D1819 at the end of Ang Siang Hill has been there for the last two over years. The pub is run by Fong and Chia who are the same people who ran Moods behind Scotts Road from '97 till '00. What I liked about Moods was their regular Tuesday night local band gigs with back to back indierock theme nights. Rock music over a beer wifin an intimate smokey confine somehow completes the taste for me. Moods had that.

Last week I was going out with a vengence. On Thurs night, hang out with Gary at D1819, then moved on to Carnegies to join Eng Kiat. Friday was with Noel at Newton, after which we hopped over to Dubliners and ended up at Wine Bar where we coincidentally bummed into the people from 2nd Rule. Saturday had D1819 hosting an indierock music night where i had a nice long yak with Ben, did some catching up wif Xiao and Redmund, and met Mimi whom i havent seen for 3 over years. The best was reserved for Sunday evening, spent wif Jeanne as she took me around Esplanade. It was the first time i step in there. First time too i walk along the aircon cold of City Link Mall. Educational walk over, we sat by the bank and look up at Jupiter, Orion's belt and a blinking satellite, and it felt like the first time.
This is jeanne when we did Bali last December

In '94 i got a demo cassette in the mail. Grubby handwritten letter and little else but when I played the tape, Be My Baby soared. I fell head over heels over the song and June Koh's voice. They were to release an album later in '98 afterwhich she left to study overseas. Wherever she is now, I'm sure we all wish she's having a good life and perhaps hopefully to sing again.

Back when Robin (drums) and Joseph (vocal, guitar) were part of the original lineup, Livonia would sometimes do a cover of Fiction Factory's Feels Like Heaven. It was a straight forward no frills version but it sparkled. Cos in their own ways, it was their little touches that made their interpretation unique and welcomed by fans whenever they performed it. I have a few bootlegs of Livonia from different month/year and somehow it seems when I was there with my recorder, the song wasn't on their setlist. And when they did play it, my recorder wasn't with me. I wish I have the song to post here.

Tomorow night from 1030pm onwards, Typewriter, Livonia and Plain Sunset play at the Hard Rock Cafe. Door is $15 (comes with 1 drink). Come earlier cos betw 10pm to 1030pm there will be free flow of drinks.

On my own accord, I've never attended a radio roadshow (except when i was working in record companies) and was damn surprised by how much i enjoyed myself last saturday at UFM100.3's first outdoor gig. Featuring unsigned local artistes, groups and singer-songwriters, it wasn't exactly Localpolloza but it has a more intimate earnesty about it which was endearing for me. All around there were less posturing and less attitude. I felt I could breathe easier. Danny Yeo who hosted the show said he would like to have more. Bring it on as long as they keep it real, honest and local.
This is Benji Heng. He's on drums with Pink Punk. And in the background was the packed turnout at Bukit Merah Amphitheatre.


This couple of weeks have been scorching warm but when my football kickabout on sunday comes around, inexplicably it would somehow rain. Last sunday it didn't rain. but inexplicably not enough people turned up. We can only hope this coming sunday won't be week number 6 of no football in a row. Around now also marked the end of nov-to-mar spell of cooler weather. Hence I leave u all with Chris Ho's Long Long Summer. Originally a Thai song, he wrote the English lyrics to it. From the album Nite Songs In Day Glo issued in 1989, the album (like nearly all local albums) has long been deleted and no longer available.

Last sat Tanjong Pagar got whacked 0-3 and it was painful to watch as the new players struggle to find cohesion in defence. We missed Suttee badly. Khairon, Dragan, Bennett, Steven Tan, Ah Hai, all of them. At least young Liu Gan showed very good potential in goal. For the 2nd consecutive Sunday it rained and washed out our football kickabout. That makes it 4 Sundays of no football. That's 1 month! I can't take it anymore...

The kids of Blk 26 & 27 of Tiong Bahru used to play football nearly every other day. Everyone of us would chip in 5cents to buy those 50cents plastic ball from the mama store at the corner of Kim Pong Rd. We would play till its dark. Play till we can't see the plastic ball anymore. That's usually when the neighborhood mothers/aunts/sisters (better not be fathers who usually come with the cane) would come out in unison, hollering our names to get back home for dinner. Those balls got more and more expensive till it cost $1 by the time most of us were in sec sch.

This is us kids during the period running up to the lantern festival. We all love playing with candles and fire. That's me on the left.

Another Rita Chao classic titled I Gotta Find Cupid. Here, she is backed by The Surfers. Anyone know when this song was issued?