Global (War)ming

A little off for a writer's blog but i wanted to share this with everyone. Presenting.. my directorial debut! Well, to be honest, I didn't direct the whole thing myself. It was a group effort. It isn't perfect but I'm so proud of it.

If you think this signals me ditching journalism for directing, well..I'm sorry to disappoint but you'll be seeing more write-ups from me! Tragic tumbles and downfalls didn't discourage me, it only made me stronger. :D

Enjoy this little production brought to you specially from SO MUCH DRAMA~!.

WATCH. LEARN. MOVE.

Taste of Chaos Singapore

An interview with As I Lay Dying was promised on this blog and on the HMTV E-zine but due to some misunderstandings at the show (i hope), Hollywood Music Tv Asia was unfortunately denied press coverage for the show. Being me, I got all emotional and pissed off. However, as the situation called for me to be professional, I did my best not to beat the crap outta anyone that night.

And I didn't.

..

Things I do inside my head doesn't count.

I get that things like this DO happen with the chaos of organizing shows. What I DON'T get is how one can be approved directly by the band's manager, have their name on the band's guest list (I clearly saw that mine was the only one on there), and STILL be denied entry to the show. It made no sense to me. In fact, it continues to make no sense to this day.

I have yet to get a proper explanation about what happened but from the way I see it, I'll be damn sure to do things differently next time around. I've contacted the manager once again to fetch some kind of reasoning. He said he'll look further into it. Although he had very little to offer, I'm thankful he's coherent unlike some people I had to work with at the show. For that, thank you Dave. And no thanks LAMC Productions.

Taste of Chaos Singapore = Epic Fail

So now, I'm on a mission. It's all gonna be under wraps until mid next year but hey, it will be sure to FUCK YOU UP. Seriously.

Till then..

PEACE!

P/s: To AILD's Tech guy/band crew, I'm sorry i wasn't very nice to you. You made me nervous.

Lost in Translation with Hydrophobia

Abstracted from Shout!'s Interviews archives

The crowd was insane and the band was spectacular. Hyrdophobia’s set at their recent gig in Singapore, did not disappoint the fans one bit. This Japanese band adds friendliness and smiles to the brutality that is metal. They came outside to mingle with everyone before the show and were the biggest sweethearts. I was incredibly surprised at how nice and adorable these bunch of guys were. The organisers had set an interview for me with their guitarist/vocalist Rin. Unfortunately, due to the barrier in language, I had to cut our interview short. Thanks to Defiled’s guitarist, Yusuke for helping us translate during this interview.

Shout!: Why did you choose to play Death Grind?

Rin: [long pause] We love extreme metal that’s why we decided to play deathgrind. It started from our love for fusion music.

S!: How is it like touring with Defiled?

Rin: Awesome! They are like our big brothers and we look up to them.

S!: Why did you decide to do an Asian tour now?

Rin: The underground music scene here in Asia has been constantly evolving and has been getting better day by day. Thanks to the internet, this type of music has had plenty of exposure. And there is so many new good metal bands rising these days. That’s why we decided that touring Asia now, while the scene is rising, was a good idea.

S!: You’ve recently released your first album after forming the band 12 years ago. What challenges did the band face while recording this record?

Rin: Hmm…We wanted to be as original as possible and do the record exactly the way we wanted. We wanted it to be technical but simple.

S!: What is the metal scene like in Japan?

Rin: There’s so many young bands rising up now but it takes a lot to succeed as a great band. If they keep their faith for their music strong, they’re bound to get far in the future.

S!: Which band got you into metal?

Rin: Hmm. There are many to choose from but to name some would be Napalm Death and Testament. Great grindcore and metal bands.

S!: What other types of music do you listen to other than metal?

Rin: There’s too many to list down. I enjoy various types of music. I try to keep an open
mind to all types of music. My favourites would be fusion and celtic hardcore.

S!: Any rituals you perform before going on stage?

Rin: I do some warm ups to prepare my fingers for the show and hit my chest to get my heart pumped up.

S!: How much wasabi can you consumed before you internally combust?

Rin: I love wasabi! I am Japanese afterall. There’s no limit of consumption for me. [laughs all around] We’re very proud of our culture!

S!:Thank you so much for talking to us! Arigato!

Rin: Arigato!

* Photo Credits: Sya Hysteria Photography & Shout Music Webzine
* Official Site: http:// hydrophobia-jpn.com
* MySpace URL: http://www.myspace.com/hydrophobiajpn

The UnderDogs: Lepak

Abstracted from Shout!'s Interviews archives

Being as young as they are, it was no surprise that the crowd was a bit agitated at the decision the organizers of the event made when they slotted new local metal band from Singapore, Lepak into the bill to perform with Death Grind/ Black metal heavyweights Hydrophobia and Defiled from Japan. Some weren’t too thrilled at that fact whilst others, such as myself, were intrigued as to what this band was all about. Knowing they weren’t completely supported by everyone in the crowd, they went ahead and gave it all they’ve got. For that, I give this band big kudos for not giving a shit. And to be honest, I don’t think they’re all that bad either. After their slot, I got together with the band to have a little chat about their music. The experience of interviewing Lepak was quite an entertaining one. Shiv, Keith, Mike, Bran and Mark, ranging from the ages of 16 to 18, are pretty much as laid back as their band name suggests.

Shout!: For the convenience of our international readers, can you explain to us the meaning of your band name and why did you decide on such a name?

Shiv: The word Lepak basically means “chill out” or “relax” in (Bahasa Melayu).

Keith: We didn’t want people to take us too seriously. We felt it suited the band and our nature.

S!: Tell us more about the band.

Shiv: We have a wide range of influences. We’re obviously heavily influence by black metal. All the hardcore, death metal..

Mike: ..dark, dark shit

Shiv: yeah, dark shit. [laughs all around]

Keith: We try to incorporate them in all of our songs.

S!: Do you think you’re similar to any bands?

Shiv: We definitely listen and look up to a lot of bands but hopefully we have our own unique sound.

Keith: We just wanna sound like lepak.

S!: I went to your MySpace page, and you guys are really young! How do you cope with being in a band and being involved with the heavy schedules of school and such?

Keith: That’s the big problem we have. But we made the commitment to meet up every Saturday to jam.

Shiv: It’s all about commitment.

Keith: We try to keep to our schedule but someone always chooses to be late for jamming…[everyone turns to guitarist Mike and laughs]

S!: You guys are considered to be new in the scene. What was your first reaction when you were called to perform with huge names like Defiled and Hydrophobia?

Keith: Honestly, we were really intimidated. We actually had the thought of not performing today but we decided to give it a shot. We thought that maybe if we just express ourselves musically, they might just like us.

Shiv: We’d like to thank Subash from “Truth Be Known” for hooking us up with this gig. It really means a lot to us.

Keith: And playing with them is amazing by the way. It’s a great honor.

S!: How do you think your slot went?

Keith: It went better than expected. We were quite nervous at first because we thought no one was going to appreciate our music.

Shiv: Quite a number of people turned up so we’re grateful for that.

Keith: We really didn’t expect that many people to be there.

S!: What do you think of the Singapore metal scene?

Shiv: Honestly, I think the true local metal scene is pretty dead. They’re not many kids that are into metal these days.

Keith: We don’t really want to say anything bad about the kids in the scene. I mean, it’s their own personal choice to listen and do whatever they want. What goes around comes around so we’re not gonna say anything bad about that.

S!: Tell us about the track, Eclipse Of A Devil, your demo that is up on MySpace.

Keith: The song came about before I came in the band actually. [laughs]

Shiv: We were just chilling and decided to jam because we were bored. All of us went into the studio and came up with the riff.

Keith: We’re all actually from different bands and just decided to go jamming one day and realised that we kinda had that particular connection as all of us have a wide range of influences.

S!: So you guys actually wrote the song even before then band was ever formed?

All: Yeah yeah sort of.

Keith: Things all started to fall into place when I joined the band.

S!: So when can we expect more music from you guys?

All: Soon soon.

Shiv: We’re probably going to record our EP at the end of the year, when we’re all done with our exams and shit.

Keith: But of course, cash is a bit of a problem for us, cause someone is ALWAYS late..
[turns to mike]
[mike laughs]

S!: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Keith: [turns to band members] Do we ever think that far?

Mike: No way man!

Keith: We pretty much have high expectations but we don’t really think we’ll ever get there. [laughs]

S!: So no plans to tour the US?

Keith: That would be a dream. A HUGE dream.

Shiv: We’d be psyched to just tour Japan probably. And with so much shit coming up like National Service, there’s definitely going to be a strain in the band. Hopefully not too much. [band laughs]

S!: Any last words?

Shiv: We just want to everyone to chill and have fun. Check out our music at www.myspace.com/lepaksg

Bren: And I just wanna say to all the kids that play metal. Keep it real and old school. Don’t do all that weird stuff. [everyone laughs]

* Photo Credits: Sya Hysteria Photography & Shout Music Webzine
* MySpace URL: http://www.myspace.com/lepaksg

Truth Be Known Spills

Abstracted from Shout!'s Interviews archives

Luckily for me, I got to talk to Truth Be Known, way before their set. Having a myspace headline that read “Most alcohol induced band in Singapore”, I was excessively worried and had no idea what to expect. But fortunately, these guys were so easy to talk to. Not only were they sober and cooperative, Subash and Gene might just be some of the most decent and nicest guys I’ve ever met.

Are you guys nervous at all for your upcoming slot with defiled and hydrophobia?

Subash: No.

Gene: No, we're sorta already used to this.

Subash: It's just that we're sober right now. We've never been sober for any of our gigs. And this one will be no different.

What do you think of the crowd today?

Subash: It was surprising, to be honest. We were very worried about the turn out as it's the festive season like Hari Raya (muslim holiday) here but the metalheads did us proud!

We heard the song Build The Hate, on your MySpace page, it's pretty intense. How did that song come about?

Gene: Usually for most of our songs, our guitarists will start out by producing the riffs and I'll follow up with the drums.

Subash: Lyrics will usually come last. After the composition of the guitar and drums, I'll come in with the lyrics. It also depends on the song structure. Sometimes, if neccessary, I'll do abit of research to get the lyrics together.

Research?

Subash: Yeah. I'll carry out research on certain subjects or people to get inspired. For example, we have a song based on a philosopher called Frederick Mitchell.

So lyrically, what are you songs usually based on?

Gene: For this album, most of the lyrics are based on religion.

Subash: The material on this album are mostly against all religions.

So you guys are Atheists?

Gene: Uhhh..

Subash: For me, I don't believe in any God. My own personal belief is that the evolution of men started from the apes. [laughs] Of course, my other band members do believe in God. We're not atheists. Agnostic maybe.

[Gene leaves interview to attend to some equipment mix up]

You just released your album, Just Another Lamb about 2 months ago, tell us how you arrived the album title.

Subash: Intially, we wanted to name it "Just another sheep" but that obviously didn't sound right at all. [laughs] The meaning is pretty generic. Noone is leading and everyone is a follower. Sorta like lambs to te slaughter you see. [laughs]

You guys have been around for three years now, and you have not only performed locally, but also in Thailand and Indonesia. Are there any differences in performing locally and overseas?

Subash: It depends on the genre of the whole gig and where we’re performing. For example, the Thais and Malaysians in the scene are very much into and hyped up about death metal and metalcore. I think we are more suited to the Indonesian and Malaysian crowd as our sound is pretty much old school and they seem to dig it. But we do try to accommodate to every crowd we play for.

How about the response you get from these crowds?
Subash: The response has been amazing. When we were in Thailand, there were a couple of white guys who were surprised at the type of music we were playing. They were like “Where the fuck are you guys from?” and when we told them we were from Singapore, they were shocked that there’s actually people playing metal over here. [laughs] And I also have to add that the bands in Thailand, or just Southeast Asia in general, are awesome.

How has the band changed musically?
Subash: Well, as of most other musicians, we’ve evolved from gaining experiences all these years. I think for me personally, I’ve also changed as a lyricist. We try to maintain and not change our sound too drastically but we do try to keep improving in terms of band tightness, which is important in every band.

We heard that you are going to be part of Truth Corroded's Asian Tour. Are you excited?
Subash: We’ve actually played with them before when they were here in Singapore. Those guys are a pretty intense. They were also surprised at our local scene. So it’s kind of like a reunion for us.

Any last words for the readers of Shout?
Subash: Keep listening to metal, buy our CD and support the local Singapore scene!

* MySpace URL & Photo Credit: http://www.myspace.com/truthbeknownsg

News News News!

As you all may already know, most of the articles on this site are abstracts from Shout! Music Webzine. Although working with them has been totally fulfilling, I have decided to go ahead and get involved in other projects as well. This doesn't signal me leaving the zine. It'd be awhile before i ever do that. Shout! was the first zine to take me in and I've learned a lot about writing, publishing and the music industry from them, and for that, I am and WILL stay loyal to the folks over at Shout.

But it doesn't take a door to close, for another to open. When life gives you lemons, you make a lemon drop martini goddamit!

I've signed up to be one of the journalists representing Asia for Hollywood Music Tv Asia. I'm super sexciting to be working with such an established organization and this could possibly open many doors for me in the future.

Whether or not I decide to pursue journalism as a career, this time in my life will no doubt be a "bolded-underlined" highlight in my life!

Anyway, since I'll be working with 2 online zines now, this site will be taking in more shit as ever so anticipate!

Here is a list of things you may expect to be coming up on this site. :)
If you're in Singapore, you can get your tickets at www.sistic.com.sg


Motley Crue
Date: 16 Oct 08
Venue: Fort Canning Park, Singapore
Time: 8 pm

Avenged Sevenfold
Date: 24 Oct 08
Venue: Max Pavillion, Singapore
Time: 8 pm

Taste of Chaos featuring Atreyu, As I Lay Dying & Story of the Year
Date: 8 Nov 08
Venue: Fort Canning Park, Singapore
Time: 7 pm

Manic Street Preachers
Date: 24 Nov
Venue: Fort Canning Park, Singapore
Time: 8 pm

Sting
Date: 8 Dec 08
Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall, Singapore
Time: 8 pm

Peace!
Lyds Labyrinth
www.a-pathetic.net
www.myspace.com/hollywoodmusictvasia

The List - UnderCover (Unpublished)

We live in the generation of covers. And no, that sentence unfortunately does not carry some deeper, poetic meaning. Bands LOVE to cover popular songs these days. And the fans LOVE them for it.

The question is, why?
Why risk destroying a perfectly decent song?
Are our precious talents running out of ideas for new songs,
or talent for that matter?
Could it be writer's block?
Are cover songs a form of distraction for the bands procrastinating their new material?
Or is it simply a form of mockery?

This is open to interpretation.

Truth be told, it is not easy to make a cover song that’s worth listening to. If a listener has made up his or her mind about a particular song, it is difficult to change ones perceptive. This is especially true if the song chosen is one that is popular, or one that is done by an artist/band with a large and rather aggressively protective fan base.

Take for instance, the song “Blitzkrieg Bop” by the Ramones. I was browsing videos on YouTube and came across the highly talented, Jason Mraz, doing a cover of that song on “Smash for Yahoo! Music”. For the record, I happen to be a Ramones fan. But Jason’s full on acoustic rendition of the song really made an impact on me. It was…different. I felt he did a great job making the song, his own. (A phrase way overused by the judges at "X-Factor" but hey, it still holds powerful meaning behind it.) However, majority of the youtubers on the comment space just down right hated it. There, I found myself fighting, cyber style, for my Mr. A-Z, later on figuring that my efforts would all be a waste of finger strength. Mraz’s attempt to be ORIGINAL made Ramones fans absolutely furious and saw it as an attack or some kind of mockery. Like as if originality was a mortal sin. But hey ho, as I mentioned earlier, if a listener feels strongly for the song or band, no matter how good someone’s cover of a song is, it will never be as good as the original. Call it biased, or closed-mindedness, everyone has the right to defend their beliefs. Hey, it's nothing personal. It's just music.

On the other hand, some covers are so beautifully done, that you just refuse to digest the fact that the artist did not originally write the song. That the oh-so-lovely melody and every lyric sung by your favourite front man/woman, was not in fact theirs. Some artists have had the ability to turn an unknown song into a total classic.

And then there is the ever famous punk rock covers. This involves punk rock/pop punk bands remaking popular songs that you would have never thought would sound good, as a rock song. Case in point the song, “Umbrella”, originally by R&B singer Rihanna. About 4 punk/hardcore/rock bands have covered this song. My personal favourite would be Vanilla Sky’s rendition, despite the incredibly disturbing music video.

With increasing demands for compilation albums like “Pop goes Punk”, my spidey senses tell me that it will be awhile until cover songs run out in style. As long as musicians and writers exist to write more hit records, there will simultaneously be an army of bands, who are ready to make a hit cover out of another hit single.


* Umbrella - Vanilla Sky, Lillasyter (originally by Rihanna)

* Kiss me - New Found Glory ( originally by Sixpence None The Richer )

* Summer Of '69 - MXPX( originally by Bryan Adams )

* Holy Diver - Killswitch Engage ( originally by DIO )

* Walk - Avenged Sevenfold ( originally by Pantera )

* To Be With You - Allister ( originally by Mr. Big )

* Mercy - OneRepublic ( originally by Duffy )

* Eyeless - Bring Me The Horizon ( originally by Slipknot )

* Strangers In The Night - Cake ( originally by Frank Sinatra )

* Born In A Casket - Dying Fetus( originally by Slipknot )

* Ring Of Fire - Social Distortion ( originally by Johnny Cash )

* Dancing With Myself - The Donnas ( originally by Billy Idol )

* Die Die My Darling - Metallica,Aiden ( originally by Misfits )

* Sweet Dreams - Marilyn Manson ( originally by Eurythimics )

* My Way - Sid Vicious ( originally by Frank Sinatra )

* You Give Love A Bad Name - Atreyu ( originally by Bon Jovi )

* Master Of Puppets - Trivium ( originally by Metallica )

* Hero - Paramore ( originally by Foo Fighters )

* Beat It - Fall Out Boy feat John Mayer ( originally by Micheal Jackson )

Your Chance To Die Review

Abstracted from Shout!'s The Pit archives
- August 2008 Issue -
(Shout! is taking a new direction with the zine
and will no longer be publishing Pit pieces.)

When a dear friend of mine linked me up to one of Your Chance To Die’s youtube videos, my very first thought was “please don’t let it be another one of those pretty but talentless bands”. But oh boy, was I in for a shocker. They may look like your ordinary South Carolina rockers, but don’t let the looks fool you!

Formed in February of 2007, this female fronted band is a nice blend of metal and hardcore with a little pinch of death metal. If you like heavy metal breakdowns and adventurous yet technical guitar solos, Your Chance To Die is the band for you.

Guitarists Adam and Coca, both professionally trained with classical and power metal roots, radiate brain busting yet melodic guitar riffs. This is accompanied by machine-like drums that exude adrenaline and speed that leaves listeners no choice but to get their headbangs on! Missi has a growl like no other. Her vocal range is much lower than most female metal front women and is a force to be reckoned with. If vocal ability was a sporting race, this little missy ought to be wearing shorts that read: “EAT MY DUST!”

Your Chance To Die is currently on a hunt for a new guitarist. Details on auditions for a slot in the band can be found on their myspace blog.

Their demo consisting of 4 songs are free for download from their myspace page and also distributed out during their shows. A full length album is in the works and is expected to be released in the fall.

Lost in Los Angeles Review

Abstracted from Shout!'s The Pit archives
- August 2008 Issue -
(Shout! is taking a new direction with the zine
and will no longer be publishing Pit pieces.)

Lost In Los Angeles was formed in 2005 in, yes you guessed it, Los Angeles California. Their wide range of musical influences include rock and roll legends Led Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Bad Company and even Sir Elton John.

This three piece Californian indie band struck my attention for having such a familiar vibe we all have come to love and miss. Their soothing and catchy sound is something we don’t get to hear as much these days. If you’re a fan of Incubus and Travis, you should definitely check them out. Their sound is atmospheric and hypnotizes listeners to sway their heads from side to side,whether you want to or not. Perfect for sunset dates on the beach or rolling in your Cadillac with the top down, seat back and wind gushing through your hair.

They are currently working on their full length album that is set to be released in the summer. Frontman Pierre Bouvier of Simple Plan co-produced the record so it is bound to be good one! Lost In Lost Angeles is also on the way to getting signed by a label. They will be resuming shows in the fall and have plans for a few tours in 2009.

Update: Lost in Los Angeles has recently been signed by Cartel Records! Congrats boys and all the best!

Mary Magdalan Review

Abstracted from Shout!'s The Pit archives
- August 2008 Issue -
(Shout! is taking a new direction with the zine
and will no longer be publishing Pit pieces.)

I was first introduced to Mary Magdalan when a fan of theirs added me on myspace. Her myspace profile was plastered with pictures and music by Mary. Curiosity is what killed my junkie virginity. Honestly, I have never seen such dedication and loyalty from fans than that of the Mary Magdalan junkies. And this craze is for good reason.

Inspired by a dark past, struggling with a mother battling a heroin addiction, female front woman, Mary Magdalan, whole-heartedly bears her soul through her lyrics, in high hopes of bringing healing to those going through the same pain. All of Mary Magdalan’s lyrics are biographical and is what makes them so original. Her story is truly inspiring and is one of the many reasons why I am so attracted to this band.

I can’t quite place what genre of music they belong in. They remind me very much of the band Otep, but with a little more grunge. Their sound is truly a breath of fresh air and very different from what we’re used to hearing. Their different musical influences explain why this band is so darn different. On guitars is Ericb, who has his masters in classical and is heavily influenced by Metallica and Pantera. Gzus brings the hip-hop element to their music and Mary, the vocalist, is influenced by legendary songstresses like Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin. Their unique blend of genres is heavily reflected upon their music and is something you just can’t find anywhere else.

Mary Magdalan’s debut album called “Pity Girl” ,which was solely mastered, manufactured and distributed by the band themselves, is out on sale and can only be bought directly from the band. They are in the midst of recording their next album and will be doing 5 exclusive dates around The United States this summer.

Be a junkie. Get your fix today!

How To Get A Front Row Stand [ 1st Piece on Shout! ]

Abstracted from Shout!'s The Pit archives
- July 2008 Issue -
(Shout! is taking a new direction with the zine
and will no longer be publishing Pit pieces.)

It takes careful consideration and planning to achieve a want. This is one advice that can be applied to every aspect of your life. Concerts are no exception. Teenies prefer to play dirty to get ahead. I know this from first hand experience. Their plans usually provide results but this approach is prone to backfire.

From every regretful experience in life comes about something positive. I’d like to think that my horrid years as a teenie would someday benefit another human being. That somehow I have achieved something from 3 years of “OMGILOVEYOU”s and that it can subsequently help others.

Well, the day is finally here! I come to you, as a former insider, bearing a gift of knowledge. Here are some tips on how to be sneaky in a concert crowd and get yourself front and center!

• Dress for Comfort

If you’re planning to be covered in spikes with 50 pounds of metal attached to your body, be prepared to be a target in the mosh pit. First of all, how comfortable can dragging your heavy metal body (literally) be? If you think this will prove how metal or brutal you are, think again. Arrogance equals a target mark on your forehead.

Secondly, what is the point? Unless you have glow-in-the-dark skin, no one can see you in the crowd! And quite bluntly, NOONE CARES! Some of you may be thinking, “but what if I bump into the band after the show?” Believe me, there is nothing sexier than a sweaty band shirt. That’s your way of showing the band you had the time of your life getting down and dirty with them. The goal is to sneak your way to the front, so ensure that you can move about freely and not have anything on you that will act as a physical restriction to glide through the crowd.

Best gig gear would be a band shirt, comfortable pair of jeans or pants and sneakers. Make sure you tie your laces tightly to avoid going home barefoot. Avoid accessorizing excessively as you are bound to lose something, like your ears for instance. Remember, everyone is there for some good music, not a fashion parade.

• Lose Yourself

A concert is the best place to go out of character. Go wild! Do things you don’t normally do. If you see a row of people way ahead of you, with arms hooked around each others necks, head banging like crazy, feel free to join them! Remember, everyone is your friend until they get in your way!

At the same time, respect others and yourself. Don’t start unnecessary fights. If someone has been eyeballing you since the start of the gig and he just happens to be twice as big as you, completely covered in tattoos that scream bloody murder and just happens to have metal knuckles, it would be wise to just walk away.

Eye on the prize my friend. Eye on the prize.

• Be the Exceptional Exception

There will usually come a time during every show whereby the performer gives out a particular command. “JUMP!” And for some odd reason, you feel you have no choice but to do so. It may be tempting but hear me out. By being an exception in this situation, you can earn yourself some exceptional benefits.

In order to secure a desirable position in the crowd when your band takes the stage, it is advisable to execute this plan while the opening acts are performing. In the event of a no-opening-act show, don’t panic. With proper planning, this operation shouldn’t take too long.

Mentally study your surroundings. Look out for holes in the crowd. The word “JUMP” is your cue to start making your way through the crowd. As they bounce around like bunnies on crack , steadily make your way through. Hop and smile as you pass through the crowd.

• Moshing Is The Best Policy

Your best gamble is to join in the mosh. As they shove and kick you everywhere, you have a 50/50 chance of ending up at the front. However,if you’re unlucky, you might end up right back where you started. But the bright side is that you can just get back in there and try again! Crowdsurfing could get you far but the probability of getting yourself tossed way to the front and out of the crowd is high. If this scenario was to play out, don’t forget to give the lead singer a high five on your way back to step 1.

We may have a mission to accomplish here but remember that no one should get hurt in our journey to spit spectrum. Help people off the ground if they fall. Look out for others and they will be sure to do the same for you. Moshing is not a war. It’s a sport. And every sport has its own set of rules and protocols. Follow them.

Dirty is not how we roll. Sneaky is the way to go.

Remember, success is not a destination. It is a journey. So make sure you enjoy yourself every step of the way.

Have fun conquering your next show!

• Image Courtesy Of: http://cycletheory.tripod.com

About The Writer

So finally, after years and years of contemplating on whether I should sign myself up for a blog here, I have decided to go for it. This decision was made with the help of my twin sister, Sya Hysteria (whose work you should really check out by the way).

So let's take a second to briefly introduce this Lyds Labyrinth person.

My real name is Lydia Mohamed. I am a 19 year old Mass Communications student from Singapore. I've been writing ever since I figured out how to use a pencil. My favourite thing in the world to write about is Music. It is ridiculous to explain how someone learned how to love music. It is genetically enforced in our nature to be attracted to something beautiful. In my true and honest opinion, Music defines beauty. There's nothing more magical and enchanting in this world. (Johnny Depp comes close.)

The first song I was ever obsessed with was Love Will Lead You Back by Taylor Dane, as according to my parents and adoring sister (who is right now in florida. Sis I miss you already). I was told that noone in my family was allowed to even breathe the words to this song when it was playing and as long as there was a mic in my hand, the song was noone elses but mine. That song introduced me to the cult that was music. Welcome To The Jungle by Guns'N'Roses taught me rocking hard was the way to live. I have been a fan of music ever since.

My choice of genre is complicated. There was a time in my life when I thought boybands were the only type of musicians there were, and that the vocal chord was the one and only instrument in music. But obviously, one can stay naive for so long. I moved on to pop-punk rock and bar chords. The transitions made afterwards are a blur to me because I basically jumped from genre to genre trying to figure myself out. I jumped from pop-punk to trash metal to progressive to grind to brutal death to indie and lastly, I fell in the comfortable arms of death metal. I still love that genre to, well DEATH but seeing as how most death metalers wont accept you unless you're "DEATH METAL TO THE GRAVE!", I decided staying low key about it would do me good. Now, I listen to all the genres I've listed here.

As the title of this blog may have suggested, I will be posting some of my written work here, for purposes I shall not discuss at this time. I am all for constructive criticism. Seriously, I know for a fact I'm not that hella good of a writer. But one thing I DO NOT appreciate is thoughtless bashing of ones work. If you don't have anything good to say, don't waste your breath. No point in making a time consuming chore out of nothing. Fire is good but too much of anything can kill a person.

I've only recently had my written work published, after working with a music webzine called Shout!. For that, I will be eternally thankful to my 2 fine editors, Ashley Apathetic and Jacki Spencer. I've contributed a few articles at the zine (that I will be posting up shortly) and am now working as one of the interview staff. It's an awesome job, just so you know. :) Before this webzine, I've had 2 other articles published in a printed magazine by the Singapore Children's Society called CABINLINK.

So finally, I believe the occasion calls for a shout out!

To my family:
I doubt any of you will read this but if you are, YAHOO I LOVE YOU!

To my bestfriends:
Sya - thanks for thinking for me something my brain delayed for so long and for kicking my ass when it needs to be kicked.
Lyn - thanks for being my walking dictionary and kicking my ass for when it needs to be kicked.

To everyone reading:
Thank you for taking the time. ROCK&ROLL!