What Went Down: Tiger Translate @ Kenanga City

By Alia Azmi  •  08 Jul 2014 in Reports

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Images Tiger Malaysia

Thanks to Tiger Beer, the first ever Tiger Translate event saw various international and local artistes coming together at Kenanga City as it made its debut in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Joining the global movement celebrating creativity, the inaugural event had attendees collectively immersed in an exciting collision of art and music.

Local DJ trio Indiego & Co. warmed up the venue to a series of indie rock jams and nu disco tunes. While the crowd was initially sparse, setting off a slow start to a long evening, the sombre mood disappeared when people began to pour in. The evening kicked off when local up-and-coming emo rockers Mad August took the stage, working up the crowd with an aggressive, spirited performance — loads of kickass energy and heavy distortion. Taiwan’s Manic Sheep whisked the audience away to a fun, whimsical place as they kept the crowd pleasantly swaying to their dreamy shoegaze, frontwoman Chris Lo’s tender vocals softly caressing the warm atmosphere. Hong Kong’s genre-bending rockers Chochukmu sent energy levels running high with a raucous, high-powered set, their passionate presence on stage enough to leave the crowd asking for more (not more of their frontman’s rapping though).

Steel frames coupled with awesome pieces of ‘Translate’ art set up throughout the hall converted the venue into a ‘Translate Tunnel’, a nicely rugged industrial touch to an otherwise simple space. An expansive view of the city skyline peeked through the end of the tunnel, providing attendees the opportunity to take advantage of the glowing sunset backdrop as they cooled down with a cold one. Giant blue beer bottles scattered about served as canvases as they rested on velvet pedestals, some already decorated with graffiti from enthusiastic participants. Huge trampolines set up against a massive ‘Translate’ neon sign served as a terrific jump station and the perfect photo op for the throng of partygoers. Adding to the creative mix, local graffiti artist Kenji Chai, tattooist Lynda Chean, and graphic design duo Tsu Ann and Jaemy of Kickatomic presented attendees something to catch in between sets with their live art installations.

When local favourite, soulful electronic indie rocker OJ Law came on, excitement was undoubtedly palpable. Fresh from Penang, hours spent on the road right before hitting the stage didn’t stop his band mates from assisting him in delivering a lovely performance to the table as they led the crowd in an upbeat, feel-good set. The highlight of the night, however, was when UK alt-rockers Editors finally graced the stage. The headlining act was greeted to the delight of many eager fans as the band played a loud and lively set. Fans were treated to classic numbers like ‘Munich’ alongside songs across all four albums with a notable few off their fourth and latest record The Weight of Your Love, closing the show with an expressive and moving performance as lead vocalist Tom Smith’s haunting vocals drifted over the band’s dark melodies.

All in all, the event was a noble effort by Tiger to branch into a scene untapped by competing brands. A relatively successful merging of sights and sounds, it was a fun-filled occasion for lovers of beer, music, and art. And JUICE certainly hopes it’s the first of many to come.

Tiger Translate went down on Saturday 14 June ’14.

More photos here.