14 Malaysia - The Cavemen, Playburst, Milo Dinosaur @ Rumah Api, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Cavemen, Playburst, Milo Dinosaur @ Rumah Api, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Cavemen

I'm stood at the hotel desk, checking in, and I notice a sign displaying the room rate that reads "2 hours, 50RM". It's at this point when I realise my plight to save money has led me to staying at a "Love Hotel". These are quite common in Malaysia, allowing consenting adults to have some privacy to engage in some extra-curricular activity. The demand for these types of establishment is down to two things. One, due to the commonality of extended families living in one household, it offers a degree of privacy from prying eyes and pricking ears. Two, the religious laws of Islam that permeate the existence of Malay citizens forbids sex before marriage, so any liberal minded couple is forced to seek pre-marital physicality elsewhere. Given the state of this hotel, I'd go so far to say that this one was more primarily for strangers in the night to engage in a monetary exchange of happiness. More on that later.

I decided to take the opportunity to enjoy a few drinks, and paying for a 'hotel' worked out significantly cheaper than taking a taxi to and from the gig. As soon as I hit the bar at Rumah Api I was greeted by the drummer of THE CAVEMEN, and within minutes I was holding court with other members of the band. At a previous show I had made acquaintances with Rizman who sings for BAD IDEA, and he was hosting the band the previous night in Johor. He had put us in contact, and here I was picking up that lead in true punk rock solidarity. Not that it was necessary, yet it was a simple lead in, as they explained how the previous night they had played a wild show to a bunch of slam dancing hardcore kids, and had stayed up late drinking with the locals. Two nights in to a world tour was bound to give the band an opportunity to cut loose, and the freshness of their faces and sharpness of their wits showed how tour life fatigue was nowhere near taking root. 

The band members were easy to talk to, and I felt comfortable in their presence for the remainder of the night. There is a romantic story behind the band, all in the same high school when the band started 11 years ago; turning heads in their local New Zealand before being ostracised from many venues, and then collectively deciding to move to London, England to carry on the party. Fortunately for most of them they had family members with British passports, so they were able to take advantage of that and live in England for four years, where they have taken part in at least 10 tours in Europe. It sounds like quite the rock n roll lifestyle that we all crave in our youth, and certainly will leave them with many a tale to tell as they transition into adulthood. 

The reality for a band playing that type of music isn't as glamorous as it sounds, as we discuss making ends meet by working short term contracts in shitty warehouse jobs, and  the relative merits of cheap beer offered by Aldi & Iceland. Thankfully the band have been successful in pulling audiences, selling merchandise, and shifting records to make the rock n roll aspect of their lives sustainable. That is quite an achievement for a band with one of their feet straddled in the roots of punk-rock. Humble, down to earth, and eager to have a laugh and joke was a perfect mix for some good company for the rest of the night. Now onto the gig itself.

The first band I saw were MILO DINOSAUR, which is an awesome name for a band. Milo is an Asian institution, a popular chocolate milk drink, and the lead singer / guitarist has the aura and presence of said prehistoric animal category. The band were awesome to say the least - a mix of driving melodies combined with a traditional emo feel. Their other guitarist in particular, was playing some sick solo notes to accompany the melody. They were so good that I even liked their band page on social media, and would seek out seeing them play live again. Up next and in a similar vein were PLAYBURST, who can be pigeonholed in similar categories, yet made sharper transitions to different parts of their songs. These guys were tight, and like the first band I saw, had mean drummer that was competent and liked to hit the skin hard. Their singer was full of charisma and kept the crowd on their toes in between the songs. It was great to finally see some of these types of bands here in Malaysia. 

Milo Dinosaur

THE CAVEMEN lived up to all the hype I had read about them online. They dived headfirst into their set, stomping through their snotty fast punk-rock / garage rock n roll influenced songs. They raced through at a blistering pace, full of grooves, moves, and visuals in bloom. As with other bands who have been playing together for so long, they were tight, and everything felt in rhythm and in time. It was a real pleasure to get to witness them in action, and it reinvigorated my soul and love for punk-rock. After the show, I stuck around for more conversation and beer with the band, and I didn't leave the venue until 2am - which when you are 38, with 2 kids and a professional job that requires you to get up at 6am, is pretty damn rock n roll.

Speaking of love, I found myself back in my hotel room unable to sleep, as out in the street there were some guys with their ladies of leisure who were having a loud dispute with the worker about not being able to stay at the hotel, and they rebelled by staying outside and blasting loud music. When I awoke after a sobering sleep, I took a quick breakfast and set off back on the road, to be back with the ones I love the most, having spent a night in the midst of the music that I love the most. Love family, love punk rock. Peace!  

The Cavemen (Day 3 of a World Tour) - Listen to them here