Labels: ComeBackKings_Caleidoscope_and_Column

Labels: ComeBackKings_Caleidoscope_and_Column

"A pizza feeds a family of four...", answers King Matt and how right he is.

Performing arts is perhaps the most demanding field but reaps the least rewards. Jokes can go stale, knees can grow old and opportunities can be scarce as beer and cigarrette prices keep soaring. But, have no fear, The Kings were always ever-ready to take on the harshness of this modern over-commercialized life with SIDE JOBS!

The blend of side jobs in the troupe is pretty unique since the CBKs were formed with three parts Mass Communications, two parts Engineering and one part Hotel Management.

And when it comes to side jobs, King Niggy is obviously ahead with, sometimes, too much on his plate. Singing for bands, rapping, stand-ups, emceeing, etc ... you name it and King Niggy will give it a good optimistic thought. To top it all up, Niggy is still pursuing his Honours and is about to receive a certificate from his gym for his remarkable attendance!

Very far behind, but of no chronological order, would be the rest and King Ronnie. This self-proclaimed Spartan (please do ask him WHY...) is King Niggy's favourite partner-in-crime on emceeing assignments and cohort in their 'other' comedy group prompting the other Kings to think that the CBKs might hold the same fate as N'SYNC. (Yes. Let's all finger our chins and give King Niggy and Ron our most suspicious look, shall we? 1, 2, 3, Hmmm...)





While the more (ahem!) loyals ones, namely King Matt, King Jon and King Chi Ho, usually remain guarded and when chance comes, they will depatch themselves as the F.R.U.** members of the events world. Heave, carry, setup, push, dismantle, sweat, smell - these are just some mere words to describe the magnitude of their part-time jobs. By the way, King Chi Ho also mans King Ronnie's chariot to ensure King Ronnie arrives back at his castle before bed-time. King Chi Ho regards this as a side job for he earns punchlines to black mail King Ronnie for no reason.

And finally, for a period of time, Kings Niggy, Ronnie and Chi Ho, were weekly stand-ups in Pampas (a South American bar/restaurant along Changkat Bukit Bintang) & Bojangles (Sri Hartamas). Now, the Kings are relishing a return and with their new materials, including King Chi Ho's current favourite opening joke - "Have you ever choked on something while playing Charades ..."




... its really that bad, huh?

Labels: ComeBackKings_Caleidoscope_and_Column

This was posted on our Friendster Blog on 12 January, 2007...

"Are you guys The ComeBackKings or The ComeBackKids ar? HAHAHAHA!", asked one of our previous client who tried to make his colleagues laugh but like many others, underestimated the complexities of comedy. The point iI'm making here is that we are still the 'kids' in the local comedy arena lah.

I remember an established local comedian telling us that we have "a long road, paved in gold" ahead of us because we are the ONLY local comedian group under 30 years old. BUMMER! The stink of the vintage sense of humour is revoltingly depressing in this country.

ONLY local comedian group under 30 years old??? Indi and Allan, Harith, Jit, Joanne Kam, Monti & Logi and not forgetting the youthful looking Douglas Lim are still the front runners in the harvest of laughter and there will come a time when these aging legends start hanging up their funny bones. Today, budding comedians have technology to thank, copying and reproducing expired and stale material with some ciplak spices of their own, dishonouring the benchmark set by our established comedians.

And there is also a question of self-censorship. Our former PM commented that his Vision 2020 must be built upon a foundation of 'matured citizens'. He said that almost a decade ago and how 'mature' is our citizens now? PTUIH! Sadly, in terms of citizen maturity, Vision 2020 seemed a stupid good idea from one who doesn't have a 20/20 vision. And this bunch of immature citizens clearly have a limited (I could have said 'no' but I'm pretty sure some of us laugh to Apek) sense of humour. I can't understand why racial, religious, and governmental issues are still a 'governmentally instilled taboo' on the stage, even if such topics is a 'must have' with our everyday teh tarik and roti canai.

Hmm. Seems like the future for Malaysian comedians seem bleak. BUT ONLY FOR THOSE WHO DON'T DARE!

Labels: ComeBackKings_Caleidoscope_and_Column

This was posted on our Friendster Blog on 7 July 2006....

Welcome to India where the cows say "Hey!",

with the CBKs need to get a lay.

We brainstorm sampai mati,

no freedom like Gandhi.

Matt wears a dress,

tries his best to impress.

Chi Ho's talent doesn't finish last,

now he wears a cast.

Nig likes dancing,

but most of the time he's prancing.

Ris needs a creative boost,

not a creative booze.

Ron's act seems calmer,

therapy from Mrs. Palmer.

We laugh at MJ whims,

not to mention his rims.

On stage people think we're queer,

wait till you see us high on beer.

YEA!

Labels: ComeBackKings_Caleidoscope_and_Column

2004: First picture together
taken in LT2 toilet, Taylor's
College Subang Jaya.

What a great milestone and another excuse to celebrate. So, my dear Kings, come September 11 (nothing to do with Happy Osama Day) this year its a Happy Birthday to our group and come 5o shows, its a Happy Bingeday instead! All we need to do, is to find a client that offers a cocktail party in their event for our 5oth show!


2005; Nokia Starlight Cinema

- first "big" show

Labels: ComeBackKings_Caleidoscope_and_Column

Labels: ComeBackKings_Caleidoscope_and_Column

11 Sept 2004 - It was day-2 of the staging of Hip-Hopera, a play production by the Society of Performing Arts of Taylor's College Subang Jaya. The first half of the play just ended. The ComeBackKings were still backstage, huddled and hunched together in a circle for a supposed prep. talk. Back then, The ComeBackKings, a figure of speech they had borrowed from their teacher advisor, Ms. Vijaya, after her remarks of their return to their 'old' college, was very much just a temporary stage name for their brief appearance.

"So whose contact lens are we looking for again?" cracked Matt Ho, sending a ripple of laughter among the other three original Kings, Chi Ho, Nigesh and Rishaad.

Each of them scanned each others' face. The lines of confidence clearly beaming. They pursed their lips and nodded to each other. "This is it", they thought. They stood up, lifted their arms from each others shoulders and waited near the link-entrance between Lecture Theatre 2 and Lecture Theatre 1 . Ronnie was already on stage, announcing the special half-time show.

First up was Chi Ho, the 'butler'. Firmly gripping a broom, he walked up the stage to greet the applause of a crowd eager to be entertained. And in the end, entertained was more than what they, and the Kings, got.

Only a day ago, the 4 original Kings was having a chat, reminiscing their college days together when Ms. Vijaya came over to them and asked whether they could pull off a half-time show for the second day of the play. Chi Ho and Rishaad quickly turned to each other, both having the same thoughts about their previous assignment - The Magic Show. Matt and Nigesh were somewhat expecting Ms. Vij to say something like that (Nigesh was supposed to perform with Durga from the Save the Last Dance production for the half-time slot). So from there, their conversation was solely about the half-time show, or rather, just a 'small' skit.

Chi Ho brought up something that he had seen on telly, about a how the late James Wong, a Hong Kong composer, demonstrated how Tango can be learnt by mopping the floor and how the Twist came out of how we dry our backs with a towel. And that was enough to get Rishaad's creative juices flowing.

His eyes brightened as he pushed himself up standing. "Yea", he boomed enthusiastically, "that's an idea!" From that moment, the rest of the Kings left Rishaad on his own as he stared into an empty space, silently working out in his head, the sequences, dances and sounds that would turn out to be the ComeBackKings' biggest hit - Dance 101, or to many, The Cockroach Dance.

When Rishaad returned to the Lecture Theatre the next day, with his enthusiasm very much like the day before, layed out to the other Kings about the his drop of genius. The group was impressed. Already they could imagine the crowd roaring and laughing to a standing ovation. Practice was brief as the phrase 'to have fun' was still embedded in the back of their heads.

And when the time came, the ComeBackKings struted what they have planned and little do they know, they have opened a door for greater things to come.

What they've previously imagined about the crowd became a reality.

What they thought was merely just "to have fun" became a career.

What they thought was just a 'small' skit became one of those 'small' things that many will regret not witnessing.

And so, The ComeBackKings was formed.

Labels: ComeBackKings_Caleidoscope_and_Column