ACAB @ Angkasa, Kuala Lumpur - 26/02/2022
Bloody hell! How good did it feel to get out to a gig after so long in the wilderness? I did manage to go to a seated punk show at Rumah Api back in April 2021, but the last proper show I went to in Malaysia was in February 2020!
I found out about this show after my usual deep dive of the internet, and it was promoted by Atas Angin, who seem to be in the market with promoting mid size shows with popular bands from the rock side of music. I noticed they had a listing for a band called ACAB (All Comrades Are Brothers is the fake code name here 😉 ), and safe to say it was a band from the punk genre.
I looked them up on the internet and found out that they were one of the pioneers of the 'Eastern Oi!' sound of the 1990s, and they had worldwide noteriety with their song 'Skinhead for Life'. That was enough for me to purchase two tickets for 160RM (£30).
I did listen to some more of their songs, which were named after Cocksparrer and Slaughter & The Dogs songs, and they were actually original songs, not covers.
I made a flask of rum and coke for the 40 minute taxi ride to town, and arrived early enough to drink cans of beer (that were hidden from JAKIM plain view) on the street, whilst waiting for people to turn up.
I met a lot of people throughout the night, mainly because my Malaysian friend Nobby was forever 'on the way', and I enjoyed meeting them and talking about music. One group of people I met from Kajang (which is the next district to where I live) even invited me to join them at the Mamak over the road whilst they Makan. I did my best to keep my beer from view, and even if people did know, they either didn't care, or didn't care enough to say anything. Almost all of the crowd were of Malay heritage, and by default Islamic. The venue itself has a no alcohol policy, but subtly drinking cans outside seemed to be tolerated (I was the only person doing it). I kept people entertained with my stories and basic Malay language, and the most common question I was asked was, "Have you seen Cocksparrer live?" 😂
Speaking of Oi! The band itself hit the stage around 9pm, and played for over an hour with a short break in the middle. The guitar players and the drummer had the classic skinhead / smart clothes look, and the singer looked like a rock star. Their music was a bit slower than traditional Oi! I'm not sure if that's their style, or just old age. There were the usual sing along choruses that the crowd regularly joined in for, and it was nice for a change to be 41 years old at a show and still be in the youngest quartile of the age ranges. I went for a dance during the last few songs, and some of the other punks joined in, so that was a nice way to end off the show.
The show itself was sponsored by a vaping company, who were giving away free vaping devices at the show. I guess they knew the clientele well; middle aged people who are slowing down and starting to become more health conscious.
Overall, it was great to get out to show, and see an established band from the Malaysian alternative music heritage.
