Profile of the Performers

Uglymen

UGLYMEN is a Chinese Hard Rock band from Alor Setar, Kedah, north of Malaysia. The group has been gigging together since December 1993. They performed in various underground circuits, band competitions and charity events with styles ranging from pop, punk, rock, alternative and metal. UGLYMEN met each other while studying music at a local music school during that fateful year. They started off playing cover songs and eventually wrote their first song in 1995. Throughout the years, they gained a lot of exposure in performing and steadily growing a dedicated fan-based with their unique style called – UGLY Rock.

UGLYMEN consist of working class individuals with each founding members having their own respective careers in – IT Support. The kind of job where no one really understands and frustration no one imagines. The build-up of such stressed and tensed work life had a GREAT effect on Sow Say Hooi (bass/vocal), Michael Lee (guitar/vocal) and Ong Tai Suan (drums/vocal). It is only at night time, UGLYMEN members reveal their alter ego in their music.

The band has won several awards, notably 2nd runner-up in the National Guinness Canto Rock Band Competition 1996, 1st runner-up in the National Carlsberg Hot Trax CenterStage Competition 2003, Champion of B’ Beyond Band Competition in 2003 and Champion of the National Yamaha Asian Beat Band Competition in 2003 defeating 120 bands nationwide. The band went to represent Malaysia in the Yamaha Asian Beat Band Competition 2004 – Asia Grand Final in Taipei, Taiwan and they won Best Bass Player award. They appeared in interviews, charity events and featured in local 8TV program called “Homegrown”. They just released their debut album titled “UGLY”.

Their music style is UGLY Rock where the fun of music meets the lowdown of careers. Such unique partnership produces back-stabbing vocals, political solos, Tai-Chi harmony and double-standard arrangement.

Crosstown

Crosstown is no new band in Penang having it's presence felt in the local rock scene for at least the last 15 years. Having played in various venues and events such as Pesta Pulau Pinang and Starwalk, these veterans will surely bring a smile to your faces as they belt out some of their hit songs and standard rock covers. Most guitarists in Penang will know and may even have had their axes tweaked, modified, serviced and set-up by their lead guitarist extraordinaire, Deen, who incidentally also works as a guitar tech and luthier in Artune. Check them out!

Lam Chin Koi (Guitar Maestro)

Guitar maestro, Mr. Lam Chin Koi is Malaysia's renowned classical guitarist. He is a very highly respected figure in the guitar music scene here in Penang both as an instructor and performer. He started his teaching career in Yamaha Music School in 1976. During his 15 years with Yamaha he had the chance to learn from the chief guitar instructor, Mr. Tadashi Koizumi from Japan. In 1979, he was invited to be a judge in the South-East Asia Guitar Festival Grand Finals held in Hong Kong. In the Finals, he was the only other foreign judge besides Mr. Tadashi Koizumi. In 1984, he was sent to Japan to attend the South-East Asia Chief Guitar Instructor Seminar. Later that year, he went over to London to take lessons from world-renowned guitarist Simon Munting and John Mills. Throughout his 40 years of guitar playing, he attended numerous master classes held by world-famous guitarists such as Paco Pena (Spain), Jean Pierre Jumez (France) and Siegfred Behrend (Germany). Mr. Lam also went to Spain to learn flamenco guitar in the year 2003 from a famous flamenco guitar expert. He has also performed with the Penang State Symphony and Orchestra & Chorus (PESSOC) as a soloist on several occasions including a trip to Adelaide. Nothing short of having acquired perfect mastery of the classical guitar, he is arguably Malaysia's best classical guitarist. His songs selection for the concert will attest to his prowess and skill on this instrument whom he has embraced all his life. His virtuosity and articulation will mesmerize every listener. He plays an Antonio Marin Montero (Bouchet model) concert classical guitar.

Daniel Choong

In his normal life, Daniel is an engineer working for a multi-national company in the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone. On weekends, he plays the bass for a church band. He has been playing the guitar and bass for more than 15 years. The bass is no stranger to Daniel. From an early age, he decided to swap playing the usual 6 string guitar for the low growling sound of a 4 or occasional 5 string bass. In his younger days, he took up bass lessons under renowned bassist Jack Mohd (bassist for the Penang-based group, the Jazzocrats). He is adept at both the fretted and fretless basses. Nowadays, he plays the bass almost exclusively, either on his Fender Precision bass, his Ibanez fretless electric bass or on his Washburn fretless acoustic bass. His musical influences include Abraham Laboriel, John Patitucci, Avishai Cohen, Marcus Miller, David Benoit, Danilo Perez and Bill Evans.

William Kok

Accomplished guitarist, William Kok is gifted with the ability to play a complete musical arrangement all on one guitar. He has an ability to juggle the bass, melody, rhythm, harmony and other guitar techniques to create an illusion that there is more than one guitarist playing. William's musical journey started when he served as a voluntary teacher in the House of Joy for underprivileged children. In year 2004, he released his debut guitar solo album The Music Maker. In the same year, he won an award in the Malaysian Christian Music Festival for his unique guitar solo with the winning song Amazing Grace. In year 2005, he released his second guitar solo album Every Time I Pray. His calling and vision is to produce praise and worship songs with guitar solos and train others to discover the musical expressions of a guitar. William serves as a guitarist in his home church Aglow Assembly for the last 12 years and frequently conducts guitar workshops as well as performs publicly with his guitar.

Geoffrey Tan

Geoffrey Tan is a classical and steel string acoustic guitar player. He started with formal classical guitar lessons, but later focused on playing the steel string guitar after being influenced by the likes of Tommy Emmanuel, Billy McLaughlin, Ed Gerhard, Muriel Anderson and many other guitar fingerstylist. He still plays the classical guitar, but uses it now more for new age and sentimental tunes. He is a full time mechanical engineer and a part time musician and composer. He plays a Taylor 810B (LOTF) and a custom-made Freeman guitar by local luthier, Edward Hiew.

Brian Gan

Brian started his musical journey by learning and playing the piano at the age of 7. However, the piano just wasn't his instrument of choice - it must have been those countless hours of practicing classical exam pieces. He gave up on the piano at age 15. We all would have thought that his musical journey had ended there and then. However, a year later, just by chance and out of curiosity he picked up his father's Kapok guitar and tried his hand (or fingers for that matter) by strumming his first tune, "Amazing Grace". That was the start of a new musical journey. He has never looked back since. A mostly self-taught guitarist, he quickly picked-up playing the guitar on his own. Later on, he attended some guitar lessons at Acoustic Guitar House and later at Mahogany the House of Guitars. Among his influences on the guitar are Tommy Emmanuel, Chet Atkins, Pete Huttlinger, Richard Smith, Steven King (guitarist, not the author) and local fingerstyle maestro Roger Wang. He plays his highly customized Maton EBG808 Artist guitar.

Yong Wee Chan

Yong Wee Chan began to guitar playing only at the age of 17. Like every other youngster, he began with chord strumming pop songs. Later, he got more seriously into guitar playing. Yong studied classical guitar under Prof. Ronnie I. Theseira until the present.

In 2003, Yong was deeply impressed by percussive-fingerstyle (New Age guitar music) after watching video performances by the famous Japanese fingerstyle guitarist, Isato Nakagawa. He is also influenced by Chet Atkins, Tommy Emmanuel, Michael Hedges, Don Ross and Peter Finger. the above guitarists are also important influences to his music compositions in the later part of his playing.

In December 2007, Yong founded the “ACPickers”, an online guitar community which gathers acoustic guitar players from all over Malaysia. Members include some of the top acoustic guitarists in the country, namely Roger Wang, Az Samad, Farid Ali, William Kok and Edward Hiew (who is a guitar luthier in Malaysia).

Yong is now also a guitar instructor, music centre owner, instruments distributor & retailer and fencing coach in one of the local universities.

Performances:
Nov 2008 - Malacca Guitar Charity Night
Dec 2007 - Yamaha Guitar Camp guest performer
Oct 2005 - Historical City Toastmasters Club appointed performer

Achievements:
Dec 2007 - Finalist of 1st Malaysia International Guitar Festival (MIGFEST)
Aug 2006 - Grand Prix Winner at Open Solo category of Yamaha Guitar Festival
Dec 2003 - 2nd Runner-Up at Open Solo category of Yamaha Guitar

Compositions:
Feb 2007 - Composed Freeman Guitars official website’s theme song “Debut”

For more information, please visit Yong Wee Chan’s websites at http://ywcguitarstudio.blogspot.com/ & http://musicelement.blogspot.com/.

Chee Chin Yaik and Adrian Jones

Chee Chin Yaik and Adrian Jones both like to play jazz standards and have played together at several venues. Chee plays the guitar while Adrian Jones plays the double bass. Both regard music as an essential part of personal expression and enjoy bringing smiles when they can to people anywhere they are playing.