Back to work!

I saw Nadya recently, and guess what, she's already back on her feet. Less dancing and stuff, but she's there!

Band Superfriends wishes all blog visitors Selamat Hari Raya. They'll be working throughout the hols guys - part and parcel of being in a band la kena kerja time orang lain cuti kan - so check them out at Holiday Villa once you're done with the ketupats and lemangs.

Superfriends meet Astromen

Superman meet Ultraman... impossible? Maybe. But Superfriends meet Astromen? Happened already lo!

It was on that night of Nadya's crash - as scheduled, a bunch of Astromen responsible for doing follow-ups on the bands that took part in Astro Blast Off! came - broadcast camera, cables and stuff. After some digging I later found out that these men were working on a segment called Aftershocks.

As you know the band had to go on without Nadya. The stage looked a bit different to a regular like me, but as crowd - guys and gals who looked like students mostly, plus the usual yuppies - poured in the band seemed settled.

So there I was enjoying the band's late-start first set at 10.30PM in Holiday Villa's lil' club when some men in black started to dart around in front of the band, blocking moi's contact-lensed view.


^ In black: The Astromen setting up.

One man had his set of high-quality lens, and he was going here and there trying to catch the band in action.


Jalan-jalan: One of the Astromen getting some close-ups.

As I too have a job to do, I snapped on the band's photos as usual. But once in a while the Astromen got in my way. Nevermind lo, they have a job to do too maa...


^ Astromen team: Some do, some watch.

Heard the stuff they're recording will be aired as soon as this weekend.

So-called "Scary" Nadya got a scare

The reason I tied in the name "Scary" Nadya to the scare was due to the fact that, it so happened that on the night Nadya got involved in a 7-car sandwich accident, the Astro people came to do a recording for a follow-up on Astro Blast Off.

Yep, Nadya got into an accident last Saturday, 22 October 2005 onher way to work. She got away with non-bleeding injuries, but a whole bunch of wrecked tissues internally.

Though she stopped in time, behind her five cars knocked bumper to bumper, eventually pushing her Kelisa's nose to hit the Volvo's butt. So her Kelisa was trashed, and the Volvo in front of her who jammed on the brakes to a dead stop due to a ciloking Kancil escaped with a few scratches.

"I felt my car shrinking, smaller and smaller after each bang," says Nadya to some twenty well-wishers who visited her at the band's room in Holiday Inn.


^ Zig-zag from left: Han, Rohesh, Siti, Nadzir, Intan, Najuib, Kak Izan and Kak Wan. On da bed: Nadya, still entertaining.

She later told everyone that despite being clearly in pain, she managed to get doctors to discharge her out of University Hospital on the same night after the X-rays sessions were done. Apparently the wailing of an old lady next to her bed was adding too much depression to her already sorry state.

After getting over the initial shock, Nadya, Superfriends and close associates actually had quite a gathering. Najuib revealed that he actually handed over Nadya to an good Samaritan Indian bloke while trying to cross the Federal Highway on foot to his car on the other side of the accident scene... so that he could help Zam open the car's boot and get the kerepeks to safety!


^ Najuib claims he just had to pass Nadya to the B.O-stenched guy as Federal Highway's divider was too wide to cross.

All Nadya could say to that was, "Sampai ati kau pass aku kat budak India tu Jib..". To that Najuib acknowledges the stench of B.O the guy had, and that he tawakal-ed that Nadya would be alright in the guy's temporary care.

Earlier, bandmates Najuib and Zam came to her rescue at Federal Highway, scooping her belongings as well as the leftover stock of Black Pepper Thrill chips. Close friend Han handled the hospitalisation and also accompanied her to the police station to lodge a report after all the visitors left.

For the record, the band went on to perform without Nadya that night, and the management had agreed to accept the doctor's prescription of five days of medical leave for the versatile frontliner.

Kerepek... Merepek...?

Tidak... Ini bukan satu isu merepek... Superfriends is venturing into an alternative business, ladies and gentlemen, and tis no merepek matter.

The band, with the help of close friends are busy selling tapioca and banana chips lah! The tapioca chips are available in these flavours:

1] Salty Delight
2] Sweet Chilli Hottie
3] Favourite BBQ
4] Chicken Amazement
5] Black Pepper Thrill

Meanwhile the tangy banana chips are made from a special species banana found only in tropical countries.

Take a peek at some of these samples... (Small mineral bottle next to the package only for comparison purposes je..)


^ Tangy Banana Chips 500g RM8


^ Sweet Chilli Hottie 500g RM8


^ Black Pepper Thrill 350g RM6

Try them all!

These flavoured tapioca and banana chips are sold in 350g (RM6) and 500g (RM8) packs respectively. Just give these guys a hollar in between their sets at Holliday Inn's The Pub - they'll be happy to let you cash-and-carry these wonderful Raya servings.


Not quite car boot sale la...

So far deliveries available for purchase of minimum 4 packs of any variety within Klang Valley. Interested? To order for Raya stock, leave a comment and your email on this post before Oct 21, 2005, 5PM. For after Raya party order please note...

p/s: Nak discount? Beli banyak2 skit... boleh negotiate punya.. No preservatives used, and no child slavery involved. We're against them!

Live and let live

So Superfriends was not the band playing at Planet Hollywood last Sunday. So what happened? Here's my version of the story. Solely personal take OK...

KUALA LUMPUR, Mon - The veteran live band once tauted as "The band Azwan Ali announced as the winner of Rentak Juara but sulked along home with the second prize bounty" is in the headlights again. This time for pleading younger band, Superfriends, to let go a contract with Planet Hollywood in order to gain some income for the month.

Working based on short term contracts like other live bands in the country, the veteren band, N**, was in aghast upon finding themselves jobless for the month of October. The band leader, only known as J*****, resorted to calling the band leader of Superfriends, Najuib and requested that the latter band let go the Sundays contract at Planet Hollywood in favour of N**.

Najuib decided to refer to the bands' mutual nincompoop agent, R**, who consequently ruled out that the Sundays contract be redirected to N**.

A number of Superfriends close associates who were in the know of the situation then argued the decision, saying previously the agent had left other bands under his wing to suffer for months without contract, not even Sundays contract. Subsequently they continued by questioning why N** was given a different treatment.

However the issue that got N**, the band with mostly 30 to 40-years old members in hot soup was due to a separate but related occurence.

According to another Superfriends' member, frontliner Nadya, one of N**'s singer had already began to "canang keliling kampung" (tell every Tom, Dick and Harry) that N** will be the one playing in Planet Hollywood on this month's Sundays - despite the fact that a strong crowd had already witnessed Superfriends breaking the ice on October 2.

The occurence happened days before J***** made the initial call of help to Najuib. Boosted by premature cockiness, N** soldiered on to take over on October 8.

Already quite contented with their current, fat-cheque-d, regular attachment at the newly taken-over Holiday Inn (formerly Pan Pac Glenmarie), the unperturbed Superfriends graciously gave way to N**, citing the reason being out of respect for the old.

On Superfriends' part, Najuib took the initiative to contact the Planet Hollywood manager and sort things out professionally. He also informed the manager that in this case Superfriends had no intentions of letting the contract fly off their hands like that, and reinforced the band's interest to take on new contracts with Planet Hollywood in the future.

On Superfriends' blog, http://bandsuperfriends.blogspot.com, comments were posted mirroring the confusing absence of the band at the club on October 8.

Siti, Superfriends' keyboardist recently released a statement on behalf of the band, apologizing to regulars who were expecting to see the band play on October's Sundays as promised. She optimistically noted that the band would play on at Holiday Inn. - SR

So rest assured guys, the first Sunday of October 2005 will unlikely be the last time you see Superfriends performing at Planet Hollywood. In case you miss'em so much then you know where to find Superfriends right? Pan Pac.. oops, Holiday Inn Glenmarie.

As for N**, personally I think the band needs to work on a bit of tact, and perhaps has more dignity than to rob off people's contract like this. After all they are a band of old timers, but in this case we learn that older does not necessarily mean wiser.

And if I could just give a hollar, I'll hollar this: Drop the agent Superfriends, drop the agent...

Sundays at Planet Hollywood... again

Ya... begitulah ceritanya... Superfriends will be at Planet Hollywood every Sunday this month, as far as I know lah. Rasanya takde artis mana-mana yang nak enter frame, Raya is coming maa..

And as updated by the band themselves, Pan Pac Glenmarie is now a 6-star accomodation, bearing the banner of Holiday Inn... Still as far as performance's concerned, it is the same club, same time, but hopefully more diverse crowd la. Have yet to see the new management's marketing gems...