Half impromptu, half planned, we were really excited to be part of the Media team for Urbanscapes 2012. This meant leaving Singapore and covering our first "overseas" event ever! Also, it happened to be Urbanscapes' 10th anniversary so you know it's gonna be their most epic yet. Seeing Sigur Ros twice in two days, meeting old friends and making new ones, legendary lamb shanks, getting lost for an hour at 2 am looking for our hotel, cheap midnight suppers and A&W, here are our encounters unabridged! 

Urbanscapes Day 1

Goodbye Singapore!

Plane ride: 45 minutes

Bus ride to KL Central: longer

Accidents happen: 1, a lapse in attention x heavy camera = a blue and very swollen toe

Ominous line uttered in bus ride: “Your life is crumbling before you!”

Types of transportation we took that day: 4

Hotel: Nice, acceptable, but FAR

Reporting at the site

First thoughts: MUDFEST YEY

Time before all footwear came off: A full 10 minutes after entering grounds

Where we faltered (moneywise): Food stalls

Favourite dish: Lamb shank with polenta, RM20

Unsatisfied: Overly sweet bubble tea, RM6

Best place to chill: The Air Asia ‘lounge’ with free ‘rubs’

Bandwagon Endorsement: The fruit ice-lollies from Fru-T Pop, DA BEST

Crowd vibes: Laid back, pretension-free, people who like high-fives, children-friendly

Charlie Lim

Award: Cleanest band in Urbanscapes, no traces of mud at all

Crowd: A lot of people swaying, waxing romantic, smiling (and a couple making out at the back)

Achievement unlocked: Got people dancing right at the first song 'Pedestal'

Super surprise: Charlie doing a cover of Frank Ocean’s ‘Super Rich Kids’

Bonus Award: Having the best keyboardist ever in a band

Enterprise

First impressions: College friends start a band

Other things they started: An insane dance party

Loud noises: Can rival taurine-tampered drinks in terms of potent bursts of energy

Letdown: It didn't rain when they performed their new song "Raindance" (it should have!)

Rockstars Never Die: Keyboardist flipped his Korg Mini over and tore off his jacket when the soundmen cut off their audio for going beyond their set timing

Love/Comes

Props: Stage adorned with flowers that were later thrown into the crowd

What do they sound like: Shoegazey, early 90s noise pop. They sound good.

Accident #2: Another lapse in attention x a bouquet thrown in my direction but no direct hit, great success

Best song: ‘Reservoir Boys’ - got a bit mellow at the chorus: "I love you/I love you till I die/ I want you/ I want you till I cry"

Side notes: Unfamiliar with the band’s music, we kept guessing what the band would sound like. “Very chill” came up, “Romantic pop” also, “Indiewave” whatever that means but when they started playing, we were pleasantly surprised

Love Me Butch

THAT song: 'Barricade'

Where I was when he pulled that long note in the song: In the photo pit, in front of him, staring at him, and I forgot to take a shot

Surprisingly: Most of the fans up in the front were girls

Tightness: As solid as a battle tank. That shoots kickass post-hardcore tunes.

Best tweet on Love Me Butch: (from the Urbanscapes’ account) “Haha! He's married! "@chenseyillya: Love Me Butch is #beast Lead singer call me. 

Tenderfist

Best advice: “Don’t do drugs.”

Level of irony: High, dancing to happy sad songs

Coining a new genre: ‘Melantronica’ – melancholic electronica

Vibe: The "I'm-dancing-but-that-doesn't-mean-I'm-happy" vibe

Best ending ever: Leaving the bassist on stage playing all by himself 

Yuna

Achievement unlocked: 90 minutes of a mesmerized crowd

Surprise cover: ‘Come As You Are’ by Nirvana

Was waiting for: Her rendition of ‘Thinkin’ ‘Bout You’ by Frank Ocean but sadly, no

Sentimental moment: Seeing someone waving a large Malaysian flag and listening to "Live Your Life" in the background

Feelings: Good (and prepared for Day 2)

Check out our photo gallery for Day One HERE. 

Urbanscapes Day 2

The Impatient Sisters

Trivia fact: A professor friend told me that siblings are said to harmonize well #science

Mythbusters: Yes, this is true

Unexpected: Live cellist 

Onstage costume: Red floral fabric

Props: Handed out masks modelled after each sister, eyeholes shaped like cats!

The Trees And The Wild

Attire team: Icelandic Batavia

Charita: Charita! <3

Homeboys: "We're The Trees And The Wild from Bekasi."

Wall of sound: Drowning in a sea of feathered quilts in the middle of the woods

Mystic powers: Crowd hypnotized for realsies

Sheila Majid

I’m here for: The nostalgia (growing up household music) and ‘Antara Anyer dan Jakarta’

Participation: When she did her medley of ‘classics’, we spotted WSATCC playing/singing along on the Next Stage

Six degrees: After Sheila Majid, Sigur Ros utilised the main stage

White Shoes And The Couples Company

Vibes: Extremely feel good

Sartorial notes: Late 50s, white shoes

Disappointment: Set cut short (because of Sheila Majid)

Award: Most packed Next Stage set ever

Nona minta dansa: Sari's dance moves!

Sigur Ros

Number of times seen live: Two! Watched them play Fort Canning a few days earlier.

Lie detector: "This is the first time we are playing this new song..." 

Jonsi vibes: Baby polar bear 

General crowd behavior: Eyes closed, arms outstretched, in a sweet, sweet trance

Happy ending: Fireworks!

Check out our photo gallery for Day Two HERE.