Bar None

I cannot believe that I admitted to being drunk when I wasn't. Anyway, what kind of drunkard would admit to being drunk right?

Jie Yu and I went to Sakura for dinner. The food was really good, but after this time I don't think I'll go back there again. The reason for choosing the place was because I've only been there one other time, and I had the urge to taste all the food there again. We suceeded in stuffing almost every available type of food into our mouths!

After that we made our way to Bar None. Initially I was kind of worried that we wouldn't be let in, and thought of many stupid ways to get ourselves in. This is one of those damned times where looking 16 isn't an advantage. However we had nothing to worry about as the guys at the door only asked to check our bags before letting us in. I guess I worried too much because it's a given that these bands would have a young fanbase, and I am turning 21 this year so it's not like it's illegal for me to drink alcohol.

Drinking alcohol wasn't the plan, but once Jie Yu got his hands on the menu there was no turning back. I had a gin-something, which was supposedly very diluted. It was merely one shot mixed into this big, fat cup that was close to double the size of what Jie Yu had. I don't know what he had because I'm not too good with drinks myself. I just know that it wasn't beer, tasted nothing like it, and got my face red-hot within awhile. Luckily enough the first band was on its way to finishing their set and they announced that KKJ would be next, when in fact I was worried that I'd already missed their performance!

But I've been to enough of these things to know that they always start late!

While we were getting our drinks Weetz spotted me, and we exchanged greetings. He was armed with his trusty handycam so people who couldn't make it to the venue, and for people like me, who can't get enough to catch it on youtube!



I'm proud to say I know most of the original songs that they performed, although I couldn't sing along word for word. The band kicked off with Don't Take Me. They also played Stranger and Low, which was rather different from the previous songs. Jie Yu and I agreed that the track really stood out (in a good way) for some reason we couldn't quite put our finger on. This performance is probably one of the best that I've seen from them. The music was really good. Absolutely flawless. No mistakes that I could hear of anyway! It was a pity that they didn't do a really slow and quiet emo rock track like Chasing Cars, because it would've worked like magic in such a cosy venue and showcase the diversity of the band.

I'm not a big fan of The Arctic Monkeys and I've never heard Dancing Shoes before but KKJ's rendition of the song really got everyone moving despite its unfamiliarity. I'm going to have to hear TAM's version though I dare say that after witnessing them play it live, it might just fall short of expectations. That was exactly how I felt about This Boy.

That was not the case when Mr Brightside was played, because from where I was seated I could see everyone singing along. Enough said.

The icing on the cake was definitely My Brown Lollipop. It was definitely deserving to be the song to wrap up the entire set - a treat for fans who've been following the band closely enough to know that it's one of the songs that they feel strongly about. I knew almost all the words and was singing along to the wooohooooyeahyeah (just like how I was singing along to Jolin's concert, not 'cos I was drunk Colin!) with wild abandon. Hey, it's my favourite song!

After that I went to the toilet and my face was really, really red. Okay, I was very high, but not drunk enough to be stumbling around nor puking in people's faces. Colin came up to me and he also got introduced to Jie Yu. We chatted for a while about the performance and he said that it was the longest set he'd ever play. Not only did he not sound like he ran out of steam during the final song, he sang his way to a rousing encore. Well, one can never get to much of a good thing, and I was enjoying myself so much that I didn't notice the amount of time that passed. It didn't feel that long to me! Anyway he introduced us to the next band, which surprisingly fell short of our expectations, and so we left in the middle of their third song.

I've got to thank Jie Yu for being such a sport and going with me on such short notice. Ooh, and it's past midnight already! Happy 21st Birthday bro!

Victoria Junior College Harmonica Band - Resonance VII

Last night I went to watch the VJC Harmonica Band in concert at their home ground.

Resonance VII kicked off with the full band performing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, a rather impressive number I must say. After that was Canon and Dream a Little Dream of Me, both of which were performed at this year’s SYF and we all agreed that the performance was deserving of the SYF Gold Award.

However after a group performance of My Way and the very emotive Somewhere Out There, things started to go downhill. The 3 sections each played a song and there were wrong notes everywhere. The harmonica players sometimes sped ahead, leaving the poor pianist to try to catch up with them. Despite the popular tunes being played, I had a feeling that it would’ve been better that that part was scrapped. Okay, maybe it wasn’t really their fault. If Mr Tang had conducted, it would’ve been much better.



After the intermission though, the programme took a turn and became progressively impressive. The harmonica solo by Teo Wei Shan was absolutely fantastic. With the accompaniment of the drums, a guitar and a keyboard (that guy was out of this world. Stage presence, the hair, the music… everything!), they went on to play Xi Shui Chang Liu and Remember Me This Way. I enjoyed myself a lot listening to their performance. Every part was musically entertaining.



The VJC Harmonica Alumni then took over with a couple of songs, which were really good, but not extraordinary. I thought the performance of Lydia (yeah, the one by F.I.R.) really got the attention of the audience. Including the great piano accompaniment. Round of applause to the pianist!

The Ho Tat Chiew Harmonica Ensemble played 3 songs and it really showed the audience that they were real professionals. . They perfromed pieces which were fast in pace, and technically challenging. Listening to them really made me realize how versatile and amazing the harmonica could sound. Every note played got the audiences hooked and the resounding applause was proof that people do recognise good music



The Year 2 Members then played Candle on the Water, followed by The Sound of Music Medley, with a vocal performance by Wang Jie Hui. I have to say that even though the instruments used were the same, with her outrageously clear vocals (and the English accent to match) and the very familiar tunes from The Sound of Music, it really sounded very extravagant. Great stuff. Oh, and the stunts from that were amazing too. After the song, she passed her hat to the conductor, Mr Tang in the daintiest way. Mr Tang took out a small harmonica (which was out of tune already and not suited as the real stuff) and continued part of The Sound of Music Medley. The magic was which was lacking previously came back on the stage during his energetic performance.



The finale was even more impressive, with the full band coming out to play If We Hold On Together and That Thing You Do. The drummer was excellent. The pianist was as good. It’s a rare sight for me to see so many people playing the harmonica as a band. It got the audience on a high as well. They played That Thing You Do for the encore and it got everyone clapping along.

Overall, it was a good performance, just not as good as last year. However the VJ spirit was high as after the curtains closed, all of them broke into cheer. It was the kind of atmosphere that money can’t buy, so I’d have to say they did a really good job.