KUALA LUMPUR: Indie rock group A.C.A.B will only accept and agree to performance invitations if the payment reaches a five-figure amount.
Lead singer and guitarist Megat Hafiz, 45, said the specified amount reflects the current value of A.C.A.B, an established band with 30 years of experience in the underground music industry.
"Times have changed significantly from the past. We started playing music with payments of just a few ringgit.
"Nowadays, it's very different; at least there needs to be a five-figure payment. Payments in the thousands are no longer considered significant today," he said.
Megat, who has been with A.C.A.B since 1994 alongside other band members Eddy J (guitarist), Anas (bass), and Zul (drums), mentioned that they still receive numerous performance offers.
"We initially received payments in the hundreds of ringgit, but now it has escalated to tens of thousands. Organisers continue to remunerate us with this amount.
"With the group's age reaching 30 years, many high-value offers are coming in," said Megat.
"Sometimes there is a price we quote, but the organisers who invite us feel it's too little," he said during the Bangun Showcase 2023 media session commemorating A.C.A.B's 30 years at Timeless Studio.
When asked about performance offers, Megat said that A.C.A.B still receives between three to four invitations per month.
Commenting on the Bangun Showcase 2023 organized by A.C.A.B Productions in collaboration with Timeless Studio, Megat mentioned that they would be performing a full set from the Bangun album, most of which has never been performed live.
"A.C.A.B is excited to present songs from the Bangun album live for the first time. When this album was released in 2004, I had already gone to the United Kingdom (UK) for further studies, resulting in it not being promoted.
"In celebration of A.C.A.B's 30th anniversary next year, we want to celebrate it with fans by playing the Bangun album live," he said.
Bangun is A.C.A.B's only full Malay-language album, witnessing a sound evolution towards heavy metal with an aggressive 'Eastern Oi!' style. The group created its own brand, style, and genre known as Eastern Oi!, while the song titled "Skinhead 4life" spread worldwide, being played by several groups from various countries, including Europe and Latin America.