[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U1euetopoE]

Awesome shit they have there in America. I confess I only know LP, Saosin, Taking Back Sunday and MCR out of the entire list of bands participating in Projekt Revolution 2007.

Sometimes I wish I was there where people actually root for underground music. It is so unlike here where mainstream is the ‘in’ thing and worst of all poseurs come in many different shapes and sizes - emo shites, indie rockers, punks. Whatever.

So ink hasn’t even dried up and I’m complaining about the upcoming F1 race that’s slated to be held in the outskirts of City Hall next year.

It’s not because it’s gonna be a night race. Or that the cars may stray off track and find itself floating in the Singapore. But I just realised that I’ll be in NS!!! I hope that I’m able to book out on weekends by the time the race flags off. You see what favours NS does (or in this case, doesn’t) do for you?

The upcoming week’s gonna be hell for me. ICM and CIBM report submission, one little article search issues and crisis for ICMT and 1.25 worth of words for MIA’s report. And I think me and Elf gotta hold a 45-min discussion next week for MIA’s lesson. We shall see how it goes for that.

This week one damn bugger come to me and sarcastically delivered one piece of news to me, which I had already known. If I had a gun, I’d blown his brain off! Cut that fucking tone off boy. And learn to look at YOUR own surroundings, not mine.

*breathes out calmly*

Can anybody answer me - Why are there so many people born in the month of May?

Last night was a a super-duper night for me. Soooo super that it beats having sex. You wanna know why?
It was the first time I caught a proper ‘live band’ performance at Esplanade’s The Waterfront and I really couldn’t have asked for a better virgin experience. The band that had a gig there goes by the name “Boys With Toys”, a kinky name if you ask me.

Initially, when I heard them doing the sound check, I heard the lady vocalist letting her vocal chords do the advertisement for her band’s performance later that night. I sure was influenced by it (seriously, who wouldn’t?). I didn’t know the band’s name till the actual performance strummed off. 3 guys- a talented keyboardist, a witty guitarist and achee ko peh-faced but multi-talented percussionist - and a lady formed the whole group…

…which then made me ponder for a moment, “What ‘toys’ are the boys playing with? Is it the instruments or is the lady?”
It was just a random passing thought that crossed my mind, really! They all hail from the Phillippines I suppose, through their accents and all, though the guitarist looked a bit Melayu to me.

I love the female vocalist by the way, did I tell you that? Pamela is her name, singing is her game. She rocked the house down with her jokes, her singing and her overall cheerfulness which no doubt brought gleaming smiles to the audience in the house.

The night kicked off with songs from Daniel Powter, Tina Turner, Avril Lavigne and Alanis Mor… you know the singer’s name right? And sure they are very powderfulman! All the songs which I thought were already stale were suddenly given a fresh breath by dear Pam.

After a few songs, she stopped and said in that Filipino accent, “I should have joined Singapore Idol ya? Wasted la…”

The audience was already agreeing in unison. She really should have. At least her presence would make me watch Singapore Idol week in week out, if not knock that certain Joakim Gomez out of the competition!

But the guitarist snapped almost immediately, “In America, you win… you become millionaire. You win the Malaysian Idol, you become famous. But in Singapore, what can you be? 7-11 spokesperson…”

HAHAHAH! This guy truly rocks man! And when he sings, he sound like Robbie Williams! Gosh… he had just ignited my interest in downloading listening to Robbie Williams’ tunes. I really do wonder what our next Singapore Idol is gonna be.. or endorse. Be a ‘Cheers’ spokesperson maybe?

But the highlight of the night (well, Boys With Toys already made my night) is when an old uncle suddenly stood up and dance in the middle of the gig! And boy, he’s good! Sure enough it’s that kind of anyhow-dance-type but all his hip shaking and knees wobbling and arms swinging and a few (mis)attempted moonwalks is darn hilarious and entertaining! Still got taichi, yoga and pilates moves! Beat that man!

It caught me by surprise at first and I thought he was drunk but NO! He’s a healthy 61-year-old grandfather who came with his grandchild to coincedentally catch the gig. And at one point, he even danced to a few songs back-to-back! Whhooaaa!!! I don’t think I can even generate that much enthusiasm and energy lah!

The thing is, he got this emotionless look on his face when he dance. That’s why I mistook him for a drunkard. But it appears that he had tiny eyes, so even when he smile… he doesn’t seem like smiling? Hahaha! Cute uncle lah!

After every song, and dance by ‘Uncle’, Pam would go ” Uncle, you okay? You want water… I give you water. Check your pulse ya?”

Luckily he never do his routine when Pam belted out Evanescence’s ‘My Immortal’. I wouldn’t wanna imagine how his dance would be man…

Boys With Toys is darn good. It beats the ‘Baybeats’ performances a few week ago, no pun intended there eh. So good that I stayed there from 7pm to 10pm, with no regrets. Time flies so fast when you’re enjoying yourself, right? There’s no thumping bass, no screaming teenagers in your ears.. just mums and dads hugging each other, children clapping to the songs. Plus ‘Uncle’ providing us the laughs with his dance steps.

Momo? Zouk? MOS? No thanks… I’m a Hard Rock and Indochine kinda guy. =)

Pam’s finale of Aretha Franklin’s “I Will Survive” plus ‘Uncle’s’ guest appearance on stage is just the perfect ending note to my night.

Upon hearing the bottom 3 of American Idol, I really wonder if the votes of the supposedly 40 million people in America do really count in the eliminating process of the contestants. Or are they just a source of revenue for the people behind the Idol competition?

The Americans surely are able to differentiate between ‘good singing’ and ‘bad’ ones right?
If that’s so why the hell is this guy still able to smile his way happily for yet another week of Idol?

After so many seasons of Idol, have they gone ‘deaf’ or what here? Hah! I thought Singaporeans are the only ones who were dumb enough to keep contestants like Sylvester Sim right up to the Final round of Idol. It seems like the Americans have follow suit too, huh…

That is, provided that the votes were REALLY not rigged by the Idol management. But hey, no matter how a ‘reality TV’ programme works, they are still not as real as what you think it may be.

It all works the same way for any other ‘audience-get-to-vote’ contests. There’s bound to be a loser in the competition, in AI’s case, Bucky Covington. (He’s the real loser for me, at least in me eyes.) AI will keep Bucky in the competition and eliminate other contestants, and THUS make Americans think that they actually haven’t voted enough to keep their favourite contestants in the show! So much so that it makes Bucky look as if he’s got loads of supporters rooting for him.

C’mon lah, in Sylvester, I finally realised that people are actually swayed to vote for poseurs and not even give a damn about the singing qualities. But I doubt it’s the same over in the US. And for all the respect I have for Bucky, he’s not suitable for Idol.

So people will keep on keying in EVEN MORE votes for the remaining contestants and that will only mean ‘kerchiiing!’ for the Idol management.

I just have hope for Idol. As much as they want (more)money, please let Singapore’s edition be a lesson learnt. Don’t eliminate contestants who obviously have better singing qualities and let losers get the centre stage. Bucky ought to be out NEXT WEEK!!!

As for Sylvester, look at this guy…

Chris Daughtry. Remember the name. At least he doesn’t need to act cute and do those stupid poses in order to woo girls, in his case, voters. I wonder why and if girls actually fall for his cute demeanor.

Incidentally, I found this website for Sylvester Sim, obviously done by his lunatic fans.

And let me share with you their thoughts about their (fallen) idol. Presenting…

10 reasons why Sly rocks

1. It’s a relative thing. There’s just more stuff about Sly than Taufik in the press to get totally engrossed with. (Really? Like how he learnt how to smile only on Idol and got to do and ad on a toothpaste just ’cause of it? Sheesh..)

2.He’s got the vibe with the audience. That smile & that wink make all the girls’ heart flutter. (Wait, wait… that is after you have excluded those girls who have vomitted out of it.)

3.He has the most unique voice quality & pelvic pattern. (Yikes! Now to a girl’s heart is through the… pelvic pattern?)

4. He is cute.. apparently. (Whatever that makes you happy…)

5. He has a more defined image that people can pick up on. He even has a namesake - he’s a rocker dude with a cartoon cat’s name! And his diligence in working out his diction friction melts hearts. (I tot, I tot I saw a pussy(cat)! I did! I did! I did saw a pussy(cat)!)

6. He’s got stage presence. He has this hand pointing thang that’s his trademark. (Hand pointing thang=stage presence? You haven’t seen Eminem and 50 Cent perform live, have you?)

7. He does a mean Steven Tyler. (Steven who?)

8. He can storm the Chinese music scene on a regional level. (I hope he can weather the storm too, pun totally intended.)

9. He’s got the cool fringe. (That’s why he rocks? OMG! Spare a thought for our NS men! They are protecting our country and I think that rocks even more!)

10. Last but not least, Taufik is the R&B man. Obviously, only Sly rocks! (I don’t see anything that is obvious there, sadly…)

I just realised that I’ve been ranting about Sly. Sheesh… must be the hatred I’ve had for him from last year. And it would be foolish of you to think that that is a form of a grudge.