Photos from MCOBA Dinner

I don't have much time to blog here, so let me just share the photos instead...

The formal photo of the band. From left: BroNadzri (lead/rhythm guitarist), BroTifli (lead keyboardist/vocalist), BroSadat (bass guitarist), BroMihad (percussionist/vocalist), Shazz (2nd keyboardist/pianist), BroArida (vocalist), BroWieBurn (drummer), BroAki (vocalist)

The goofy side of us... well, kinda.

Waiting for our turn, patiently... It's already midnight and Ahmad Fauzee's band was playing so passionately. At least I got to see Ahmad Fauzee in action, right in front of my nose (we were sitting at the table right in front of the band's stage).

The little stage for us. Keyboardists had to stand in front of the stage due to limited space. The vocalists... well, they prefered to be on the main stage beside us.

Concentrating hard - BroMihad, BroNadzri, BroWieBurn and BroSadat.

Not much of my photos, of course,

- Shazz @ DCmates

12 Nov 2008

The Big Night

Friday, 7th November 2008... 24 hours before the 'big night'. I arrived to check out the venue, waiting for Sadat to arrive - he called me right after I bought my dream hat at Sungai Wang Plaza! Right timing, bro!

Saturday, 8th November 2008... Let the photos do the talking (and I wil blog some more later if I'm free).

Timecheck 01:30PM, Istana Hotel lobby, empty but not quiet. Mihad said we can have lunch together (all the band members, I mean) around this time, but never mind, I already had mine. Hhmm... waiting...waiting...

Timecheck 01:40PM, the great Ballroom. The 'meeting' on coordination of agenda and setting up for the whole show was still going on. It's almost 2PM! Hhmm... it will be a loooooooong wait.

Saturday night jam at Jalan Bukit Bintang. I was on the way to Istana Hotel. Kenit called me around 8:45PM, checking on my situation - I was at my house main door about to leave, after an hour 'mending' on my make-up (I hate make-ups!). He said, the dinner had not yet started, so take your time... Yeah, right!



The moment I arrived, parked my car, about to rush to the lobby, I saw a group of 'weirdly-dressed boyz' walking towards me. Huh? "Why do you guys look so awful?! Hahaha!!" Thus, I joined them for a drink at the nearby Mamak restaurant. Sadat playing his mobile game, "This is the only thing I can do (while waiting)." Yeah, that's why I brought along a story book to read, just in case. From right: Shazz (2nd keyboardist), Sadat (bass guitarist), Tifli (lead keyboardist).


Mihad, in action, debating (or should I say, gossiping) on what had happened, what's happening, and what possibly will happen... Anything la dude, as long as you're happy. From left: Wieburn (drummer), Kenit (guitarist), Mihad (percussionist/vocalist), Aki (vocalist). Missing from picture: Arida (vocalist).


To be continued...

Saving the full story to the end,
- Shazz @ DCmates
10 Nov 2008

Jamming session 06 Nov 2008

I was a bit calmed down after the long (emotional) week. I arrived early, as usual, and waited for others. All of them arrived after 7:30PM, so imagine how bored I was waiting from 6PM.

As I was having my drink at the Mamak next door to the studio, I sorted out my file with the list of songs to be played. There was a lot of duplicates in the file, so I made quite a mess on the table. I just ignored the 'jelingan mamak' who noticed the lump of mess I made...

I thought we're taking out Runaway, but the boys insisted of sticking to the list. So Mihad and Tifli practiced hard on the song, making harmony out of the vocals. I guess the more they listened to the song, the better they understand how to 'pitch up' the high note in the chorus part. Good job, guys!

Overall, we ran through the whole list of songs twice, alongwith the narration and introduction from Tifli (as our band 'MC'). I tried to 'wiggle' some chords during the intervals of songs, as a background sound for the MC.

All went well. Hope to rock the dance floor, tomorrow night. Good luck to the DCmates!

Not sure if I could eat tomorrow, the tinge of nervousness is an inch away...,
- Shazz @ DCmates
07 Nov 2008

Jamming session 03 Nov 2008

I was pissed the day before, and it didn't go off due to my lack of sleep, monitoring my kiddo's high temperature overnight. The afternoon itself exhausted me even more, with running around sending kiddo to clinic etc, that I was feeling really down... stressed!

When I reached a parking spot in front of Rhythmix Studio, I didn't bother to walk up too far to K3K where my Band Leader would be. Mamak is enough for me, I didn't need WIFI anyway.

Sat down, ordered my light dinner and iced coffee, plugged my ears with "Sway" and started reading the music notes that Tifli gave last week.

Understanding and collaborating the rhythm and melody from both sides (softcopy audio and hardcopy visual) were quite tricky. I managed to write down the lyrics within the music notes, so that I could understand better how to come in for the keys melody and rhythm. I even had to sing out loud and snap my fingers to the tempo just to understand the 'slot-ins', etc.

After a while, Mihad called to verify the venue of our practice. (Huh?) At that same moment, our 2 vocalists (Arida and Kamal) arrived. They sat on another table, inviting me over to join them but I had to say 'no'.

Sorry, guys! I had to pack and go up to stamp on the 'poor' piano in the studio to understand these notes I just studied. Sigh...

I was tired enough to doze off in the studio for a while, before we started our jamming session. I requested to leave slightly earlier than the end time, because I needed to attend to my kiddo.

So roughly, we practiced all the songs mentioned in previous blog. All those songs were confirmed... until yesterday. Sadat emailed everybody that he could not sing and play "Runaway" at the same time, no matter how many times he practiced. Can't blame him though, it's not that easy, hehehe...

Thus, I left a message to Mihad over his Facebook status (since he looked more active in there compared to his email) to take out "Runaway" from our Saturday list of songs. Not just because Sadat can't sing, but also because I don't feel it's worth to force a song to be played just because it's my favourite, plus, I'm not in the full-blast mood for the dinner anymore to play such 'happy runny' song. Just wanna get over with this show and get lost!

Wow! So emotional hehehe... Sorry 'bout that. :-D

It's been a long year with the band... and being a committed band member who eventually still became a "nobody's friend" kinda make me piss. (If you read my personal blog, you know what I mean.)

With the amount of energy drained, emotions challenged, commitment tested, schedules juggled and money spent, I really think I've had enough. Friends in my Facebook are already aware that I'm "back into music", and that was after I uploaded photos from FSPU Band show (not DCmates show), so I guess that should be enough to kick start my little portfolio.

The aim was for people to know I can play music, and the mission is accomplished.

Still feeling down... and tired,
- Shazz @ DCmates
06 Nov 2008