This time around Ravel gets it right and BMTH (Bring Me The Horizon) are headlining the Nexfest festival in Jakarta which also features Babymetal. In this format there is no seating - which makes for a much more intimate experience - although you do have to arrive really early if you want to pick a spot right up close to the stage. We arrived about six hours before BMTH were scheduled to start their performance and bought plenty of drinks to stay hydrated in the tropical afternoon heat (mind you, some of those were Iceland vodka mix!) This was a gig I had long been looking forward to - especially after the debacle last year. Not everyone likes BMTH of course. For deathcore fans the band sold out. For metal heads the band is not purist enough. And for the wider mainstream audience, the band is too heavy. You can't please everyone of course but there are few bands in the rock world which can match the sheer emotional velocity of BMTH. To bring metal and even aspects of metalcore t...
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The 2023 Joyland Festival in Jakarta
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In my recent post I wrote about the cancelled Bring Me The Horizon (BMTH) gig in Jakarta and how that disgracefully organized event could have had some very unwelcome consequences indeed.
Yet despite this disappointment, at least I still had the 2023 Joyland Festival to look forward to. Held annually in Jakarta (and in Bali as well), Joyland is professionally managed all the way from the ticketing process to the security and stage set-up with decent facilities also provided such as a beer tent (sponsored by Guinness!) and food stalls, etc. A particularly nice touch given that temperatures can soar in the tropics was the provision of free drinking water not far from the main stage.
I had tickets for day two of the 3-day event and was thrilled to see that the promoters had had the vision to line up some really top-notch bands - namely Glass Beams, Mildlife, and Squid - in addition to the main acts Bloc Party and Fleet Foxes.
By the time Glass Beams took to the stage, it was absolutely pissing it down. This didn't dampen people's spirits, however, as we were treated to a quite brilliant performance that was almost transcendental at times. So far, the band have only released one EP with four songs on it, including this one Rattlesnake:
I also really enjoyed the performance by Mildlife, an Aussie rock/jazz/psychedelic band so brilliant and understated that they once did a gig on a small island called South Channel Island with noone watching bar the film crew! Check it out on Youtube.
While madcap Jakarta is admittedly a far cry from an isolated island, the band were equally
impressive at the 2023 Joyland festival - the first time they have performed in the country.
After Mildlife, the festival was really buzzing in anticipation of Squid - one of the UK's most exciting bands to have emerged in recent years. Trailblazing a new pathway in the UK's music scene, they have a unique post punk sound yet hint of long-gone bands such as Talking Heads and the Fall.
It was dark when Squid came onto the stage and the tension was palpable. Then they let loose. This is music that hits you hard and leaves a mark. At times they reached ecstatic, orgasmic highs. Somehow, the lead singer Ollie Judge is able to play drums and sing at the same time. How he manages that I’ll never know!
As for Bloc Party, they seem to have lost some of their former powers, but
it was still great to hear classic songs from their 2005 debut album
Silent Alarm, including this one, Helicopter:
By the time Fleet Foxes took to the stage I was too knackered to stand anymore and headed home.
It had been a great day’s music and I’ll be back for more next year….
UPDATE 12/10/2018: due to the large number of hits this page has been receiving of late, readers should note that two of the spas on the list are, alas, no longer with us. They are: 1) Hotel Alexis , which was closed down for political reasons by the new Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and 2) Illigals , which was "closed" and promptly reopened with a new name due to its reputation as a drugs den. In place of Hotel Alexis, therefore, I would instead put Classic Hotel on the list - a real humdinger of a joint in this madcap city! A list of the top ten plus plus spas in Jakarta? Okay, without further ado (or should that be aduh!!!) here it is: 10. Malioboro Spa . Over cynical and commercial yet fun if you stick with it – a bit like watching Chelsea on one of their better days. Hey that’s a point – even Torres could score here! Hahaha! Wallet damage: Rp1million ++ 9. Emporium Spa . Overpriced but the facilities are pretty good. Go for the “one hour special package” if yo...
1. Unlike Western women who can’t drive to save their lives, Indonesian women are the best drivers in the world. I know this because my woman overtakes other cars at 130kms/hr on the inside safety lane of the Jakarta-Bandung toll road while, at the same time, keying in SMS text messages. 2. Indonesian woman love shopping. Indonesian woman love shopping. Indonesian woman love shopping. 3. According to the Indonesia Bureau of Statistics, 43 percent of 18- to 34-year-old Indonesian women live with their parents. So be very very careful if she invites you back to her place or you might get much more than you bargained for. 4. Indonesian women think dark skin is bad, but they still adore Anggun . 5. Thirty-two percent of women in Jakarta now color their hair, according to Estee Lauder (who are obviously hoping they can peer-pressure the other 68 percent). 6. Jakarta women can't live without tension. Every once in a while she's gonna pick a nasty fight with you for no reason whatsoev...
Yet another Indonesia WTF moment. And this time on the net. What are these girls employed as? - “Guest relations” officers - Tour guides - Personal financial advisors - Therapists - Security consultants Well, I’d have put my house on “guest relations” officers myself, but I’d be wrong. Cos these girls are, in fact, therapists . So if you fancy a difficult afternoon with one of these girls - who will undoubtedly do her utmost to delve deeply into the furthermost recesses of your mind - then you might like to pay a visit to one of the spas owned by the Comfort Group . But why the hell they have 65 therapists on their payroll is way beyond me! Services offered include both traditional and Shiatsu Massage, refleksi (foot massage), a hot and cold water pool, sauna and steam room and a mini bar and lounge. So why not finish your tiring day with a happy ending?!!! Also see: The 10 best plus plus spas in Jakarta Contact details for the spas managed by the Comfort Group, undoubtedly ...
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