2012: Hits and misses (4)

Hit: The amazing Thomas Leeb was here for a captivating performance. He signed my CD as well.Mua ha ha ha ha ha!!

Miss: Dark Funeral went round the world including Malaysia & Indonesia, bypassing Singapore in the process. Maybe the map of the world suggested this island was part of Peninsula Malaysia because its northern perimeter looks like a perfect fit to Malaysia's southern-most fringes (go ahead, cut the shapes out & do a jigsaw matching). Either that or the island presented itself to look like one of Indonesia's fragmented islands. But that shouldn't be the case because the band was here before, aeons ago when I was serving the nation & had to miss the date because of sentry duty back in camp. How could I forget such things, yes? Bummer.

In LEEBs & bounds

If you think you are up there in terms of guitar accomplishment, along comes someone like Thomas Leeb to make you realize you are actually down there. This performance was a must-watch for me (despite being an electric guitar fan primarily); Mr. Leeb's capacity is simply stunning after witnessing his Desert Pirates performance on YouTube. I am primarily captivated by any individuals who put 100% focus in their engagements & give off that extra bit to define their technicalities (so that they won't tread the earth a copycat); this is why I am all ears to players like Mark King (bass) & Dave Weckl (drums).On this note, I find it rather disturbing that someone from the audience actually told him to play 'normally' (of course, it was done in jest, but still...); if he ditched that percussive incorporation altogether, then it's not Thomas Leeb anymore. Imagine asking a crab to walk 'normally', moving sideways isn't an option. Tsk, tsk...

Coming back to the performance proper, it was an entertaining evening to say the least, with Mr. Leeb dishing out his original numbers, not forgetting his rendition of some popular tracks which included Van Halen's Jump. He was also there to address some technical queries about his playing & instrument. A true professional will not hold back on all things educational & Mr. Leeb had nothing to hide; his sharing was rich & inspiring. I personally thought he was gonna showcase his Lowden but hey, it's a Cort clinic & that Parkwood he used was more than competent in manifesting his music.

So Mr. Leeb, sir, if you are reading this, thank you for a beautiful evening of music & making us forget that we need to haul our asses off to work the following day. The rain didn't help either but all was forgotten for an evening of stunning guitar showcase. My Mrs is by no means a guitar fan but she enjoyed the music (it's something we hubbies could tell).

Someone wants to know where he could listen to Fishbowl because it's a new, unreleased track by Thomas Leeb, please enjoy this:

Thank you: Cort & Swee Lee for making it happen.

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PS: I'm that chap who wished you a safe journey & to be home for X-mas. I think your little girl needs you more than a new pair of shoes... OK, maybe she needs both :-)

The Leeb guitar

This is happening later today @ Swee Lee BB showroom- no entry charges. You would want to be there after watching this clip: