Continuing from my previous post, the second and last part of the review is on the HTC BoomBass speaker accessory. I was sent an HTC BoomBass to test out together with a HTC
One Max. On it’s own, the HTC One Max is
already quite an entertainment powerhouse.
The large 5.9” display and the HTC BoomSound dual front facing speakers
can stand alone in delivering both high quality video and audio in the
smartphones category. Using the HTC
BoomBass (which is also compatible with the HTC Butterfly S and HTC One0 was easy straight out of the box
which is what I like most about it. It
connects wirelessly to the HTC One Max with just a simple NFC (Near Field
Communication) tap on the cute 64 x 64 mm (2.5 x 2.5 ")speaker cube and it disconnects the same way
too.
It also works as a reclining stand
as the base slides out for one to position the phone in place, making it easy
to watch videos and movies. The built-in-battery has lasted me quite a while, I
have lost count of how long I have been using it on a one time charge. So no worries about battery unless we
ourselves forget to recharge it! :o)
Here's the HTC One, reclining on the HTC Boom Bass (that's Once Upon A Time, if you're wondering what show that is...)
The HTC BoomBass does not increase the audio volume but enhances
audio the way a sub woofer does, adding bass (hence the name) for a richer and deeper tone. This is clearly notable when I am watching
movies, the HTC BoomBass gives me a more enjoyable mini-cinema experience especially when I am watching on the HTC One Max. For music, it depends on the original quality
of the audio files firstly. I find that
it works better for ballads, classical and instrumental music whereas it seemed
a tad “overworked” and strained for
trance tracks. Check out the full specifications HERE
Overall though, it’s a
great accessory to have around especially for on-the-go sharing video/movie
viewing and music experience with family and friends.
Arriving early, the Oval Concourse at 1Utama was already abuzz with a sea of people. The crowd was here to catch a glimpse of Sammi Cheng, who is the newest ambassador for OSIM uAngel. Before we get to see Sammi pics, what exactly is the uAngel? OSIM uAngel is the world's first sofa that transforms into a massage chair. Yes, you read it right ... a TRANSFORMER sofa! :)
By the looks of the units on display, the uAngel sofa is indeed rather small in size...unlike the other much bigger versions of massage chairs in general that are available in the market currently. Quite a number of people I know have thought about getting massage chairs but didn't in the end as they found the massage chair to be a rather clunky piece of furniture. Well, uAngel might just be the answer to overcome that issue.
Check out the video of Sammi Cheng and her OSIM uAngel sofa ...
Well, we got to see Sammi Cheng in person to promote OSIM's latest product. Here are some the photos highlighting the event in 1Utama.
When I received an invitation to a media preview of Cyril's Family Vacation series, I was delighted. Firstly, Cyril is one of my favourite illusionist. I remember watching the YouTube video of Cyril's illusion with the Lacoste crocodile logo.
Take a look at the video that first made me a fan of Cyril.
So it was a rather sweet moment for me to be able to meet him in person. Well, sort of in person :o). Cyril is back in a new 6 half hour episode edition of Cyril's Family Vacation with has a magical storytelling approach showcasing not only Cyril's magic but also his "family members"; Grandma Magi, Uncle Richard and Cousin Tiny. These characters are in fact Cyril himself (he has donned disguises before in his previous acts). The show will be using hidden cameras to catch the unsuspecting "magic" assistants' reactions. Candid reactions are always best and are sure to make us laugh like I did when I saw the sneak preview.
Serena C, looking as Hawaiian as she can be. Cute!
Serena C was the emcee for that day and after a short intro, she introduced Gregory Ho (Vice President, Marketing & Head of Communications Network, Asia) from Sony Pictures Television. We then anticipated the arrival of Cyril when Gregory's mobile rang. It was Cyril saying that he was extremely sorry that he couldn't be there in person as he had to fly back to Japan immediately to tend to an urgent matter.
Mr Gregory Ho putting Cyril on speaker as he apologised to us for not turning up (or so it seems...)
However, Grandma Magi will be there instead to tend to the media. Shortly after, Cyril, disguised as Grandma Magi appeared and amused us as she made her way into the room and flirted with a few young men sitting in the crowd.
With 2011 gone and the arrival of 2012, we face yet another brand new year ... we're already on the 3rd day, out of the 366 days since 2012 is a leap year. Thank God for his continuous blessing and may 2012 be a better for one and all.
"We have to get to know each other better...
...it makes us understand one another better,
trust each other more, and live together more peacefully."
That is the United Buddy Bears motto and 143 bears from all over the world will be on display, promoting peace and harmony, at Pavilion along Jalan Bukit Bintang. Started in Berlin back in 2002, it will be in Kuala Lumpur from 8 Dec 2011 till 15 February, 2012. I took some pics of the bears (about 60 of them! Did these over 2 trips, I might go back again to take those that I missed out on), here they are ... (read up more about United Buddy Bears and their mission trip HERE).
There are 16 Google Doodles on Google.com today, celebrating the 76th Birthday of Charles Roger Hargreaves (9 May 1935-11 September 1988). The Google Doodles feature some of Roger Hargreaves' characters. I've made a gif file of them .... enjoy!
Here's a list of the 16 characters :- Little Miss Chatterbox Little Miss Curious Little Miss Magic Little Miss Naughty Little Miss Shy Little Miss Tiny Mr Bump Mr Dizzy Mr Forgetful Mr Funny Mr Happy Mr Messy Mr Rush Mr Slow Mr Tickle
You'll see all 16 of them with each new page upload (just press F5 to refresh the page) :o)
By the way, did you know on May 21, 2010 Google's Doodle was an interactive Pac-Man game, celebrating it's 30th anniversary that day. It was so popular that Google set up a permanent link (for now...) for those who would still like to have a go at that game. Play Google's Pac-Man HERE.
I had a fantastic weekend as I finally participated in my first flash mob and what flash mob could be better than a GLEE flash mob! Since GLEE is my favourite show, I was very keen to join indeed. I studied the moves on my own through a tutorial video and then attended two more rehearsals at The Gardens before going into real action on Saturday at 2pm at The Gardens Ground Level (positioned on the right - there were others on 1st Level and 2nd Level too).
I had a great time...as a GLEE fan, truly an experience to cherish and I enjoyed every single moment of it. Thanks to Random Alphabets for organizing this flash mob. However, from the aspect of a participant of a flash mob, it was a bit disappointing as there weren't that many onlookers at The Gardens. The few hundreds of us definitely couldn't "blend" into the crowd and stood out like a very BIG sore thumb as we waited for our cue to start. Without enough genuine spectators (doesn't include friends, relatives, media who were aware and prepared), it defeats the purpose of surprising folks with a flash mob. So, at the end of the day ... we put aside our disappointment and we just danced for our very own enjoyment, crowd or no crowd! Boy! We danced alright ... I think I flung my arms so vigorously till they almost detached from my body (my arms and legs are aching from the few minutes "workout" on Saturday while I had survived the two hour rehearsals I went through (TWICE) without such body aches!)
Here are some behind the scenes photos of Glee Flash Mob preparation and show time from Random Alphabets Facebook page, Here's also one of the many videos I got off from YouTube showing the performance. There are many more if one were to do a search for "Glee Flash Mob Gardens KL" in YouTube. Check out the dance ....
And since we were dancing for ourselves anyway...we even had an encore (quite unheard of for "flash mob") and the second time round was totally awesome! Us, Gleeks gave our "all out" performance which nearly brought The Gardens down, hahaha.... Check out the video! Truly a performance of a lifetime :o)
I can now strike "Flash Mob" off from my bucket list ;o). I'll remember 8 May 2010 for the rest of my life for it was a great day!
555 Mission Street, an all glass 33 storey tower is one of San Francisco's signature tower as it's the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) development in the city. According to 555 Mission Street website, Tishman Speyer (the developer) is taking the following measures:-
Refrigerants in all building heating and cooling systems that emit compounds that contribute to ozone depletion and global warming have been eliminated.
The building has been designed so that the energy systems and building envelope exceed California's energy code performance by 5%. Exceeding the energy code means the building uses less energy than a typical office tower, saving fossil fuels.
The architectural curtain wall was designed to enable direct views of the outdoor environment for 90% of the building's occupants.
At least 10% of the materials used in the construction of the building are from recycled sources. The vast majority of the recycled content is from the building structural steel and in the aluminum curtain wall, not recycled materials used inside the building.
The building mechanical design will bring in 30% more fresh air to all occupied spaces than required by code.
An alarmed air quality monitoring system ensures that ventilation systems maintain design minimum ventilation requirements.
All adhesives and sealants, paints and coatings, and carpet systems used in building meet or exceed the low VOC (volatile organic compounds) requirements of the South Coast Air Quality Mgmt District, Rule 1168, providing better indoor air quality to people with respiratory sensitivities.
Total water usage the building is reduced by at least 30% through careful selection of water efficient fittings and fixtures.
The roof will be a highly reflective, lightly colored 'cool roof' system that will reduce the affect of urban heat islands.
The development will include designated parking spaces for low emission and fuel efficient vehicles.
Cool, eh? Check out the photos I took ... By the way, pardon my ignorance but does anyone know if we have any such LEED development in Malaysia?
555 Mission Street, San Francisco
There are art pieces around the area. This is Human Structures by Jonathan Borofsky.
By now, if you're not one of the 12 million plus who have viewed Susan Boyle's performance on YouTube, it's still not too late to be part of the ever growing number! I have forwarded the link to my friends and thought that I should put it up here too. Susan Boyle suddenly became an overnight sensation when she auditioned on Britain's Got Talent. Why is that?
Because of the way she looked? Because of the fact that she's 47 years old? Because no one believed in her? Because people didn't take her seriously when she said she wanted to emulate Elaine Page? It makes us all think about how we treat or judge others .... a wake up call indeed.
Well, when Susan Boyle started to sing....Boy! Did she SING!!!!!!!!! I put together some screen capture of her video here...capturing especially the change in the judges' expresssion (only Amanda was not shown being skeptical at first, but pleasantly surprised when Susan started singing). The guilty judges were Piers Morgan and Simon Cowell!
To enjoy the actual video (sorry, embedding is disabled by YouTube), click HERE and be part of millions who have gotten the Susan Boyle Experience!
UPDATED! A 1999 recording of Cry Me A River performed by Susan Boyle has been unearthed (apparently discovered by the Scottish newspaper, The Daily Record). Click on it for a listen (AUDIO only).
I found out about this music video when Sandra posted this on her Facebook. I found the video so fascinating and love the way the video was shot with all that stop motion. And the song is pretty cool too. It was uploaded on YouTube on Jan 19 and has already been viewed over 2 million times! If you haven't seen it, go ahead, click the Play button...
I discovered this cool video when I stumbled onto a blog called Split Screen. This video is done by Francois Macre singing Thriller acapella style using 64 frames (with 64 tracks produced) - each frame delivering a different track of the song. His singing voice is quite weak but I give him 110% for his ingenuity and hard work recording this video. Check it out - see how much work Francois Macre did! He spent 350 hours singing this song and 2 1/2 months putting this video together! It's amazing!
At around 8.50 am on Friday, I had missed a call. When I checked the number, it was an unfamiliar 016 Digi number. However, a lady left a voicemail in Bahasa Malaysia asking me to return call as it was regarding the Star Movies Fan Fest.
I had entered a contest that Astro had in conjunction with the Star Movies Fan Fest that ended on Aug 31 and at that point, I really wanted to win something. But I had forgotten about this contest till Friday. Calling back the 016 Digi number twice and being unable to get someone to pick up a phone, I was beginning to wonder if it was a legit call or maybe someone who got hold of my data and was trying to pull a fast one on me. It was at this point that I decided to get in touch with an Astro contact of mine, YY, a very helpful person (whom I had briefly met once). I told her about the strange call I had and wanted to know if Astro would ever have any outsiders representing them and calling from a 016 Digi number. She wasn't too sure herself but told me that it was indeed a third party who handles the Star Movies Contest and that she will make some calls and find out for me.
5 hours passed and I didn't get a call from either 016 or YY. I was a bit restless and wanted to solve the mystery, trying to ascertain whether it was a genuine call rather than being excited that I have won something. I decided to call the 016 Digi number again and someone answered the call this time.
Me : "Tadi saya ada panggilan dari nombor ini. Ini tempat mana???" (I had a call from this number. Where is this place???)
She : "Ini ................., Cik siapa?" (This is.........., who are you, Miss?)
Me : "Saya W....M....W, tadi saya dengar voicemail, Cik kata Star Movies" (I'm W... M... W..., I heard the voicemail just now and you mentioned Star Movies)
She : "Oh, awak Cik W... M... W...., bila awak nak datang ambik hadiah?" (Oh, you're Miss W... M... W..., when are you coming to pick up your prize?)
Me : "Huh? Apa hadiah tu?" (Huh? What prize is that?) - At this point I must say, I was just probably expecting to win a consolation prize as the whole matter was dealt in such a light manner by her.
She : "Ohh...hadiah Grand Prizeeeeee..." (Oh....it's the Grand Prizeeee....)
Me : "Huh? Grand Prize???????" - Now, I heard it but it wasn't registering at that time.
She : "Ya, Grand Prize. Cik tak percaya?" (Yes, Grand Prize. You don't believe?)
Me : "Saya tak percaya ni. Betul ke?" (I don't believe it. It's it true?)
She : Ya cik. Cik menang .... (Yes miss. You won....)
(Illustrated and detailed below for the benefit of those reading. She of course didn't say it in so many words)
Sony 40” HD Ready LCD TV with HDMI Cable (KLV-40V300A) (RM 5,499.00)
See that look of disbelief on Captain Jack Sparrow's face? I had that same look as I listened to her and she continued on...
Sony Home DVD Theatre System (DAV-DZ850KW) (RM 2,999.00)
and lastly some exclusive Star Movies merchandise
At this time, I was still skeptical but listened on as she told me to make arrangements to collect my prizes. I hung up, sitting down and staring at my phone in disbelief. I decided to call YY. When I did get her on the line, I started to tell her my conversation with the Malay lady and as I was almost reaching the part about her telling me that I won the Grand Prize, YY excitedly told me that I had indeed won the Grand Prize. There was a second or two of silence and I must say, YY was more happy and excited than I was at that time! I thank her for her help and after I got off the line, I was still sitting down and staring at my phone in my hand. I was dumbstruck.....and I'm still pretty dumbstruck. Well now, I'm happy and dumbstruck. Thank goodness I can type it all out. Hahaha....
Well, I've certainly won a few contest from Astro during my 5 years of being an Astro subscriber and I probably got back quite a fair share of my subscription fees ;o), This is my biggest win from any competition so far from Astro or from all the contests that I've participated here and there. A few exciting things that I've won from Astro so far (not including merchandise) :-
Trip to Hong Kong for 2 with front row seats tickets to watch Santana "Live" at the Hong Kong Harbour Fest
Il Divo concert tickets - 2 tickets worth RM1000 each with one night stay at Mandarin Oriental Hotel plus Spa Treatment for 2.
I had been following Astro's Wah Lai Toi "Heart Of Greed" TVB series when I sighted a contest being held to meet with the cast of the series over dinner in Kuala Lumpur. Checking out Astro's website, I clicked on AstroLife and entered the contest. Couple of days later, I told Mom about the contest and she was skeptical that I would be able to win her the chance to meet with the cast. I like the drama but I entered the contest more for my mother as I know she would be thrilled to meet them up close and personal.
I had forgotten about the contest till I received an email from Astro...
" Thank you for participating in the recent "Heart Of Greed" Contest organized by AstroLife and TVB. We are pleased to inform you that you have won 2 invitations to the溏心夜宴Heart of Greed Dinner with the invited 溏心风暴Heart of Greed stars (Ms Louise Lee (李司棋), Mr Ha Yu (夏雨), Ms Michelle Yim (米雪), Mr Moses Chan (陈豪), Mr Raymond Lam (林峰), Ms Tavia Yeung (杨怡) and Mr Louis Yuen Siu-Cheung (阮兆祥) at this event.
Please find below for the details of the event:
Date : 16th August 2008 (Saturday)
Time : 7.00pm – 10.30pm
Attire : Smart casual Venue : Noble Banquet 阳城宴会厅, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur"
(L-R) Raymond Lam Fung, Tavia Yeung, Louise Lee, Har Yu, Michelle Yim, Moses Chan Ho, Louise Yuen
I was excited for my mom but couldn't let her know till the next morning as she had already turned in for the night when I read that email. I was wide awake that night and had trouble falling asleep and was already up at 7 am. When I finally got hold of my mom on the phone and told her the good news, she didn't seem to believe me! It took me a couple more minutes to go over the news before it jolted her senses and she was indeed happy!
So, came August 16 (we had to "abandon" my sis and Aly, who were here in Malaysia visiting) and made our way to Noble Banquet. We were speculating how many people will be attending and thought maybe there will be about 7 tables and hopefully one TVB star will sit at one table each. Well, that was wishful thinking...
When we reached there we found out there were 50 tables of invited guests (500 people in attendance!!!) and my hopes were dashed to take photos of them, let alone WITH them. Security was rather tight and I managed to shove my camera in an opening along with many others to just click away at whatever was there! They were sitting in enclosed section with some VIPs and media folks, taking photos with the VIPs and signing autographs away.
I'm hooked on checking out the acts on Britain's Got Talent. This time I came across this incredible dog! Check it out....It even got Simon Cowell saying "Oh My God!" in astonishment!
Thank Goodness It's Friday! Have a Great Weekend everyone!
I was invited via Food Street Malaysia to Starhill on 13 May recently for the media conference on Midsummer Nights Feast. A 10 day Gourmet Festival starting from 11 July – 20 July will see Feast Village at Starhill Gallery transform into a gourmand's paradise. With Middle Eastern, Thai, Korean, Japanese, Italian, Malay, Western, Peranakan and Nyonya specialties to choose from, be prepared for a true taste adventure and indulgence in fine cuisine.
What's unique about this festival is that diners will also be entertained not only through their taste buds but also visually with theatrical performances in collaboration with The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac).
The list of the participating restaurants are as follows : -
Enak KL Fishermans’s Cove Jake's Charbroil Steaks Jogoya KoRyo-Won Luk Yu Tea House My Thai Pak Loh Chiu Chow Sentidos Tapas Shook Tarbush Vansh
After a speech and slide presentation by Ms Steffanie Chua, General Manager of Starhill Gallery, the media were given a food presentation tour and food tasting to give us an insight as to what's in store for diners during the festival. The food tasting session turned out to be a feast loaded with scrumptious goodies. They were all so delicious but if I had to pick, my favourite of the evening was the Roast Wagyu Rump Steak!
Roast Wagyu Rump Steak from Shook!
We were also treated to some lovely desserts (I loved the fruit tartlets!) and given three cupcakes in cute carrier boxes as door gifts. Jackie Chan's Cafe was also on hand for those who needed a cup to further perk them up for an end to a wonderful evening.
Here are some highlights to look out for during Midsummer Nights Feast.
11 July 2008 Friday 5 p.m. - 7 p.m Opening Ceremony Of Midsummer Nights Feast
7 p.m – 12 a.m Opening Gala Dinner for Midsummer Nights Feast with Midsummer Night Ballet Performance by KLPac
12 July 2008 Saturday
7 p.m – 12 a.m. Night of Eastern & Oriental Express
Diners will experience the world class cuisine served on the legendary Eastern & Oriental Express in Shook! Led by YTL Group Executive Chef Kevin Cape. Agatha Christie’s novel “Murder On the Oriental Express” will be staged on that night and diners will have a chance to walk away with 2 train tickets for Eastern & Oriental Express for finding the “murderer”.
YTL Group Executive Chef Kevin Cape
There will also be local and international Celebrity Chefs making their appearances and conducting Master Chef Classes too. Chef Bobby Chinn, well known celebrity chef will be preparing a special menu at Shook! and will conduct a Master Chef Class. Chef Stephen Mercer will be specially flying in all the way from Australia to create a special menu at Fishermans’s Cove and conducting a Master Chef Class too. Chef Ismail who is the Food Ambassador for Malaysian Kitchen will be in action with creating authentic Malaysian food with “Balik Kampung Night” on 18 July 2008.
Master Chefs from Feast Village will also be demonstrating and showcasing their culinary skills, sharing their secret recipes and tips during this 10 day festival.
15 July 2008 Tuesday 10 a.m – 1 p.m. Launch of Feast Village Junior
Junior members of our society will be educated on “What Is Good Nature's Food” and participate in exciting activities relating to food.
16 & 17 July 2008 Wednesday & Thursday Kids between the age of 7 – 12 will have a hands-on experience on decorating cup cakes and learn the different types of meat cuts and the art of beef tasting.
3 p.m. Venue : Shook! - Chef Judith
4 p.m. Venue : Jake's Charbroil Steaks – Mr Vincent Lau
16 July 2008 Wednesday 7 p.m. - 12 a.m. Organic Night – There will be a special menu using organic and non-genetic modified produce as key ingredients.
20 July 2008 Sunday 7 p.m. - 12 a.m. The Grand Harvest Finale! Diners can enjoy world class cuisines from 12 different restaurants at Feast Village, offering over 50 choices of cuisines – all at one price with a “Gourmet Safari” pass at RM200 nett per person. One word of advice, “COME HUNGRY!”
Mushroom Risotto with Duck Confit
Japanese range from Shook!
Pink Pepper Crusted Tuna from Sentidos Tapas
Sashimi from Jogoya
Sliced duck roll with asparagus, carrot and chinese parsley from Pak Loh Chiu Chow
Culinary Discovery Passes are available for any dinner where a booking for 9 persons will be entitled to a complimentary pass for 10 persons at only RM1,800 nett. A10-Day VIP Passport will be exclusively available to YTL Platinum Plus members with special price privileges. This event is truly a celebration of LIFE. For reservations and further enquiries, kindly call 603-2782 3882.
(Information and details are correct at the time of writing - from Starhill Gallery's Fact Sheet)
Aiks! I can't wait to catch this....Saw the musical back in San Francisco about 4 years back. Counting the days away till July 18, furthermore my fave Colin Firth is in it! Yay!
Am down with slight cough and cold, will make this post short and sweet. I came home last night after my usual meeting and was elated to know I could catch "My Father" starring my Daniel Henney on Astro Box Office movies. I thought seeing Daniel would make me feel better. I WAS WRONG...
I watched the movie and cried and cried at the end, making me sad and and feeling none the better but worse. However, that's goes to show one thing though. Daniel Henney's acting has improved by leaps and bounds. I'm not saying that because I adore him, the critics say so too and "My Father" came in at No. 1 at the Korean Box Office! I'm so happy for him. This sentence wasn't here earlier but I thought I should add that Kim Young Cheol deserves a mention too for playing the role of the "Father" as he also gave a strong performance. Do watch "My Father" if and when you get the chance.
Gosh! What are the chances of having someone who looks like this who's also a great actor??? Gees, you're such a heartbreaker! You made me cry, Daniel!
I am so looking forward to seeing Daniel Henney in his first international movie role in "X-Men Origins : Wolverine".... 1 May 2009. I've already blocked that date in my schedule! ;o)
After putting up this post, I feel better and I'm going off to bed with a smile. Have a good weekend ahead everyone! During this weekend, I will definitely be watching the repeats of "My Father" on Astro Box Office for sure (I'll record it too!). He he he...
P.S. Mrs Pitt, hope you are reading this post, knowing how you feel about Daniel Henney too!
If I want to be alone, some place I can write, I can read, I can pray, I can cry, I can do whatever I want - I go to the bathroom ~ (Alicia Keys)
21st March is a day I will remember for a long long time (till old age sets in and I start becoming absent minded...oh wait, old age HAS already set in and I am already absent minded! Hahaha...), the day where my 80s craze got its ultimate fix. Here & Now 2008 concert was held in Genting at the Arena Of Stars (on 21st & 22nd March) and I manage to somehow find my way there, when one of my friends won tickets to the show on Friday night. Now, what's this Here & Now 2008 all about? Well, it's a just about the greatest thing that can be for an 80s music fan. I've grown up listening to my fave English singers/bands and having a chance to see Limahl, Johnny Hates Jazz, Paul Young, Howard Jones and Bananarama live in Genting was quite surreal for me.
It didn't matter that it was more than 20 years ago when I was so entranced in the English wave; New Wave, New Romantic, the Stock, Aitken and Waterman (SAW) era and the time when synthesizer music was the rage. I was in love with them back them and still is. I have always preferred English music as compared to American music as I found the former more exciting with their strange, unique or cheesy ways. I'm sure you can tell they were so even from the band names; Flock Of Seagulls, Haircut 100, Visage, Soft Cell, Spandau Ballet, Toyah, Kajagoogoo (of which was the band Limahl was from. They are reuniting!!!), Madness, Stray Cats, Altered Images, Human League, Bucks Fizz, Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Heaven 17, Blancmange, ABC, Culture Club, Orchestra Manoeuvres In The Dark, Tears For Fears, Pet Shop Boys, WHAM, Thompson Twins - some of the bands I remember off the top of my head. For other 80s music fans out there which singer or band was/were your fave?
We arrived there near to 8pm but the venue was still quite empty but maybe that was because of the fact that it was raining for the past 2 hours and maybe it just took a little longer for "aged" 80s music fans to make it up to the highland :o). We waited as I scouted for the best way to take photos, standing near the stage at the side. Suddenly, a familiar face walked up to me...it turned out to be Lyrical Lemongrass who was sitting in the VIP area with her Bald Eagle (her hubby - not the once endangered but now reclassified to threatened bird). Goes to show that we made no mistake giving her the award of "Celebrity Blogger Of The Year. She had two VIP tickets left and asked if I wanted to have a sit instead of standing (I was in the standing area). Few minutes later, my friend and I were seated on the first row in the VIP section. Wah! Thanks again, Lyrical Lemongrass (who by the way is also an 80s music fan but she said that I was more hard core fan than she is, hahaha....).
The concert started around 8.30 after people started streaming in, it was a decent turnout despite the rain and it being a Friday. First to start off was Limahl. He looks good for a guy who is 50 (or did I get it wrong?). We sang along and wanted to dance but we had to restrain ourselves as we were on the first row and didn't want to block the people behind us. So, we ended up dancing in our seats. They all sang great though Johnny Hates Jazz lead vocalist Danny Saxon (who replaced Phil Thornalley who replaced Clark Datchler) couldn't hit some of the high notes. Paul Young was the only artist who danced the most and showed us that he was still nimble. He never danced much in the 80s but now he was like this entertainment machine, what a guy! Howard Jones was the best of the best as his vocals was great, he sounded exactly like he did back in the 80s and he has a "recording" voice though he was singing live! Bananarama came out with two toy boys and got the crowd up to their feet for the finale of the night. It ended at about 11 pm (with a 10 minute intermission) and a deejay took over and started spinning hits from the 80s and got us dancing in no time. However, the deejay suddenly had a "bad spell" and soon ran out of steam and the dance crowd started to dwindle. As we made our way out, he put on Limahl's Neverending Story and then another song from Howard Jones. He should have played hits from the night's artiste line up from the start (which he had not at all) to capitalise on the good vibes the crowd got from the earlier part of the concert. Anyway, I loved the concert and I still find myself breaking into one of their songs now and then :o).
I took quite a number of photos that night, here are some from that night and I've added a YouTube video of a song I wished each of them had performed that night but didn't.
Limahl Limahl (did you know Limahl is actually from an anagram of his real last name, Chris Hamill?). He sang Too Shy, Ooh To Be Ahh, Hang On Now, Rio ( a Duran Duran song as his tribute to Nick Rhodes for helping Kajagoogoo get signed on under the EMI label), Only For Love, Neverending Story.
I wished Limahl sang "Love In Your Eyes"
Calvin Hayes - Johnny Hates Jazz Mike Nocito - the American part of Johnny Hates Jazz stayed out of the spotlight throughout. Hence, this blue shot of him. Danny Saxon, the lead vocalist of that night sang I Don't Wanna Be A Hero, Turn Back The Clock, Different Seasons, Heart Of Gold, Shattered Dreams
I can't remember whether they sang this but this is what I would like to hear again, "Don't Say It's Love"
Paul Young Paul Young sang Come Back & Stay, Love Of The Common People, Senza Una Donna, Tear Your Playhouse Down, and Everytime You Go Away. Did he or did he not sing "Where ever I Lay My Hat"?
I wished he sang "Oh Girl"
Howard Jones, he was the only singer who made an effort to thank us for coming to the concert in Bahasa Malaysia. A commendable effort though he read it off a piece of paper. He sang What Is Love, Like To Get To Know Well, No One Is To Blame, New Song, Things Can Only Get Better and Pearl In The Shell.
I wished he had sang "Everlasting Love"
Keren Woodward -Bananarama. She's also Mrs Andrew Ridgeley of WHAM fame.
Sara Dallin -Bananarama. Such a nice toy boy! Grrr....
They sang Venus, Love In The First Degree, I Heard A Rumour, Nathan Jones, Cruel Summer, Robert De Niro's Waiting and ended with Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye). I wished they sang "Help" The video is funny and has French and Saunders in it; the two madcap British comedians.
Look what I got from the concert! Limahl handed out signed CDs and photos and yours truly ran up to him and got my hand on one of the signed CDs. Yay!
Such a blast from the past but that's one of the periods I really treasure...to Limahl, Johnny Hates Jazz, Paul Young, Howard Jones and Bananarama -Thanks for your part in making those times precious and for a wonderful night. I love music from the 80s and wish there would be more concerts like this here. The folks in UK have it good, Here & Now tours around UK often with different line up. Let's hope for another concert of the 80s in a year or two!
