The Venopian Solitude x Vans

So last week, out of the blue, Faris of TapauTV got in touch with me about London. The Venopian Solitude was on a Euro Tour and were scheduled to perform at The House of Vans at Waterloo, so they wanted to get in touch and on ground with the local Malaysians to spread word about the show.

As the discussion developed, Vans Malaysia (who sponsored the band's tour) decided to invite TapauTV and myself to London to cover the event. We had a three-day notice for this very quick and fun trip, and were brainstorming all sorts of crazy ideas on what to do there.

Making the most of the party, Faris suggested to have a Raya gathering and group photo session after the show. Hours before my flight, I rushed to the Canon Malaysia HQ and managed to borrow the incredible 6D Mark II model with 2 wide lenses and a Fisheye EF 15mm. The brand's support for its' students' endeavours has been generous to say the least!

When we arrived in London that morning, the weather welcomed us with its intense and cheerful summer sun (in Britain, gotta do as the Brits do and take note of the weather amirite). Right after lunch and checking in, we headed to House of Vans to check out the venue, recce some possible group photo locations, and to enjoy a screening of Beale and the Grey Gardens fame (it was an interesting documentary, but a lil too vague for me, who just stepped out of an intercontinental flight).

Walking around the arches under Waterloo, we found the eye popping, vibrant tunnels of Leake Street. The history of this underground pathway is emboldening. Abandoned by black cabs, relegated to a dodgy area, and invigorated by the inspired Banksy at the Cans Festival of 2008 where it was transformed into a graffiti hub, with art galleries, theatres and cafes along the arches. I can't wait to explore more of this place next time, when I'm not running around for work!

Thank you Sahrul for helping with the poster!

Me, my camera, and my Vans Ultra Gore.

Sayang Munir and Allan <3

BTW the first two is from the UltraRange series. They've got cushioned soles too. Tears.

My Canon gear! Except for the tripod - I actually bought it in London because in my haste I'd left mine in KL =_= Nampak tak noobnya disitu.

The Vaults of Leake Street...

The next day was SHOW DAY! We arrived earlier and got to meet the band - a bunch of very talented people with such diverse musical backgrounds. They'd been on the road for a while with this tour and were just resting backstage. The Venopian Solitude was founded by Takahara Suiko in 2008, and has expanded to involve around 10 members. Joining the tour was only 7 of them, as it was a month-long expedition all over the continent during the festive season. Their music genre is described as JDM - Joget Dance Music.

I enjoy one of the few songs that I know from them - 'Tenangkan Bontot Anda' (which translates to Calm Yo Ass), but I didn't expect to be so swept up by the jamboree of music and energy of performance that night! We had a good crowd going, a mix of locals and Malaysians, a bunch of my friends came - some even wore traditional outfits heheh (love you guys). Towards the end of their set, people were dancing on the floor and calling out for more, so the band had to stay for encore!

After the gig they were surrounded by fans wanting to take photos, buy CDs, and generally greet them. It was so moving to see this group of creative artists from our tanah air be celebrated with such gusto so far away from home. TVS performed most of their songs in the Malay language, wore traditional outfits, and incorporated regional instruments (including the kompang! Man that was awesome!) in their sets. And that night, they had strangers who didn't even understand what they were singing about clapping their backs, shaking their hands, and applauding them for the show. Pendek kata, it was a really good night!

As planned, I quickly took up the mic and, with Faris's help, herded the interested crowd to join for the photo session (some had already left by this time). Initially I thought of bringing everyone along an 8-minute walk to the river bank for a photo op at the London Eye. But there was something so attractive about Leake Street that we just stopped there and tried to coordinate everyone as best as we can. I interchanged between my zoom and fisheye and decided on the latter instead. The product of that ~alternative~ Eid shot has been shared across multiple instagrams, and it's published at the end of this post :D

Thank you so much to Vans Malaysia, Canon Malaysia, and especially TapauTV for the fun trip! Glad to have been part of this. All the best to The Venopian Solitude for the next shows in Sweden and Germany! Go check em out guys: Youtube // Web & Soc Med