Best shots at Uncle Chilli's

Armed with Siti's Lumix, I got some decent shots of the band performing at Uncle Chilli's recently. Well, not that recent, it was on their last Saturday there last month... Well, you can only do so much when the lighting's inconsistent and your subject is moving around a lot... And the disco ball was not helpin' either...


Yeah, yeah, Superfriends giving 'em some...


Temporary insanity hits when they ain't playin' and singin'...

"B.A.N.A.N.A.S!"

Watch out for Superfriend's upcoming repertoirs, somethin' from Muse, somethin' from Gwen Stefani... And someone's starting to work on that new Triton she just got... and in case you feel like singin' along... here's somethin borrowed from www.slikz.com (gracias!).

Artist: Stefani, Gwen Album: Love. Angel. Music. Baby. Year: 2004 Title: Hollaback Girl

Uh huh, this my sh*t
All the girls stomp your feet like this
A few times I've been around that track
So it's not just gonna happen like that
Cause I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl
[2x]

Oooh, this my sh*t, this my sh*t [4x]

I heard that you were talking sh*t
And you didn't think that I would hear it
People hear you talking like that, getting everybody fired up
So I'm ready to attack, gonna lead the pack
Gonna get a touchdown, gonna take you out
That's right, put your pom-poms down, getting everybody fired up

A few times I've been around that track
So it's not just gonna happen like that
Cause I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl
[2x]

Oooh, this my sh*t, this my sh*t [4x]

So that's right dude, meet me at the bleachers
No principals, no student-teachers
Both of us want to be the winner, but there can only be one
So I'm gonna fight, gonna give it my all
Gonna make you fall, gonna sock it to you
That's right, I'm the last one standing, another one bites the dust

A few times I've been around that track
So it's not just gonna happen like that
Cause I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl
[2x]

Oooh, this my sh*t, this my sh*t [4x]

Let me hear you say, this sh*t is bananas
B-A-N-A-N-A-S
This shit is bananas
B-A-N-A-N-A-S
Again, the shit is bananas
B-A-N-A-N-A-S
This shit is bananas
B-A-N-A-N-A-S

A few times I've been around that track
So it's not just gonna happen like that
Cause I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl
[2x]

Oooh, this my sh*t, this my sh*t [4x]

Finally got me butt to...

... Pedro, in Monterez Golf Club. Yep, just recently, Saturday night to be exact.

In fact, it was ladies night. So I got me a cute stub of a glass of coke as I while away the first set of Superfriends, the new line-up.

Sebenarnya I've seen the new line-up - partly, the one with Sham the drummer on duty. But that was then, in Uncle Chilli's PJH. And I quite liked it, perhaps due to the fact that I've seen the band storm with heavyweight club drummers like Man Kanan and Sham (ex-Headhunters) before.

These two certainly exude extra groove with every stroke. So with Sham the same kind of tone you get, groove coming straight ahead at you.

So I was there to check out Hafiz, the so-called virgin voice introduced for the first time as a frontline by Superfriends. They gave him (excuse me, what seems to be) easy songs - and he seemed to handle that well.

Lookin forward to hearing him bring a new facet to the band - what, R & B? Rap? Super Alternative? - Anything, as long as he markes his place in the line-up.

How to play the tambourine

The tambourine is a single-headed frame drum that has jingling metal disks set in its frame. It can be struck, shaken, or rubbed to produce a tone. Dolu-dolu in medieval Europe, the tambourine was traditionally a woman's instrument and continues to be so today in Islamic countries. Mozart first used the tambourine in his music in 1782.

I heard someone in the band had trouble feeling one with the tambourine recently (his expense for the rest of the bandmembers' glee!), so here's a few tips I pinched out from Neil W. Grover's tutorial posted in the TBA Journal (last updated on September 2002 - yep, ancient it may appear given Internet timelines but good techniques last, no?).

Tip No 1
Tone: A tambourine sounds most articulate when held in a horizontal orientation. When holding your tambourine, don't mindlessly hold it at the same angle of attack for every situation! Try this, hold a tambourine in a horizontal position (parallel to the floor) and tap the head. Now turn it to a vertical orientation (perpendicular to floor) and tap it again. Notice the great change in tonality!

Tip No 2
Cradling: Hold your hand open, palm face up and extend your fingers as though you were holding a basketball. Then place (cradle) the tambourine of top of your fingertips. Lightly tap the edge of the head (it is OK to play directly on top of the rim). Notice how articulate, dry and clear the resultant sound is.

Tip No 3
Thumb Roll With Heel Release: Any good roll should have an attack, sustain and release, yet most percussionists neglect the latter. Sometimes an articulated release is called for. This achieved by snapping the wrist down into the head as an articulated end to the roll. If it helps, think about learning to play open stroke rolls on snare drum. You want to produce a clear articulated end to the roll.

p/s: Grover is a world renowned cymbal, tambourine and triangle specialist. For over 20 years, he has performed with the Boston Symphony and the Boston Pops. He has been seen in the hit movie Blown Away and in a music video on MTV, with the legendary rock group “Aerosmith”.

p/s2: Pix borrowed from www.ship-of-fools.com - muchas gracias!

Ta daa...!

Yep yep, the new Superfriends line-up!


Clockwise: You know the vocalist Najuib, new drummer Sham, Zam the guitarman, new vocalist Hafiz, vocalist Nadya, bassist Nadzir and Siti the keyboardist.

Their first official outing will be tonight at Monterez, Subang... apo? image tak clear? OK, OK, scroll down la beb...


Down n up, zig-zag: Siti, Najuib, Nadzir, Hafiz, Nadya, Sham and Zam.

Amacam, OK ka? Apa? Tak nampak gak? Ginilah beb, why not hang out at Monterez tonight or any other nights (except Sundays I think) in June and check em out for real eh...