Great setting for the indie scene

NEW The underground music event The Magnificent 8 serves as a platform for local indie bands, musicians and singers, giving them the opportunity to promote themselves and grow more independently.

The Mag 8 concerts, which have been held since last year, are divided into different series, in which eight performers from all over the country showcase their talent and perform on certain dates.

I was given the opportunity to attend The Mag 8 Volume 19 concerts on February 26, which are different from previous series in that they also feature hip hop rather than their usual punk, rock and metal.

The concerts held at Migos Garage, Seri Kembangan went very well (even with a slight delay) and each performer gave their best performance.

In addition to the up-and-coming band Smesta, the series also featured rising stars ROHA, Gessavic, Vota, Mellowflowers, 3i1e, Northeast Childs and Jinxte.

Given that the event reached 19 volumes in less than a year, I spoke with The Mag 8 organizer Megat Yaesri, as well as Vol 19 co-organizer Zurin.

“Idea [The Mag 8] came from Garage Space (formerly Garage Studio) located in Ampang Hilire, where he was specially [a place for] local indie bands to perform and gain experience and promote their band to [they went] to the next level,” Megat said.

“At first it was just a collaborative concept and before I got into it the genre of choice was metal. At that time, only a few performances were staged.

“When I was assigned to host this event, I was asked to find some fresh, up-and-coming bands to play in concert, and this time it could be [a genre] except for metal.

Megat added, “So I searched for them on various social networks including Twitter, Instagram and others. Luckily, it generated a lot of positive feedback, and since then, many bands have contacted me to ask me to play a gig.”

Meanwhile, co-organizer Zurin’s point of view was slightly different, given that it was her first time practicing and helping out at the Vol 18 event, as well as being tasked with hosting the entire evening.

Zurin explained: “During my first concert, people went crazy, panicked and angry, but still they were within the normal range because there was no alcohol or drugs. And I’ve noticed that most people have a negative image of these local independent musicians.”

“So I suddenly felt obligated to help these people by organizing more concerts in the future. I teamed up with my friend @tutythecengkih and she helped me a lot in the process.

“And of course I’m happy too when I see other people happy.”

These days, the growing underground scene is attracting the attention of more and more young people, given their ability to convey thoughts and feelings through music.

The recent Vol 19 concert series has received a positive response from the public, which is very encouraging for The Mag 8 as they continue their improvement efforts.

Even though the venue had to be changed at the last minute due to an issue during the previous series (Vol 18), Migos Garage turned out to be a great replacement as it was able to provide lighting and décor that were in line with fashion trends. hop and punk atmosphere of the evening, which made it more interesting.

During the event, Zurin spoke about the true meaning and purpose of these shows, as well as the potential benefits such activities can bring.

“These kinds of concerts are important because I think that some Malaysian works of art are underestimated,” Zurin said.

“The current music industry lacks artistic sensibility, poetic lyrics and grunge sound, so I believe you will only feel it on shows like this. And it would be unfair to ignore these independent underground artists, because each one has great potential and unique style.”

“However, only with such concerts will they have the opportunity to literally conquer the stage, gain experience of performing in front of a modest audience and learn what it means to be an artist.

“Therefore, such local concerts should be continued and promoted. I’m really happy to see how the hard work and effort has paid off.”

Since the series of shows has been praised by the indie community, Megat revealed that his dream was to organize a large-scale music festival with a place for vendors and food trucks so attendees can enjoy music as well as support local businesses. .

He said, “Isn’t it incredible that these local indie bands have the opportunity to perform in front of hundreds or thousands of people? This can accelerate their growth and also give other local businesses a chance.

“I already have a group of friends and a team that is ready to commit. I have full support including the venue but there are still some issues here. Maybe I need more time and I hope one day it will happen.”

Mag 8 is expected to continue their journey and Megat promises to end the series this year with the release of Vol 39.

Meanwhile, volumes 20 and 21 are already planned, and fans of underground music can follow the Instagram hashtag #themagnificent8 for more information.