Denise Tan
They’re young, passionate and filled with angst and talking to them is like trying to rein in a wild horse.
They became a 5-man band in July 2004 and they’ve played at Substation, Plaza Singapura and Cineleisure.
Their first song was “How About Enough” and they released their first EP (extended play)in 2006.
On Sep 8, they opened for Funeral for a Friend together with Astroninja and Caracal and it’s obvious they’ve got great chemistry.
So who in the world are these people and has UrbanWire started playing 20 Questions?
We haven’t but UrbanWire enjoys keeping up with fresh, new blood, so we’ve tracked A Vacant Affair down during Funeral for a Friend’s rockin concert and got their thoughts on Singapore’s music scene (what else? They’re Singaporean!), their music and life in general.
The Affair to Remember
Urbanwire (UW): Why A Vacant Affair?
Matt: It was 4, 5 years ago that we decided on a band name. We were all cracking our heads, but at that period of time, as cliché as it sounds, we all felt like hope’s not around. No matter how bleak everything is like, sometimes hope is still around. You got to keep your head up high and go through the tough times. We knew that we are doing this because we really want people to hear about things.
UW: What’s A Vacant Affair’s music about?
Matt: Whatever I write, I’m definitely not writing about something that I don’t know about. I’m not going to write about how George Bush is because I don’t live in America. I write about what I go through, what I feel about certain things. I believe that music should be honest. If you’re not honest about it, you won’t know what the hell you’re doing. So usually our songs are about struggles, friendship and all.
Hafyz: Oh, oh. But it’s not all about pain.
UW: What are some of the unusual methods that you use to get your music?
Hafyz: First, we’ll need some instruments (laughs).
Shen: Then we’ll try and airplay.
Rudi: Most of our songs are written in the studio because we have to put various parts together. We’re pretty conventional. It’s not as if we’re world-class rock musicians.
UW: How important is physical appearance for you?
Rudi: It’s important but it’s not the be all and end all of everything. It just provides a stronger sense of uniformity to have pushed an image along with the music. But at the core, if you’re really passionate about making music and you really love what you do then it’s not really important.
UW: What are your influences?
Matt: Iron Maiden, Funeral for a Friend, Glassjaw.
Shen: A bit of Deftones.
Rudi: Comeback Kid!
UW: What other bands do you all dream about opening for?
All: Glassjaw!
Josh: But I think we’re happy with Funeral for a Friend for now.
This Ain’t a Scene
UW: If I told you 5 years ago that…
All: NO WAY!
UW: Erm, anyway, if I told you that you’ll be opening for Funeral for a Friend, what would you have said?
All: Come on, Singapore? Singapore sucked 5 years ago.
UW: What?!
Matt: Name me a good band that came down to Singapore 5 years ago. This year alone, Sick of it All, Anberlin and Copeland and the SINGFest and now, Megadeth’s coming! It was only this year that bands start to flood in. If you asked me 5 years ago, I would probably scream vulgarities at you.
UW: So, Singapore music scene now. Good, Bad or Ugly?
Rudi: It’s in the process of being very good.
Matt: It’s definitely better than a few years ago. Local bands have more opportunities to perform here. You look at the standard, you know that there’s good sh*t going on. But it’s never enough until Singaporeans support our music because if they don’t support our music, who the hell will?
UW: Do you think youths follow the crowd too much?
Rudi: I think we’re the byproducts of some influence. Just that as we develop, we have a stronger sense of what is right, what is the healthier.
Down and Dirty with A Vacant Affair
UW: Funeral For A Friend has evolved over time, do you think you will change?
Matt: Definitely!
Rudi: It’ll be boring if we never changed.
UW: Do you all know what direction A Vacant Affair will take?
Shen: Techno!
Hafyz: RnB!
NOTE: The above is one of AVA’s many jokes. Please do not panic. As yet, they’ve no idea what direction their sound will take.
UW: Favourite food?
Shen: Beef fried rice.
Matt, Rudi, Hafyz: Ming Arcade’s char kuay teow. It will change your life (smiles benevolently).
Josh: Ribeye steak.
Hafyz: Josh has expensive taste.
UW: Weirdest thing you’ve brought when you go jamming?
All: Girlfriends!
UW: Weirdest thing you’ve brought on stage?
Josh: A softball.
Shen: I’ll paste messages on my guitar.
Hafyz: A soft toy.
UW: Weirdest thing a fan has done?
Matt: We have fans?!
Rudi: This person “nudged” me 20 times on MSN Messenger.
UW: What would you play at a funeral?
Matt: “Famous Last Tears” by A Vacant Affair.
Idealistic they may seem, but youth and ambition is a great thing and it seems mandatory that we applaud A Vacant Affair for their determination to make their mark in Singapore’s growing but tiny music scene.
So perhaps on Sep 15, *scape Youth Park will enjoy an influx of A Vacant Affair fans who’ll applaud and mosh a little, because if no one does it, who the hell will?
Photos courtesy of A Vacant Affair.