Bon Jovi In Kuala Lumpur 2015

So, anytime someone asks me about the best gigs by international acts I've seen on Malaysian soil, I always rattle out the same list:

3. Deep Purple at Shah Alam Stadium (can't remember the year, but it was the first time they were here)
2. Bryan Adams at PWTC (1993/94)
1. Bon Jovi at Shah Alam Stadium (1995)

Indeed, that Bon Jovi gig was truly a memorable show and was special in every way. 50,000 fans (paying RM50 each, ONLY), thronged to the stadium to welcome the hottest band in the world then. Local act Lost Souls played the opening set, but when Bon Jovi appeared on stage with the volume turned all the way up, it totally blew my mind.

But let's focus on the present. When I first heard about their possible date here, I was like, "Damnit, it's been 20 LONG years! Forget them, I'M the one who's old." Haha.

But yeah, immediately I knew I had to be there. Of course there were questions about if this could be as good as that last concert, and if the band would have enough in the tank to blow us all away yet again. After all, Jon Bon Jovi is now 53 years old! But then again, JBJ is not your ordinary rock star...

So when the day came, we were all pumped up for a rockin' good time. I was in a black tee and jeans, and as it turned out, so were 10,000 other guys of all ages who made their way to Merdeka Stadium.

This time, there was no opening act. 8.30pm and bam, Bon Jovi was on stage! Everyone screamed and the rockin' out began. Stage design was pretty simple but the decibel level was that of a legendary band's. The big screens on both sides of the stage gave everyone a closer look at the band members, and naturally JBJ always got the bigger ovation. (And maybe Dave Bryan, who hasn't changed his hairstyle in 30 years)

Of course everyone was also wondering about what kind of set list it was gonna be like. The "purist" that I am, I was hoping for more of the earlier stuff, but looking around as well, I knew most of these guys would totally explode at "It's My Life".

As it turned out, there were more of their "later period" tunes and more of the mid tempos, stuff that JBJ could still handle. No, this is not a criticism at all! Just an acknowledgement of human limits : )

So it was a pleasant surprise when they broke into "Raise Your Hands", taken from "Slippery When Wet". And Instinctively I also knew what was coming next... "You Give Love A Bad Name"! The crowd expectedly went wild with appreciation. And you know I rocked out as well lah.

And the crowd proved to be responsive throughout the night. Every time JBJ asked for some raised hands, or a chorus singalong, he always got the reaction, even though I sensed most were just basically waiting for "Have A Nice Day", and "It's My life".

Highlights for me were when Bon Jovi went ol' skool and blasted "In These Arms", "Keep The Faith", "Bad Medicine" and "Wanted Dead Or Alive".

But no, the band refused to play their monster ballads. You know which ones I'm talking about; "Always", "I'll Be There For You", "Never Say Goodbye".

I thought there was some chance of that when they returned for an encore, but that didn't happen too. Nevertheless, they closed a fine show on a real high with "Livin' On A Prayer" (there could not have been any other song).

Overall, it felt a bit like a reunion gig, seeing them again after 20 years. JBJ didn't really talk much, but they did demonstrate yet again why they'll always be one of the all time greats...

Kuching Marathon 2015

For the second year in a row, I flew all the way to East Malaysia for the Kuching Marathon this past August. It's also my second event after the Reach Out Run 2015 just before Ramadhan; which probably means I've reached my annual quota. Haha.

Anyway, this time around I had some other drama that pretty much ruined the whole trip for me. I had booked a room at Pullman (a hotel I really like because of the convenient location and service standards), but as I was driving to the airport, I received a call from their staff to say that they had "technical issues". She was spouting something about water supply being disrupted, but as I eventually found out, these were just LIES to cover up the fact that they had overbooked the rooms.

So their proposal was to transfer my reservation to another hotel for the first night only. I protested and tried to look for other alternatives, but I just couldn't find better options. As such, I had to put up at another hotel, which wasn't that bad, but was in the middle of nowhere. So after my arrival, I could only stay in the room watching TV and later on had my "carbo-loading" meal at a mamak place. Ugghhh.

Anyway, the morning of the event, Pullman did send a van to pick me up along with my stuff to the hotel. After leaving my bag at the concierge, I walked to the Start line to see a good crowd waiting for the 10km to start.

Overall, the run was more or less the same as what we went through last year. The weather was good, and the route was pretty flat, except for a bridge or two.

 I did a decent time, and the medal was definitely nice and unique.

After the run, I went back to Pullman, BUT they couldn't check me in yet, and I still had to wait till 2pm. Double ugghhhh.... I went to the pool area for a shower and with aching limbs and all, had to go out to "jalan-jalan" and kill time before I could get a room.

After finally checking in, I was just too annoyed to enjoy the rest of the stay. I watched a bit of footie at night and by the time I reached the Top Spot seafood place, the stalls were closed!

Ah well, I guess it's time to "retire" from this event. Thanks for the memories, Kuching Marathon!

ILMU Launched!

 

Alhamdulillah, the ILMU Education Group under Ekuinas has been successfully launched. Thanks and congrats to the team I worked with who had a small part in the event. And a big congrats to all at ILMU!

Three Years Ago Today... #ThrowbackThursday

I simply love the Facebook feature that feeds you "on this day" memories on a daily basis. They usually put a smile on my face, followed by "where did the time go?' musings.

And today, Facebook fed me the photo below...

Reading people's comments about me looking like an "innocent" student really made my morning. It was three years ago today that I started doing my certificate in filmmaking at Central Film School in London. It was a big decision, really. But with my family's support, and a grant from Mdec, I applied for time off from my job at Media Prima, and just basically did it.

And it was a great experience, really. Going back to class, taking notes and having group discussions and stuff. And being in London was not to shabby, either. Haha.

Every morning, I would walk from my apartment to the school in East London that included crossing the famous Tower Bridge.

And this was practically my breakfast almost every other day. : )

I left Media Prima about six months after coming back from the course, and since then I've done a couple of different things, including production full-time. And since then too, I've had two of my scripts made into feature films, executive produced one telemovie and three series, and co-wrote another two.

And recently, these works earned me two awards (for the whole team, not personally though), at the Anugerah Lawak Warna 2015.

Not too shabby indeed. So, thanks for reminding me of those "good 'ol days", Mr Zuckerberg!

Liverpool In Malaysia 2015

I still remember that day from four years ago. It was Liverpool's first visit to Malaysia and Match Day was what everyone hoped it'd be. The Bukit Jalil Stadium was packed to the brim with 90,000 die-hard Reds. The atmosphere was simply electric with constant cheers, loud horns and of course, heartfelt renditions of the anthem You'll Never Walk Alone.

I remember having to park the car so far away from the stadium. But it didn't matter to all three of us. And we were rewarded with a truly memorable day.

And so, when it was announced that Liverpool were coming back to KL, I did wonder if that experience could ever be topped. Must say that I doubted it for many reasons. The country's undergoing a strange phase now, having just been hit by GST, and with the match scheduled for just a week after Hari Raya, I knew tickets wouldn't be snapped up as fast as the last time around.

But you know that yours truly just had to be there. Hehe. No ifs or buts. Gerrard's no longer around, and the way we ended last season was something to be forgotten, but come on lah... we wouldn't wanna be like other "fans", would we? : )

The stadium was only half-full on match day, but it was still great to see so many other Reds that day, all in good spirits. We cheered the players on during the warm-up and broke into You'll Never Walk Alone again before the game began.

Brendan Rodgers fielded a good first eleven, and we got to see the likes of Milner, Clyne, Ibe, Lalana, Origi and captain Hendo in action. Malaysia meanwhile fielded a number of foreigners and did well to take the lead. And as you already know, Ibe scored a screamer of an equaliser and things were tied 1-1 at halftime, Which was also how it ended after 90mins.

I must admit that the game was only played at half-pace and didn't deliver the same kind of excitement we got from the 6-3 win four years ago. Maybe the fact that it was the Reds' last game on this Far East tour had something to do with it. The lads must already be thinking about home at this point.

But here's the best part; the new season is only days away now! And I must say that I'm optimistic it will be one with a lot to cheer about. Here we go!