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Saturday, June 20

Video Games Live - The follow-up


Sure, people have already written stuff about it, and this post is about 24 hours late. Ah, whatever.

Very little photographic footage with this one cos I knew cameras wouldn't be allowed into the event. Or so I thought. I sat through staring at the people sitting around me, mostly at the DLSRs and tripods and whatnot that they've brought into the show. It was only much later on when I learnt that the guys at VGL really don't mind your taking videos or pictures of their performances at all. Bummer. At least my buddy brought a JVC camera (which sucks as taking photographs, as you can see throughout this post) to record the event. Videos to be up soon.

I entered the Indoor Stadium feeling slightly disappointed that VGL wasn't about a fixed troupe of orchestra players on world tour, but two really talented men who bring the sheet music with them and let local orchestras and choirs play and sing. Still, NUS Symphony Orchestra and Choir did not (completely) disappoint, and I went home feeling a bit better.



Was also bummed that this event had to take place in the midst of another (personal) financial crisis: I was bone broke then (and still am presently), meaning I had no money to buy any merch, something my friend was hell bent on procuring. All I could do was accompany him at the merchandise booth as he bought his VGL t-shirt, and make passing comments (in my best American accent, in a shameless attempt to throw off the people crowding around us) about the exhorbitant prices, the pretty designs, and the very attractive salesgirl attending the booth.


Subject in question

Was a little bit empty because I was not eactly a hardcore/veteran gamer who knew his MGS, FF and oldskool games like Tron and Castlevania. They played many songs from many prominent titles which I was unacquianted with (meaning I know the games by name, but I don't play them, and so I don't know their music): Metroid (VGL's no. 2 requested game OST), Chrono Cross/Trigger (VGL's no. 1 requeted game OST), Sonic, Kingdom Hearts, and those mentioned above. I did enjoy myself a bit during the Halo and Super Mario (jeezus, who doesn't know Super Mario) segments, nonetheless. Call me a casual gamer.

I hoped, in vain of course, that they might've played the actual Halo theme MJOLNIR Mix, when all they could muster was a simple rhythm guitar performance with hardly any shredding (with is quite surprising cos Tommy Tallarico was shredding his heart out with his sleek black neckless Flying V during the Castlevania sequence). Additionally, as I expected but hoped not, there was not a bit of Touhou music or Red Alert's Hell March to be heard. ZZZ.

I symphatized for the Tasmania, Australia guy who went up on stage to try his hand (and legs) at body-movement-detection Space Invaders. I honestly thought it was the hardest game on earth. The uncertainty of where your character's gonna place himself when you step a given number to your right would be quite unnerving for me, especially when those alien guys are pelting bullets at you and you have to complete the game in 2 minutes in order to win a prize most people wouldn't even bother trying to win (you don't have a lot of retro game fans out there any more as far as I can see. Few people would want an arcade machine stocked with over 1000 retro games in their houses).


Roses are #FF0000, Violets are #0000FF, ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US!

I was absolutely embarrassed at Leetstreet Boy's VGL opening theme song, "Yuri the Only One". It was corny beyond anything I've ever seen as classified as corny. corn-in-a-cup, corn-on-a-cob, popcorn, cream corn, nothing can match up to this. It annoyed me to no end; I was practically staring at my shoes and trying not to show my disgust. :P

By the way, a shoutout to DeidaraGS for his Pyro cosplay I failed to see that night. I did notice your 'Medic!' sign though. ;)

To summarize, I enjoyed myself a lot. In the end, I felt it was really piano-man Martin Leung who got the most limelight, with his Godly blindfolded machinegun playing. Seeing someone of his caliber perform on stage, and at that outperform the orchestra with his one-man shows, is quite a humbling experience. I saw with my own eyes, and breathed within the same airspace, a living piano prodigy, a modern-day Mozart. His piano is more than just an extension of his character, the keys are extensions of his hands, and subsequently the hammers that hit the piano strings. I've never been so captivated my entire (piano performance-watching) life.

if you'll excuse me, I'll be playing some Halo Theme MJOLNIR Mix on my Fender 'Bender', while watching Suzumiya Haruhi episode 16 and K-On! episode 12. Not concurrently of course. Studying is of course out of the question.

BTW, If anybody's seeing the Transformers 2 gala premiere at the Cathay on the 22nd, be sure to say hi to the Bumblebee who'll be appearing there! ^_^ You know who he is.


I don't do the \m/ sign a lot. You can tell.

3 opinions:

Anonymous said...

Hi, SGCafe User here. I agree with your post, and I hate those fanboys who got an elitist attitude thinking that people who don't recognise the songs from games of what most fanboys play like halo, MGS or Tron and etc shouldn't go to VGL. Other people have a life!

I enjoyed the concert too even though I didn't recognise some songs, just don't like the attitude of some of the fanboys.

Lord Angelus said...

I did not go to the show becuase I was away in tawin. If not I really want to go and see the show and listen and boo at the Ally's song :x hehe

But I try my luck and send a letter to ask then to sign my card.

http://joeygalleryautographs.wordpress.com/2009/06/29/norihiko-hibino/

http://joeygalleryautographs.wordpress.com/2009/06/28/tommy-tallarico-and-jack-wall/

http://joeygalleryautographs.wordpress.com/2009/06/30/tommy-tallarico/

Watch Anime Online said...

lmao...i love this blog...you guys are so funny