Lessons from Southeast Asia – Rock The World releases highlights video

The following video is a highlights reel of an annual Malaysian rock festival called Rock The World. This festival is enormous and always attracts thousands of people to turn up, passionate as fuck ready to rock out…but who are they rocking out to you ask? What foreign bands must be headlining to bring this HUGE audience out to support? None. All these people are turning out to support their LOCAL Malaysian bands. I don’t know what to say…I play in a band in a city called Hong Kong where when a local band is on stage playing as “support” to a foreign band, most of the audience steps outside for a cigarette and a drink OR if they are in the room watching, they stand as far back as possible with their arms folded. But when the foreign bands gets on stage suddenly fists are in the air, kids are moshing, singing along, stagediving. Does that piss me off? Fuck yeah it does.

But things are very different in Malaysia and Indonesia. ANY time my band has traveled down to play in those countries (we’ve been going to Kuala Lumpur since 2004) the love, the passion, the hope, the support, the gratitude that Malaysians give to their OWN bands is beyond inspirational. I stand there astounded watching all these people truly LOVING their own bands and giving their OWN bands as much, if not more, love then they give the visiting foreign band. Singing, screaming every single word that the Malaysian bands are screaming into their mics…

It’s a beautiful thing Malaysia…please be proud of what you guys have down there even though your government keeps fucking things up for you guys.

To the rest of us…I hope one day we can learn such a simple lesson…if you don’t support your OWN city first and foremost, who the fuck is going to want to come back again and again to play in your town or city or country?

These are all important hashtags to keep in mind:

#SupportYourLocalBand
#SupportYourLocalMovement
#SupportYourLocalEvent

The Rock The World highlights video also uses music from a Malaysian oi punk band called ACAB as the background music…