The Children of TAG

By JUICE Malaysia  •  in Features
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The last time we wrote about Twilight Actiongirl, we got the members to get all retrospective on themselves. Pretty masturbatory. We figured what is a DJ without followers loyal to their nights week after week? So JUICE got longtime TAGgers to wax lyrical on the collective.

THE CHILDREN OF TAG

BEN LIEW, JUICE EDITOR
TAG is probably the best and the worst thing in KL’s music scene. They’re the best because they’re punk – none of them knew (and most of them still don’t know) how to spin – and they did it anyway. Their niche is in their uber in-depth music knowledge and their willingness to drop tracks other DJs would never dare touch (balik kampong songs included).

Little did I know, when I attended their first night at Bar Amber, Hartamas, that this sh!t would blow up big time. In attendance at TAG’s first night at Bar Amber were myself, folk rocker Azmyl Yunor, a guy who’d later join Citizens of Ice Cream, the then-drummer of Maharaja Commission, and some dude called Reshmonu. We broke a wine glass and had an argument with the management. At least that’s what I can remember… None of these people, save for myself, have ever returned to a TAG night by the way.

TAG is also the worst thing about the local music scene. Anywhere else in the world, TAG would not have lasted more than 6 months. But because KL’s society is a bit mad and starved for a different kind of entertainment, TAG has been elevated to the status of demi-hipster gods – leading flocks of silly kids into a false sense of security – that they’ll never grow old or have to get a job.

But every scene needs dreamers. And I guess that’s what Lim (DJ Bunga) is… and he spreads the love/fantasy with so much passion, it’s hard not to admire him. Daryl (Ribut) is the angry music geek, Kevin (ChaseyLain) the carefree guy who’s just happy to be behind the decks, and Xu is the actual trendsetter with real mixing skills (he’s in LapSap and MiniCompo too). Together, their chemistry can rival even the Ramones. And if you really know the Ramones (they actually hated each other), you’d know what I mean.

Like I said, they’re the best and the worst, just like the long island tea served at Barsonic.

IRMAN HILMI, BRAND CONSULTANT, GRAFA FOUNDER

TAG TO ME IS…
It’s probably the place where good company and good music go hand in hand. Rarely disappointed when I go there, and there’s been times when I’d go there alone just as means to escape from work or stress. It’s a place where I get lost with familiar faces.

HOW THEY CHANGED MY CLUB NIGHTS
I guess their playlist changed the game on what was deemed acceptable club music. Back then rock music in clubs was strictly Hard Rock Café territory, but not many of us were keen to be seen there. When they first started in Bar Amber it finally gave a chance for non-dance music fans to let loose in places other than dingy gigs and mini live concerts. The guys also proved that you can start DJing without skills and build your DJing skills for the next 9 years rather than starting off as a skilled DJ. At the end of the day I guess their playlist counts.

MEMORABLE TAG MOMENT
Wow there’s been many! Then again if I could actually remember any nights in TAG that means I hadn’t partied hard enough.

THE PERFECT TAG PLAYLIST
‘Bizzare Love Triangle’
New Order

‘I Predict a Riot’
Kaiser Chiefs

‘Reptilia’
The Strokes

‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’
Joy Division

‘Panic’
The Smiths

‘Take The Long Road And Walk It’
The Music

‘Star Guitar’
Chemical Brothers

‘Need Somebody’
Kings Of Leon


APRIL KUAN, CAPITAL FM DJ, FORMER JUICE EDITOR

TAG TO ME IS…
Twilight Actiongirl to me will always mean like-minded people coming together to enjoy great music. It’s group hugs, wayward fashion, drunken tomfoolery, shouty sing-alongs, girl-on-girl action… Some of the best partying I ever had!

HOW THEY CHANGED MY CLUB NIGHTS
TAG has singlehandedly played a huge part in transforming KL’s nightlife and the fact that it’s remained popular for almost ten years now is proof that people are always hungry for something different. The boys have cemented themselves in Malaysian pop culture and I’m so proud of them for believing in something, and having the balls and foresight to realise it and make it work. TAG deserves huge credit for revolutionising KL clubbing, staying one step ahead and being industry visionaries. Their combination of personalities, skills, music knowledge and knack for creating a good party is unmatched!

MEMORABLE TAG MOMENT
The most memorable night was when I brought Elmo and Cookie Monster plushies out to play as part of an article for JUICE – they were gifts from Goldfish and Blink (such sweethearts!). I got some of the best photos of TAGgers partying with and coddling the two furry ones all night.

THE PERFECT TAG PLAYLIST
I’ve always wanted to do a ‘90s-themed party with lots of rock and hip hop from that era. I trust TAG could be the ones to make it awesome. Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine, Soundgarden, Foo Fighters, Nas, Dr Dre, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Nine Inch Nails, NWA, Beastie Boys… wet dream!

EDWIN RAJ, FRONTMAN OF THEY WILL KILL US ALL, TV/VIDEO PRODUCER

TAG TO ME IS…
Twilight Actiongirl means that there is proof that people can party and have fun to music and thank god for such an alternative!

HOW THEY CHANGED MY CLUB NIGHTS
The club scene was dominated by rave before there was TAG, I used to frequent Movement before it burned and my excitement of going out kinda went up in flames with it until TAG came along as a refreshing option .Nowhere else could you hear Joy Division and M83 on a club sound system. Like the pied piper, TAG attracted all the non-generic folks to one venue. Throughout the years, I’ve met and connected with some of the coolest people in Kuala Lumpur at Amber, Loft and Barsonic.

MEMORABLE TAG MOMENT
I was mostly too wasted to recall but I had to say was my band They Will Kill Us All’s Secret Episode album launch back in 2009, the place was packed and we were reckless and loud but it didn’t matter as all my friends were there within reach, it was a memorable night.

THE PERFECT TAG PLAYLIST
Start the night with The xx’s ‘Intro’ and ends with a crowd sing a long to Coldplay’s ‘Yellow’… till the lights come on.


DIDI RAMLAN, TALENT MANAGER, PHOTOGRAPHER, CONNECTOR

TAG TO ME IS…
Apart from playing great music, the people that come to Twilight Actiongirl’s night is what makes the night. I feel like it’s a night where people get to be themselves… where fabulous people would come out dressed however they wanted to. Whether it’s girls in guys clothes or guys in girls clothes, people get to wear the highest heels, the tightest latex and the flashiest sneakers and no one will bat an eyelid… in fact the weirder they are, the better. I love that there are no rules at TAG!

HOW THEY CHANGED MY CLUB NIGHTS
I’m not going to lie, before I discovered the wonders of TAG, my friends and I frequented the other nights at Zouk – yes, Mambo Jambo and Ghetto Heaven. But to me TAG was a subculture that I had never been a part of before and never even dreamt existed in KL. It was and still is an alternative for people who didn’t belong in the frou frou crowd or the hip hop crowd. Home to lost souls, haha!

MEMORABLE TAG MOMENT
There are so many to choose from, I would say the last ten minutes of every TAG night is my favourite. They always manage to play songs that I love, it could be a Blink 182 song or Innuendo’s ‘Belaian Jiwa’, it just closes the night out perfectly.

THE PERFECT TAG PLAYLIST
Come to Barsonic and you’ll hear it. Each of the guys in TAG brings different elements to their set, which is why they’ve lasted so long. They know their friends and the crowd so well that they get away with playing almost anything. But I always look forward to random injections of pop hits in their set.

FUAD KYOTO PROTOCOL, ROCKSTAR BANKER

TAG TO ME IS…
Twilight Actiongirl stands up for people who are not content with the soulless drivel of modern top 40s and Pitbull-infested music landscape. A place for real music lovers to congregate. TAG made us leave our preconceptions and judgements at the door and just have fun!

HOW THEY CHANGED MY CLUB NIGHTS
It’s very simple: without TAG I would have stopped clubbing within a year. The amount of regurgitation you get on most club nights in KL is nauseating.

MEMORABLE TAG MOMENT
Meeting someone who has changed my life for the better, and until today makes me want to be a better person.

THE PERFECT TAG PLAYLIST
I would never think of meddling with greatness.


ZAMIR ALIF, KILLEUR CALCULATEUR (VOCALS, BASS)

TAG TO ME IS…
Twilight Actiongirl pretty much changed my life back in 2003. I was young, willing, and eager to discover new stuff, so it was an overwhelming experience to get out and dance to indie and punk rock songs in a small bar (Amber). Now looking back at the good times I had with them, I realised the best thing to come out of TAG was the friendship built. I made lots of friends with good taste in music.

HOW THEY CHANGED MY CLUB NIGHTS
They gave a reason for rock music lovers to go out and get together to party back then and they’re still doing it now!

MEMORABLE TAG MOMENT
The last night of Loft. My band played that night. There can never be a place like Loft. Epic years, man.

THE PERFECT TAG PLAYLIST
‘Morning Mr. Magpie’
Radiohead

‘The Heinrich Maneuver’
Interpol

‘Sometimes Life is Not Easy’
Mew

‘Standing Next to Me’
Last Shadow Puppets

‘Bank Robber’
The Clash

‘Attitude’
Bad Brains

‘What’s My Number’
Toots and Maytals

‘Happiness is a Warm Gun’
The Beatles

‘Money’
Pink Floyd

‘Glory Box’
Portishead

JOYCE KIRSTEN WONG, BLOGGER (www.kinkybluefairy.net)

TAG TO ME IS…
I started going to Twilight Actiongirl when they were playing in Amber and The Loft. Those were ‘the good old days’, as some of us have called it. The same people would appear at The Loft, Friday after Friday, because it was the best clubbing night in town. After months of having the same drunk conversations with the people there, some of us have become best buddies till today! As for those that I occasionally bump into, we have mutual respect for each other thanks to hanging out at TAG back then.

HOW THEY CHANGED MY CLUB NIGHTS
TAG gave the indie rock people a home back then. It gave us a reason to dress funky, dance like silly people, laugh, fall down, make out and make friends without being too paranoid. It’s like as if TAG only drew the ones who knew BEST how to have FUN. Of course, after a while, the masses wanted to get in on the coolness of TAG, so it became overtly popular. But it gives and takes I guess. TAG had to grow, and you have to lose some to win some.

Today, TAG has created a brand for themselves that has crossed borders because of its success. It’s become a powerful brand to the extent people use TAG to categorise a certain type of people (I’ve heard it!), i.e. “She’s the kind of girl that goes to TAG, dresses a bit hipster, you know.”

MEMORABLE TAG MOMENT
I have fond memories of the sofas during The Loft days. We’d do all sorts of things on them – dance, fall onto each other, hide, pass out, make out. I miss those sofas (though they must be really filthy by now).

THE PERFECT TAG PLAYLIST
‘Song 2’
Blur

‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’
Nirvana

‘Wake Up’
Arcade Fire

‘Mr. Brightside’
The Killers

… actually you know what, I can’t remember neither the artists nor titles for those Loft days! Alcohol must have wiped out my memory. If you wanted my personal favourite playlist, I could easily give you one!


SHAHREZZAN EZANI, CREATIVE ADVISOR AT ALIA BASTAMAM

TAG TO ME IS…
One thing for sure, everyone made a lot of acquaintances. So many different types, ranging from crazy fashion gay boys to upper-class brats. And these are people who are still around and i say hello to nowadays. But the freakin’ funny thing is that we’ve everyone misbehaving to the max at TAG nights, that there’s almost like a bond between TAGgers, it’s something like “I know what you’re like wasted!”

HOW THEY CHANGED MY CLUB NIGHTS
TAG has definitely made the clubbing scene more than just house and tech and massive superclubs. TAG has become the place where anyone can go for a good time and not give a f*ck. And still look awesome.

MEMORABLE TAG MOMENT
It’s hard to pick one because there’s a memorable moment every single time you go. But if I had to pick one, it would probably be my first time because I sure as hell wasn’t let down!

THE PERFECT TAG PLAYLIST
The TAG boys always have a perfect playlist on. For me, it’s more like Music 101 because I hardly ever listen to the music they play when I’m in my own time. I discovered a lot of music from all those days at TAG. Thanks boys!

FAREEN, DJ (ONE HALF OF M.I.A)

TAG TO ME IS…
Throughout all these years, they keep doing the same thing they’ve always done, playing indie tunes, which is good for both TAG and me. From what I see, no one and nothing can replace them, cos TAG is the best in town. No other DJs can do what TAG does.

HOW THEY CHANGED MY CLUB NIGHTS
They changed a lot. Examples include their playlist of indie tracks and indie remixes, other genres had limited playtime but now they’ve changed to EDM, techno, dubstep, moombahton, etcetera. Yet they’re all still under one roof, as in INDIE, still free for all. And one more thing, they changed how people dress up and teach people how to dress up, I mean, when you go into an indie club night, you can see how well-dressed people are. It’s weird for me but hey, it’s fashion!

MEMORABLE TAG MOMENT
Most memorable moment during a TAG night is when TAG played for the last time in Loft, that night was called Very Very Last TAG at Loft. Maybe I got the name wrong, and sorry if did but I still can remember what happened that night!

THE PERFECT TAG PLAYLIST
‘Friday I’m in Love’
The Cure

‘Mr Brightside’
The Killers

‘1901’
Phoenix

‘We Are Your Friend’
Justice

‘Last Nite’
The Stroke


ALET, PRODUCER, SPACEBOY STUDIOS FOUNDER

TAG TO ME IS…
The best way to enjoy Friday night with your gang and not remembering what happen that night. Loft was the best time, magical shit happened there!

HOW THEY CHANGED MY CLUB NIGHTS
Twilight Actiongirl were, and still, the only DJs that play my kind of playlist since the Bar Amber era.

MEMORABLE TAG MOMENT
Shit man! A lot, but some of them were;
a) Almost punched a drunk British dude for hustling my friend.
b) Lock down by cops from 1am to 5am in Barsonic with no music .

THE PERFECT TAG PLAYLIST
‘Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots’
The Flaming Lips

‘One Armed Scissor’
At the Drive In

‘Lotus Flower’
Radiohead

‘Apa Nak Jadi’
S.M. Salim

‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’
Metallica

RUUD, DJ (DEER SOCIETY)

TAG TO ME IS…
These guys have just been doing alternative nights for the longest time. Throwing a weekly gig is hard, and you gotta respect these guys for doing it week in and week out. I could go away for a few months, come back and it’s still there and just as fun.

HOW THEY CHANGED MY CLUB NIGHTS
In a scene where most nights were about minimal EDM, it was nice to hear some rock’n’roll in an actual club-style venue.

MEMORABLE TAG MOMENT
I can’t remember. Too many vodka Redbulls does that to you. Pretty sure it was good though!

THE PERFECT TAG PLAYLIST
‘First of the Gang to Die’
Morrissey

‘Just Like Heaven’
The Cure

‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’
The Darkness

Twilight Actiongirl is still spinning every Friday night at Barsonic, Zouk. Like them on Facebook here and follow them on Twitter at @twilightaction. Frequent their night this coming Friday, again.