it has caused chaos in some of the government schools that I am teaching in, I got stopped by teachers and students asking for my phone numbers. Well, me knowing me, I simply love to test the system, well, as usual someone with a bleached hair will always be portrayed as out of the norm, but if you are an albino, its alright.

To me, female teachers wearing a short skirt is pretty much the same as an instructor who is just a visitor with a bleached hair. Outlook and appearence in governtment schools have to be proper, if you are different, there will be unnecessary attention, and this will distract the students, they can't study because a strange looking man is roaming around the school.

It has been a tradition in schools, to them, fear is the only way to discipline students, I feel the students are afraid to question. For to question means to rebel, but then if they don't question, they will not understand. At the age of 13-17, these kids are preparing for the real world. If you inject unnecessary fear in them, they will go astray.

To tell you the truth, the kids are alright.

I will always remember this for the rest of my life, when I was in primary school I was caught doodling in my textbook, and the teacher told me, ".....so you want to draw all your life, when you grow up, you want to sell Kachang Putih?"

All I can say now, is Fuck You, and I am still alive...

The Composite Photograph

The Choir Boys of the local bar led by the cult guru of beer guzzling mania, innocent bystander dragged to perform communal ritual. Night of surprise and scheme of fun at TImbre on a lost weekend. Photo by Vivian.

Headless Roach

Well...well, it is the second half of the year has begun, and I am ready for the crazy onslaught, the mad season. The line-up will be pretty wicked, I definitely need Brand of Chicken Essence or Essence of Branded Chicken. Hectic is the word, heretic is the action. Dates, days, hours, minutes and seconds, enjoy...enjoy...

From my schedule:
July
14th - Baybeats
22nd- Performance for Womb (Zul Mahmod's Exhibition)
24th- Masters Programme at LaSalle
Throughout the month, *Singapore Biennale 06 : Sontoloyo in production

August
4th- Tiramisu in KL
*Sontoloyo still in production
*Tiramisu Recording

September
2nd- Singapore Biennale 2006

Plus teaching/workshops at 4 different schools within a span of 5 months. Hope I will be in one piece end of the year.

Let's get...let's get... let's get....ROCK ROck ROck
- from Def Leppard

The Prophet in Yolanda's Fever

Last Weekend at Plaza Singapura, playing prophet in the middle of a crowded cityscape. Photos courtesy of Cake Theatre.

The After math of The Light

NOK at Kaki5, the space was intimate but the sound was amazing.
The past couple of days, I have been busy bringing Next of Kin around, showing them all the places of interest. So I was a roadie. manager, nanny, artists representative, organiser and a friend. It was nice, we managed to raise about $435, which is about RP 2 Million plus, equal to 200 bags of cement. For the rebuilding of the roads in Yogyakarta.

The event was small but the cause was big, so I guess it was all worthwhile, even though I feel I am not that good of an organiser/mc, so all was good.

Hope all the best for Next of Kin for their future comings.

ON THE EDGE of LIGHT- A Lo-fi Musical Showcase

The AD-HOC poster for the gig.

NextofKin will be doing a Lo-fi set for the night.

DJ Topgear from UK will be tweaking and squeaking at Kaki5 Cafe next Tuesday night.

Come on down next week for a good cause, I never like to organise event, but a friend from Yogyakarta asked for help, so here am I trying my best. So come and support.

Ape Strummer

The Epilogue from Queen Ping, May 2006, photo courtesy of Cake Theatre.

Yeah Sunny Hello Sweet

Drawing I did for the 100 Tents Exhibition, just jamming around with the idea of Boombox, rockets and afros. Boney M was on while doing this, so I decided to call it Yeah Sunny Hello Sweet. I love drawing with pen, just like when I was in secondary school doodling Metal Band fonts in my Geography Text book.

For The Crowd

Last night was fantastic, even though England was playing against Paraguay, Tiramisu performed to a crowd of less than 20, it felt like a Jam session on stage, I love performing in front of really small crowd partly because the energy can be so contained. Joe and friends were there, special thanks to Zai and Onistudio, with Terence who did a fantastic job with the sound.

I am not sure the connection with Onistudio and World Cup, I remember when KYTV performed 4 years ago in front of 4 people in the space at Zai's space, but it was one of the most important performance of my life actually. We didn't make money, but we had some money for food; and we had chicken curry and bread after the show.

World Cup fever is not a sin, I used to watch loads of soccer when I was young, until I realised its better to observe people watching soccer, and I remember a gig not long ago, when Moods played at Barcelona Pub, they had a soccer match on the telly at the same time. While Moods were playing, the audience were watching soccer, strange, sad and devastating at the same time.

Like art and commerce can't really be togther, same goes to Sports and Music, both powerful mediums. When they come together, it gets pretty jittery, no doubt Bob Marley played soccer in Trenchtown, but he I guess he would not recommend a lethal combination of both at the same time. It is just too potent, like taking cough syrup and eating Durian.

Then I question, if there is a world cup for Golf, Bowling, Dodge ball, Chess, Othello, wow...it must be really going to be awesome shit, what if there is only sports in the world, no arts, music or anything else? Besides emotions and feelings, we have SPORTS? And on the radio we have only Sports commentary....hmmm...

Sontol Al Loyoistic

Sontol Al Loyoistic
Originally uploaded by mrfantesticles.

Some head shots of Sontol Al Loyo by Yazer Aziz.