Lunes 22 Mar 2010, 0:35
Sun 21 Mar – Kings of Convenience Live in Malaysia
Venue: Wisma Bentley Music Auditorium, PJ
Time: 8pm
Opening Act: Tenderfist
This was the first concert/gig I've gone to, so I don't have a lot to compare it to, heh. But suffice to say, it was the best night ever. God, to relive it again. COME AGAIN SOON GUYS
I found out Kings of Convenience (hereby called KOC 'cause I'm lazy that way and it's more, well, convenient) was having a live in Malaysia through Channel, and promptly entered the contest which offered a pair of tickets to be won. Even so, I still bought two tickets for me and my friend because, hello, like hell I'm going to miss this gig.
I did some research before we went off for the concert and found out that there's to be an opening act by the name of TNDR FST. I was wondering how to pronounce that I was thinking it was like "tender feist? WHAT THE HELL". Googling gave me no accurate results (all I got was tender qualifications, etc. Google, you have let me down), but apparently it’s spelled Tenderfist? OK, fine. So I was anticipating what kind of Malaysian band it would be (because they could only be Malaysian since the gig was a very intimate gig, I thought).
I was so, so excited to find out that Tenderfist was absolutely awesome. Their beats were great, and completely blew me out of the water for a Malaysian band, because I'm so not acclimated to the indie scene in Malaysia that it was kind of shocking that such a great band could be overlooked by the musicians in Malaysia at large. But c'est la vie - that is another story for another time (and probably another writer 'cause God knows I don't know much.) Apparently they’re still working on their EP – I’ll be anticipating :)
They played four songs, all of which were great. I have no idea if this was their first big gig (OPENING FOR KOC, YOU SHOULD DAMN WELL BE PROUD OF THE FACT) but they did so well that I was pleasantly shocked. Would definitely buy their EP. The only danger they could run into is the fact that their songs could sound similar after consecutive plays.
Annnnd then it's onto the main act!
I've tried to keep up with the setlist as best as I can, so if I've missed out on anything or made any mistake, do point it out.
Setlist
- My Ship Isn't Pretty
- 24-25
- Me Inside You
- I Don't Know What I Can Save You From
- The Girl From Back Then
- Singing Softly to Me
- Second to Numb
- Mrs. Cold
- Little Kids
- Rule My World
- Boat Behind
- Toxic Girl
- Homesick
- Gold in the Air of Summer
- Know How <3
- Misread
- ? (feat. Tenderfist)
- I'd Rather Dance With You (feat. Tenderfist)
WHERE IS FREEDOM AND ITS OWNER?
Oh God, where do I even start?
When they first came out, my thoughts were, sequentially: "Whoa, Eirik is so much more good-looking in real life what the hell; Erlend is so imposingly tall (and so freakishly cute I couldn't stop grinning whenever I look over at him) what the hell."
And then they sang.
Ahhhh, bliss to my ears.
Seriously, I practically cried during the first two songs, they were soooo good when they're played live. The recordings do not do them justice. I've always loved Erlend's vocals a bit more than Eirik's, but Eirik's vocals were pitch perfect in every way tonight, it was so surreal. How could these two sound so good?! Just. GAH. I am so, so, so glad I got to attend the gig.
I feel that the event really started to pick up from the third song (Me Inside You) because the beat of that song is just too darn infectious, and everything else that comes afterwards just sounded so great. The harmonies these guys produce… my God I am in awe. It's one thing to listen to the records they've put out, it's another to listen to them live. It is one experience I would encourage to anyone because their vocals are so beautiful when they blend in together ("two soft voices blended in perfection") and it's so awe-inducing when you get to see it in action.
Predictably, they played a lot of songs from their latest album, Declaration of Dependence, and we were kept anticipating as each song gets played. I'M SERIOUS, WHERE IS FREEDOM AND ITS OWNER? The additions of a couple of odd tracks here and there from their previous two albums Quiet is the New Loud and Riot On An Empty Street made the crowd more excited whenever it comes in between the new tracks, and I was particularly pleased when they got to Homesick. I honestly think their second album (disregarding their remix album) is, by far, their best album, because the tracks just speaks to me. Well, I'm also biased because that was the first album of theirs that I acquired and listened to, and I've never turned back since.
When they announced that it was their last song for the night, we were all a bit dismayed because HOW THE HECK DID THE TIME PASS BY SO FAST? WHYYYYY.
And then they played Know How.
I JUST. ASDFLJKS;GDLAJ'SDFLJ;LKADFJ. That is my absolute, absolute, absolute favourite by them (see above) that when it came, it was MINDBLOWING. I was half hoping Feist would come out, but of course this was a pipe dream, heh. (Want to know another pipe dream of mine? I was hoping I would get to sing Feist's part on stage :P WHAT, IT WAS A PIPE DREAM, I CAN HOPE ALL I WANT.) God I love them.
We chanted for an encore (SERIOUSLY, WHERE DID THE TIME GO?), and they gamely obliged :D What's even better, they invited Tenderfist to join them, and the resulting remix of I'd Rather Dance With You and the unidentified song was far more enjoyable than I could've imagined from an adlibbing encore session. Seriously, these guys are so incredibly talented that the results were just mind-numbingly fantastic. Erlend was so endearingly goofy throughout the whole performance, I love him <3 (My preference for goofballs can be seen through my clear preference of Super Junior's Eunhyeuk and Epik High's Tablo, hee.) But really, both of them were so charmant throughout the whole gig.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBCJzgmnl-w
The show ended soon after, with a promise from Erlend that they'll be back (PLEASE TELL ME YOU WEREN'T MAKING EMPTY PROMISES. I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN INTO THE WORM'S HOLE IF I HAVE TO, SIR. UM. YEAH, THAT'S A BIT OF A MALAYSIAN PERIBAHASA THERE). Seriously guys, don't even wait for a new album to come back here, I'd be happy to go to any of your shows!
YOU GUYS STILL OWE ME ONE ROUND OF FREEDOM AND ITS OWNER.
Sadly, there were no photography sessions or autograph sessions for us Asians :( According to Erlend, they were afraid they're going to lose their souls after too many photographs, as per the Native Indians' beliefs on how the cameras suck out your soul ;) LOL, I love that they've heard of that! Guys, seriously, come back soon.
Oh, bonus: As I was in line to pay for my parking ticket, they basically passed by us and I got to smile at Erlend ♥ OK so I'm pretty sure Erlend was smiling at the girl behind me (whom he had invited up on the stage during I'd Rather Dance With You, lucky bench) BUT LET ME HAVE MY DREAMS ALRIGHT.
…So really, when's your next show, guys?
Note: This review is a watered-down version of a more fangirl-y version over at my LJ (see: profile). That review also have some (sucky) videos of the concert.
And yes, I am aware that the "review" is as incoherent as it gets and that it's already fangirl-ish. DEAL.