Written by Charmaine
It is without a doubt that ever since the Movement Control Order was instilled, many events have been put on hold until further notice, one of them being music events. With that being said, this has caused a real underlying issue in Malaysia’s local music industry as musicians of the local scene have been left high and dry without any gigs and events to perform in and fans of these musicians have nowhere to enjoy some live good music and get vibe and smash together in mosh pits.
Therefore, if you’re wondering how some of your local favorite acts are doing so far we’ve gathered a few of Malaysia’s favorite local bands to share their opinions on how they are coping during the MCO period.
How is your band coping with the MCO period and what is it affecting mostly for you right now?
Undoubtedly, the MCO has affected many individuals somehow on their daily plans and activities, when it comes to musicians, especially through gigs which could have either been planned for a fun show or a job.
Bands like Jaggfuzbeats and Spooky Wet Dreams along with solo singers Helloluqman and Kidkhodi have been deeply affected by it as most shows have been cancelled and postponed to a “safer time“ .” We had 8 shows up to April before the Ramadan season, the biggest one was our performance at the Rockaway Festival which was supposed to be our final festival show before we close the curtain on our album campaign” says Ze, the lead vocalist from Spooky Wet Dreams. Whereas solo artist Khodi shares that her jobs at corporate functions, showcases and recording with sessionist have been put on hold which affects her income.
However, a band which coincidentally enough was not really affected during this MCO period is Indie Rock band, Lust as coincidentally they have been meaning to take the year off and have planned some upcoming content that does not include live shows which makes their timing aligned. However, it has taken a toll on the members of the band when it comes to their full time job. “Personally, it has affected my full time job a lot, and leaves the next couple of months up in the air, which is kinda scary,” said Azfar from Lust.
Apart from that, they are concerned and hope for the best for other bands and artists who make a living through live shows.
What do you think musicians can do now during the MCO period or even after it to keep their careers going despite the stern restrictions on any sort of events?
“Gigs or no gigs, the show must go because at the end of the day, the artist itself is the show that people subscribe to” says Ze from Spooky Wet Dreams. We have to accept the fact that even after the MCO period is over, any events of any sorts are not going to happen anytime soon and there is no going back to normal for awhile. Therefore, most of these musicians have suggested that they start taking their performance online for more stability. “ Bands should take advantage of other existing avenues such as IG/FB live ,Twitch, Youtube and Patreon which fans can directly pay for bands to keep on creating content, “ says Lust.
“This is also a good time make more content in their own homes as social media is the best player “ says Helloluqman.
Apart from that, Jaggfuzzbeats also adds that this is a great time for musicians to sharpen their skills in producing, playing instruments and songwriting along with getting the chance to finally engage with fans .
What are your opinions on online gigs?
Taking your performance online has now become a norm to keep the scene alive, therefore for now it is the best alternative during this situation. Recently, Lust and Azrul from Jaggfuzzbeats did a live performance for Riuh in the city’s Instagram page and had gained a viewership of 100+ people which was above the average compared to a normal gig on the weekend according to Azfar from Lust. Although it might sound super fun, it is not self-sustaining as it only can be an alternative for the time being. However, it does make it a good platform to promote the band and the merch.
However, musicians like Ze, Helloluqman and Khodi beg to differ on the topic of online gigs, although it might serve a good purpose now but it is not as effective as how real life gigs should be.
“Gigs are all about adrenaline, the sweaty sauna mosh pits, improvs and the stage dives. You can’t replace that virtually “ says Ze.
“Online gigs are also not effective especially when it comes to payment “ says Khodi.
What are your band’s plans after the MCO period?
Undoubtedly, the MCO gives a lot of time for a lot of people to finally lay down their plans to freedom and start anew. Therefore, just like everyone else, these musicians have something planned up their sleeves as well .
Jaggfuzzbeats expresses that they will be in the works of releasing their next album along with Lust who also plans to take this time as an incubation period of daydreaming and even visualizing the next album. They are also planning to release a short EP with Tekesima b-sides by the end of the year.
Spooky Wet Dreams plans on finally closing Koleksi Dendangan Untuk Hadapan’s campaign and going on a hiatus to work on their next album.
“I plan to settle all of my recordings for my upcoming singles and hopefully, start performing again” says Khodi.
Whereas HelloLuqman plans to work extra hard to get more gigs in order to be on stage once again.
How can the public help to keep the music scene alive in Malaysia?
According to Ze, it is not the public’s responsibility to keep the scene alive but merely the musicians themselves to keep on entertaining in order to keep the scene alive.
“People need music during this MCO to keep entertained from all the gloomy news that’s happening in the world . Therefore, we as the people in the scene need to step up and continue on what we do best “ he says . “ At the same time, musicians should look at this like a business investment. People will remember your music during times of distress “ he adds.
Other than that, Jaggfuzzbeats and LUST express that this is the time to give the local scene a chance and embrace homegrown talents as most of them have really diversified and improved compared to 5 years ago.
Khodi and Helloluqman state that the public can lend a hand by being in touch with their favorite artist and keep up to what they are up to along with purchasing, or streaming their songs whilst sharing their content to other people.
In time such as these, it’s important to show support for our local artists and musicians alike, but one thing’s for sure, no pandemic is gonna get all of us down. It’s great to see our very own homegrown talents doing the best they can to keep the local scene and not giving up on what they are most passionate about.
