"I know I believe in nothing but it's my nothing..."

Woo hoo! I can't wait to catch Manic Street Preachers next month when they drop by town! This has been a great year for shows for me. This, coupled with Radiohead is like reviving my years in the 90's. The following videos are of them rehearsing or performing a couple of my favourite tunes as a 5 piece band and they sound in top fucken form!!!

Roses In The Hospital



Umbrella (Rihanna cover)


Yeah, apparently they have playing this a lot at their recent shows. This and Nirvana's 'Pennyroyal Tea'.

All Surface, No Feelings



Faster

Masturbators for men...

Bryan found this online. Never fails to astonish me what the fuck he surfs for all the time...

Kanye West tomorrow!

Love Lockdown (live)



Billy doesn't really like this new single so much. I'm pretty stoked to be catching Kanye West live tomorrow with Robin and Billy. Should be excellent!!! I researched (aka Googled) his recent set list and it looks pretty decent. I'm sure he'll be performing his latest 2 tunes: 'Love Lockdown' and 'Heartless' as well.

And Ko Flow and Dhani will be opening. So it's all good man!

I've been researching Manic Street Preachers' as well. I hope they stick the opener which they did for the past few shows in May and June. 'Faster' from The Holy Bible!!! ZMOGWTFBBQ!!! That's like one of my favourite Manics tunes ever!!!

Probably the last photos...

I took some photos off Nat.


We went to this area where there were quite a lot of vintage clothing shops. And babysitters who pushed toddlers around in these prams which the kids stand in. Too cute for words. But they didn't really allow people to take photos of the kids. The kids waved at us a lot though. And I had a late lunch with Jay at the Japanese pasta restaurant in the background.


We were at Shinjuku with a whole bunch of Singaporeans. We chanced upon this dinghy yakitori eating house. Too expensive for my liking though. Apparently, Anthony Boudain shot a feature here before.


U/T, the shop which Nat brought us. The T-shirts are mainly manga and anime-inspired and come in plastic canisters. How cool is that?!?!


Rafi, me and Jay at the place with the kick-ass katsudon...

!

! from Brian Koh on Vimeo.

A friend Brian shot this documentary with his friends for his final year project. He explains why he makes a documentary about vulgarities here.

Even more Tokyo photos...

This time, I stole some from Rafi. We drank every night. Well, more so he did than me. The Sapporo beer cost around $2.50 per can at our hotel's vending machine.


I was trying to save some money by ordering a cheap meal set. The katsudon above is still around $20 at this Maisen restaurant at Omotesando off Harajuku. It's decently priced. This ain't no normal pig man... The meat was from a black pig. It was fucken awesome. I can't never go back to normal katsudons again... When I read the menu and it said 'black pig', this popped into my mind immediately.


Ryoga Hibiki, one of the characters from Ranma ½ who turns from human to a black piglet upon touching cold water. It is a fucken hilarious manga. I love it! Hey, I was in Japan, the land of manga and anime. Of course, all these images started popping in my mind.


The lime sorbet which followed the katsudon. According to Nat, I had a moment of being extremely touched upon eating the sorbet.


Had the same hot chocolate as Rafi at this cafe called 100% Chocolate which is a cafe dedicated to serving only well, chocolate. Who would have thought that putting rosemary into hot chocolate would be such a sweet idea? Literally and figuratively.


Rafi's wafer (above) was filled with white chocolate cream while mine was pistachio green. Orgasm in a wafer...

More Tokyo photos...

This time round, I stole them from Jay.


Going to the Tsukiji Fish Market. Nat, me and Jay in the reflection and Cherry


The hairy crabs look damn amazing. I wonder how they taste like... Hurhurhur.


The fish market. Literally


Glorious seafood.


The restaurant in the fish market.


My breakfast which was what we all had. Raw sea urchin (the lighter orange slimy thing) and scallop (the 2 lychee look-alike) rock my bollocks until they cannot be rocked anymore... Utterly orgasmic.


Oh, sea urchins. You look like fuck but you taste oh so good!


Coming back from the Tsukiji Fish Market, going to this vintage clothing area.

American Ninja

A few friends and I have always talked about our love for the cheesy 80's B-grade flicks we grew up watching. It doesn't fuckin' get more classic than 'American Ninja'. Seriously, it's so cheesy that it will be a great party flick. Pop in the DVD (that is if it's even available...) and get some beer and nachos.

I love this movie!!! My love for it is almost the same as 'Return Of The Killer Tomatoes'!!!

Click on the YouTube player to access the rest of the movie. It is hosted on YouTube in 10 parts.

Wedding bells...

Sham and Anne threw a wedding reception on Saturday afternoon. Linda and Johnson held their wedding dinner in the evening as well.

It is through what we have done with Aging Youth that we gotta know these fine folks. And it is truly an honour and really great that I've got invited for these wedding shindigs. Truly the best gigs of the year.

PS: Sham's suit look really good. Feel like getting one myself.

Kanye yeah!

Kanye West is letting you download a new song from his upcoming album 808s and Heartbreak from his blog. But before you hustle over to get a love grip on the tune, please note that the page is NSFW.

He posted quite a bit of pictures from the listening party where there were 40 naked women lounging around. So if you are in the mood for some vocodered vocals, a slinky beat, titties and snatches, head on over.

His blog rocks. He likes to put up pictures of scantily clad women as well. I feel a certain bonding...

WTF... part 1

I was smoking outside the canteen this afternoon, finishing up the cigarette before going for lunch. Then this burly Indian dude walked by me. He smiled at me and said that the whole bald pate thing looks "fierce". Being the courteous fucker that I am, I smiled and thanked him.

So he asked me why I did it and what I was doing. Which I replied. He mentioned that he just finished an appointment with a client and he was a fortune teller. And he wasn't local but from Sri Lanka.

This guy was dressed in a dark grey long-sleeve shirt which has seen its best years many years ago. His long hair was unkempt which looked like he didn't really believe in the wonders of shampoo or conditioner for many days. Weeks, even. But that's me being mean. His eyeballs was gaunt and lifeless.

Please bear in mind that the conversation is taking place at a carpark near the canteen under the hot sun.

And that was followed by a barrage of questions on if I'm working or doing my own business. He gave me some advice about running my own business that 2009 would be my year and I should never have partners (Hurhurhur...). He also divulged if I were to plonk some money in Toto or 4D, I will win. But I will only win once this year so I can't squander that chance. Of course, he asked if I wanted to know more.

I was like, "Dude, it's okay."

He went, "You know, you can never miss out on luck..."

So I entertained him a bit more as he whipped out this navy blue pouch which was tattered at the sides. Really old looking thing. He took out some small pieces of paper and a pen, asking me "What's my favourite 4 numbers?"

Oooooh, he's giving me 4D numbers!!!

Which I replied. He furiously scribbled into it and crumbled it. He asked me to hold it in my left hands. He started asking another set of questions which got progressively less entertaining. Then, I just broke it to him, "Dude, I gotta go for my lunch." and dropped the paper in his hand.

He took it and turned to walk away. Muthafucka didn't even look me in the eye or thank me or whatever...

Dodgy fortune teller trying to con (solicit business) a guy with only $5 in his wallet for lunch: FAIL!!!

For me, I could have read his fortune as well. Here's my analysis.

Next year will be his year too. The government has just announced the country is in a recession. His industry will pick up as most people will become paranoid and turn to superstitious/ religious ways to find a guiding path out of the whole quagmire.

However, his business will not do as well as his peers just because he looks fucken dodgy and unkempt. Get a fucken haircut and new clothes, dude! You look like a guy who just woke up from the dumpster...

Masters Of The Universe

Robin and I were talking about how much it is of a bitch to try getting our grubby hands on the DVD of the live-action movie. It stars Dolph Lungren, for fuck's sake!!! One useless piece of trivia: Frank Langella who played Skeletor in the movie was Perry White in Superman Returns. Yeah, back to your regular programming.

Catch part 2, part 3, part 4 and part 5. Brings a solidarity tear to my eye.

Telebury - Overdrive (live)

One of my favourite bands from KL, Malaysia! Frontman Adrian probably changes his line-up like his underwear. Adlin played in this one. His floppy hair really tickles me! Hahaha.

Bjork (ft. Antony Hegarty) - Dull Flame Of Desire

Featuring 2 of my favourite singers out there, Bjork and Antony. Bjork has recently announced a new single with Thom Yorke 'Nattura' in support of the Icelandic green movement.

Tokyo pictures

Since I didn't bring any camera, I've to resort to stealing others' photos. These are courtesy of Joanna.



RADIO-FUCKEN-HEAD!!!



I met Simon, Joanna, Hakim, Wandy and his brother at Harajuku on Sunday to head down to Harajuku's Yoyogi Park to catch the indie bands. At the corner, there were all these peeps utterly devoted to the 50's rockabilly and dancing at the corner of the park. I call them the Extreme Elvises.



Check out that fucken hair!!! I cannot stop laughing lah...



They downed their beers and started dancing. I see certain similarities...



Simon and me



Wandy's brother, Wandy, Hakim, me and Joanna




Loovee. They had a huge set-up for busking on the streets complete with para-para dance moves. The album was Yen2,500 (around S$36). If it were any cheaper, I would have bought a copy!

JUNK Sounds awards...

The Lard Brothers have been nominated in the inaugural JUNK Sounds awards which is organised by JUNK Magazine. You can vote for us here. We are up against friend Eu Seng of flica in the Best Regional Electronic/ Fusion Act category.

I love his stuff but this is a cut-throat competition, dammit! There might be beer to be won!!!

Click on the "Register & start voting" button. All you need to do is to register your name and email address. Voting ends on 30 November. And results will be out in January 2009.

Allura is nominated for Best Breakthrough Act as well! So vote vote!!!

Akira Kosemura & Haruka Nakamura - Azure

Should have bought this album which is a collaboration between the 2 artists when I saw it at Tower Records on Tuesday. The Akira Kosemura album is pretty good (but fucken expensive). I guess the closest thing/ musical aesthetic in Singapore we have to Schole Records (which both Japanese acts are under) are aspidistrafly and Life Without Dreams.

Suddenly, I feel very charged and pumped to do a new album!!!

Back home...

... and reality bites.

Tokyo Day 7

I'm coming home tomorrow, leaving on a 7pm flight. I doubt I'll be online tomorrow.

Going about town to do some retail therapy. Will probably go up the Tokyo Tower and head down to Akihabara to hunt for some manga/ animae T-shirts.

Nice.

"It's gonna be a glorious day..."

- Radiohead, 'Lucky'

Tokyo Day 6

Out the whole day walking around. Probably will start looking buying some more clothes tomorrow. Going to the Sapparo Beer Museum and Tokyo Tower on my own tomorrow. And it'd be straight to Shinjuku to the Zara shop (Rafi recommends the sales assistants) and Shibuya's Tower Records (getting the Japanese version of The Verve's Forth).

The rest of the guys are moving up to Kyoto. I'll be crashing the night at Chee Ken's place. Returning in 2 days' time.

It has been pretty fast... Now, I've sorta formed an idea for my next trip...

Tokyo Day 5

Just came back from meeting Simon and Joanna at Harajuku. Saw a few cosplayers. Not that many. Hung out at Yoyogi Park to see some of the local indie bands busking. Some of them are really quite impressive, especially this act Loovee. They had an amazing set-up with their own horn section and coordinated para-para dance moves. They got some uncles dancing along with them. That was hilarious. I wanted to get their album but it was way too expensive at Y2,500 which is ard S$36. But I signed up for their mailing list which they walked around getting people to sign for it.

They mailed everyone I supposed. I got this in the mail like 10 minutes ago.

Today,Yoyogi Parkで演奏していた、LOOVEEのSax.Koharuです☆
わたしたちのえんそうをきいて、MessageをかいてくれてThank you!
たのしんでもらえたみたいでよかった☆

LOOVEEはEvery Sunday,きょうとおなじところでえんそうしています(Next weekだけはMondayです！！)
くわしくはLOOVEEのHPでCheckしてね☆
http://www.loovee.net/
My spaceでは、LOOVEEの２nd Albumのきょくがきけるよ！！

ぜひまたあそびにきてね♪
See you again!!

LOOVEE Koharu

I'm lost in translation.

Saw some Extreme Elvis and some chicks dancing around in the park in a-go-go style, like the 50's never ended. The couple had to leave to catch Radiohead, leaving me with Hakim, Wandy and his brother. We walked around and to Shibuya.

After a quick dinner which I ate on my own (pork ramen with runny eggs which Edwin is insanely in love with) as the boys are staunch Muslims (they did McDonald's), we headed to Disc Union, an indie store recommended by Nat.

It's an evil place.

I got 2nd hand copies of Manic Street Preachers's New Art Riot EP and the Lipstick Traces compilation, Haven and Super Furry Animals' debut and a Spiritualized DVD. I've gotten a local artist as well: Akira Kosemura (or something). Will check the spelling later. Can never get Japanese names right.

Retail therapy rocks!

Tokyo Day 4

Caught Radiohead live at last!!! Moments of being VERY touched when they played my favourite choon 'Lucky'!!! And they did 'Street Spirit' and 'Talk Show Host'. They played a few b-sides too apparently.

HELL YEAH!!!

Tokyo Day 3

Came back from shopping. The rest are still at Meguno, checking out some stuff while I came back to dump the shopping. Got myself a damn kick-ass Dragon Ball Z T-shirt at Kiddyland. And were at this manga speciality T-shirt store UT and got another one.

Will be meeting Simon and Joanna for dinner at Shibuya. And Errol and Lesley at the Cinematic Orchestra show.

Woo hoo!

Cab fare is going to be a bitch though. Sigh...

Tokyo Day 2

So we sat at the small bar/ eatery across the hotel last night. It was pretty hilarious to see the 2 girls nodding excitedly away while the owner rattled away in Japanese. They almost looked like they understood him perfectly.

The sashimi at Tsukiji Market was orgasmic. Couldn't be any fresher... I felt like those characters in the manga, Jin Tai Sushi after taking a bite, especially the whole swimming bit... After the meal, everyone on the table is convinced that scallops SHOULD be eaten raw. I nearly came in my pants after popping it in my mouth.

We went down to this area where there were a lotta shops selling vintage clothes. Pretty cool but nothing much for guys. There is a Japanese style pasta restaurant which I ordered a soy milk cream sauce pasta with bacon and runny boiled egg (half-boiled egg). It was insanely good.

Now Jay and I are back in the hotel while the 2 girls are still rampaging through the said vintage clothes shopping disrict. Waiting for Rafi to join us in an hour's time.

I heard that we might be going down to Park Hyatt (if I got the name right) to the bar which Sophia Coppola shot Bill Murray drinking in the movie 'Lost In Translation' later tonight. I'm not too sure if we are heading to the karaoke joint where they shot the scene of him and Scarlett Johannson partying.

We will see. Tomorrow, the music concerts start!!!

PS: Quite a lotta cute looking girls around the Shibuya area. No wonder another friend Derrick said that his eyes were aching (from checking out too many chicks)...

Tokyo Day 1

In this period of time which has been pretty shitty for me, I've made it to Tokyo.

I took the same flight as Nat and we met up with Jay who will be my room-mate for the next few days. Cherry just popped into the hotel with us after meeting us at Shibuya. We are back in the hotel and going out for quick drinks soon. Prolly going to be an early night.

Tomorrow is breakfast sashimi day!

Edit: I just found out that the Radiohead show has a support act Modeselektor. Should be interesting. And I've decided to join the rest to catch The Cinematic Orchestra on Friday. While I'm not a fan, I love their tune 'To Build A Home'. The supporting acts are great; Flying Lotus, DJ Food and a few more are opening the shows.

Yay!