The Sepang International Circuit in Sepang, Malaysia, staged the inaugural rock party Good Vibes Festival 2013 last weekend, with attendees roaring their approval for their favorite rockers on stage.

Headlining the fest were Canadian rock duo Japandroids, Northern Irish pop punk trio Ash,  American alt rock outfit The Smashing Pumpkins and indie rock band Modest Mouse.

The afternoon-to-midnight festival boasted four stages: Red, Blue, Green and Silent Diskotek. The main stages were Red and Blue, while the smaller stages Green and Silent Diskotek offered more electronic music.

Around 8,000 rock fans made their way to the festival venue, which was located some 60 kilometers south of the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, including around 3,000 fans from all over the globe.

A total of 24 performers got their chance to reign on stage throughout that Saturday evening. Red and Blue each hosted seven bands.

With overlapping schedules between the two main stages, the festival was set for non-stop rocking, but alas, technical problems and stage positioning contributed to some dead-air moments during the festival.

Only a couple of hundred fans decided to attend the festival’s kick-off at 4 p.m. A combination of scorching tropical afternoon sun and a venue patched with asphalt and concrete may have contributed to the slow start.

Opening the party were local acts electronic-rock OJ Law and experimental duo Pastel Lite on Red and Blue stages, respectively, attracting only a few dozen people in front of the stages throughout their half-hour sessions.

The larger and more sophisticated Red stage was definitely the heart of the festival.

Taking the stage from OJ Law, local indie rock band Pesawat upped the tempo as more and more fans started to arrive. Indonesian music goers in the crowd were reminded of pop rock band Nidji as Pesawat blasted out some of their poppier tunes.

Coming up after Pesawat was acoustic singer-songwriter Liyana Fizi playing a calmer mix of folk and bossa. Hugging
an acoustic guitar, Liyana serenaded chants to calm the heat, inviting people to come out of the shade.

“You back there come closer here. Come on, get out of the shade, but make sure you don’t get sunburned,” she greeted the audience.

She sang songs from her debut album Between the Lines including her hit single “Jatuh” and also offered an interesting cover of Malaysia hard rock legends XPDC’s “Apa Nak Dikata.”

On the other side of the venue were experimental rockers Pitahati who played a mix of psychedelia, blues and Malay tunes. Initially having technical problems on Blue stage, Pitahati managed to give a modern interpretation to 70’s rock with poetic lyrics before closing with their hit “Bintang Biru Kristal Salju”.

As Pitahati finished up their set, Kyoto Protocol had already attracted thousands to Red Stage, upping the volume heralding the headbanging coming later in the evening. Their punkish rock-and-roll music charged the festival, instantly triggering a moshing pit.

Kyoto Protocol’s final song brought the festival to its sunset break, giving time for attendees to grab mouthwatering meals and cool drinks at the Good Bites counters. A beautiful and breezy sunset accompanied rockheads as they munched down their quick dinners.

Guitarist and vocalist Billy Corgan (left) and guitarist Jeff Schroeder of the Smashing Pumpkins at Good Vibes Festival 2013. (Courtesy of Future Sound Asia)<)