The Anugerah Band Videos (a little overdue but what the heck)

There were people who made fun of the way we were, the way we looked, the songs we did and the name we went with. Some thought it was hilarious that we would even try our luck on national TV. Well, we didn't have much of a choice in reality. Over here in SG, it was either you have the relevant contacts, the money to do it, the looks or even the right songs to cater to the people's taste. Many bands/singers/songwriters before us had to go the longest road possible, some even went across the border to try their hand. Some made it, some didn't. Some waved the Singapura flag proudly overseas, some just; crashed and got burnt. For those who've worked as hard as they had, we salute you. We've got a long way to go and who knows how long this thing could last, but we sure as hell are gonna cherish every single moment of this.

Trying out for Anugerah wasn't a calculated risk. We just went for it. We only had 4 years of experience prior to the occassion and this would be our first time ever stepping into the Malay market/music scene. The transition in music was alright for us, but there were many other details such as lyrics, the way we sang, the way we behaved on stage, the way we talked to the press/media and such. A lotta factors had to be taken into consideration. I guess we scraped through. As always.

Fatskunks - Anugerah Band Audition Round 2.
Puncak Destinasi

The lyrics were totally different from what was written. I had to make up the lyrics up on the spot. Sorry Ayie.
The song was a Malay adaptation of an original of ours called Esta Noche El Amore. This was however our 2nd audition. No one recorded the 1st round. But well, we got through this one. Next stop, Suria channel. :)

Fatskunks - Anugerah Band Round 1
Buka Api/Kau



Our very first appearance on national TV. I think it showed what a bundle of nerves we were. You can even hear it on the first note that I sang. Haha. The song was a mash-up of Glenn Fredly's Kau and local SG band's Kaleidoscopicuriousity's Buka Api. A big risk which many of our closest friends and families thought we shouldn't have taken. Thank God we weren't voted out.

Fatskunks - Anugerah Band Round 2
Punchcard - Sudirman



The song which became THE turning point for us. Late nights in the jamming studio till 3 am, cracking our brains for a song to do. This was when the producers wanted the bands to cover a song from the 80s-90s. Initially, the choice was Illusi's Joget Inang Dan Dara. It just happened that one night, after the jam, frustrated at how the song turned out, someone suggested Sudirman's Punchcard. The quintessential people's song. I have to give credit to Andry and Yanto for giving us that suggestion. Also another credit for the skunks in persevering a song change 4 days into showtime. We gave it that Latin/Reggae vibe that we've been doing for years. For that effort, we got through to the semi-finals. :)

Fatskunks - Anugerah Band Semi-Finals
Manusia



The vibes were tremendous. All our friends and family rallied to the studio to lend their support and well, whistle and flag their way through. This song choice was something the judges chose for us. Needless to say, we didn't know what to expect. A Malay classic originally written by the man P Ramlee himself, and remade by Sheila Majid. Epic icons of the Malay music industry. A lil' numbed by the shocking song choice, again we cracked our brains for the perfect solution. The result, the classic stage goofiness, a little help of a classic sampler trick on Yazid's sturdy Zoom707 and a bit of swing for a change. :)

We got the nod for the finals without the need for a wildcard round.
4 bands were chosen to represent the competition in the theme song.
Rancour, Cucu Datok Merah, Trabo and Fatskunks.
This next video was shot together with Rancour, X-Tech and Putra.
Shot over a day at Star Technologies warehouse. With 2 shiny trailer heads as our backdrop. Tiring but well, all for the fun of it I guess.



The song was recorded at Ann Hussein's home studio. A very, very good vocal coach to guide us all into the song. My voice was on the first verse. Followed by Fyno of Cucu Datok Merah, Ayom of Trabo and Had of Rancour. Took almost the whole day, but well worth the experience. :)

Fatskunks - Anugerah Band Grand Finale
Sakura, La Mofetas and I Miss You But I Hate You






Sakura was the judge's choice for us, La Mofetas was the required original and I Miss You But I Hate You was the required cover choice. We did a disco beat for Sakura whilst La Mofetas retained its original Latin Jam flavour. Slank's I Miss You But I Hate You is the longest song title we've ever had. Haha. Another "rastafied" song. :)

The whole journey was arduous, filled with many unpaid leaves, MCs and unceremonious time offs for video shoots and rehearsals. I gotta say it was fun while it lasted, I was glad it was over, the exposure we received was overwhelming and most of all, the friendships that developed between the bands along the whole course was something we wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

one love.
:)