F1 Post-Race Party ft. Jamiroquai @ Helipad, Sepang

Temperatures were rising at Sepang last Sunday as race fever quickly climaxed with music fans flocking to Sepang for the grand F1 action and once-in-a-lifetime concert by Jamiroquai. Despite the rain, which turned the grounds Glastonbury-esque, people came in by the truck load. Though some were already there for the race, others streamed in just for the concert.

It took JUICE nearly half an hour to get in. The lines were mad! Trotting through the mud, we rewarded ourselves with some lok lok at the stalls but were disheartened by the queue once again and not to mention irresponsible people who left without paying. With mineral water priced at RM5 a pop and a can of beer going at RM15, one would feel at least a little ripped-off by these concessions.

Jamiroquai was the main attraction that night but also making an appearance were a variety of talents comprising of KL’s own indie disco crew Twilight Action Girl, Malik and the Essentials, and award-winning acapella group Naturally Seven.

Party starters TAG took to the decks at the beginning and came on in between artists through the night. But it was Naturally Seven that surprised concert goers with their unique blend of fully vocalised music. Just by using their voices, they mimicked various instruments including horns, guitars, bass and drums. Their soully r ‘n’ b set ended with a chilling cover of Phil Collins’ ‘In The Air Tonight’.

As it was a Sunday night, Jamiroquai did us all a favour by coming on as early as they could. Without warning, the band opened with ‘The Kids’ and sent us all into funk odyssey. Good ol’ Jay Kay careened across the stage with his usual swagger. Later, during a break in their set, he admitted to the audience that he was indeed turning 40 this year. But that didn’t stop him from giving us his all and more.

After hitting us with ‘High Times’, the band toned down a little for ‘Seven Days In Sunny June’. 3 huge screens behind the band projected psychedelic visuals and music videos. All this while couples got romantic and un-attached others did the space boogie.

With all the attention on Jay Kay, one might forget that he had a bunch of excellent musicians backing him. They certainly showed their skills during various numbers and came together as a tight unit, especially for ‘Black Capricorn’. With that confidence, Jay Kay led the crowd in some hardy fist-pumping for the song’s choruses.

Following up one great tune with another, ‘Canned Heat’ gave out a sexy vibe that stuck around for a while. After ‘Space Cowboy’, the band came out for an encore. Jay Kay, with a ciggie in his hand, told the audience, “Sorry about this… It’s a bad habit. We’ll start in a while. Just let me have a couple more drags.” Good thing it was just a couple, ’cause we couldn’t wait any longer. Jamiroquai closed with ‘Deeper Underground’ and as much as the crowd wanted more, the show was over. Hopefully, Jamiroquai will be back, as they promised they would for their world tour next year. In the meantime, keep those funky hats on. J

Jamiroquai, Naturally Seven, Malik and the Essentials and TAG brought the party up to speed on Sunday 5 April 2009. Check out the pictures at our gallery.

Image FotoworX