The Star Online: Entertainment: Music
The Star Online: Entertainment: Music |
| Posted: 16 Sep 2012 01:39 AM PDT Electro-pop outfit Tenderfist readies up for a return to Europe as well as new material for the local masses. Good things seem to be coming to Tenderfist in waves these days. Just months after getting an invite to perform in Cannes, France, for the MIDEM (international trade fair for the music industry) showcase for South-East Asian Acts in January this year, the Kuala Lumpur-based electro-pop trio has been invited to perform in Hamburg, Germany, for the Reeperbahn Festival on Sept 20. The band is part of a South Asian contingent that will see the participation of Indonesian band The Trees And The Wild, and Singapore band Monster Cat. The festival's line-up this year contains indie luminaries such as Blur guitarist Graham Coxon, Best Coast, Yeasayer and more. These things really do not happen frequently for your average Malaysian indie band. "We are also planning a small European tour with the help of our friends there (and if we have enough funds to last us a few weeks there)," says Edzwan (vocals/guitars/synths). "The plan is to go to Berlin (Germany), Paris (France), Helsinki (Sweden), London (Britain) and Dublin (Ireland)." Granted, every struggling indie band out there probably dreams of putting together shows in Europe but how do these things really occur? Edzwan puts it down to simply luck and a couple of things coming together for them, especially the chance to open for acts such as Kings Of Convenience and The Whitest Boy Alive. "Those bands kind of passed the word around about us and even introduced us to some contacts; one thing just lead to another." That "one thing" appears to be them getting attached to Figure8, an international booking agency based in Singapore, which also represented them when they were in France. "I guess word of mouth is still a pretty strong promotional tool. So, whenever we have the opportunity, we pass the word around about our favourite bands as well," says Edzwan. By the end of the year, it would seem like a riotous adventure for the trio with the amount of things that have and would've happened to them. Incidentally, Tenderfist will also be playing a set at the Urbanscapes festival in November in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, where Icelandic band Sigur Ros and local songbird Yuna are the main acts. "France in the winter was crazy and it was one of the worst winters (they'd experienced). You'd see the sun shining bright outside but the weather is minus nine," says Edzwan of the band's Paris adventures. Yet, despite the chilly weather, the singer spoke of Tenderfist's experiences with much warmth and enthusiasm, which included among other things, dinner at the Indonesian Embassy in Paris with popular Indonesian twee-pop band White Shoes and the Couples Company, and almost missing their train from Paris to Cannes because they could not understand French – "Just ordering food in cafes was an adventure every single time!" Edzwan adds, "There was a girl who was trying to steal our CD .... The response we got there during our live shows were amazing." However, while understanding that the outlook of the French people may appear different, especially in terms of musical taste and culture, Edzwan knows that in the end, the cliché that "music is universal" still stands. "They danced, they cheered and they appreciate the music even if it came out of a laptop." The band, also comprising Edzwan's brother Faiq (drums/sequencer/synths) and newly added member Shahril (bassist), is on the cusp of releasing its first proper full-length album (the band released a single of This Wasted Heart in 2011) and from the sound of things, it might just be released some time soon. "At the moment we are working really hard on finishing it. So far it's going really well," Edzwan shares, adding that the band members have narrowed the tracklist down to about 10 songs. At the moment, the working title for the album is A Tourist Car and it will be recorded largely at home (and with borrowed equipment from friends) as it's not financially viable to book themselves into a proper studio. "We've been listening to a lot of old Motown records with horns and strings arrangements when we were putting the album together and as such it influenced us to start using more live instruments instead of just relying on our synths," Edzwan notes. "The possibility of Tenderfist becoming a full band lineup is something we've always had in mind." Things are certainly looking up for the band. With its debut album almost signed, sealed and delivered, and the prospect of bringing its music all across Europe, does the band feel it is representing Malaysia as an ambassador of sorts where music is concerned? Edzwan is quick to dispel the notion and bring things back down to Earth. "That's too big of a responsibility for a small-time band like us. There's a lot to be learnt on our part and a lot of things to be experienced. It's important for us as a band to not get stuck in the same place and keep progressing and keep getting better at what we do," he says, before adding a hint of optimism: "That being said, whenever we are abroad we always try to give our best." Tenderfist will be performing at the Repperbahn Festival on Sept 20 in Hamburg, Germany. For more information on the festival, visit reeperbahnfestival.com. The band will be playing at Urbanscapes in November, too. Check out the Urbanscapes Facebook page (facebook.com/urbanscapes) or head over to the band's Facebook page (facebook.com/ten derfist) for updates. |
| Madonna's brother takes rubber-soled step into spotlight Posted: 15 Sep 2012 09:02 PM PDT LONDON: Christopher Ciccone, the younger brother of pop star Madonna, took a rubber-soled step outside of his famous sibling's shadow on Friday as he launched his first shoe collection at the start of London Fashion Week. Ciccone, 51, spun a modern twist on functional footwear, using rubber, leather and canvas to reinvent riding boots, Wellington boots, boat shoes, brogues and sandals, using a mixture of bold block hues, geometric prints and strap details. The prices of the collection range from 39 pounds to just under 300 pounds ($63-$480). "It's the art that follows the form (that) follows the function. I'm an artist, so everything that I create comes from that world," Ciccone told Reuters, adding that he was inspired by the work of Georgia O'Keeffe, Mondrian and Delacroix. Madonna did not attend the launch, but she was there in spirit as her latest hit song, "Girl Gone Wild," played alongside other pop hits during Ciccone's presentation at London's trendy Strand Gallery. The collection itself was designed for "anybody who likes to wear shoes, and where God made weather," but Ciccone did have something picked out for Madonna - a pair of black leather cowboy-inspired boots with bold cutout details that he said "just say her name louder." "We haven't spoken specifically about the collection itself. We have a strictly brother-sister relationship right now," Ciccone said about Madonna. He added: "Obviously, I'm sure I'll send her some shoes." Ciccone's collection for men, women and children will be showcased in New York, Paris and Vienna, as part of a worldwide traveling trunk show. But he said he was keen to debut the shoes in London. "I've always had a real connection to this city, I just love it here. I think the footwear connects to the city itself from the design point of view and from the functional point of view. I just couldn't see doing it in Paris or Milan. London has an edgier side to it," he said. Ciccone's sales agent, John Alston, said the collection hoped to cater to a gap in the crowded footwear market, bringing high quality to affordable, functional shoes. "It's a very crowded market, but we believe it's different enough," Alston said. |
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