Xtreme Indie

So we all know everyone’s bummed about not having their dose of Twilight Actiongirl on Friday nights this month. But the city’s love for everything indie is in bloom lately and with that comes another indie rock night that could satisfy you just the same. Aptly titled Xtreme Indie, the night has been going on for a couple of months now, entertaining a crowd that is increasing by every event. Dean Reardon is the head honcho behind Xtreme Indie and says that the night was inspired by an event he started in Melbourne entitled Crrrash. As a consultant for Raw Bar where the nights are held, Dean proposed his idea of Xtreme Indie to the owners of the club and with the support from scenesters like Edwin Raj (They Will Kill Us All), Zack Yusof (Deserters) and Aidil (Couple), launched it mainly with the passion for indie music in mind as he doesn’t even profit from any of the events.

The burning question though, is what makes Xtreme Indie different from other indie nights coming out of the woodwork? Dean replies: “We are different from most indie nights as we research every band and keep the music to the criteria of artistes that started out with an independent record label, whether or not they end up being signed by majors. This is greatly supported by the local independent artistes and die-hard indie rock/pop fans. Hence the name - Xtreme Indie for extreme fans. We tend to play more Brit indie and do not play heavy metal, punk, grunge or any other genres.” So you can expect resident DJs like Mixing In Action, seven:leven (Dean himself), Aidil and Edwin Raj to play stuff from Arctic Monkeys, Babyshambles, The Kooks, Interpol, Iggy Pop and the likes. Another interesting facet of the nights is their incorporation of live acts. Bands like The Deserters and Couple have performed, with Estrella, Love Me Butch, Seven Collar T Shirt, Butterfingers and Meet Uncle Hussein penciled in for the near future. They even have Xtreme Indie t-shirts for sale at RM35 during their nights – their fourth installment falls on 4 September featuring the TAG boys themselves.

Text Sarah Chan