Rockaway 2009 @ CapSquare

By Ben Liew  •  in Reports
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In between the smell of sweat and chips, were about 12,000 loyal rock fans ready to tear apart CapSquare at the recent Rockaway 2009. Organised by local pop punkers One Buck Short and favourite munchies Jack N Jill Roller Coaster Ride, the free concert saw a massive turnout despite competition from Pesta Malam Indonesia 3.

The words Malaysia Boleh! echoed from the moment we set foot on the venue. Stalls selling CDs, tees and all manner of rock knick knacks were lined-up all the way from the entrance to the main stage. There was even a Guitar Hero booth for those who wanted to put on their own “show”.

Despite being a free gig Rockaway 2009 packed in a whopping 15 local acts, amongst them Brit-inspired indie rockers Bittersweet and The Times, old skool heavyweights Love Me Butch and Seven Collar T-shirt and hard-hitting hardcore dudes Cassandra and Restraint. Even Chinese grind funk outfit Deng Deng Etc (a band known for their destructive live sets) got a chance to pound the stage after indie sweethearts Couple.

The crowd swelled to its peak during Bunkface’s set in the evening and you could really see the command these boys had over their audience. If Hujan thought us that it was alright to be a bit jiwang then Bunkface’s lesson was that it’s okay to be young and restless and bodysurfing and moshing was the order of the hour.

Rockstar attitude were clearly put aside as everybody appeared to chip in to help out backstage; we couldn’t really tell apart the organisers from the performers. The brotherly co-operation paid off as Rockaway 2009 may have been the most punctual concert to take place in Malaysian history, with no lengthy soundchecks or unexpected delays holding things up. One Buck Short closed the set at around 11pm and by then, most of the crowd who had been there since the show started at 1pm was already bushed but ecstatic. Summing up the potential of the event were the fighting words of Bunkface’s frontman Sam, “…boleh kalahkan Rock the World!”

Rockaway 2009 kicked out the jams at CapSquare on 20 June 2009. Checkout the rocking photos in our gallery.

Full Lineup:
Car Crash Hearts
Medusa
Couple
Deng Deng_Etc
Bittersweet
Cassandra
The Times
Seven Collar T-Shirt
Bunkface
Estranged
Restraint
Pesawat
Love Me Butch
Pop Shuvit
One Buck Short