Hello, there!
Last weekend, Genting Highlands was host to a gathering of more than 20,000 live music enthusiasts that flooded the grounds of Good Vibes Festival 2019 - and I was one of them.
I'm back, baby
It has been an absolute minute since I last attended a concert (Urbanscapes 2018 in November being my last one) and it has been even longer since I last decided to do a write-up. Much of the last few months of my life has seen me spending most of my time rediscovering my passions, including my absolute love for live music. So when some of my favorite acts were put on the list of performers for GVF 2019, I knew that it was high time I kicked my ass back into gear.
Good Vibes Festival 2019 featured a grand line-up of international and local artists
GVF 2019 would be my first GVF, a festival that has been going on since 2014. This year, GVF included a generous mix of hard-hitting electronic music with lullaby-levels of ballads. The organizers made sure to include a wide spectrum of sounds to make sure that everybody in attendance could find a tune that resonated with their own viable vibrations. On top of that, planning which show to go to was an adventure in itself given that the acts were dispersed into three separate stages: Red & Blue stage (side-by-side) and Electric Fields on the other side of the venue.
The light turquoise represents all the people that filled the map like water
DAY ONE
My God, what a day
I didn't know what I was getting myself into on that first day. I knew that I would most definitely want to see Joji, Cigarettes After Sex, Yaeji, Rae Sremmurd, and lastly San Holo, but I didn't know that every bit in between was as entertaining and as draining as it was.
My day began when Nabihah (my concert partner for the weekend) and I arrived at the venue during Dizkopolis's set. We took the time to reload our wristband and got a couple of waters (RM15 for two Dasanis) before setting up camp between the Red and Blue stage. Not long after we reached the stages, Kidd Santhe began his set.
Kidd Santhe and friends
Photo by All Is Amazing via Good Vibes Festival on Facebook
Kidd Santhe was explosive. A foreign act to me, Kidd Santhe is a local rapper whose songs take their names from common Malaysian household phrases and products. Accompanied by DJ Biggie, Kidd Santhe pulled out all the stops in his very short set, bringing on fellow rappers and entertainers such as luqmanpodolski, Adib Alexx, and more. I thoroughly enjoyed his set and it was a great way to warm up the growing crowd. Although it was evident that his songs weren't the most familiar, the crowd still displayed great concert etiquette by being present and reacting to the rapper's performance. There was even a "Freddie Mercury" moment that was duly obliged by the audience.
Next, without a breath to spare, was Kugiran Masdo. Faithful to their namesake, a well-known film character played by the legendary P. Ramlee, Kugiran Masdo performed songs akin to those heard during the younger years of my late grandfathers, who I'm sure would have been more accepting than the crowd present on that day. Though there was certainly a section of dedicated fans who sung and danced along to the old-timey tunes, it was apparent that others were conserving their energy for what came next. I have heard many negatives about Kugiran Masdo by the way they have influenced the fashion sense of many young Malaysians but that day, they really showed how much they wanted to be on that stage and I could appreciate that.
"Yeaaarp!"
Photo by All Is Amazing via Good Vibes Festival on Facebook
Joji followed up swiftly after, opening with Yeah Right, a song about the five stages of grief after rejection. Joji's set was a playful one, with his carefree personality radiating through his short skits in between songs. Joji's random commentary and constant reminders to stay hydrated created quite the juxtaposition against his melancholic melodies, which suited perfectly with the major demographic. Described succinctly as "Gen Z music" by Nabihah, Joji served a platter of mixed emotions during his set, representing either deep personal turmoil or simply a salad of feels. He ended his set with the crowd-pleaser Slow Dancing In The Dark, performed once as a slow version and reprised with the album version.
It honestly felt like I was experiencing their set in monochrome
Photo by All Is Amazing via Good Vibes Festival on Facebook
Oh, but the slow dancing wasn't about to stop there. Cigarettes After Sex took the stage next in the most unostentatious manner. I didn't realize I was standing still throughout the whole set until my friend pointed it out. I usually feed off of the energy from the performer on stage but this time around it was as if my energy was feeding them; as if Colin Robinson was on stage giving a talk about pencil sharpening. Don't get me wrong, Nabihah and the guy right next to her were absolutely loving it. I've heard nothing but good things about Cigarettes After Sex, so I guess I'll just put it down to me not having sex.
We used the next hour to grab some grub from the hub of food before Yaeji's set. Things became hot and heavy really fast when the outgoing crowd collided with the incoming crowd, creating two oceans whose waves kept crashing into each other on end. There was at least a minute of utter standstill until a train of humans started to split the seas a la Moses. It was a fascinating moment for me because on one hand, there was this massive group of people emigrating from the other side of the venue to see the next act who I've never heard of just as another massive group of people were emigrating from the very same stage who didn't want to see them. It was one of many moments that made me realize how widespread the reach of GVF 2019 was.
The price of the food there was as inflated as expected but the quality was surprisingly satisfactory. The organizers did a good job commissioning well-known outlets such as myBurgerlab, A Pie Thing, and Thyme Out. Fitting well with the general appetite of the youth of the nation, the outlets served both fresh and pre-cooked food. I, regretfully, only had a small peanut butter mini-pie to last me through the night. That decision would later be a painful reminder to me that I am no longer my 20 year-old self.
Once we got our unsustainable sustenance, we headed over to Electric Fields for Yaeji's set. Electric Fields was a whole different beast altogether. It was where the hardest of headbangers roamed free in their natural habitat. The sets up there catered to an audience of freer mind, with bass drops heavier than osmium. It was a rave I've craved for so long.
Sparks flew during Yaeji's set
Photo by All Is Amazing via Good Vibes Festival on Facebook
I had a blast at Yaeji's set and a lot of it had to do with the vibe surrounding it. The whole crowd put their back into it, and I mean literally put their back into it. There was an abundance of jumping, bumping and sometimes humping throughout Yaeji's performance and I was almost always the one to instigate it. I was in my element while others were in the zone and that made for one hell of an atmosphere. The chants of Yaeji's name reminded me of army fanchants for K-pop idols. She was enchantingly exuberant with her soft voice riding on her mellow beats. Yaeji herself sometimes found herself flustered by the sheer magnitude of energy pulsing her way, emanating from the crowd. She was a graceful feather floating through a chaotic meat fest. The climax of her set was inevitably raingurl, where I found myself creating a vortex howling obscenities, inviting others to join in my mania. Although warranted, it was an undoubtedly unwise move seeing as there was still more to come.
Did you know Swae Lee is a member of Rae Sremmurd? I only found out when I was at GVF. It was a pleasant surprise because I've always liked his features on songs with Post Malone and other artists so I was excited to see how he would do in his own duo - and, boy, did they not disappoint. Banger after banger, Rae Sremmurd provided an instance of the quintessence of festival acts. The set could have lasted two hours and the crowd would have still been singing, rapping and dancing along. There wasn't a moment where it felt like energy levels dropped. Rae Sremmurd would have been the perfect ending to GVF Day One. In fact, GVF could have ended right there and then and I'm sure a lot of us wouldn't be mad. But, of course, the night didn't end there, nor did GVF.
San Holo made me see lights
Photo by All Is Amazing via Good Vibes Festival on Facebook
My time to shine. San Holo has been the soundtrack to my YouTube videos ever since my brother Fariq, who unfortunately couldn't be with us, introduced him to me. San Holo has this knack for using unique sounds in his songs that make him distinct from other music producers. Some of his beats were almost lyric-like and could actually be sung by the crowd that stuck around for his set at midnight. Song after song, San Holo really showed the prowess of a DJ on the decks, utilizing his turntables to the fullest, involving the audience as much as he could. There is a special place in my heart for electronic and techno music and I was blown away by how much better it is live. As someone who doesn't frequent clubs, it is very rare that I could see DJs play so this was an opportunity I did not want to give up. San Holo played all of my favorites like We Rise, I Still See Your Face, and Light, and also included Skrillex's Cinema, which was the exact point where I completely destroyed my legs. San Holo gave an immersive experience and somehow achieved the impossible by bringing the energy levels up exceeding Rae Sremmurd's insurmountable performance.
GVF Day One had me gleaming. Not a lot has been going my way in recent months but to be able to inject all that adrenaline and release so much dopamine in the eight hours I was at the festival was a great escape from it all. All woos, no woes. That was, until we got to the queue for the cable cars back to our hotel.
I was already ready to pass out during San Holo's set, then somebody in the crowd just had to prompt me to jump with him when the bass dropped in one of the final songs, and now I had to lineup to go back to my bed? We had to queue for exactly two hours before finally getting on the cable cars at 3AM. And then, once we reached the station at the top, we couldn't find our way out of the maze that was the half-Vegas-half-San Venganza shopping complex. It was 4AM when we finally got to our room to rest before next day's breakfast. Thus, my regret for only literally grabbing a bite for dinner.
DAY TWO
What?
I hate to admit it but I really don't remember much of what happened on Day Two. My legs cramped up at 5AM and I started screaming in my sleep. Then I woke up a mere two hours later because my arm was feeling sore and I was already thinking about getting ready for breakfast. I have not felt a bone-deep exhaustion since MTV World Stage 2015 and I did not miss the feeling one bit.
Despite the previous night's seemingly endless adventures, the day started off quite pleasantly, bar the screaming in the sleep. Breakfast was adequate and the coffee at Starbucks even more so. We had a lot of down time after checking out at noon so Nabihah and I took the time to rest and recharge before the second and final day of GVF. We weren't expecting the same havoc as the previous day since the acts on Day Two were a huge step down in terms of energy levels. Mostly bands and ballads, I presumed there wouldn't be much need for a full-on furore. Even if there was, I would not participate.
The photography, although creatively done, is dangerously approaching meme status
Photo by All Is Amazing via Good Vibes Festival on Facebook
We arrived at the venue during The Impatient Sisters' set and immediately sat at the edge of the platformed grounds. We could only manage to do so until Midnight Fusic came on. I was particularly keen on seeing them because I missed their set at Urbanscapes last year. They had improved their standings from performing at 4.15PM to 5.30PM so that showed great potential on their part. They had a good sound to them, not attractive upon first listening but I'm sure they would grow on me after a few rotations. One song that was unknowingly familiar to me was Heart of May and I still cannot figure out why.
Loved this set
Photo by All Is Amazing via Good Vibes Festival on Facebook
Ryotjones was next to perform and straight out the gates, they almost got me putting on my dancing shoes again. But I didn't. I merely swung and swayed in place while my feet were firmly rooted to the ground. I was not risking passing out in the crowd. I wasn't even on drugs. I wasn't.
Oh, so blue background for Blue stage and red background for Red stage
Photo by All Is Amazing via Good Vibes Festival on Facebook
My boy Sonaone's rapping style has changed drastically since the last time I saw him. A lot of rap nowadays rely on the fast-bars-now-bass-drop new-age "trap" progression and I feel that the more I listen to it, the less impressive it is. I still wholly enjoyed the set yet I feel like a general trend has emerged, where as long as you rap fast enough, it doesn't matter what you rap. I love rap for how intricate it can be and for how many layers you can pack into a verse. The lyrics come first while the speed you rehearse but now it's reversed and it feels so perverse.We took the time before Dean's set to have dinner. This time, I purchased myself a chicken curry puff in addition to a peanut butter mini-pie.
"I've never performed in the middle of a mountain before," - Dean, 2019
Photo by All Is Amazing via Good Vibes Festival on Facebook
Dean's set was highly anticipated by the second day goers. The crowd was gracious during Sabrina Claudio's performance but it was quite obvious that they were anxious to see Dean perform, even more so when Rad Museum came on beforehand since the set was in fact for "Rad Museum & Dean". Rad Museum did his ultimate best to satiate the crowd's increasing thirst and the crowd, as usual, obliged with their best cheers and claps. However, the very second Dean appeared on stage, the place erupted into a frenzy. I have only ever sampled a few songs of his but once again, the GVF crowd proved to me that for every artist out there, there is a dedicated set of fans just waiting to tear up their vocal cords for them. It was an extra special experience for me because I was situated right next to a group of foreign fans, presumably American, that were possibly the biggest fans of Dean. This group of guys were just hanging out and jamming along to all the songs, and exclaimed a loud "DUDE THIS SONG OH YEAH" every damn time a new song started and I was just happy to be in the presence of such genuine fan appreciation.
Up next was Russ, another performer I had never come across before. And that was pretty much the overall theme for Day Two, me feeling like a fish out of water. At least I had another hour to have a seat and relax with the rest of the zombies scattered around the festival grounds. Day Two saw substantially more people utilize their mats and raincoats to sit around while waiting.
Talk about being full of yourself
Photo by All Is Amazing via Good Vibes Festival on Facebook
Daniel Caesar caused an overwhelming influx of people. Through the magic of super slow R&B, people were attracted and captivated to the point where I was almost trampled. As much as I believe there is a case for being seated in the appropriate spot, there is also a thing called courtesy and I am afraid that people were just too engrossed by Daniel Caesar's constant non-singing that they just had to shove my friend and I to a point where we just had to evacuate our spot. Good thing I am used to the claustrophobic nature of concerts but continually being kneed in the back is not ideal. Thankfully, we found a great area beyond the battlegrounds that gave us a good view of the stage without the risk of being one with the mud. Daniel Caesar was far from my favorite flavor but it was nice to see couples and friends enjoy each other's company whilst being serenaded by other people and their partners and friends and not the actual singer on stage.
Yuna was last to perform but we didn't stick around as to avoid the hoard taking the shuttle bus. Since we checked out of the hotel earlier, we decided to park closer to the venue at Genting Highlands Premium Outlets. It was a wise decision and made the journey back home that much easier.
I didn't have as much fun on Day Two as I did on Day One, but that was also a good thing because I physically couldn't have as much fun as I did. My first experience at Good Vibes Festival was ... good. I'm sure there's many things to complain about GVF such as the apocalyptic condition of the toilets or the lack of pathways in and out of the venue, etc. But, to me, I take these things in stride and rarely ever let them get to me. My main objective is to witness greatness unfold before my eyes and that objective has definitely been achieved.
Good Vibes Festival 2019 was definitely worth my money and time put into it and I can't wait to see what they have in store for us next year. Shoutout to concert partner Nabihah for being there at my lowest. I won't embarrass you next time. I hope.
And shoutout to you, dear reader, for dropping by to check out my comeback into concert coverage. I hope to do more of these soon. Till then, take care.
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