Monday 26 August 2013

IGNITE! Music Festival 2013: A Student Driven Festival


by Ariani bte Adam

IGNITE! on standby, IGNITE! go!

After endless late nights of planning, the IGNITE! Music Festival crew of 2013 finally saw the festival rocked the ground of RP on 23 and 24 Aug. First time ever, the festival drew an astonishing crowd of close to 15,000 gig-goers. The annual music festival, dedicated to showcase the best of local bands, was put together with a team of dedicated RP student groups led by staff from Republic Cultural Centre (TRCC). The students were heavily involved in the planning and running of the festival line-up, designing the collaterals, marketing the event to coordinating the mechanised booths. This exposure has provided an excellent platform for RP students to practise what they have learnt in the class setting to real-life work situations.

"The best part is that the festival is put together by students. I really like that the supervisors were teaching the students on the spot. I think that learning on the spot is really good because you can't get that kind of experience elsewhere," said Caracal's drummer, Martin Kong on the stage crews.

A student guitar technician helping Tell Lie Vision's guitarist during the sound check to ensure that everything runs smoothly - Photo By: Ariani Bte Adam

Students who were involved in the IGNITE! Music Festival not only planned for the actual day event but they also produced the fringe events leading up to the festival. These fringe events included performances by various CREATE Club Interest Groups, RP Band Competition and also "IGNITE! Your Senses" featuring bands like Aspectrum, OrangeCove and Take Two. Beside music performances, workshops were also conducted by the festival sponsors - Macbeth and MS Works. There was even a Photography workshop for budding photographers.

"Being student driven allows us to be able to equip ourselves with more than what we learn in the classroom. It also allows the students to have an added responsibility to complete a task at hand. All in all it was a valuable experience," said 19-year-old Kelda Chua Mufen, the Overall Festival Student Coordinator for IGNITE! Music Festival 2013.

Artists like The Sam Willows, The Summer State, and big names like Caracal and West Grand Boulevard were impressed by the level of hospitality that RP students showed them throughout the two days of festival - from giving directions, getting the bands on stand-by to preparing refreshment/snacks at the artistes holding room. This is no wonder why The Summer State commended this during a post-experience video interview: "IGNITE! has one of the best green rooms ever".

The local music festival was indeed a success not only for the bands but also the crew involved. Staff advisors also felt that the festival would not have happened if it was not for the dedicated students.

Footage of the whole festival was also filmed by students from Film and Studio IG. Photo By: Ariani Bte Adam

"The festival was bound to be awesome, but what made it special to me was the fantastic students I got to work with," said 28-year-old Keith Leslie Paton Tan, a staff from TRCC and also the Stage Manager for IGNITE! Music Festival 2013.

The Overall Festival Student Coordinator, Kelda Chua felt that "the one thing I'll miss most about being part of IGNITE! is the team. The experience and friendship forged during the months of planning is priceless".

The gears have been set in motion for a bigger and louder music festival in 2014. Our passion for local music has been IGNITED! Is yours?

Thursday 22 August 2013

Putting the “passion” in Compassion


Haiqal Sari caught up with TRCC Assistant Director Mr Zaini Tahir during the RP Band Auditions to chat about his artistic experiences, beliefs and philosophies.

“Internalise”

It is a word that is closely associated with Mr Zaini Tahir. Just one word and dedication is demanded in an instant. Often repeated over and over again during Create Republic’s IG’s practice sessions and rehearsals, it is used to subtly send the message that practice is needed – immediately.

Now, who is Mr Zaini Tahir? Entering the arts scene at the age of 19 when he joined the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Music and Drama Company, Mr Zaini’s passion has taken him to Europe and North America as a dancer and choreographer, as well as Australia and Hong Kong as part of the cast in Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s famed musical CATS. As the Resident Choreographer and Artistic Director of the NUS Dance Ensemble, Mr Zaini has choreographed over 100 works for the company.

Drafted in as a judge as he oversees all the operations and performances of the 24 IGs in Create Republic, Mr Zaini, - along with TRCC’s Executive of Venue Management and IGNITE! 2013’s producer Mr Kenny Lim - runs the rule on which band is good enough to make it to the IGNITE! stage in little over a week’s time.

When it comes to performing, his typical pre-performance routine consists of physical activities and time spent in solitude as he visualizes his steps. When he is not busy doing work, Mr Zaini spends his time tucked in at home watching television. With an illustrious career that has brought him all over the world, his worst experience came back when he just started out. In his own words, he was a “struggling dancer performing for a getai function at a third-grade local Chinese nightclub where the audience was mostly drunk.”

Mr Zaini has forged a solid reputation for himself in the performing arts scene not only locally but also internationally. So, what keeps him driven?

With a swift backcomb of his hair, his eyes brighten up as he reveals the reason for his success. The secret, according to him, lies in his philosophy of “Carpe Diem”.

As he aptly puts it, “I believe that you have to live your life to the fullest because you only live once.” Having worked on performances for companies such as Theatreworks and Singapore Airlines, Zaini clearly has a burning desire for success. With a serious look on his face, he repeatedly mentions the fact that an artiste must have pride and dedication in their work.

“If you want to be an artiste, you need to have pride in your craft... You’ve got to know your research. You’ve got to hone your craft,” Zaini muses, index finger rubbing chin while deep in thought.


It is this same exact pride and dedication that he preaches which is clearly evident during the semi-finals of the auditions two weeks ago. Despite arriving in Singapore from China after his latest choreographical work just two hours earlier, Zaini spent the next few hours judging the auditions with the intense scrutiny that he is known for.

IGNITE! presents: RP Band Competition Finals


Held on the 15th of August, the RP Band Competition’s purpose is to serve as a platform designed for students and alumni members of RP to showcase their talents. The prize at stake was the opportunity to share the IGNITE! stage with local acts such as Caracal, The Summer State and The Sam Willows along with the Jammerz Arena and Replug IG. Five bands gave their all on RP’s South Agora stage to not only win that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but also to impress the audience.  

By Haiqal Sari and Udaiya Shakti

GOLDEN TICKET: The RP Band Auditions provides a platform for the school’s very own musicians to gain recognition for their talent. (Photo credit: Haiqal Sari)

WHO’S WHO: A notepad left by the backstage crew with the band line-up written down along with the logistics of each band. The varying requirements of each act made it a very meticulous task for the crew. (Photo credit: Udaiya Shakti)


FIRST AND FOREMOST: Temple Shift, the first band to perform, drew loud cheers as the audience sang along to their song “Descension”. Vocalist Norman Tay (middle) absorbs the energy of the audience before the start of their set. (Photo credit: Haiqal Sari)


COASTLINES: Formed in late 2012, pop punk band Coastlines got their name from the fact that all of the members live in Pasir Ris. Leaving their hardcore band Bridges while it was on hiatus, Shahril (guitars), Niki (drums) and Izzat (vocals) developed an interest in pop punk, with American band The Story So Far as their main influence. With the recruitment of Adri (guitars) from hardcore band Limits, – followed by Ammar (bass) – Coastlines was formed. (Photo credit: Haiqal Sari)

FAN’S FAVOURITE: Coastlines frontman Izzat taking a breather midway through the band’s first song “Distance” to acknowledge a fan’s screams of “Izzat!” He had a part in writing and composing the two songs which the band performed, the second being “I Still Remember”. (Photo credit: Haiqal Sari)

“HEADS UP, WE’RE NEVER GIVING THIS UP”: With lyrical themes based on life’s harsh lessons, Cheers To the Past were formed back in 2011 by four ex-Republic Polytechnic students from the Replug IG and have been together ever since, with an EP currently in the works. The auditions, held at the South Agora, drew more than just the curious passer-by, with friends and fans of the participating bands – not forgetting neutral music lovers – lending their support. (Photo credit: Haiqal Sari)


DRUM ROLL PLEASE…: All five bands were invited up on stage in anticipation of the judges’ final decisions which were revealed by emcees Natasha and Van (far left and far right, with microphones). (Photo credit: Haiqal Sari)

Embracing The Power of Acoustic Music


Replug drew a crowd of students during the Arts Platter held in South Agora on the 14th of August with their unique chord-driven genre called power acoustic.

By Naadiah Badib

THE MAIN STAGE: The stage was set up especially for the week-long Arts Platter series which started from the 13th of August, with Replug performing the following day. 

 GIRL POWER: To kick start the show, the four female vocalists (above) sang harmoniously to Destiny Child’s “Survivor”.

JUNIORS TAKEOVER: The juniors of Replug, Dominic and Faizal performing a mash-up of “I love rock n roll”. Upon joining the Replug family just this year, this is their first performance in front of a crowd.

STOP AND STARE: Following into the show, the crowd starts to grow with more students as they stop to have a second look and enjoy the performances.

MAD FOR MUSIC: Amongst the performers was pianist, Ron Tan (above).He suffers 80% of hearing loss. Despite his disability, Ron is dedicated to his craft –music. 

PUT YOUR GROOVE ON: Bassist, Zaim, dances to the beat as he strums to Zedd’s “Clarity”. Replug’s rendition of the top-charted song excited many amongst the crowd.

FIRING UP THE CROWD: Vocalist, Danial, invites the audience to join in the performance and sing along to his rendition of, “Pop” by ‘Nsync.

BAND BEHIND THE MUSIC: Replug’s band consists of an acoustic guitarist, bassist, cajon and drum players.

JOB WELL DONE: After putting on the half an hour show, the performers gathered together for a debrief and exchanged praises.


THE REPLUG FAMILY: Be sure to catch their performance for the upcoming IGNITE! Music Festival set on the 24th of August.

Wednesday 21 August 2013

RP Band Competition: The Path to IGNITE!


By Udaiya Shakti

On 15th August 2013, the RP Band Competition Finals was held at South Agora. This event was seen as an opportunity to many bands for them to showcase their talents as the winner of the competition will be given the honour of performing at IGNITE! Music Festival with the likes of Tiramisu, The Sam Willows, The Vacant Affair and many other great bands. The 5 finalists were Coastlines, Frission Wonder, Tell Lie Vision, Cheers to the Past and Temple Shift.


Music lovers, fans and friends coming down to South Agora to support their favourite bands in action.

Prior to this event, these 5 finalists had to battle their way through other bands as well. They were first judged by their audition’s video and those who were successful, were invited to perform in the first ever open live audition which was held on the 5th of August at the TRCC LAB.

Judging them were Zaini Mohamad Tahir, TRCC’s Assistant Director and Kenny Lim, TRCC’s Executive of Venue Management and IGNITE 2013’s producer. When asked about their judging criteria, they said that they were looking for bands that have a perfect balance of both substance and style.

“I’m looking for bands that have very good musicianship. This means that they excel not only in terms of their sound, but also their pitching, their rhythm, all the little parts and the technicalities. The second part is their audience engagement. This concerns their delivery and how they sell their band to the audience and the judges, their energy on stage and the dynamics within the band, so on and so forth,” said Zaini.

With these criteria, they chose these 5 finalists to be featured for the Finals. One band, Coastlines were particular excited as this was their first time performing on stage. This band was formed towards the end of 2012 and consists of members with interest and passion for pop punk music.

“I feel great as it shows that we are somewhere. We are just not a mediocre band. We have the potential to showcase our musicianship and gain support from people,” said Niki Iskandar, the drummer for Coastlines.


The Finals got underway with Temple Shift setting the bar with a rocking performance followed by Coastlines, Frisson Wonder, Tell Lie Vision and Cheers to the Past ending the event off on a high note. As all the bands performed well, the judges had a hard time deciding the winner. After much deliberation, they had the results.

The winner was none other than the fan’s favourite, Tell Lie Vision which eventually got the golden ticket to perform on the IGNITE! Stage. They were stoked that they won the competition and glad that their efforts in their preparation paid off.

Members of Tell Lie Vision happily taking photos after knowing that they won the competition and will be performing at IGNITE! Music Festival.

To prepare their upcoming performance for IGNITE!, they said that they just have to jam more.


“We jam until we make sure that we play together and have the harmony in our sound,” said Muhammad Hasif Bin Jasman, the vocalist for Tell Lie Vision.


Catch their performance at Day Two of IGNITE! Music Festival on the 24th of August, as they will set to do some damage on stage.

Tuesday 20 August 2013

Power Acoustic: An Acoustic Affair


By Nadia Al-Insyirah



Last year, Replug and Jammerz Arena shared a stage for IGNITE! Fringe event, Arts Platter. This year, both Interest Groups (IG) were given the opportunity to have their own solo productions!

On the 14th August 2013, Replug IG managed to gather a strong crowd at South Agora who watched their Arts Platter production titled: Power Acoustic. Bringing their own rendition of familiar songs to the audience, it got the crowd hyped up, which eventually led them to sing along with the performers. With the accompaniment of only guitars, bass, keyboard and cajóns, Replug managed to show the audience wonders of what unplugged music can do.

Missing a drum to provide the thumping beats that will make you tap your foot and bob your heads? Fret not because Replug’s very own beat boxer, Shafiq, added life to the songs with his beats, giving an adrenaline rush to both the audience and the performers themselves.

Beat the box: Prince (a Replug junior) on the cajón.

Their first song was a mash-up of well-known classics which are none other than Destiny’s Child ‘Survivor’ and Blackstreet’s ‘No Diggity’. The vocalists belted out their strong vocals with little to no mistakes making the songs sound flawless. The one of the highlights of the show would be none other than the mash-up version of famous old school rock song, ‘I Love Rock N Roll’ originally sung by Arrows in 1975. Replug gave a breath of fresh air to the song, adding a layer of beat boxing which gives the song a hip hop feel.

“All I wanted was to sing my heart out. I thought the performance went pretty well but I know I can always do better! I was so hyped up after the performance and wanted to do more!” said junior vocalist, Mohammad Shyaifuddin, 19.


‘Power Acoustic’ is his debut performance as a new member of Replug. Shyaifuddin said that he was grateful that he has been given the opportunity by his seniors to perform for the show. “We didn’t know how to react when it our seniors informed us via Whatsapp. We were definitely happy and excited to perform! But one thing’s for sure was that we were definitely nervous”.

Besides his group of friends who were down to cheer him on, a group that he holds dearly came down to encourage him as well. This group of supporter were none other than his parents who came down to South Agora to catch a glimpse of their son flaunting his talent.

Pillar of support: Mohammad Shyaifuddin and his parents who came down to support their son. 

The performance that stole the hearts of many would be an all gentlemen band from Replug who took the stage and performed ‘N Sync’s ‘Pop’. Aside from that, the highlight of their performance would be them performing Pussycat Doll’s hit song, ‘Buttons’. The reason they chose this song specifically was because they wanted to show to the audience their definition of sexiness. “Not only female can be sexy. We men can pull of our version of sexy as well!” said Mohamad Rusydi, vocalist. Did they pull it off well? They definitely did!


Replug will be performing as an opening act for the second day of IGNITE! Music Festival on the 24th August! If you cannot get enough of acoustic music, be sure to come down to support Replug because they promised an amazing performance!

Monday 19 August 2013

Fire it Up! with Jammerz Arena


By Naadiah Badib

Loud applauses and cheers could be heard from South Agora on the 13th of August. A crowd of Republic Polytechnic students waited anxiously for Jammerz Arena (JA) to take to the stage. Performing for the Arts Platter (AP) series, Fire it Up, JA wowed the crowd with their covers from both local and international bands.

The first band to kick start the performance was Black Cat, show stopping many RP students (Photo by: Naadiah Badib)
 
AP – an art series offering platforms for rising artists – is organized by The Republic Cultural Centre and Campus Arts Production, as part of efforts to entice new audience to the arts and allow them to get a taste of the talent around us. A total of three bands performed, namely; Black Cat, Downtown Grace and Maple Chapel.

It took a whole three months, involving many rehearsals and full runs, to perfect the production. A lot of hard work and time was dedicated, evident through the eyes of the producer, Ariani Adam.

“Not only do we have sessions among ourselves, we critique each other so that we know where to improve”, said the 18-year-old who is also the vocalist of Downtown Grace.


JA’s commitment was indeed paid off as many of the audience were impressed, especially 18-year-old Nadia Al-Insyiraah. Said the Diploma in Mass Communication student: “The band not only sang to the audience, but they allowed the crowd to sing along and interact with them”.

Guitarist of Downtown Grace, Mohd Farhan bin Nasruddin strums to the beat of Caracal's "Charlatan". (Photo by Naadiah Badib)

Nadia also added that watching JA perform was a refreshing experience. “Usually it can get tiring to listen to music for half an hour but it seems like the crowd could not get enough of it”.

This year, JA puts a twist to their performance. To warm the crowd of what to expect from IGNITE! , they covered most songs from local bands such as Caracal, Plain Sunset and Youthwreck.

“We want to gear up for IGNITE! Music Festival to let people listen and get a feel of what local music is about”, said Poh Cherylynn, 19, vocalist of Maple Chapel.


Mohd Farhan B Nasruddin, a 20-year-old guitarist of Downtown Grace gives an advice to those who will be attending the festival. “Be sure to bring your friends along or you’ll miss out on the mosh pit and screaming with the crowd...wear proper shoes too!”

JA will also be performing for the IGNITE! Music Festival on the 23rd of August held at the RP Lawn. Be sure to catch them live at 4PM as they will be opening the festival with a bang. 

Thursday 15 August 2013

RP Band Competition Presents: Tell Lie Vision




Biography

Tell Lie Vision is a 5-piece Alternative Rock/Post-Hardcore band that formed in September 2012. We have participated and won 1st runner up in Thunder Band Slam 2012 and have played local gigs since then. With hard-hitting breakdowns and melodic riffs, we aim to bring our sound to the masses. Headbanging is assured.

Members

Muhammad Hasif Bin Jasman - Vocalist.
Hairul Bakhtiar Bin Azman - Guitarist.
Vikkash Suruchand - Guitarist.
Muhammad Irfan Bin Samsuri - Bassist.
Muhammad Afiq Bin Musa - Drummer.

Ready for some headbanging? Do some damage with the boys from Tell Lie Vision together with 4 other bands at South Agora today at 4.30PM!

RP Band Competition Presents: Cheers To The Past




Biography

Cheers To The Past is a band inspired to solely driven to write songs based on life lessons to reach out to those who is going through hard times.

Formed in the year 2011 by four ex-Republic Poly students who have been an active members in the Replug IG,our aim is to reached out to those people out there and to share our stories in our songs. The band aspire to get those on their knees back up,to look at their past on the brighter side & move on with a smile:) We like to believe things do happen for a reason.

Exploring new roots & hybrid tuning, we always hope to bring new "taste" to those out there!

"Heads up, we're never giving this up"

The Everest Is Ours To Claim!

Members

Daeng Nur Fithriyah Binte Amer (Vocalist)
Mohammad Alif Bin Jamal (Guitarist)
Muhammad Ali Bin Haron (Guitarist)
Syed Ahmad Alwi Syed Abdullah (Bassist)
Muhammad Ismadi Bin Jamaluddin (Drummer)



Be sure to catch them and 4 other bands at the RP Band Competition today at South Agora, 4.30PM

RP Band Competition Presents: Frisson Wonder




Biography

Frisson Wonder has been playing for 2 years now and they have been making covers on their youtube channel. The acoustic duo have joined two competitions that has gotten them to the finals which is teen supreme 2010 and Liveo Rocks 2013. The band plays a wide variety of songs ranging from Pop to Alternative.

Members

Fir & Syazwan.

Want to get a sneak preview of how Frisson Wonder sounds like? Watch the video below and catch them live today at South Agora, 4.30PM with 4 other bands at the RP Band Competition. 
 

Wednesday 14 August 2013

RP Band Competition Presents: Coastlines




Biography

Coastlines was formed towards the end of 2012, where Izzat and Niki started to make acoustic tracks during the hiatus of their hardcore band, Bridges. The love for pop punk grew and they realised that it was time to form a real pop punk band. Coastlines came to life when they recruited Shahril, their Bridges bandmate, as well as Adri, who was the frontman of the hardcore band Limits. Their main influence has been The Story So Far, and they have come up with a couple of tunes that will make your head bounce. Ammar then came into the picture as bassist, and Coastlines was finally a complete band. All the members reside in Pasir Ris, thus the name Coastlines. Right now, they are currently working on their EP which will be released at the end of the year.

Band Information

Vocals – Izzat Bin Maswan, 19
Lead Guitar – Muhammad Shahril Bin Suhaime, 21
Rhythm Guitar – Adri Zaihan Ahmad, 18
Bass Guitar – Ammar Zhafirin Bin Hanafi, 18
Drums – Niki Iskandar Bin Zulkarnain, 19

Be sure to come down to catch Coastlines and the other bands @ South Agora, 5PM, this Thursday!

RP Band Competition Presents: Temple Shift




Biography

A more curious line-up could not be conjured! The 5 eccentric Republic Poly friends with varied musical tastes and backgrounds first came together to play at Meridian Junior College’s 10th anniversary. After a few shows, the guys decided to move on to originals, crafting a sound that is always mutating yet at its core remains the same: hard-hitting, intense, delicate and certainly quirky (if you listen just right). The band first previewed their unique brand of noise at Anaki Record’s Anaki Rock Chinatown 2013 at Dhoby Ghaut Amphitheatre after being shortlisted to play. Still a very young band, TempleShift is working towards recording a couple of songs and playing more gigs while perfecting their expression.

Members

Norman Tay Han Wen - Vocals
Ryan Martin – Guitars
Jorelle Joseph Saparco Samparada – Guitars
Toh Jian Min - Bass
Valentinus Glene Kan Wei Liang - Drums

Follow them on their social media sites!

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Templeshift
Twitter: www.twitter.com/templeshift

Be sure to catch them and the other bands @ South Agora, 5PM on Thursday! Explore local music from RP's very own students!

Friday 9 August 2013

Prizes, prizes and more prizes!


What's up rockers, music lovers and fashionistas!

Check out the interesting competitions you can take part in. Get your friends and families to join the competitions that we have for you and stand to win fabulous prizes from Casio, Macbeth, Klipsch and even vouchers from Capitaland.
 

This year, our competitions are all on the social media sites namely Instagram and Facebook. One of which is the Instagram competition where all you have to do is to upload an Instagram video of you and/or your friends singing a favourite song from any local band. Besides that, you can also upload an Instagram photo of what you feel shows passion and compassion. Remember to add a short caption and don't forget to mention @ignitemusicfest and add our hashtag to your entry #ignitemusicfest.

We even have an OOTD competition where the 10 photos with the most Facebook likes on the festival days (23rd and 24th of August) will stand to win Capitaland vouchers and IGNITE!'s Official Merchandise. For more information, do take a look at our posters around the social media sites and please also note that terms and conditions do apply.

With that, the IGNITE! Music Festival Team would like to wish all our Muslim friends Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri! We hope you enjoy the delicious dishes, sweet kuihs and also the green packets. Not forgetting a very Happy National Day to Singapore as we celebrate the nation's 48th birthday.

Get clicking on your phones and have fun!

Friday 2 August 2013

Replug IG | Arts Platter: Power Acoustic

By Nadia Al-Insyiraah



Formed in 2007, Replug is a music group that expresses their passion and love for their art through unplugged music. Over the years, Replug have been garnering attention and won the hearts of many people with their outstanding and unique performances evident with the 382,324 views they have garnered on their Youtube Page. Replug has always been recognised for being brave in adding their own flavour to the songs they choose to perform, reinterpreting them to give them a brand new feel. Transforming a rock song to Reggae? No problem. Replug can do just about that.

Replug have performed for various well known events such as Rhythms by the Bay, YFest and not forgetting the band ‘Here Goes Nothing’, from Replug, have also performed for Channel 5’s ‘Live N Loaded’ before. Thus, it is not surprising that another band from Replug, ‘Maybe Tomorrow’, were also one of the finalists for Thunder Band Slam 2012, an Inter-Polytechnic Band Competition held last year. Some of their past members include, Tabitha Nauser and Farhan Syah, both are finalists for Singapore Idol in 2009. Tabitha even clinched the second runner up for the nationwide competition.

With a production named ‘Power Acoustic’, Replug is set to perform a wide genre of songs ranging from well-known classics such as ‘No Diggity’ and ‘I love Rock N Roll’ to Jessie J’s hit song, ‘Nobody’s Perfect’ as part of the IGNITE! Music Festival 2013 Arts Platter Series.

“For this year’s Arts Platter, we’re going to show people that acoustic music is not just about sitting at the void deck screaming your lungs out to emotional songs. We’re going to show people we can do wonders with acoustic music.” said Danial Zahirulhaq, a vocalist from Replug.

Being supporters of local music themselves, Replug strongly encourages all to attend IGNITE! Music Festival. “There will be a lot of well-known local bands rocking out the stage. Having different genres of music coming together on one stage is just spectacular. IGNITE! is a music festival you definitely don’t want to miss!”


Besides Replug, Jammerz Arena will also be sharing the stage with famous local bands and the champion of Clash of the Bands, Take Cover for IGNITE! Music Festival, Singapore’s biggest local music festival on the 23rd and 24th August at Republic Polytechnic.

To give audience a teaser of what IGNITE! is all about, Replug will be performing for “Power Acoustic” that will be showcased on the 14th August so we hope to see all of you at the South Agora to join in the festive merriment of IGNITE! 2013.

Do check out RP Replug’s youtube page at: http://youtube.com/rpreplug

Friday 26 July 2013

Jammerz Arena | Arts Platter: Fire It Up!

by Ariani bte Adam

A Jammerz Arena performance during Jam & Hop 2013 in Republic Polytechnic

Rebuilt in 2009, Jammerz Arena (JA) went through a lot to get them where they are now. The CREATE.Club Interest Group (IG) was on the verge of closing down when the number of members were deteriorating. However, that did not stop a group of passionate musicians from restructuring the IG. Lim Teck Kiang, Uthaiyan Kumanan, Mark Spencer and their group of friends put in their utmost hard work in bringing up the IG’s name. Indeed, their efforts paid off.

From having no practice room to owning their very own jamming room. Their number of members even grew over the years. Now, the current batch of JA has a total of five senior bands namely Black Cat, Downtown Grace, Deaf Sentence, Maple Chapel and KeepStill.

“With the characters that we have, I can see JA in the local scene. There will eventually come a time where JA will be known outside than inside,” said Neshy Hale, 21, a student advisor of Jammerz Arena.


After five generations, JA has produced successful bands like Bear Culture, FINZ and also Thunder Band Slam’s 2nd runner-up, Tell Lie Vision. These bands have performed at Baybeats, *SCAPE, Noise Singapore and not forgetting our very own IGNITE! Music Festival. Inspired by these few bands, the current generation of JA also hopes to make it big.

“I admire FINZ because of their fighting spirit. They have gone through a lot but that didn’t stop them from being who they are today. I hope that every JA band will always have that undying determination in them,” said Istifarah Puteri Kudsi binte Dzulkifli, 21, vocalist of KeepStill.

Every year, the IG is given the opportunity of producing their own show at one of IGNITE!’s Fringe events. With their own production called “Fire it Up!”, JA celebrates local music by playing songs made popular by bands like Plainsunset, Youthwreck and also Caracal who will be headlining this year’s festival. Not only that, JA will also be performing covers from your favourite international bands.

“We want to create a kind of awareness where IGNITE! features local bands so we want to honour them by covering their music,” said Vera Lau, 19, drummer of KeepStill and Maple Chapel.


Not only will they be playing at the Fringe event but they will also be bringing the stage down on festival day itself on the 23rd of August. Want a sneak peak of what Jammerz Arena is all about? Be sure to come down to South Agora at 5PM on the 13th of August to catch them live in action!


IGNITE! Music Festival presents: Youthwreck




Fadil Yusof founded the band, together with Bani Hindir, whom he saw played at the a gig and later paths crossed during an IRC Guitar Channel Outing, and Izzuddin Aris, who was Fadil’s colleague during National Service.

Despite their bizarre and unwitting introductions, the band flourished and YouthWreck released the 'Fools!' EP and have garnered little or some interest both locally and internationally. The band is currently promoting the EP and writing a new set of songs for an album that is about to come.

Catch them at the main festival stage on the 23rd of August!

Monday 22 July 2013

IGNITE! Music Festival2013: The Reveal

by Ariani bte Adam

What’s up, everyone!

It’s the day all of you have been waiting for: the reveal! This year, we have a mixture of bands of all sorts; from hardcore to indie, old to new. We have bands who were around as early as 1998 and those who are the upcoming favourites of sunny Singapura. There are even some very familiar names that might get you excited for this year’s music festival!

Over the weekend, the IGNITE! team had the opportunity of meeting the bands to get to know them better. We even had it filmed down especially for all you music lovers so do check out our spaces for our video interviews with the bands.

And finally, here's the line-up for this years' IGNITE! Music Festival!

IGNITE2013-MainPoster-Final-A3-editfinal

SEE YOU AT IGNITE! MUSIC FESTIVAL 2013!

Something Smells Fishy in IGNITE!

Many share an enecdote of cultured bears and caracals in the summer state of the west grand. We, the thousand youthwreckers, have barricaded and took cover while having our favorite tiramisu backed with music from a band of sets. The willows out in the open are like shoegazers who speak in delay or "arajua" as we call it. They often ponder on the affairs of the vacant.

This is the story of a festival called IGNITE!

Wednesday 10 July 2013

Jitters and Features of Clash of the Bands 2013

by Sariyanto Bin Slamat

Clash of the Bands was one of the highlights in The Republic Cultural Centre’s (TRCC) calendar, second only to IGNITE! Months of preparations and more than 30 crew members involved, from staffs to students from all over of Republic Polytechnic, it was a highly anticipated event.

But the ongoing haze that has been hovering over our shores was always going to be a cause for concern for the organizers. The welfare of not just the performers, but also the anticipated 400-strong spectators, not forgetting the crew, never lingered far away from the back of the organizers’ minds. Every planning, every detail, and, with Clash of the Band the curtain raiser of a slew of events lined up to promote IGNITE! Music festival this August, the potential success of IGNITE! was all on the line.

Then, only a week before Clash of the Bands commences, a last minute announcement – a change in location. The event would be staged at Hood Bar and Cafe, from the initial location The Coliseum in Resorts World Sentosa. 

It was an unwelcoming but a necessary change. Health and safety should never be compromised and so the organizers and crewmembers immediately work out a contingency plan in preparation for a smaller venue in Hood Bar, located at Bugis Plus.

Sunday, 23rd June 2013. Hood Bar and Café. Bugis Plus. The night was a spectacle. By the time the emcees declared the winners, it took nearly another hour for the last person to leave the place; such was the overwhelming reception.

With participants coming from the reaches of South East Asia such as Thailand and Malaysia, Clash of the Bands was making all the right noises. Take Cover of Singapore won the Band Category, while Triton Kanjanabose of Thailand won the Solo Category.

2
23rd June 2013 – The day finally arrives for bands to battle it out! 

1
As early as 5PM, performers started to register and we could see their anxious faces.

Performance 1
The solo category was up first, with Patamol Prommopakarn of Thailand belting out a Beyonce classic “Listen”

Performance 2
Rock My Soul (RMS) a mixture of different races from Thailand.

Performance 3
Purple Tiger blowing the crowd away with the song Dream On from the legendary band, Aerosmith.

Crowd 1
Ardent supporters of MFF ASA 85, all the way from Thailand.

Performer 5
Audrey Dankey, keyboardist for Youthwreck.

Performer 6
Fadhil from Youthwreck, rocking his vocals out.

Performer 7
Clarissa, lead vocalist for Take Cover.

Crew 1
Outside Hood Bar, our reporters interview the participating bands for their thoughts.

End
Winner of the Band Category – Take Cover.


Prize presentation
Better "Take Cover" because they will be bringing the stage down at IGNITE! 2013.

Monday 8 July 2013

Clash of the Bands 2013: Rocking it in the Hood

By Muhammad Haiqal Bin Sari

SINGAPORE, 23 JUNE 2013  ̶  As local band Take Cover made their way up the stage at Hood Bar & Café, the audience applauded in approval of the judges’ choice of winners for the 2013 edition of Clash of the Bands (COTB). With the audience’s cheers and applause filling up the entirety of the live music venue, the band members basked in the glory of their win under the bright lights.

Judges
From the judges point of view, local and foreign musicians took turns to wow the audience and judges at Hood Bar & Café for the opportunity to perform at IGNITE! Music Festival (Photo by: Sariyanto B. Slamat)

The event, which was supposed to be held at the The Coliseum in Resorts World Sentosa’s Hard Rock Hotel, was forced to move to a different location due to the unhealthy haze standards. Fortunately, MSWorks, the organizer of COTB, managed to find an alternative location in Hood Bar & Café. The change of location turned out to be a mixed blessing.

Hood Bar is much more intimate as it is a smaller space, so the bands can really feel the energy of the crowd,” said Tony Kam, one of the judges for COTB and also the Assistant Director of Technical Operations at Republic Polytechnic (RP). “I am really glad that we are having this event at Hood bar, which is an ardent supporter of local music.


COTB crew member Vikkash Suruchand, 21, felt that the event was a good warm up for IGNITE! Music festival, which is to be held in RP on the 23rd and 24th of August. The RP student pointed out that he was impressed by the mix of different genres from alternative rock to pop music.

I was expecting the competition to comprise bands of multiple genres and it’s great that that was the case,” said the 3rd year student of Diploma in IT Service Management.


One band that delivered on this expectation was guest band Youthwreck, who are 10-year veterans in the local music scene. Lead singer and guitarist Fadil Yusof believed that it was about time that the band added in a new element into their sound.

The band decided to hire a session keyboardist for their upcoming IGNITE! Music Festival and Baybeats gigs. “The keyboardist has a classical and jazz music background so we thought it would be good to have a new sound for our fans to listen to,” explained the 29-year-old musician.

In the end, Take Cover impressed the judges most with their rendition of Bruno Mars’ “Treasure”. As a result of their success, they won themselves a performing slot in the IGNITE! Music Festival 2013 lineup. Clarissa, the band’s lead singer, was clearly still trying to digest the night’s events.

“I can’t describe how I’m feeling right now. It’s a mixture of both shock and delight. Nonetheless, we can’t wait to put on a good show at IGNITE!” said the 18-year-old Anglo-Chinese School (International) student.

IGNITE! Music Festival 2013 already looks like it is going to be one hell of a show.

Friday 5 July 2013

IGNITE! 2013; It's back, bigger and better!

by Ariani Bte Adam

Well hello there!

Welcome to the official blog page of IGNITE! Music Festival 2013. This year, IGNITE! is going to be bringing you the best of Singapore local music. Itching to know who’s playing? We can’t tell you the line-up yet; it’s a secret.

What we can promise you is that we will be having exciting performances not only on the Festival day but also during the weeks that lead up to the show itself (We even have competitions in stored where you can stand to win shopping vouchers. Enticing huh?). Besides the Fringe events, we will also be having interesting workshops. One of which is going to be hosted by one of the leading shoe brands in the industry.

Recently, we have just finished Clash Of The Bands where bands from around the region came together to battle it out here in Singapore at the Hood Bar and Cafe. It was a fierce fight and as a matter of fact, our upcoming post will feature highlights of the competition.

With our theme ‘Passion and Compassion’, the highlight in this year’s festival is the Service Learning project that we will be embarking on together with Republic Polytechnic’s CREATE. musicians and also the bands themselves. All of that will be revealed really soon, so do stay tuned!

For now, what we need you guys to do is to be an awesome sport and follow our blog. All you have to do is to press the “follow” button on the far right of the navigation bar. We are also on social media platforms such that Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and even Instagram. To hop onto our social media sites, just click on the various navigation links and you will then be magically teleported into the realm of IGNITE! Music Festival 2013.