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KR Rockers will be back in May after exams.

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Meanwhile, here’s a little write up from our friend in campus.

Is there an NUS Rock Scene? Click here to find out more from the NUSSU Ridge Online publications!

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“No plans for the upcoming June holidays yet?

Want to have fun and make new friends but have no idea where you can do so?

(Click to enlarge)

CAMP BLUE BLOOD

DATE: 5th – 7th JUNE 2008
VENUE: KENT RIDGE HALL
CAMP FEE: $28
(Inclusive of all meals, accommodation and a camp t-shirt)

It’s the camp where you have the chance to know more about KENT RIDGE HALL and us.

For those who are interested, do email the hpb comm at kr_hpb@yahoo.com

SEE YOU THERE!

The band from left to right: Timothy, Shi Li, Daniel, Vanessa, Gerald (with Jason and Nic hidden)

Daniel and Vanessa: Rockfest first-timers

The band started off with Time is Running Out by Muse, which Shi Li delivered with typical aplomb and drawing some deserved platitudes from the crowd. This was followed by KT Turnstall’s Suddenly I See in which Vanessa took centrestage, serving up a rendition of the song that showcased a nice, cool, shuffle feel and getting the crowd into a groovy mood.

Gerald in urgent need of a toilet break

Nic looking to be in the business of inflicting misery on the drums. The pain..

The next two songs represented an move towards harder rock. An old favorite by the Cranberries, Zombie had the added effect of a piano overture by Tim before the band went into full force with the original rock version. The heavy nature of this song was a prelude to the final song Misery Business by Paramore. As part of showmanship necessary for any band, Gerald and Daniel led the crowd in some hypnotic head-banging action that had a contagious effect on the rest of the band, as well as some in the crowd. Ultimately, not only did Rockfest 2008 represent an opportunity for the Rockers to share their music with others, fun was not lost out on during the band practices in the early hours of the morning.

To register, click HERE!

Cheers to the creation of this blog. Its time to show the imitators how to REALLY rock.

Displayed is a flyer specially designed by Kent Ridge Hall’s very own Cultural Management Unit.

The Freeloaders played a medley of two songs, Funky Freak from Curtis Blues Review and R-E-S-P-E-C-T from Aretha Franklin. Timothy, band leader and bassist of the band, named it the Funk Medley No. 3 because this is the band’s third version of funk songs played this far. Funky Freak is an excitingly groovy track from CBR, an up and coming popular funk band in Malaysia. The Freeloaders is really proud to be covering their song and hence would like to thank Zaim, bassist of CBR for his support and guidance in this process.

On a personal note, the KR Rockers would like to thank their supporters from the hall as well as our friends from campus for coming down to Zouk to vote and support the Freeloaders. Special thanks to our NUS Jazzband friends who came down to support their Section Leader, ShiLi Yap who is the lead vocals of Freeloaders.

The Freeloaders is also very proud to be playing alongside their fellow contestants- Mad Hatters, Scar Driven, George’s 87 and Dreamy Mellow to name a few. The entire programme was tight, featuring last year’s winner, 80% alcohol playing some pretty good originals too.

The Freeloaders: (from left to right) Tim (bass), ShiLi Yap(vox), Hanrong Lin (Ken on drums), Yeekiat Tan (Philip) and Moses on guitars.

The inter-tertiary rock band competition is back again! Organised by the NUS Cultural Activities Club, Jam X is into its eighth year and this year, the finals were held at *scape. 8 bands out of the 36 that joined qualified for the finals. They were vying for the top 3 prizes as well as a ‘Best Original Composition’ award.

Last year’s Jam X winner – Turning Point – kick-started the event. This was followed by performances by the 8 finalists who did their best to rock the crowd. The performances allowed the bands to showcase their technical ability as well as their ability to write and compose songs, as one song in their 2-song set had to be an original composition. Most of the bands looked like they were really enjoying their moment, without any sign of stagefright or “kancheong-ness“.

After 2 performances, the crowd cheered on as Singapore Idol (SI) finalists – Taufik, Sylvester and Olinda – took to the stage, performing a song each. Affectionately known by their fans as Fik, Sly and Oli respectively, the SI finalists were there to promote the upcoming Singapore Idol auditions happening the following Saturday at Orchard Cineleisure. The crowd went crazy when the SI finalists started giving away posters and Singapore Idol tees to the crowd. Freebies!!

The excitement died down a little after the Idols left but quickly picked up again as soon as the next band came back on. While the band was busy setting up their instruments, I decided to sneak a peek at the flea market to see if I could get any good deals. The flea market, also located at *scape, added to the buzz of Jam X 2006. On stage, the bands were displaying their musical talent while the vendors off stage displayed their entrepreneurial skills. They were selling things from handmade accessories and cards to second hand clothes. Janice Poh, 22, has a full time job but sells her handmade items at flea markets about twice a month out of interest.

The place was crowded with supporters as well as on-lookers. The Rachels, a competitor at Jam X 2006, was a hot favourite. Barely 3 months old, the band has the most number of female members compared to the rest of the participating bands and received the loudest cheers. The band consists of 7 students from Kent Ridge Hall in National University of Singapore (NUS). If you are wondering how they came up with the name, it was derived from the name of their drummer – Rachel Tan – who is a second-timer at the competition. They won the ‘Best Original Composition’ award for the song ‘A World Less Ordinary’.

The Rachels: (from left to right) Rachel Tan (drums), Sarah Chia (keys), Sherry Lee & ShiLi Yap (vox), Victor Chen (lead g.), Ivan Teo (bass) & Toh Wei Kwan (rhythm g.)

The competition came to a close at 9 P.M. and the judges took some time to deliberate the results. Finally, it was time to announce the winners. And the winner of Jam X 2006 goes to… *dddrrrrr* (attempting to create the effect of a drum roll)… the Dubious Brothers! The crowd screamed and cheered as the Dubious Brothers went onstage to receive their well-deserved prizes. The second and third prize went to Ridge and The Rachels respectively.

The energy-filled night was supposed to end after the Dubious Brothers delivered their final song. But fans were still dissatisfied and wanted more. They were shouting “Encore! Encore!”, so Lin Jiahe, the frontman of Dubious Brothers who is also the chairperson for KR Rockers led the band to perform their original composition once again, leaving their supporters pleased and contented.

Dubious Brothers: (from left) Isaac, Andrew, Galan, Lin (chairperson of KR Rockers) and Joshua.

Watch their youtube video here: