a Sudden Blog Comeback!

Oh, hello... it's already 2020 and I haven't published any blog post since the last one on 2016. It's not that I meant to abandon this blog, but during the past years I was not into writing long ass paragraphs in order to update my life events. I prefer to use my social media accounts (Instagram and Twitter) 'cause I don't need to type much.

But anyway, I'm in the mood for a long ass paragraphs now since the pandemic happened and I must stay at home to flatten the curve. A lot of things happened in my life during my blog hiatus. I travelled a lot. I went to concerts (as always). I gained weight, still single and don't give a damn about it.

Life has been treating me kinda good. I won some competitions. I went to countries I never been to. I even managed to give myself an unforgettable birthday present last year. But what is life without a series of an unfortunate events? I failed to get BTS ticket. Not to mention my trip to Himalaya got suspended. Also, still stuck in the same office. Those were only some parts of my life events in the past years that I didn’t share here.

Uhm, I got myself a brand-new laptop. The first time since my master’s degree. Mine was overheated and just like that, it died. Actually, I bought this for personal entertainment purpose only. Like, when I need to stream BTS live or watching Korean dramas, and to keep my photos. But then I never thought that I would use this for work from home purpose. I was like, “I’m visionary…”

This pandemic has changed my daily routine and for a Taurean, it’s not good. AT ALL. Changes are not Taurean’s best friend. Not even close. I had to change my daily routine and to be honest, I was kinda bamboozled during the first week. Don’t get me wrong but I’m not the kinda person who brought works home, and now my bedroom is the new office. As much as I love to lie down (another Taurus’ trait), I found it hard to position myself as a remote worker. It’s really challenging I must say.

Our government decided to extend the physical distancing or local quarantine longer than the previous schedule. People who reside in the red zone are forbidden to leave the area which means I won’t be home this Eid al Fitr. I just cancelled my flight and apparently the refund process will take longer time for about 30 working days due to the high amount of request. Mom also rescheduled her Euro trip. Well, everybody is affected and being safe is the most important thing right now.

I do hope that this catastrophe will be gone really soon as I can’t wait to travel again. I will never get tired of reminding people how important it is to stay at home to flatten the curve. Meanwhile, I’m gonna do my job from home and keep myself entertained.

Stay safe and vigilant, People!

World Elephant Day

How to Celebrate World Elephant Day

August 12 is World Elephant Day. We created this special day to raise awareness of the worsening plight of elephants. Poaching, habitat loss and human-elephant conflict are just some of the issues threatening the world’s elephants. World Elephant Day will raise awareness of these issues and encourage the global community to work together to support the conservation of these magnificent creatures.

To celebrate World Elephant Day, we are showing the documentary Return to the Forest on our website.  What are you doing for World Elephant Day? Here are some ideas:

·  Host your own World Elephant Day and screen the Return to the Forest documentary with friends

·  Share your favorite elephant stories, photos, videos, and books with us on Facebook

· Post a photo of yourself holding the reasons you love elephants and pin it to the WED Pinterest Board

·  Write a poem about elephants and share it on your blog or on World Elephant Day’s Facebook

·   Sign the pledge to support a world that protects elephants, wildlife, and their habitat

· Donate money to an elephant organization working to conserve and protect the elephant population. Visit the Associates page to learn about elephant conservation organizations worldwide.

Help bring the world together to save elephants. For more information on World Elephant Day and how you can help visit: www.worldelephantday.org

96 fans I can never meet

96 fans I can never greet

25 years ago today

you never returned home

this flame will never go out

we will never forget you

you will always be remembered

the truth will always prevail

and justice will be served

rest in eternal peace, Brothers and Sisters...

Wake Me Up When You Lift The Cup

I burst into tears when I saw Steven Gerrard at the end of the match. I lost count of how many times this man made me cried. Seriously, Gerrard, how can I not love you?

24 years.

24 effin years just waiting for a chance to be back on where we were, where we should be, top of the league, closer to the Premier League title. I didn't know that I could be this patient. Didn't realise that it was Liverpool factor until last night. I couldn't help myself, I couldn't hold the tears, I cried. Tears of joy. Tangis itu pecah mana kala menyaksikan Legenda Liverpool menitikkan air mata sesaat setelah wasit meniup peluit tanda pertandingan berakhir. Yes... It's been too long, for me, for us fans, for Liverpool, for the man himself... Steven Gerrard. No one deserves the Premier League title more than him. 

I've been supporting this magnificent football club since 1998 and my love has grown stronger than ever. No one understands this emotional bond I have with Liverpool (well, only if you're a fan too like me), termasuk reaksi haru biru yg begitu natural semalam. Being a Liverpool fan is not easy. It's a full-time job. Once a Red, you'll be forever a Red. Well, at least, that's what goes in me. As a 90s generation, I've been riding the Liverpool roller coaster and I was not a good rider at some moments. That moment when my First Liverpool Love, Michael Owen, left the club... I was so sad. As if my sadness wasn't enough, he returned home as a Manutd player. I was brokenhearted. Rasanya seperti dikhianati orang yg paling kita cintai. Hancur.

Gerrard was always be the one who could cheer me up. He was always be there for us fans. How do I spell 'loyalty'? It's G-E-R-R-A-R-D. His loyalty to Liverpool was beyond superb. Ini bukan perkara bias karena saya seorang fan Liverpool. Well, di mata pemain lain pun Gerrard adalah sosok yg disegani. Beberapa mengamini bahwa Gerrard lebih berhak mendapatkan Premier League Title lebih dari siapapun di liga ini. Alam semesta seolah berkonspirasi. Semalam, di Anfield, tangan Tuhan bekerja dengan indahnya. Witnessed by the Famous Kopites and 96 Angels in heaven, Liverpool won 3-2 after a dramatic match vs Manchester City. Aura magis Anfield terasa hingga ke Rolling Stone Cafe Jakarta Selatan, tempat dimana saya dan ratusan pecinta Liverpool menyaksikan momen istimewa tersebut. Moment of Silence untuk 96 saudara merah yg tak sempat menjadi saksi bagaimana Gerrard begitu emosional. Kemenangan yg tak bisa dibilang mudah itu seolah menjadi tangga harapan Liverpool menuju surga dunia, Juara Liga Premier Inggris.

Saya seolah deja vu dengan apa yg Gerrard lakukan semalam. This man is born leader. For so many times I was amazed by his charisma. The way he put his feet back on the ground after the winning, tried to be in control and calmed the lads down. Perjalanan belum berakhir. Masih ada 4 pertandingan menanti. Konsistensi. Tahan diri. Hindari tinggi hati. Then I realised that I've been watching this decent attitude since I was kid. He never changed. He's the same old Steven Gerrard.

Saat Tuhan mengirimkan manusia bernama Brendan Rodgers ke Liverpool, saya tak langsung menerima agendaNya. Siapa sih Brendan Rodgers? Sehebat apa dia sampai menggantikan King Kenny saya? I was in total doubt. Still in my own denial cause I didn't want anyone to replace King Kenny. When he was sacked, I cried. Rani Tearjerky. He was good in Swansea, so? Liverpool ain't Swansea. 

Mulut ini kerap mengeluh bahkan mengumpat dengan semua hal yg Ia lakukan. Mulai dari belanja pemain hingga taktik di lapangan. Saya bukan pandit seperti beberapa rekan di BIGREDS, tapi saya tidak sebodoh itu tentang sepakbola. I cared so much about this club. Ya of course I knew my voice wasn't loud enough to be heard. I only remembered that I once said a comment when Liverpool released Rodgers' first ever photo in Anfield. I said that the way he held the scarf... I saw Our Great Shank's gesture in a glance. But that was it. I didn't remember other good thing I said about him. I was so mean, I know.

When we finished at the 7th place in the league, I wasn't satisfied. It was just a place higher than King Kenny's. Again, I was still that mean. Saya bukan orang yg gampang terkesima dan yakin dengan orang baru. Sama seperti slogan kampanye sosial Liverpool, "seeing is believing" that's how people should impress me. Saat tur pramusim lalu, saya tidak berkesempatan untuk bertemu langsung dengan Rodgers. Saya hanya mendengar cerita dari teman-teman yg bertemu dengannya, melihat foto-foto bersama mereka, ya hanya sekedar cerita. 

Musim 2013-2014 dimulai dan perlahan kejutekan saya terhadap Rodgers mulai luntur berganti dengan simpati. I began to respect this man because he has a vision. He's a visionary manager. He'd lead the team in Liverpool philosophy. I started to think that he's got the spirit of Shankly. Setiap saya melihat foto-foto latihan sehari-hari tim di Melwood, bagaimana pemain berinteraksi dengannya, dan rona wajah yg tak dibuat-buat... hingga detik sekarang, saya akui saya salah. Agenda Tuhan memang selalu tepat. Ia yg paling tahu dan saya berterimakasih atas manusia utusan bernama Brendan Rodgers itu. I do respect you, Manager. Kereta ekspres dari Merseyside yg berwujud anjing Chihuahua itu kini melaju dengan kencang. Jangan injak remnya. Kita hampir sampai tujuan.

Now that we're a little closer to the end, I wish nothing but what we truly deserve... Premier League Title. Saya yakin Rodgers, seluruh tim, dan 96 malaikat di atas sana ingin Liverpool memenangkan gelar itu untuk Gerrard. Saya ingin melihat simbol kesetiaan itu menangis lagi di akhir musim. Dan ketika Ia menangis, Ia sedang memeluk dan mencium cawan perak raksasa (sambil menunjuk langit agar saudaranya bisa melihat hadiah dari Gerrard untuknya) yg sudah kita rindukan kepulangannya ke Anfield. I want you to be the happy, Captain. All of us want you to be the happiest person on earth at the end of this season. Yeah, maybe it's true that you're happy with your life... that you're living the dream, to be the Liverpool Captain since you're a big fan (England as well), that you have a beautiful wife and 3 sweet daughters... but in our deepest heart, in our prayers, we want Liverpool to complete your set of happiness. We dare to dream, the wildest dream... WE'RE GONNA WIN THE LEAGUE. We're gonna win the league for the 96. WE'RE GONNA WIN THE LEAGUE.

I will be there to witness our glory once again, I will definitely cry Niagara tears, I will. Until then, let me dream a little bit more. Wake me up when you lift the cup. 

You'll Never Walk Alone.

JFT96

My December Concert Parade: TarO & JirO at J-Music Lab

Hello again, another late post of my last year concert parade. This time I went to J-Music Lab in fX. The event was held by Japan Recording Association in order to introduce Japan Music to Indonesian audience. Those who already familiar with J-Music were more than pleased to see some talented musicians since day one. I missed Kaname Kawabata show and I feel gutted. I mean, I'm a fan of Chemistry (his duo group along with Dochin Yoshikuni) and it's a rare event for me to see Kaname live. I think he/they won't be coming again in the future as Chemistry remain in hiatus for unspecified time. Kaname has the voice that could easily melt your heart. Soulful.

Speaking of soulful, the show I attended was pretty much soulful and invigorating at the same time. It was my first time seeing 2 brothers who shared the same passion in guitar playing. I know Miyavi, the Samurai Guitarist, whose skill level is rarely seen (read: killer!). He's got the unique 'slap' style like a combo of shamisen and bass. He sings, he plays drums as well, and my bad that I missed his performance 2 years ago *SOBS*

Anyway, these 2 brothers named Taro and Jiro (no, not the legendary Antartica dogs. Though I believe they might be legends in the future). The brothers were once said that their guitar skills, uhm, somewhat Miyavi-esque. Tbh, that was one of the reasons why I got to see them live. And yes, they reminded me of the Samurai Guitarist.

But that was only in a glance since they also mentioned about Miyavi as one of their influence in playing guitar (no surprise). Taro and Jiro were more merry, jolly, frisky etc etc on stage (I reckon the age factor. No offense, Miyavi.), also because they're BROTHERS! There's no need to do such technical communication on stage. I found it kind of bizarre whenever Taro (the older brother) called "Jiro... (let's do this)" and BAM. They killed the stage.

The brothers shared parts equally, meant that Taro was not the dominant one just because he's older or Jiro played less part than Taro. I had to admit that I enjoyed their show so much. I went there nearly clueless, only familiar with one song I played on Youtube, Silent Siren. I had no idea what kinda song they'd play. Like I always said, the most fave part of every Japs show I went was the Bahasa Indonesia part. Hahaha, Taro and Jiro were trying their best to communicate with the audience in Indonesian. He also used some slang terms. Nice try, Taro.

Taro and Jiro both played acoustic guitars but don't be fooled by the word 'acoustic' here. You'd see these guitar effects and pedals they brought to turn their acoustic performance into a rock n roll one. I play guitar for fun and when I saw them live I was like, "I should've played often from now on..." Jiro's 'ammos' were plentiful since he played the kick pad too. So technically Jiro sang and played both guitar-kick pad. What about the tempo? oh yes, he was too good at keeping it. Don't even ask about losing tempo to these 2 bros.

Taro

Jiro

They performed for about less than 2 hrs. They played some new songs from their first album. I had no idea what the titles were but I enjoyed them. Taro and Jiro said that their debut album (at that moment) was in progress and would be released next week (December 11th 2013). I tried to order the album online but then I remember about Indonesian troubled custom. I'd probably ask my friend in Japan to get a copy for me.

Silent Siren was played twice that night. Like seriously, the song was kickin ass. It wasn't an encore, no. We just loved the song so much. And yes, I would like to see them again, maybe on the next J-Music Lab? :)
ありがとう、深江公太朗と深江智二朗。

for more information about these deadly rockin brothers, you can visit them here.

Song Stories: Kasabian - Fire

This morning I just found out that one of Kasabian's songs which is my fave was about sex, or something sexual, as Tom Meighan and Sergio Pizzorno said on this video. I always checked on NME's website whenever I got on my desk. Idk, it's like a habitual activity in the morning. Duh!

The first time I read the lyrics, I thought about something related to drugs since there's this line "burn my sweet effigy" (smoke?). Another line "wire me up to machines I'll be your prisoner" (a prisoner of certain addiction?) and "find it hard to believe you are my murderer" (well, drugs the murderer?). But then when Premier League used this song to be an opening, I kinda changed my perspective, that the person here is on fire (excited, determine to do something (good)). Well, I was all wrong. So, let Kasabian do the math for ya...

P.S.: I like it when Sergio explained as if he had no clue that this song would be a blast. Hahaha. Simply brill. 

My December Concert Parade: TOTALFAT at Jak Cloth

Another late post but still worth to remember tho'. I blame myself for being so lazy blogging lately. Anywaaay... I started my December with another Japanese band's concert. Well, this time a punk/melodic-core band named TOTALFAT. I personally knew them since 2007 when their Hard Rock Reviver album released. Shun, Jose, Bunta, and Kuboty formed TOTALFAT in 1999 and their 1st album was released in 2003, so technically I was 4 years late. -___-

I didn't know my brother also a fan of TOTALFAT until I posted a song on Path where he dropped a comment. Too bad he couldn't come. So, I decided to give him a birthday present which I never did before hahaha. The night before the show, TOTALFAT had an intimate, well, that's too sweet for a band, ok friendly dinner and unplugged session at Home Ribs.

I never met these guys before, I never knew what kinda person they were. Just based on the videos and some interviews, I assumed they were nice. But the truth is: THEY'RE GENUINELY NICE. and funny, and crazy at the same time. BOYS.

I asked them to write birthday greetings for my brother and whatever message they wanna say. I told Bunta that my bro adores his drum playing and always wanted to be like him one day, so Bunta wrote a very encouraging message: You'll be the best drummer in Jakarta (which is an epic fail cause my brother lives in my hometown, Yogyakarta. My bad Bunta couldn't remember that.)

The guys only brought 3 additional persons with them, I believed they were the manager and the PAs. I was amazed by their efficiency. Well of course Shun brought his own bass, Jose and Kuboty brought their own guitars, and Bunta brought his own sticks and pedals. I mean, the simplicity and efficiency were totally proper. Not to mention for their extra sweetness, I gave each of them a gigantic bar of chocolate and some fried tempeh to the PAs and manager.

TOTALFAT played 3 songs in their unplugged session. The 1st song was requested by me. Ahem. Because I missed home at that moment so I want them to play Bruised. So happy since it was my first time watched them live. I tried to upload the video here but I guess the size was too big. Failed. Anyways, After a lively unplugged session, I took some photos with the boys. ;)

And finally the D-day! I arrived at Parkir Timur Senayan with my friend but unfortunately she couldn't make it til the show started. Too bad since I got the privilege TO BE WITH THE BAND ON STAGE. Kudos to the new buddies! Ta da~~~ I was standing next to Bunta Sugawara (kyaaa~~~) I didn't waste any second I got. Man, that feeling I got on the stage was priceless. Not to mention, THE VIEW. It was amazing to see their fans from where I stood.

I witnessed Bunta played drums next to, in front of, me! I know this pretty much of fangirling thing but trust me, there were a lot of guys who fell in love with this man. Like seriously he was 'attacked' by fanboys :D

I never thought that they played so good. Yeah, some bands are just good on the record but not-so-good on stage. TOTALFAT rocked the stage though they only played around 6 songs (thanks to the stupid rundown!) Room45, Party Party, Place To Try, the live version were better. Jose's voice reached the high notes smoothly. He always had this herbal syrup before he performed. Ah... a revealed secret.

Shun then made speech to the crowd. He said that he missed Jakarta and TOTALFAT had such longing to see their second home. Then he told a story behind the song Dear My Empire which I never heard before. Thanks for sharing it with us, Shun. It's such a deep song. And they started to play it... WOW!

Oh yeah, there was this funny moment on stage. It was Kuboty who suddenly said something in Indonesian. A long gag line... "nama gue Kuboty. Gue masih perjaka. Gue suka coli!" while pointing at himself, what he said was: my name is Kuboty. I'm a virgin. I love to masturbate. XD

Kubota Yohei is such a funny guy. He's a bit shy at first but once you knew him, he's a total nut! I had a little chit chat with him at the backstage before their turn. I always wondered did he wash his hair regularly? so I asked him that question. And yes, he said that he did wash his hair today. It was true. His hair smelled nice. LOL.

The show ended at 1:00ish AM. Thanks to the fans who didn't left the venue although TOTALFAT was the last band to perform that day. The crowd screamed for an encore but unfortunately there ain't one since it was only a fest. I do hope that someday TOTALFAT will come again for a concert. Before they got off stage, they took some pictures with the crazy fans as background. If only the venue was bigger, it would be more awesome.

I bought TOTALFAT t-shirts for myself and my brother. Bunta also gave me his signatured drum stick which made my day! 

and that's how I sum up my 2 nights with TOTALFAT. Would love to repeat it again sometimes in the future. ありがとうございます。。。＾＾

My November Concert Parade: VAMPS at Hyper Wave Fest

The 2nd time I went to Hyde's concert. The 2nd time I wasn't able to see him in person. The 2nd time I got brokenhearted. I didn't know where the hell all my luck was. Unlucky Rani.

Anyways...

Enough with the sadness. Actually I was a little bit lucky since I could afford the VIP section. Good Lord. Last year, I was only standing at the back. Not even the middle row. I was so exhausted and kept gasping for fresh air. L'Arc~en~Ciel's 1st concert was INSANE. Too crowd! I couldn't make it to the front row. Pity.

Since the first debut, VAMPS had me at the first single. Yes, Love Addict got me addicted. It was so refreshing. Apart from his musical genius in Laruku, Hyde's experimental project with K.A.Z has successfully became a hit. If you are Laruku fans, you might still find it a little in VAMPS, but just a little. The more you listen, the more you know that VAMPS' playful rock is so refreshing.

Personally, I adore K.A.Z's guitar playing. It's totally different from Ken's. The funny thing about their partnership was the way Hyde 'found' K.A.Z through the same way Tetsu did to him in Laruku. Hyde kept making fun of Tetsu who stalked him for a few months before finally addressed him in person. Hahaha. Hyde is too cute!

So... there was I. At Lapangan Kolam Renang Senayan. Hard rain, a raincoat, and an umbrella. It rained so hard for a while which literally made me wet from waist-to-toe.

The rain stopped exactly at 10-15ish mins before the show started. There you go, a line of impatient people rushed to the front stage.

I got this setlist from setlist.fm which I believe already leaked days before. And yes, the setlist was precisely accurate. These were the songs VAMPS played in Jakarta:

I was kinda satisfied with the sequence. Good for the audience mood. Mine included. Oh, before the show started, VAMPS' crews were bloody busy mopping the wet stage before putting all the properties needed. You know, Hyde's stand mic, coffin, etc etc. Like seriously, it took them more than I thought to finally get the stage done. 45-ish mins or so but that's fine. I myself didn't want something bad happened to my Hyde also. :')

The concert began with red lightings all over the stage. I noticed Hyde's coffin there, it was the centre of attention. Then the intro started, Hyde showed up in a see-through black shirt. See-through, unbottoned, bare chest. *GASPED* Good Lord, I was one lucky girl. He wrote an 'XIII' on his chest; number 13, unlucky number, number of death (in Tarot). Hyde is pretty much obsessed with such things. You know, that's so him.

One thing I loved the most from the concert was the part when Hyde started to communicate with us in Indonesian. His broken Indonesian articulation made me laughed so hard, I mean... he was sooo well prepared for certain words. He said that he wants to eat the coolest audience (which he never did) "Gue pengen makan penonton yang paling seru!!! Dimana yaaa???" and that was enough to made all the women screamed so too very loud. This man is indeed born with charm. I myself shouted at him, too, "EAT ME!!! OVER HERE!!!" well, it's all about fangirling when it comes to Hyde. ;)

K.A.Z was exceptional. He didn't lost any melody. His stage act was exceptional for someone at his age (that's a compliment, K.A.Z). My favorite part was probably when he had a face-to-face guitar moment with Hyde. 

K.A.Z brought all his custom made ESP guitars. So sugoi that he replaced his guitar in most every song. ESP guitars are just awesome!

As if my ultimate exhilaration was not enough, Hyde later made my whole heart fell to pieces. He messed with my emotion. What song? Sweet Dreams. I cried so very hard and I didn't know why. Hyde is more than just an idol, a rock star, or a genius musician to me. He's my savior. My kind of Jesus. He helped me through the worst moments in my life. He encouraged me to be a braver human being. Most people would find it strange since I only know him through his works as a musician but do you ever wonder what kind of magic music could bring to one's life? That happened to me. I knew his life story, his weakness, how he made all that imperfection turned into perfection... I was inspired by him. His songs are strong. So strong that they could move every fan's heart. You'll understand if you're a fan like me. No further explanation needed. :) 

In Sweet Dreams, I could relate to him in the deepest bond. The feeling of a distant lover whose heart is set on you. Wherever he goes, he always think about you like always wonder how do you look, what kind of clothes you wear, and the way he wants to share every single joy of his trip when he come back. Also, the reason why I cried because I couldn't meet him in person and he's about to go and I didn't know when I could see him again. I was only a few metres away and I could only cry so hard. I guess the camera guy caught me cried in frame which made me a little aware. What if Hyde might see me cried? Ah, that must be too normal for him. I remember last year when he cried during Forbidden Lover. I was that lucky. I saw him cried on stage.

I always had this unexplained mystical experience with Hyde. The only emotion which himself and I knew. I do hope he will come back sooner or later so that I could have the chance to see him in person. I've always wanted to show him the 'H'. I wish the very best for Hyde in the future. 愛してるよ～:')

I would like to thank Hyper Wave Fest for bringing him to Jakarta for the 2nd time. Though I wasn't that satisfied with HWF's people, but VAMPS' performance made all the inconvenience gone. Til we meet again, My Lifetime Obsession... 

My November Concert Parade: ONE OK ROCK Who Are You?? Who Are We?? Tour 2013

My 2nd concert in November. I already posted the news and the ticket before, so this time I'm gonna share my experience on the concert day. Yeay!

To be honest, I don't know where to start since I had one of the most memorable moments in my life that day. I think I should start with me after office hours rushed to the venue by taxi. The traffic was awful! I promised my friend to be there on time but it didn't work that way. I finally reached the venue at 5-ish PM. After I exchanged my e-ticket at the ticket box, my friend's mom took me into the venue. I heard a song or two were played from the stage inside, I was like, "soundcheck time?" and what I thought was right...

ONE OK ROCK were there on stage, it was really.........soundcheck. I tried to behave normally but it only lasted for 2 mins. I started to jump and stuff and almost forgot that I was not allowed to do that during soundcheck (sorry not sorry, I couldn't resist). My friend also cheered crazily on her wheelchair. We were that crazy hahaha. 

It was the moment when Om Ricky approached the two of us and asked, "do you wanna go there?" and by there he meant in front of the stage. We were waiting in a booth, about 20 metres from the stage but it's located inside the stage area. I was like, "seriously, Om? are we allowed? Is it OK?" cause I didn't believe him. Then, he said, "why not? it's OK. You guys are with me."

So I pushed my friend's wheelchair and we ran to the stage. You see the thin white line on the pic above? I stopped there. I didn't wanna cross the limit cause being that close to the stage and watched them played on soundcheck was more than just OK to me. It turned out that Om Ricky was the promoter. He was the one who brought Metallica here recently. WOW. Thanks to him, he was not only brought ONE OK ROCK here but also brought me in front of them. :)

The members were all checking stuff on stage. Until........ Taka turned his back and recognised us. I can tell that he was surprised. He said, "how do you feel today?" and I cried, "more than OK! Amazing!" then he replied, "good..." and smiled.

Well, I was more surprised because he suddenly jumped off the stage and came to us. HE REALLY DID. My friend Ilma whom I met on Loka's concert was the reason why he jumped off the stage :') 

Taka was so..........hmmm, can't say he's short (but he really was), uhm let's say cute? hahaha. and he was sweet indeed. 

He said, "thanks for coming," and before he continued, I said, "no, we THANK YOU for finally having your 1st ever concert here. I hope this won't be the last." Taka smiled and said, "no, it won't be."

Taka: so do you like us?

Me: yes, my friend here, she's a big fan of Toru. And me, well, consider me as your fan. :)

Taka: thank you. :) 

I was trying so hard to resist myself in front of him. I really wanted to take a picture with him. I mean, Man... I was THIS close. But then I looked at his face. He looked tired. So I pulled myself back. We chatted for about 10 mins or so then he went back to the stage. Meanwhile, we tried to manage our estrogens as we ran back to the booth.

We waited again, and while we were inhaling-exhaling... another surprising moment happened. This time, the guitarist, Toru called us to come to him. I grasped my friend's wheelchair and ran into Toru's arms (kidding!). Last time I checked, I liked Alex Ramon (OOR's ex-guitarist) and not so into Toru. That day changed me. I started to like Toru more. He was sooo nice. I mean, really nice. It turned out that Taka went back to tell the other members to sign a paper for Ilma. Toru brought it and gave it to her. How thoughtful, Toru-kun. :')

Ilma who lost her words, couldn't say anything but "I like you." I told Toru that she's a big fan of him and she's very very nervous. I was glad that Toru could understand English. I think other Japs bands must do this too. It's hard to communicate with fans who don't speak fluent Nihongo. Thank God, ONE OK ROCK speak English a little. I also said the same thing to Toru, that they must come back again some other time. He nodded. 

I didn't know why but I asked him this: CAN I HUG YOU?... surprisingly he said, "sure." then we hugged, People. IT HAPPENED. Ah. Toru. O! We took some pics later. 

Last week, somebody told me that there's an odd version of my pic with Toru. Speaking of odd, that somebody (I believe it's a girl) edited the pic and changed my face. HA HA HA. No matter how desperate I am, even when it comes to Martin Kelly or Hyde, I never did such thing. Whoever you are, just stop stealing my pic from Instagram :)

The gate opened at 6:00PM. A few minutes before that, I set myself on a mini stage where the videoman stayed. It was prepared for Ilma. Thank you Mas Reza, Om Ricky and Nada Promotama for being so thoughtful.

That was the view from where I stood, about 10ish metres away from the stage. Oh, I forgot. The setlist was exactly the same like the ones in Bangkok and Singapore. There was no All Mine and Et Cetera, sobs sobs. Et Cetera was the song which made me like ONE OK ROCK. Probably Alex's factor. Hahaha. Alex, genki? Miss you, Boy!

As you can see, it's like Jinsei x Boku album playlist hahaha. The way they put Kanzen Kankaku Dreamer before The Beginning, well... I kinda liked it. I was full of excitement since the very beginning (how could I not??? *hugging Toru again*) til the end of the show. I should highlight these songs: Ending Story??, Deeper Deeper, C.h.a.o.s.m.y.t.h., Clock Strikes, Be The Light, Liar (I screamed from the top of my lungs! Deep song!), Answer is Near, Kanzen Kankaku Dreamer and The Beginning (again, SCREAMED!)

 Why did I put some highlight on certain songs?
This is why.
This happened when they played Answer is Near. Fans must know about the famous oooh~ in the beginning and in the middle of the song, right?
Or some have watched it on the DVD. Well, I must tell you that the live version of it was TOTALLY INSANE!

 Taka jumped off the stage and led us with that famous line of oooh~

Man, that was intense!

I lost words to describe how crazy that moment was. Seriously, the crowd and the band were in a deep bond, you could see that strong chemical reaction was seen in this pic.

HANDS UP!

The only break they took was maybe just for drinking and stuff. Their showmanship was undoubtedly exceptional. The audience were more than just fans as what Taka said to us.

What I love from Japs musicians is, whenever they had concerts here... they always prepared some Indonesian convo on stage. Yes, ONE OK ROCK spoke in Bahasa Indonesia. I enjoyed every single pronunciation. They were cute, especially when Ryota told us about his fave Indonesian food. Ah, you guys were too adorable!

ONE OK ROCK's management and the band themselves set some strict rules in every concert. The list were too long, you guys better read it on their official page (I'm that lazy). BUT... the rules were totally worthed every single song. No this, no that, at first I was "WTH?" but then after the 4th song, I knew why and I was like, "aaah... saikyou!"

Before the encore, Taka came up with the Indonesian flag. Now that gave me instant goosebumps. As they promised to come back again in the future, I will keep them in mind and heart as one of the best memories in my life.

ARIGATOU... :')

So Long, 2013.

It's been too long. 2014 already. Time flies. I had too many splendid memories in 2013. I left home, moved to a whole new place, broke up with the boy who's been with me for almost 6 yrs, Martin Ronald Kelly, met a lot of strangers; some of them became my close friends, months of concerts, and ended with another heartbreak.

I'm glad I survived 2013. Now I have 2014 to deal with. The NYE was the worst. The first week was the worst. The second week was awesome. I guess I know what this year would be. Another roller coaster I must ride. I wish I could bear a lot better this time. Amen.

Well, bring on, 2014!

My November Concert Parade: Ash at 280 Fest

So, Ash was my 1st November Concert. I found out the news on their official Twitter that they would be performing in a fest called 280 Fest.

Ash's first MV I watched was Candy. I remember MTV aired it when I was chillin' at home. I liked the MV and the song also. So, Free All Angels was my first Ash's album. The album was a hit. Like seriously the whole songs........ coolness! I didn't attend their 2001's concert in Jakarta. In fact, the only concert I attended was L'Arc~en~Ciel (last year) since I lived in Jogjakarta. Then I began to find out about their previous albums and singles. I was into them that easy, no surprise, this Irish teenage punk slash pop band really pulled me in.

When I arrived at the venue (Lapangan D Senayan Jakarta), I was quite shocked. First and foremost, there were no such thing like banners, flags, or any promotion related to the fest. Plus, the taxi driver admitted that he had no clue about where Lapangan D Senayan was (like seriously?). Pretty frustrating.

The second shocking thing was the audience. Man, for a fest and for a band like Ash, too too too few people there. I was worried and kept mumbling together with my friend about the band members' feelings when they finally saw them from the stage. I was thinking about their feelings a lot. Frankly, I was sad for a few moments.

But Ash were professional (of course they were). I thought they knew about the amount of people there but they performed like thousands people were watching them. Tim Wheeler, Mark Hamilton, and Rick McMurray were stunning. They aged like rock stars. Wait, they ARE rock stars! X)

Tim with his favorite guitar amazed me as I didn't realise that he was no longer young as he was before. His voice didn't change much, Tim got his mojo :)
Mark also enjoyed the stage. Too much. He did some moves up there. He did make me a teenager again hahaha. Rick at the back didn't lose the beat. They didn't age! :D

A day before their show, there was this setlist I found on Twitter. Actually there were 2. One of them was signed by the whole members. Idk, some kinda souvenir?

And yes, the setlist was right. Ash opened the show with Meltdown (Meltdown, 2004). Then, a single which also a movie soundtrack from a movie with the same title, A Life Less Ordinary played. 

The next song made us audience cheered and shouted. Yes, it's Girl From Mars (1977, 1996), one of Ash's best songs. Mark was so energetic during this song. They brought the good ol' times on the stage. We sang along with Tim, not to mention the jumps also. We were all young!
Hehe.

Ash played 6 songs from 1977; Girl From Mars, Oh Yeah, Goldfinger, Kung Fu. They played Lose Control and Angel Interceptor for the encore. I must say that the setlist was pretty OK. They knew how to play with our expectation, hahaha. I was disappointed that my fave songs Candy and Carnal Love were not on the list.

sobs, sobs.

This concert was more like reminiscing the good times with Ash. It's kinda a time machine where I could see myself back then, young, so careless and free! Or I may use the Indonesian words "Konser Tembang Kenangan Ash" hahahaha...

I guess most of the audience would agree with me. :)

19 songs in total, 5 albums (if I'm not mistaken): 1977, Free All Angels, Meltdown, Twilight of the Innocents, and A-Z (Singles Collection).

4 songs as encore were pretty interesting. As I thought they'd only play one song only, once the setlist leaked I was like, "4? encore? really?" and yep, 4 songs that night.

I already knew that Burn Baby Burn (Free All Angels, 2001) would be the last encore so I wasn't surprised. Too bad I found the setlist earlier :(

I must highlight these songs: Walking Barefoot, Shining Light, and Return of White Rabbit. Most importantly, the last song. The longest one and the most attractive performance. I LOVE IT!

See the picture on the left, this was Return of White Rabbit. There was this break in the middle of the song and Tim suddenly appeared so so stunning. I didn't know how or why but it happened just like that.

We did sing along with him as he led us by giving hands gestures.

Pleasure was all mine, Tim.

Despite the number of audience that night, I was satisfied with Ash. Happy that I could see them live (like finally! it's better late than never, right?) The sound system was good, esp. when Return of White Rabbit played, (hehehe, Idk after that night, I began to like it more. Mark made it even cooler! bass! bass!) I cheered so loud at Mark. It was worth more than the price I paid. Thank you, Tim, Mark, and Rick. Hope I'd see you again! Rock on, Ash!