From what I heard and saw, Arthur’s Day 2012 was a smashing success with thousands of fans gathering at 3 unique music events which took place simultaneously across the Klang Valley last week. Fans gathered at the Beer Factory, Sunway Giza, Laundry Bar, The Curve and SOULedOUT Sri Hartamas (or “SriHarts” as coined by the creative folks in SOULed OUT!) to raise a pint to the founder of the world’s favourite black brew, Arthur Guinness.
The celebration, themed ‘A Celebration Made of More’, gave GUINNESS® fans the opportunity to choose their own Arthur’s Day experience with some of the region’s top musicians which included some of Malaysia’s leading stalwarts. The celebrations featured Hong Kong superstar Justin Lo and a host of leading regional and local acts such as River Maya from the Philippines, Reshmonu, Will Ng, Kyoto Protocol & Jaclyn Victor.
Well, we were at SOULedOUT Sri Harts and what a party it was! We arrived pretty early which was a good thing because we got a good parking spot. Thereafter, the cars just kept on streaming in endlessly throughout the night. Tents and stage were constructed across the road where GUINNESS® showcased the history and beginnings of the beloved brew in “Arthur’s Lounge”.
Have you ever wondered why the colour of GUINNESS® is darker than the usual beer? Well, here’s the answer:
The GAB Crew was at hand guiding and explaining how to pour and drink GUINNESS® – did you know that you have to raise your arm till your elbow is parallel with your chest and tilt the glass ever so gently towards your lips in order to fully appreciate the delicious stout?
As highlighted in my earlier post, SOULedOUT has come up with several special GUINNESS®-infused dishes and some of these were served at the party. We had endless skewers of the well-marinated Chicken Yakitori and bite-sized pieces of battered fried fish, to go with our numerous glasses of GUINNESS®.
The MC for the event, the effervescent Serena C goaded and taunted the crowd to “make some noise!” to set the mood for the party. We got to view some live feed from The Laundry and The Beer Factory too and likewise, the SOULedOUT party was also fed to the other two venues.
By 9pm the crowd has swelled into the thousands and the whole strip where SOULedOUT is located turned into a massive party land. Local band, Car Crash Hearts started the ball rolling by performing several rock numbers that got the crowd going. Right after that, Reshmonu stomped onto the stage in his trademark black attire and whipped the crowd up further. He punked and rocked the stage non-stop and had almost everyone swaying and waving to the music in no time. It’s easy to spot his fans in the crowd!
Then, right on time, Jaclyn Victor took to the stage in a beret and a pair of impossibly high heels. Belting out numbers from Beyonce to Kelly Clarkson, every song was effortlessly delivered in her powerful vocals.
Arthur’s Day was not just another music party as GUINNESS® also unveiled the Arthur Guinness Fund™ here in Malaysia. Globally, The Arthur Guinness Fund™ was set up to further the philanthropic legacy of Arthur Guinness and support social entrepreneurs around the world. More than 7.3million pounds have been given to deserving social entrepreneurs around the world – people who have a head for business and a heart for the community. In Malaysia, more than RM 200,000 will be channeled to the program which aims to support local Malaysian social entrepreneurs with the passion for the Malaysian community to deliver measurable, transformational change in the local community.
“As an enlightened entrepreneur, Arthur Guinness had the vision to improve the communities and lives of the citizens where his products were sold around the world. With the Malaysian Arthur Guinness Fund™ this year, we’re proud to continue his good work” said Yap Swee Leng, Marketing Director of Guinness Anchor Berhad.
After Jaclyn Victor’s riveting performance, everyone raised their glasses in a united toast to Arthur Guinness. Then the Musical Fireworks Finale blasted the skies in a riot of rainbow bursts and showers. I love watching fireworks and the show at SOULedOUT was truly a mesmerizing and of course, a dazzling one! Thank you, SOULedOUT SriHarts for a spectacular show!
As the last embers of the fireworks drifted down, it was time to round up the worldwide celebration of Arthur’s Day. We look forward to Arthur’s Day 2013!
