Event: MGMT live in concert
Date: March 25, 2011 (Friday)
Venue: Bukit Equestrian Indoor Arena, Malaysia
Some seven years ago, I attended one of my first full-fledged concerts at Bukit Kiara Indoor Arena. Kids were young. Kids wore oversized black T-shirts of Hoobastank paired simply with jeans.
Fast forward to today, kids went to a different kind of concert here. Kids wore bob haircuts and big framed glasses. Kids wore tie-dyed tops, hippie forehead bands and neon-coloured war paints on their faces. Kids trying too hard.
Kyoto Protocol had the honour of being handpicked by MGMT themselves to open for the psychedelic rock band. Knowing the boys personally, it was a big moment for them. (You should have seen lead singer Fuad’s leg-lifting moment when he got the news to be the opening act). They played a seven-song set, with favourites like Big Machine, Never Know, Gimme Nothing, and of course, Pussycat.
Albeit the bad sound system muffling out Fuad’s guitar solos and sometimes, Appi’s drums, Kyoto Protocol made the most of it the best they can. Fuad’s little crab dance, bassist Shakeil letting down his ‘mane’, heck, guitarist Hairi a.k.a ‘The Face’ went as far as hopping onto the amp speakers, and did his little guitar grind. Heh. If you weren’t unleashing your rockstardom whilst opening for MGMT, when would you be, right?
And judging from the tweets and comments from fans and friends, they did quite a good job as an opening act. And the crowd that flocked to them for autographs after the concert, sealed the deal.
I am genuinely proud of Kyoto Protocol for making it this far. Well done, guys! Arcade Fire or The National next, perhaps? Heh.
Unlike their shows in Singapore and Indonesia, MGMT opened the Malaysia instalment with Flash Delirium. And immediately, they had the crowd going like a huge dance party.
It was a half and half that night for their setlist. Like how Malaysians would roll in most concerts for half-obscure bands, the entire crowd only went crazy for hit songs like Electric Feel, Time to Pretend, and especially Kids. Others from Oracular Spectacular that night were The Youth, Weekend Wars, Of Moons, Birds and Monsters, and their essential cover by Cleaners from Venus, Only a Shadow.
For those from their sophomore album, Congratulations, not so much. Probably because most of the songs are such slow numbers to begin with, especially Siberian Breaks. It was one 12-minute long ass haul.
I won’t tell if you won’t tell that we got bored and went outside during Siberian Breaks, but when Kids started up, we all rushed back inside. Most of us really just took only what we need from MGMT and left after Kids.
The thing about MGMT’s concert was that it was not a concert, but more of an event, where everyone dressed up to be seen. Most of the people who would patronise Zouk Club’s Barsonic were there that night, probably before rushing off to an after party at Barsonic itself.
If you went to the concert, not expecting the world of it, like me, you would probably came out having a tad of fun, like how you would hitting the clubs without the ambitious climax of getting laid by the end of the night. There were songs to keep your body moving every single second, and lights and backdrop effects that keep you entranced for just a little while. (Although I must say, the strobe lights hurt my eyes). One can only imagine smoking up or getting drunk to such a visual. Alas.
* Sorry, no accompanying pictures for this concert.
Backseat Radio II 