By JAYDEE LOK
alltherage@thestar.com.my

What do you get when you get 10 bands to play in a packed venue? You get loud, of course.

Converse Malaysia showed everyone how it was done at their Get Loud gig last Sunday at Laundry Bar in Mutiara Damansara, Selangor.

The show, aimed at promoting local bands, wrapped up Converse’s Get Loud series which started in Penang before moving to Johor Baru and finally ending in Kuala Lumpur.

The boys from award-winning metal band Massacre Conspiracy set the mood when they kicked things off with their heavy riffs and even heavier vocals.
It is no surprise the band is practically a metal show staple thanks to their unique sound and showmanship.

Throughout the night, the crowd was entertained by some of the hottest bands in the Malaysian underground scene as they headbanged to Azure For Janne and Never Ending Threats, jumped around to Subculture, sang along with Tres Empre and screamed for The Padangs. With their spirits fuelled by nothing more than the music, the hardcore moshers went wild, crowdsurfed, and turned the venue upside down – and not completely in a good way.

The only thing that could make an already-awesome event even more awesome is a lot of money – and the Converse Get Loud gig had that too!

In conjunction with their global Sneakers Get Loud campaign, Converse Malaysia organised the How Loud Can You Get video competition where bands had to get their fans to vote for their videos online. The three highest voted bands had to battle it out live for their share of RM20,000.

At the end of the night, the boys from Sepatu 69 found themselves RM15,000 richer – all thanks to their unpredictable auto-tuned vocals and the video they had recorded in the northern heat. Originally from Sungai Petani, Kedah, the band had recorded a short video of themselves playing a game of street soccer in a barren field, only to be interrupted by their vocalist screaming through a portable amplifier.

The prizes didn’t end there. Runners-up Vahaya walked away with RM5,000 and Nervedeless won RM1,000.

According to Converse brand manager Eszeren Rizal, the Get Loud gig was merely the beginning. The company has a few things up its sleeves and already has plans to throw more alternative shows in the near future.