If I am a Vampire, You're the Next (Louise)

I aspire to be a Vampire
So I can glide into your room
So late at night to plant on your neck
My lovebite

Thrust a stake through my heart
To your most tender part

Tell you the truth
I'll turn into a Werewolf
And I will rip your nightgown off of you so gently
To feast upon your naked body

Shoot a silver bullet in my chest
I'll press my wound against your breasts

And I know that you're called Jane
And I know that I'm to blame
And I know that you're called Jane
And you will raise a hurricane
If I ever let you go.

I am good at changing to a Bat
And I will hover over you
For everynight
To keep your passion satisfied

Place a wooden arrow through my tip
With your sweet and luscious lips

P/s:
This is the last post.

At 5 minutes & 22 seconds, our longest song ever. Looks like Aaron got it covered both ends.

Fantastic song, I just hope it really isn't about that apparition sighted on 172 at Lim Chu Kang.

Note 1:
Before this song became Nightrider Girl, it was originally named Cemetary Girl.

Note 2:
I used to be the singer for this song when we played shows, since Aaron was largely stuck behind the drum kit.

When I told him, Aaron got a little miffed to find out that I have been singing the second line as:

"Have you seen a herbivore? Its ok."

Nightrider Girl (Aaron)

Searching for, my Nightrider Girl
Have you seen her before? Its ok.
Should have took the bus cos' that was the last I saw of her
Can't forget that smile for me, its ok.

She would disappear in a mist
And would appear again my dreams
Even if she's another ghost at the nearby cemetary
I wouldn't mind to be with her.

Nightrider Girl, I know not where you work
Do not know where you live
Let's go, hang out at the park
Forget about this cynical world
You would keep that smile for me? Its ok.

Will you stay? Oh will you stay? Yeah?

Even if she's another ghost at the nearby cemetary
I wouldn't mind to be with her.
Be with her, be in love with her.

Is she another ghost?

Who says hauntings are for ghosts only?



Haunted House (Louise)

I don't have much to offer
But I guess there's just no other
One that wants as much as me
To have you totally

I guess it must have crossed your mind
That I am the sick, perverted kind
But you don't have a choice, you see
Cos' I'll haunt you till' you agree

How does it feel to be staying
In a haunted house that I've been haunting?
Well, thats too bad for you.

Although I know you must be terrified
Of all the strange little sounds and sights
But don't you worry cos' its only me
Joining you - albeit - creepily

And you must have known from the start
That I am actively playing a part
In all the manisfestations that you feel
But I am doing all of it for you!

That's too bad for you.
(That's the best for you.)

A Siren (Louise)

If you had X-ray eyes, would you have even realized?
That I sneaked to your house late at night
Just to be real close to your side

If you had the Nose of a Hound, would you have found me chugging down?
Not because I was bored that day
But to chase the melancholy away

This is...the world's most beautiful sound
Your voice...makes me want to come around
Even if you're half a fucking world away
I still hear your voice everyday

If you had ESP, would you have detected me?
But I am not a Russian spy
I just wanna see you with my naked eye

If you had the ears of Wolverine, would you have caught me listening?
Not to eavesdrop or get into your mind
But to hear your sweet voice one more time

In the early morning when
My stomach flet like an empty can
I ran from shop to shop
Not for food
But to see
If I could meet you on the way

A personal favourite of mine. And I don't know why I can identify so closely with a stalker.

Fantastic work on the guitar loop by Jeremy.

Anthem For a Stalker (Louise)

I wish that I was your lipstick
Then at least I get to brush against your lips;
Your barber is a lucky man,
He gets to touch your hair now and then.

And I wouldn't mind being a piece of gum
Permanently attached to your arm

I want to be your slippers
Protect your feet from blisters
No, it won't be a curse
But being your bra is best
Directly in contact with your breasts!

Don't wanna be a million miles away HAHA!
Gonna watch over you everyday HAHA!
Wanna hear every word you say HAHA!
Gonna be with you any-way HAHA!

Oh-woh-oh uh uh uh...oh...

Our Last Show.

Although we didn't know it at the time.

It seemed fitting. Our first performance some 8 years ago was probably at the Substation and here we are at our last stop, also at the Substation.

It felt like it was back to the old days, with a 6-hour show and sun-baked stage out in the open greenery. I think Ah-Boy did the sound on this one too.

Jungle Aaron

Bi-axles in the axis of terror?

And that, as they say, is that.

P/s:

It is a pity things ended aburptly. We had a few good songs like Mutter, 10 punches and The Real Angela left unrecorded and sitting within the strings, just waiting to see life again.

Pp/s:

The songs we recorded in 2002/03 for Let's Cross have been sitting around for years, pending one of us to go retreieve the DAT and release them. It was taking forever for that to happen. I called Aaron and we decided to release them to the world here.

In 2003, Kiss My Act compilation was launched.

Adam managed to get the launch organized at Hard Rock Cafe. Peering across the road towards Ming Arcade brought me back memories of learning percussion at the Guitar Workshop there. Time does fly, it has been more than 1o years since.

Guitar Hero Jeremy & me

It felt like I was playing in a cathedral, with the stained glass behind us but with blinding and intense coloured-lights in our faces.

I distinctly remember I screwed up at the opening of Like Chopin. Aaron was screaming behind me: "Cannot! Cannot! Again !" And I did it again, much to the laughter of the crowd.

We had Atan as our project guitarist for this one and I am sure Kate of Kale was playing this show too.

Atan on the far right

Aaron on the old site:

"With a new set of songs which had different guitar layers, we find ourselves inadequate with just one guitar, so we stole Kate of Kale guitar player, Mohd Riduan aka Atan to booster our guitars."

Doesn't Aaron in cap look more like a DJ here than a drummer?
The hi-hat and cymbals look like some high-tech floating turntables.

Quite unexpectedly and without collusion, both guitarists turned up in orange and both me and Aaron in the same shade of blue.

2004.

It seemed like a blackout to me ever since the gig at Hard Rock. I don't remember very much of what went on in the year in between that and...

Trust Aaron to come up with something like this.

Very witty and check out the phonology in the chorus.



Foreign Talent (Aaron)

He's been living in this city for 20 over years
But he's got a foreign accent overnight
There's nothing nothing nothing you can do about it
He's got a foreign accent overnight

Today, today,
He's a punk rocker
He's a skater
He's a Japanese
He's a beach bum

Today, today,
He's a punk rocker
He's a skinhead
He's a model
He's a hip-hopper

Its happening in our society
Its not real
But its true!
If you wanna stick it up his arse
Then do it! Go! Go! Go!

Mum I wanna be, I wanna wannabe...
Mum I wanna be a foreign talent.

I absolutely love this one, a mosh-perfect. And at 17 seconds, our shortest song ever.

And Petty does in fact exist, although thats not her real name. She turns up at your doorstep in the wee hours and threatens suicide.

You'll Regret (Aaron)

My name is Petty
And you're gonna get it!

S-U-F-F-E-R-I-N-G

IS THE WORD YOU'RE GONNA SAY
FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE

Yesterday, today and tomorrow.

This one never had a title.

Aaron just started calling it fierce song and so it stuck.



Fierce Song (Louise)

I am stuck inside the Alamo
Davy Crockett's beckoning me to go
Guns and fire surrounding on all sides
This might be my last breathing night

I've got to get this off my chest right now
Cos' tomorrow I might not even be around
I never had the guts to say this until
Now I am going: I can't stop loving you

This night is short the dawn is coming
Very soon I will hear myself screaming
I wonder why I never made it clear
Until this moment my death is near

Mamamamamama Lemon Lemon......

Also known as Kathy II.




The Day They Forgot to Lock Kathy in Her Cell (Aaron)

Kathy's back, oh no!
That psychopathic girl, she ran away from the asylum today

They forgot to lock her in the cell
Letting her run around in the flower garden
They forgot to lock her in her jacket
There she goes storming through the streets

Its gonna be...the end
For everyone, including
Suburban Dammit, who is
Kathy's most hated punk rock band

Taking time looking for an adversary
Everyone is staying out of sight
On pretext of being a punk rock girl
Where she can hide that stupid oversized smile

Oh no, nobody's gonna leave here alive
Psycho-Kathy oh...

Irony.



Sally Used to be the Girl I know (Aaron)

Sally - she used to be the girl I know
But now she's fallen for the dope
Sinking deeper in the abyss
Scratching at the back of my memories

Sally - I used to sing her pretty songs
But it didn't last too long
Sinking deeper in the abyss
Scratching at the back of my memories

Drugs are not for me, drugs are not for free
You must never be, a slave of your own dignity
Sally's wrecked her fucking future
Sally's gone now, gone now, gone now

If you love me then do hear me:
STAY OUT OF SHIT

Sally be happy.

Sally, she used to be the girl I know
But now she's fallen for the dope.

Aaron had co-founded a performing arts group and for some years now this group has been doing shows all over Singapore.

The name of this group is called Kill Your TV, KYTV for short. KYTV started from just 2 or 3 guys 'mixing it up together' but had attracted alot of interest and soon, there were some 12-15 serious members. Jeremy had also become a part of KYTV.

KYTV did all sorts of stuff, from tabla performances at the Substation - Aaron and Jeremy both attended tabla classes for this - through weird artistic theatre. I got an invite to one of KYTV's early performances at Zouk, where large styrofoam cut-outs resembling skyscrapers of a cityscape got torn, knocked and bitten apart by someone in a godzilla costume; amidst the chanting music and pyschedelic blue/intense-white flashes of lighting.

Despite the Ministry of Education having hammered incredibly complex stuff like calculus and moral education into me, I guess there are still things I will never understand.

There was a resident band within KYTV itself, made up of its own members, and this includes Aaron and Jeremy. Tiramisu performs regularly at gigs too and there must have been several instances where Aaron and Jeremy had to play for both Subdam and Tiramisu at the same show.

All eyes will be on Tiramisu whenever they take the stage because their frontman, Riz, incorporates alot of shock-theatre elements into the songs and it is not unknown for him to go running and screaming into the crowd and dangle himself with all sorts of props like plastic chains and fake blood as the song progresses.

In just about two years since its formation, KYTV had built up a nice little piggy bank of cash from the various shows. KYTV then decided they wanted a space of their own to get dirty in and started looking for a place - no more working out of each individual's tiny rooms.

I was surprised to hear from Aaron that they converted a section of the place they leased into a jamming studio.

I drove gingerly through the back lanes of Macpherson area looking for Shaw Road and the building which KYTV now calls home. It was night and deserted. Afterall, this is an industrial area. I got out of the car with my bass slung across my shoulder. A large dog came wandering out, no doubt disturbed by the noise. Gulp.

Fortunately, a security guard turned up and told me where to go. Obviously he had gotten used to KYTV's guests and members coming through at all hours of the day and night. I rode in what looked like a cargo lift and wandered through the dusty corridors. It certainly was creepy wandering around this very quiet building on my own. Every door looks the same, and industrial lighting adjusted for maximum efficiency - which means minimum illumination.

And then I found KYTV, nestled in between a woodwork company and some aluminium girdle distributor. Dimly lit interior, it had lots of props and arty things all over the place, there were some guys smoking and talking quietly in the corner. The place smelt of sweat and stale cigarette smoke. But come on, all studios smell like that. The guys were bare-bodied and lounging around in shorts. I was told that the members tend to stay overnight here alot. In fact, there was always someone staying overnight on any given night.

And for the next 3 or 4 months, this was where we jammed. I wasn't too happy with the sound but its free so what the hell.

For some reason, KYTV was given the boot a few months later.

They then found a place in little India and I was even more amused when I got there. The rented area consists on an upstairs, which had been turned into a jamming studio by virtue of egg-holders plastering every inch of vertical wall. KYTV also rented the back section on the ground floor of the unit. I couldn't believe I was at the right place when I stepped through the front section on my first visit.

The front section is an actual fruit stall.

I remember a scene when we were done jamming and I was leaving when I saw some 6 to 8 people huddled in front of a small TV set perched on a tiny console. They were captivated by whatever was on the screen and the room was eerily silent except for the TV. The lights were off and all I can see were their silhouettes crumpled all over the rug and sofa and the soft cigarette smoke hazily rising from their lit ends.

This is what I had imagined to be an Asian's vision of Bohemianism.

Fast forward a couple of months and again KYTV was looking for a new space.

They found a nice bungalow.

Overlooking an old Malay cemetary in Siglap, I was told that the rent for the entire place was incredibly cheap. Something like a thousand or so. Split between Aaron, Jeremy, Kar Fai, Dovan and a few others, it was really affordable for such a big space. No more jamming here, but at least the permanent 'residents' had their own rooms and more than enough space in the living room for all sorts of projects.

By this time, KYTV was getting noticed by the mainstream media and found themselves terribly busy with the many shows they have been asked to put out. As a result, Subdam jammed less and less and we hung out less and less too. In fact, only when we have impending shows would we see each other.

Wendy sits in the corner cubicle, right by the door and framed behind her is a large glass window. Slightly plump, thin-frames bespectacled and obviously extremely introverted. She hardly says a word to anyone, even when people try to have a few words with her. She has her lunch at her desk every single day.

She's pretty.



Wendy Come Along with Me (Louise)

Oh my Wendy don't you want to be with me?
Get in the car; we could drive to Arizona
You - could pay for the petrol
And purify my soul
You can be the One
And I will be a rock star

Wander aimlessly...
Only you and me.
(Oh my Wendy, don't you want to be free?)
We could watch the stars
From the bonnet of the car.

Oh my Wendy, don't you want to be with me?
Get in the ship we could take a little sea trip
You - could put out all the sails
And hammer in the nails.
You can be the captain
I will be the dumb Flip

Slowly sailing by, underneath the orange sky
(Oh my Wendy, watch the sunset with me)
Slowly sail away, together with the fading day

When my Wendy says its fine
Then I know my Wendy's mine
When my Wendy looks at me, she is everything I see

Oh my Wendy!

Oh my Wendy don't you want to be with me
Walk by my side, we could stroll along the seaside
You - could hold on to my hand
And I will be your man
We could leave our footprints in the slimy wet sand

Hear the waves crash
See the sea splash
Kiss me with the tip,
Of your luscious lips

I have a real soft spot for this one, a punk's dance song at a ball.

This is the song we spent many evenings in the Padang practising its tricky harmonizing.



I Wanna Dance with Her (Aaron, Jeremy)

I wanna dance with her!
I wanna feel her body close to mine!

She is my battery pack
Oh wouldn't you keep me warm in the sack?

Woooo!

As close to a duet as we can get it.



2 Drunkards at a Karaoke Bar (Louise)

(A's drunken mumbling)

A:
Hi, do you still remember Karen?

B:
I will never forget even if I've got
One million phone numbers of the prettiest models
Karen is something stuck inside my mind

I can't help but not deny
She is something stuck in my mind
She's the loveliest thing I've ever seen
She's the sweetest moment in

My ugly teenage life
She is the dream of mine
She is my inspiration
As well as my adoration

I will not
forget
forever.

I felt a buzz of excitement in me when I woke up that morning. This is incredibly unusual, as I had awakened in an army camp. The first thing I see are the uniformly gray-green surroundings and the quiet hustle and bustle of the other 10 guys I slept with as they went about their ablutions.

Today is the day Suburban Dammit is going to be heard on public radio for the first time!

Aaron called me weeks before, informing me that we are going to be on air this Tuesday at 10.20am or thereabouts. I went about my morning chores with both eyes on my watch and by 10.10am, I was done with canteen break and sitting excitedly in the soldier's musky non-airconed office and tuning the radio's knob in an attempt to log onto Singapore Jam.

At that time, there was a new radio channel called Singapore Jam. If I remember correctly, between certain timings, they ran exclusively local bands on the airwaves. Aaron had been contacted and Singapore Jam wanted to play a song or two from We Nearly Killed Each Other. Obviously I don't remember which song/s.

The problem with these antique boombox radios complete with a damn long antenna was that there was no display, just this red vertical line that moves as you turn the knob, indicating approximately which frequency you are on. Damn the numbers are so fine and the line so thick. A problem especially when our channels are all 90-something.

I ended up having to finish hearing whatever song is being played to get to the universal "This is 'whatever at number point number' FM, your favourite radios station" message to figure out whether I am actually on Singapore Jam. You see, the pangolin sitting nearest the radio normally listens to the Mandarin channel.

Time was marching on. I don't seem to be at the right station.

When I finally got to it, our song was already playing halfway. But still heartening to hear the DJ speak our name out after the song. At least I caught that.

Two years later was the second time (that I know of) we came on radio. And they were going to interview us too!

Aaron wrote on the old site:

Suburban Dammit/Live Interview on Passion 99.5FM
/morning/13th Aug/2003
*New song 'Julie Run Run!' will be air-played as a sample to our new album
titled 'Let's Cross'.

I remember that we had selected Mirage II, Julie Run Run, Foreign Talent and We Nearly Killed Each Other to be played as interludes during the interview.

It did not appear to me that the DJ was aware of the selection. She had left the choice to us, so long as we brought along a CD with the track.

"So remember guys, this is public radio so we can't have any swear words or obscene stuff going on air." DJ said with a cheek in her voice.

A: "Don't worry lah, these songs wouldn't have obscene stuff and swear words."

J: "Wait, wait. Mirage and Julie sure don't have but Foreign Talent..."

L: "Yeah hor, your that kind of song sure got..."

The three of us went dead quiet right there and ran the lyrics with accompanying music on fast forward in our heads.

A: "Stick it up his arse can or not?"

DJ: "Of course not! This is public radio!"

A: "Ok, like that play something else."

And of course, the offending song got switched with Andre and Anthony's Lifelong Enrichment Program. Foreign Talent does indeed contain the phrase 'stick it up his arse'.

And for the full version of artists' verbiage:

Julie Run Run (Jeremy)

This world's got fangs, she's gonna swallow you
You better Julie run run, Julie run run
This world's made up of crooks and hooligans
They take advantage of you, Julie you you
Listen to whatever they say
You better make your way way, Julie way way
Girls like you, they fall into the trap
Because they are so dumb dumb, Julie dumb dumb

Oh Julie girl, you know how I feel
And I protect you from harm
Come stay with me, I'll be by your side
Know that I am waiting for you Julie long long, Julie long long

Julie run, run, run!

Don't Walk Out That Door (Jeremy)

Do you remember the time? When we were just seventeen
We had the time of our lives, we didn't give a damn about anything
How I used to talk to you, for hours on the telephone
But now we don't even talk, I guess you needed time to be left alone

Don't you want me baby, I am really sorry for the things I have done
I wanna to be your number one again you know you dont have to walk out that door
I will do anything just to make you change your mind
How did you come to this conclusion that I am always the last to know

Do you remember the time when we we ran naked on the patio
Made love in your parents bed while they went to church on Sunday morning
How you used to laugh at me, you said I was such a funny guy
Now my jokes are just corny, you brush me aside like you would a fly

Whatever the distance, whatever the crime
Whatever the cost I want us to be fine
I want us to be happy, what we are built for
I want you to just don't walk out that door

Just don't walk out that door

Our jamming favourite, I love playing the undulations in this song.



Maharaja Song (Jeremy)

She kills me, she kills me, she kills me
When she smiles
Am I to see her again?
I don't know anymore

She got me, she got me, she got me
Frozen in Time. Space.
From that moment
That she said hello

Could you be the queen and I the Maharaja?
And build my very own Taj Mahal for you
Amongst the stars in a distant universe
The satellite that brought me ever close to you

She killed me, she killed me, she killed me
When she smiles and I agree
That I'll die many happy deaths for sure

She got me, she got me, she got me
For telling lies cause I love
the the image that I cannot decipher

In line with our experimental wave, this is the first and only time we recorded with a synthesizer. I laughed my head off when Aaron set it up and played it like percussion.

Like Chopin (Jeremy)

I like the way you do your nails
I like the way your lips curl when you smile
I like the way you twirl your hair when you sulk
I like whatever words that come out of your mouth

You could say anything
Oh Mitsubishi I love you oh but does she?
You could say anything
Wontan Ichiban Sandriana you're the one

I like the way your fingers run
The whole length of your piano keys
Like Chopin, like Chopin oh!

And I like the fact that you listen to punk rock too

And what's the difference?
You know what they say:
Opposites attract like two peas in a pod

The PreOccupation (Louise)

I have got you in my mind alot
And whenever I see you walk so close to me
I pine at you subconsciously

Oh my God
You occupy my thoughts alot
And I can hear you say I am not
The kind you want to see

If you plan on standing there
You can't blame me
If I can't help but stare

Your petite figure, hanging to the cubicle
Would you care if I stare?
Until I bleed from my left teat
Stare until I get the chill

I cannot ever say that I forgot
How I tied myself into a knot in misery
Whenever you don't look at me

Oh my God
I'll be thinking of you till' I rot
There will be forever this little slot
Where you occupy my thoughts

If you plan on standing there
You can't blame me
If I can't help but stare

Your petite figure, hanging to the cubicle
Would you care if I stare?
Until I bleed from my left teat
Stare until I get the chill
Look as if I am a crook
Gaze agape to contemplate

Oh my God
How can I ever say I forgot
That you're stuck inside my deepest thoughts
Much like an aneurystic blood clot
Tying my brain cells into a knot
And now I realize that I cannot
Forget how easily you got me caught
When you occupy my mind
Alot, alot, alot, alot.

Recorded at TNT Music Studio, Singapore 2003
Not fully mixed, never mastered.
All songs by Suburban Dammit. All rights reserved.

Let's Cross, 2003

1. If I am a Vampire, You're the Next
2. Nightrider Girl
3. Haunted House
4. Siren
5. Anthem for a Stalker
6. Foreign Talent
7. You'll Regret
8. Fierce Song
9. The Day They Forgot To Lock Kathy in Her Cell
10. Sally Used to be the Girl I Know
11. Wendy Come Along with Me
12. I wanna Dance with Her
13. 2 Drunkards at a Karaoke Bar
14. Julie Run Run
15. Don't Walk Out that Door
16. Maharaja Song
17. Like Chopin
18. The PreOccupation

We seemed to be stepping over a chasm onto a higher plane, what with the less impetuous punk energy and more controlled rock and roll sound. The days of brute-bashing through were truly over. And I guess thats what this album is about. Let's crossing onto the other side.

We didn't realize it then but there seems to be some sort of supernatural theme running through this album, with Nightrider Girl, vampires and haunted houses.

I thought the lyrics on the songs here were way better than the previous album. More crafted and crafty.

The album cover here is just a trial Aaron cooked up. Not only have we not finalized the album cover, we did not finalize the placement of songs and even the names of some of the songs here!

But you'll hear them anyway.

Let's Cross: Scenes in the Studio

It felt like we had enough songs to record a new album now, but who the hell is counting right? So I started jotting the titles of our new material down into my dog-eared manila brown exercise book and realized we have some 18 new hits.

For some reason, there arose a strong compulsion to get the show on the road and I immediately called Aaron to discuss recording. Right after that I called Jeremy and drove that same night over to Jeremy's place in Bedok, where the famous bak chor mee is, to plot the recording out. We sat together and mulled over recording schedule and costs. By midnight, we were ready to call Ah Boy to make block bookings.

With the finesse that Jeremy brings and our unanimous opinion that this batch of songs were something pretty special, we wanted to make this recording as perfect as possible.

In previous recordings, mistakes could be punched in but an experienced soundman such as Ah Boy would probably be able to hear punched-in bits of a recording as there would be a small difference at that point. We decided that we'll have a zero punch-in policy.

We almost succeeded except I screwed up on the ending of one the the songs where I slid my last note too quickly before the climatic end. I wasn't sure I wanted to record over a perfectly laid bass track except this one last note. That's the only bit we punched in for the entire album.

To get the right feel, Jeremy even brought in a grand-looking acoustic guitar for a better sound recording on the clear chorus-y parts of some songs.

And harmonizing. We spent many evenings under the cover of darkness at Padang, where we huddled together and used my tape recorder to play just the music we recorded from home. And we practised harmonizing to it under the stars. For a moment, we became a semi a capella thing.

It was funny the first time we tried it. We hadn't thought of bringing a tape recorder and kept losing the tempo as there was no music to guide us. We resorted to banging a rudimentary beat on our laps with our fists just so we can get our harmonizing timing right.

Having become rather experienced at recording by now, most of the sessions flowed smoothly and we managed to lay the tracks including vocals on all the songs. Unfortunately, aside from some basic mixing done by Ah-Boy so that we could get copies and hear them at home for review, all the tracks were never fully mixed to satisfaction or mastered.

I've Got Angela in My Arms Tonight (Aaron)

Can't be better, watching the show at her place...
...And her folks not home
How about a story, once upon a time
When I was a scrawny high-school loser
Now, I've got Angela

She was the prettiest and the smartest babe
Chucks, spikes and a race scooter
How about a story, once upon a time
When I was a scrawny high-school loser
Now, I've got Angela

Maybe we'll be
Together and never
Whatever will be, will be
Happy as can be

I've got, I've got, Angela in my arms tonight
We will be painting the town red! Hey! Hey! Hey!

I've got, I've got Angela in my arms tonight
We will be painting the town, oh yeah!
We will be playing guitar
Go!

Very nice guitar solo - Jeremy cerrtainly brought what we thought he will.



Rock and Roll Star (Jeremy)

Don't wanna be a lawyer or a politician
I dont want to be president
I don't wanna be a doctor or a rocket scientist
I don't want to make the world's richest list

I just want to be a Rock and Roll Star
I just want to play with my guitar
It don't matter who, just say what you are
I only want to be a Rock and Roll star

I don't wanna own a boat or drive a flashy car
I don't wanna be a casanova
I don't wanna to be hip, gorgeous, beautiful
I don't wanna be Mr. Cool

All day...I dream of being one
All day...All night...

Adam and I go quite a distance back. I must have met him when I was just 13 or 14 years old, and he was perhaps 15 or 16. This is around the time Metallica came out with the black album which triggered countless arguments over whether there was a picture of a snake in black hidden within the cover of darkness.

We were introduced by Jin, a secondary schoolmate. Jin plays the bass and was into the satanic heavy stuff. He tried getting me hooked on the gory gothic-norse-scandinavian album pictures and creepy chanting tunes that I could not comprehend. I guess that dish was not for me.

However, it was still heavy metal days for me at that time and I guess we weren't too many degrees away to hang out.

When I met him, Adam was trying to form a band. A punk band, and he was looking for a drummer. He told me he is styled against the the Sex Pistols and Misfits. That sounds right-on for me, glad to hear it wasn't Firehouse or something dovey. I still played drums at the time and I agreed to go audition for him.

A few evenings later, we caught a bus from somewhere all the long way to what is today the Jurong Entertainment Centre. Bringing my drumsticks with me, we searched high and low for a jamming studio named Tornado. It was found located on the second storey of some block nestled within a maze of blocks.

We hooked up and ran through several Sex Pistols covers, and I remember playing Anarchy in the UK, God Save the Queen amongst some other Misfits tunes, all of which were pretty straightforward. But I guess we didn't gel too well and we left it at that.

Over the next few years, I would bump into Adam in various places, from gigs to jamming studios and even Swee Lee, one of the biggest musical instruments shop in town, where I bought my bass guitars.

Adam had a hand when I bought my Ibanez Soundgear bass. He was working there and when I was fixing to get a new bass, I went to Swee Lee to speak to him. I was looking for something with a thinner neck for my stumpy fingers.

Fast forward another few years and Adam's band was Objection Overule. We often met him at shows and even played a couple of gigs together. Right about this time, Adam started a label named Mohegan Records and he was working on a compilation of local rock acts. He asked whether we would be interested to contribute 2 songs for the compilation and of course we agreed.

We already had a bunch of new songs then and were planning to record a new album. We decided that contributing 2 songs would be no problem.

And Adam made Kiss My Act happen.

And note again, we're alongside Kate of Kale!

Kiss My Act Compilation Album, 2003

The two songs we contributed to the compilation were:

1. Rock and Roll Star
2. I've Got Angela in My Arms Tonight

We received an invitation to play at one of the biggest shows of the year held at the then newly-minted Esplanade.

It was an amazing scene, 3 stages at different spots along the bay with the bands on each stage playing at the same time. If a certain set did not appeal, you could saunter over to the other stages and watch other bands.

The atmoshere was loud and electric, groups of fans and bands were mixing all over the place, wandering here and there. Lots of small groups sitting on the grass drinking beer and watching the performances while the standard gothic gals with the crazy make-up roamed around.

By this time in 2003, we had a whole new line-up of songs to play. We hardly performed anything from the We Nearly Killed Each Other album, in fact we had so many new songs that a half-hour set cannot contain all of them.

This must have been the set list that night, courtesy of Aaron who stuck two A4 sized papers together so that we can see clearly what song is coming up next.

This show was memorable for me as it was closest to a Woodstock scene as I imagine it. Equally interesting is that many of the people who caught us were not the usual punk rockers. They were the middle-aged couple with 2 kids stumbling on this event as they strolled at Esplanade. They were the young groups of students barely out of their uniforms. Even a couple of elderly men and ladies sat down to see what we were up to.

Rockstar Collective must have been getting complaints from the nearby residents about the volume during the shows and the loitering around of unsavoury characters. I wouldn't blame them but I won't expect punk bands in office-wear either.

RC must have gotten evicted at some point because Novena ceased operating but RC managed to find a larger and better substitute. RC managed to book the Mountbatten Community Centre.

We played Mountbatten CC twice, with one of them being Degenderalize 2.

As part of the fund-raising and exposure for the bands, gig-specific zines also appeared. These zines had a write-up of the bands playing the show and served as a little memento as well. I was certainly impressed by and admire the 'pay what you want' idea.

And in this copy, a little write-up about us:

We had gotten close to the boys from Kate of Kale (KOK) around this time. We seemed to be turning up at the same shows all the time.

Colin, the drummer, and I hit if off particularly well and during one of the shows there, we decided to have a couple of beers before our sets. Elsewhere, I had mentioned that it was going to be a long day whenever a gig is organized and we did have some time to kill.

A few beers became a 6-pack each and by the time we knew we shouldn't be drinking anymore, we were both red and burping all the time.

Colin went up first and as I watched his intense concentration in maintaining his beat versus the effects of alcohol and the massive perspiration dripping off his reddened cheeks, I thought he was going to have a heart attack. But Colin did well and he finished his set.

Then came our turn. It was certainly tough keeping lyrics at the tip of my tongue when the world has slowed by 2 seconds. I kept my way through, most of it passing as a blur of electrical activity in my head.

I kept wanting to throw up, the excessive and carbonated fluid in my tummy highly intolerant of agitation. I kept mumbling lyrics. Who can remember them when all attention is focused on me telling myself...'ok pluck G next then move to F. Don't forget we have a pause before the bridge and that lick the bass needs to do...which song is this?"

I told myself never to drink before a show ever again.

The new line-up. I remember these pictures being taken (by Ginette of Pyschosonique?) at some dirty alleyway in Chinatown.

Jeremy's presence certainly re-energized the band. As we had thought, he had brought with him the rock and roll dimension into our songs and we did enjoy experimenting with the more technical aspects as well as incorporating a little more finesse - as opposed to brute smashing through it all.

Having ORD-ed all around the same time, we threw ourselves back into the fray of writing new songs and getting re-involved with the local scene.

Around this time, a group of very passionate local rockers joined hands and started organizing shows. They called themselves the Rockstar Collective.

Rockstar Collective, as I know them, was born out of an old decaying walk-up apartment in Novena. RC organized gigs and had the support of many local bands and fans. What impressed me most was that they were doing it on a very consistent basis, with a show every month or so.

I recall playing at Novena twice. Trudging up the dark and dilapidated staircase to the fourth floor but the sounds of sound-checking can be heard way before we reached the block. Passing the entrance of what must have been an apartment at some point, one of the RC folks would come and tie a cable-tie around our wrist - signifying that we have paid (or are a band). It used to cost $4 I think, to see each show.

The stage was just a space at the end of the living room, with a drumset and amps lining the corner.

Our first gig at Rockstar Collective Novena.

RC certainly had a very happening crowd.

With the other 2 bands that played this same show, Mary Cherry and Highschool 27

A few weeks before another scheduled show at RC Novena, I received the news.

Jeremy met with a horrific accident while night-cycling. He fell off his bicycle.

Somehow, the falling off triggered something internal and Jeremy was warded into intensive care. He must have been warded in hospital for almost a week. When we visited, he looked absolutely weak and had funny tubes going into interesting places. He could hardly talk, everything softly and in slow motion.

He lost a lot of weight when he left the hospital and for some reason, had to shave his entire head too.

But, he made it for the show.

Rockstar Collective at Novena.

In trying out new things, Aaron came off the drums and slung on the guitar. A-bang Ronny sessioned for us on this show. The entire SubDam was on strings for this one!

Jeremy head-shaven and physically shrunken but still rocking with us in this show!

Aaron wrote on our old site:

"Jeremy recovered fast from his accident to be able to join us for this gig in april. Ronny sessioned for us and we played only old numbers. Group shot also consist of members from Mary Cherry and Highschool 27."

A-bang Ronny banging hard.

Harmonizing? I seem to recall that Jeremy abstained from singing as he was still recovering.