The Star Online: Entertainment: Music
The Star Online: Entertainment: Music |
- Shaneil Devaser: Going it alone
- Michael Jackson's sex abuse case may feature in new trial
- Poe wins unexpected award at tourism bloggers conference
| Shaneil Devaser: Going it alone Posted: 22 Mar 2013 01:04 AM PDT Being a DIY musician is tough, but it doesn't mean it is not doable, says singer-songwriter Shaneil Devaser. HIS name hasn't reached household status just yet, but you get the impression that with his irrepressible habit of walking into every open mike session, his involvement with numerous bands and being a gig organiser himself now, Shaneil Davesar (pic) is simply about to make his mark in the indie music scene here. And as if to confirm his place at the top of the pile, the chap even has an eponymous solo debut album (which he insists on calling an EP) to his name now. Yes, life is good. But even if the tide's flowing his way, he still hasn't been able to come up with an album title that's more than his name. "I guess I'm just lazy," he lied through his teeth during a recent interview. Indolence goes nowhere, and clearly, where ambition is concerned, Shaneil is a raging pitbull let loose from its leash. He admits that self-titled albums capture a space in time. And in going for an artistic approach for the album cover, the 24-year-old resorted to a spark of genius – he stuck a camera on the side window of a car as he whizzed pass the woody suburb of Ferntree Gully in Melbourne, Australia, during a recent holiday. There is something tellingly contradictory about the man who leads his own band Crossing Boundaries (which released its self-titled debut in 2011), and who plays guitar for The Pilot Enterprise and The Endleaves. He professes to be a workaholic, yet cops out on some fairly important details. But who's to question a man with a plan? Shaneil Devaser is a five-song excursion that pools together all of his influences, and he wears 'em loud and proud. He makes no excuses for "importing" ideas from the likes of Stereophonics, A Perfect Circle, while melodic elements of Oasis and Silverchair are never too far way, even if they are kept to a minimum on this one. Best of all, Shaneil got to fulfil a life-long ambition – "I've always wanted to write a song that started with the A chord." And lo and behold, he realised that desire on the very first single off the album, the day-dreaming anthem Sleep All Day, replete with Foo Fighters-inspired harmony vocals. This solo debut may not exhibit every facet of the songwriting machine that he is, but what five songs could, anyway? What has him rubbing his hands with glee is how the album doesn't sound like most things out there, even if he has conceded to his points of reference. "I took a free and easy approach ... there was no real template on what the album was going to be about. What I was conscious about was trying different production techniques. It's an honest record in which I wanted to do everything without being answerable to anyone," he enthused. Shaneil Devaser may not echo anything out there today, and that's purely because its roots harken back to the glory years of the grunge scene of the mid 1990s, clearly exhibited in tracks like Talking To Me and even Sleep All Day. But the tour de force on the album must surely be the last track Past Song, which deals with the end of an era. Ultimately, though, this five-song jaunt is a snapshot of the artiste he is today. The Sabahan (he was born in Malacca and lived in Britain for a number of years) singer-songwriter is consummately confident in his ability, but he still has a sales pitch for his album. "I need beer, so please buy the record," he quipped, straight-faced. But honesty is also one of his finer traits. "Not many artistes record and release complete albums these days," he says, distinguishing himself from today's singles trend. "But it's all hard work, I assure you. This album is self-funded, self-written, self-arranged ... self-everything. Get it now while I'm still no rock star," he continued with his self-deprecating theme, nary a glint in his eye. Mention Dave Grohl's first Foo Fighters album, and a smile crosses Shaneil's face. Isn't he blowing his own trumpet, then? "I needed to know if I could do it because I needed to do it. I just didn't want to sit around waiting for people to be available. There was no division of responsibilities, so things were done a lot faster," he said, subscribing to the belief that time and tide wait for no man. A former accountant, the young musician doesn't miss the rat race one bit. "I don't mind a day job, but, like most people, I hate putting up with traffic jams and what-not because they tire me." It's the lack of a day job that's gifted him with more time on his hands – not a situation by accident but by design. Hence, he has time to indulge in various musical projects. He insists that his musical projects are in varying stages of evolution. "Crossing (Boundaries) is barely out there, and is part of an older scene. And my solo project has a different audience. I guess I came to a point when I realised that re-inventing myself would be a good thing for me." Shaneil has his finger on the pulse of the music scene, locally and abroad, and feels that Malaysians over-adulate foreign music. "We have a huge cache of local talent. I researched and found out that about 50% of them have albums, yet so few of them ever get on radio," he revealed. "Some bands simply get more attention than they deserve. The gig that has the biggest following is the gig that's attended by most friends of the band. But that's where you separate friends from fans," Shaneil astutely opined. He's explicitly aware that his solo debut is not about to race up the charts (though he won third place for Best Overall Male Act at the recent Voice International Music Awards 2013), which is why he believes that for most acts here, selling albums at gigs is really the best (and almost only) way to go. "I'm gonna promote the album on the fly and constantly engage in open mike sessions," he provided his down-to-earth assessment of the state of affairs. He hosts the Wednesday Open Stage at Frontera Sol of Mexico (at Jaya One, Petaling Jaya, Selangor), currently a bi-weekly affair. He also maintains openmicmalaysia.org, which lists all the open mike nights around town. It'd be a crime if something as musical as Shaneil Devaser doesn't scale the heights of the indie scene. Truth be told, lesser things have. > Shaneil Devaser is available from shaneildevaser.com, Merdekarya in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, and Distro Republic, IBorneo Hypermall in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. |
| Michael Jackson's sex abuse case may feature in new trial Posted: 21 Mar 2013 10:44 PM PDT LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Michael Jackson's 2005 trial and acquittal on child sex abuse charges may be revisited in a civil lawsuit next month that pits the pop singer's mother against concert promoters AEG Live, a Los Angeles judge ruled on Thursday. Katherine Jackson is suing AEG Live for the wrongful death of her son, alleging that the concert promoter was negligent in hiring Dr. Conrad Murray to care for the singer ahead of a series of London comeback concerts set for July 2009. Jackson, 50, died in June 2009 in Los Angeles after a rehearsal for the concerts. Murray was found guilty in 2011 of responsibility for Jackson's death by giving him the surgical anesthetic propofol as a sleep aid, and is serving a four-year sentence for involuntary manslaughter. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Yvette Palazuelos ruled that attorneys for AEG Live could raise Jackson's molestation trial as part of their defense in the wrongful death case as it may be relevant to his history of drug abuse and despondency. After years of legal wrangling, the civil trial is due to get underway on 2 April and could last up to three months. Katherine Jackson and the Thriller singer's two oldest children, Prince and Paris, could be called as witnesses, Palazuelos ruled in a pre-trial hearing. Murray may also be called to testify, although Katherine Jackson's lawyer said the physician was planning to assert his Fifth Amendment rights and remain silent. Katherine Jackson sued AEG Live a year after the Thriller singer's death on behalf of his three children, Prince, Paris and Prince II, known as Blanket. She is not suing Murray. The pop star stood trial in central California in 2005 on charges of molesting a 13-year-old boy he had befriended and hosted at his Neverland Ranch. After a more than four-month trial, the singer was acquitted on all counts. |
| Poe wins unexpected award at tourism bloggers conference Posted: 21 Mar 2013 09:21 PM PDT Unplanned submission bags veteran reggae musician Poe unexpected award at tourism bloggers conference. It was an unplanned blog submission, but proved enough to win veteran reggae musician Poe an award at the Malaysian International Tourism Bloggers Conference & Awards 2013. His blog site, www.malaysianreggaecommunity.blogspot.com, was selected winner for the Best Tourism Entertainment Blog category, beating nine other entries. Organised by the Tourism Ministry for the second year running, it aims to honour social media tourism where bloggers promote tourism and leisure in Malaysia. Poe had 'stumbled' upon the competition while obliging the request of a friend asking him to vote for her blog. "When I logged in to vote (for her's), I saw a button prompting one to 'submit your blog.' So after voting for my friend's - entered and nominated in a different category, I submitted mine for the entertainment one," says Poe. The blog, he says, is aimed at bringing music lovers from different genres together. A wealth of information can be found in the blog with writings about the music scene as well as topics that are music-related, from musical instruments and concerts both locally and abroad as well as entertainment outlets to check out. "We have two corresponding writers for the blog. Currently, we update it about once or twice monthly but I'm thinking we need to update it a lot more often," he says with a grin. "With the blog and this award, I hope it will help change people's perception about reggae." "Many perceive reggae in a negative light. My stand is that people should not link drugs and music. I for instance, don't do any (drugs), my main passion and concern is music," he adds. "It is my fervent hope that reggae is given a change to show that it spreads peace, love and harmony." This is Poe's first international award, and he doesn't mind that it didn't translate to prize money. He received just a trophy in reward. "It actually means a lot to me. Hopefully, the blog will gain recognition and better publicity with the help of friends. "If the govt would allow us to organise a reggae festival like a Kuala Lumpur Reggae Sunsplash, it will bode well for the country's tourism as thousands of local and foreign tourists will attend the concert. "Reggae music conveys a feel good vibe, not anger. I can only hope that reggae music scene in Malaysia will become better and bigger. "While it is up to us (musicians) to make that happen, support plays an important role too. Convincing people of its goodness is an effort that I'm ready to undertake." |
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