MUSIC WITHOUT BORDERS

When I was asked to head up north to Kuala Lumpur for MTV World Stage 2011, I was naturally excited. After all, MTV World Stage is a global phenomenon that has brought multi-genre talents with global relevance to audiences the world over.

The Asian instalment has featured the likes of rousing Brit luminaries Kasabian, American band All-American Rejects, pop sensation Katy Perry, German rockers Tokio Hotel, Korean pop stars Wonder Girls and Malaysia's own Estranged and Bunkface.

And there's something to be said about watching a gig overseas. Some of the gigs in Singapore can be a little staid; whereas if you've been to gigs overseas, there's a vibe that just ... rocks.

I remember heading to Madison Square Garden (MSG), that renowned concert arena in New York City, in January 2009 to catch American rock band Kings Of Leon, whose success was built upon the earlier years of their career almost a decade back. Located in the heart of The Big Apple, the venue is easily accessible - the Penn Station is located just below The Garden - and there are loads of food stores, book stores and 24-hour convenience stores littered around MSG.

Sure, I was a big fan of the band then, but, no, I didn't head down uber early - mostly because I had a ticketed seat (not general admission). It was a sold-out show and the crowd was quite well-mannered, maybe because the majority of them were in the age range of 24 to 36.

At any rate, while I wouldn't have minded being in a mosh pit, it turned out to be a good thing, because the band turned up two hours after the stipulated start time, and I was suffering from severe lack of sleep and jet lag. (And I left halfway while the band was playing their hit song 17 to head back to my hotel room to crash.)

I made amends later that year, in October, when I travelled to London for a week to catch some of my favourite artistes in the world - Morrissey, The Dead Weather and Phoenix. I even scored a free ticket to Matthew Herbert, courtesy of a friend whose friend cancelled on him at the last minute.

It was also a great way to see some of London's most famous concert venues. Morrissey was performing at the revered Royal Albert Hall, while The Dead Weather and Phoenix were both playing at O2 Academy Brixton, previously known as the Brixton Academy, where a host of pop and rock luminaries have performed: Madonna, The Clash, Iron Maiden, Brian May, Arcade Fire, Nine Inch Nails, Bob Dylan, Sex Pistols, Faith No More ... you name it.

So excited was I that I actually turned up two hours early to join the queue.

The atmosphere was fantastic, despite the brittle cold weather London was facing then - one family seated beside me had even travelled from France to catch Phoenix. The mood was hyped up and I was finally catching two of my favourite bands live. It was an overwhelming experience and one I would, on no account, forget. Well, maybe save for the nasty hostel I was staying in. Oh well, you can't always get what you want.

With those memories of New York and London in mind, it's understandable that Shah Alam might not exactly be the first choice in any travel itinerary to catch a gig. I mean, where is that? (Just kidding.) This year's World Stage featured Jared Leto's outfit 30 Seconds To Mars, Korean boyband Beast and newbie American rockers Neon Trees (who performed in Singapore two days later).

But I was also a little worried. Apparently, a number of protests started following Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad's objections to the gig being held at Shah Alam's technology hub, i-City. According to The Malay Mail, "most felt the concert would encourage immoral activities among young revellers", adding that an online petition had been set up by the MP, which elicited such comments as "Please respect the majority Muslim community in Shah Alam. Our teenagers will follow Western culture if the concert still proceed" (sic) and "Please consider not 'polluting' the knowledge centre that is i-City with something that will lead to immoral activities".

Nevertheless, it was decided that the show would go on. I didn't see any crowds waving banners saying "Stop The Concert" as we made our way to the Empire Hotel. Located in Subang Jaya, it's surrounded by highways, terrace houses and two shopping malls. If you are a hardcore party animal, well, this is obviously the wrong place to be. It took 25 minutes to get to i-City, which is located in a ... let's just say it's not the brightest of city centres. The space that MTV World Stage occupied was huge, with food stalls selling Ramly burgers, fried chicken and barbecued meat surrounding the area.

There are a few things you notice while attending an MTV World Stage gig in Shah Alam. One, security is super tight. The place was heavily guarded by policemen and security guards and it was a sight to behold (I'd seen nary a policeman at the London and New York gigs). They're also super serious about their work. As we entered, the rotund guard confiscated my journo friend's chocolate bar and forbade us from bringing our digital cameras, and almost took away my floral green Cath Kidson umbrella, too. Hey, it wasn't as if I was going to throw my prized brolly at Jared Leto.

Two, it's a very punctual show. It started at 6.50pm sharp, with VJs Utt and Holly welcoming the 15,000-strong crowd to i-City, quickly followed by Malaysian band Pop Shuvit getting the floor hyped up with their brand of hip hop and rock.

Three, "super casual" is a real dress code. Unlike some Singaporean concert-goers, who dress to impress when at a gig at Fort Canning Park, the festival-goers, comprising mostly tweens and curious parents, were dressed in plain garb.

But that doesn't mean they don't love their gigs. Punters had been queuing up since noon just to get a hold of a pair of tickets. The wired masses obeyed Pop Shuvit lead singer Moots' every instruction - from waving their arms to singing along - and when the blazer-clad frontman stage-dived into the mosh pit, they were only too happy to hoist him along. They were wooed when Korean pop throbs Beast came on with their with energetic dance moves and singing their hits - all the while throwing bouquets of flowers to adoring female fans during their performance.

Things started to get suitably messy when American alternative rock band Neon Trees made their way onstage to massive screams. Maybe that's why lead singer Tyler Glenn, sporting his mohawk hairstyle, commenced shrieking the words out. The fans loved every bit of his sweaty antics though, crazily lapping it up.

American rock giants 30 Seconds To Mars were the obvious fan favourites, with Leto and gang throwing out a slew of thunderous tunes. Leto even took off his sleek black blazer to bare a black singlet, the throng hot and bothered, squealing and shrieking, as he invited dozens of overly appreciative fans onstage.

MTV World Stage Live In Malaysia may not have offered the same assorted breadth of choice like their global counterparts, but it totally worked. The fans were game for anything and everything any band threw at them - they jumped, fist pumped, cheered, and applauded in unison. You can't help but get caught up in that too.

Kudos to them; we ought to learn a twirl or two along the way.
SOURCE: http://www.todayonline.com/Travel/EDC110730-0000009/Music-without-borders