Mi Lu Bing (literally translated as "Lost Soldiers"), as the boys called themselves, was actually inspired by the band's favourite drink "Milo Peng" (colloquial slang for "Iced Milo").
However, the name "Mi Lu Bing" is more than just a drink to these boys, who once felt lost at different crossroads of their life. hooked examines this Superband Champion's road to success, to discover their persistence in creating music, straight from the heart.
Wei Qi (vocals, keyboard, leader), for one, was unsure of which university to go to and which course to pursue, while Nic (lead vocals, guitar) did not know what step to take after he came out from a Boys' Home. Sam (drums, vocals), on the other hand, felt lost about his direction in life after his NS days.
July 2007 marked a new starting point for them, as they released their long-awaited debut self-titled album - almost one year after snagging the Champion title at the Superband Grand Finals.
Now, music has become their compass in life, and the three enthusiasts proclaimed that with a common goal in mind, they would not "mi lu" (be lost) anymore.
Their friendship began when they met as little kids, no more than 4 to 5 years old, in the same church. Their music journey, however, started differently. Wei Qi began learning the piano at the age of 3; Nic was introduced to the guitar at the age of 5 by his father; and Sam started playing the drums since his secondary school days.
With a common interest, the three guys began their jamming days when they were in secondary school and developed a very strong chemistry. Under the encouragement of Sam's teacher, they formed "Mi Lu Bing" to join the Superband competition and the rest is history.
The past year has been a busy one for them. Despite their personal commitments, they tried to work around their individual schedules and came together to record the album.
They described their debut album as their "baby" and emphasized the quality of their music.
Mi Lu Bing contributed three compositions altogether, namely Get Alive, Tears ("Lei") and Accustomed ("Shi Ying").
"Lei" started out as a random solo by Nic and the band built upon that inspiration. The story behind it is simply about a guy who lost the girl he loved. As Nic said, "the worst thing that can happen to a person in love" is the death of his/her loved one.
"Shi Ying" may have been Sam's composition but Mi Lu Bing said that it was not the reason for choosing Sam to sing the song. They simply felt that Sam's voice was more suitable for the music style. It is a song about someone who is unable to forget the other party even after the relationship has ended - and Sam maintained that he did not write from personal experience.
Contrary to the two previous songs, "Get Alive", as the title suggests, holds a more optimistic view about life, and is a song full of hope and encouragement.
On the day of the interview, Mi Lu Bing was holding their third autograph session. Touched by the hordes of fans who came to support them, especially those familiar faces who have been with them ever since the Superband competition, the boys expressed their gratitude towards them for their continued support, even though it had been almost a year since they last saw their fans at a promotional event.
When asked about what kinds of gifts they had received from their fans, Mi Lu Bing said that just the previous week, they each received a mini electric fan, which they thought was cute and useful.
Additionally, there were fans who collated all the articles and photos of Mi Lu Bing into a book. They also wrote their well-wishes for the band, and there was even one written by Faye, lead singer of Taiwanese band F.I.R.
With the release of their debut album, what's next for this Superband Champion?
The boys said that they would continue to write songs, but their dream is to hold a concert so that everybody would be able to listen to their music.
"Don't you know? We are already planning for a world tour!" said Nic, jokingly.
The other two members were quick to clarify that Nic was simply talking "nonsense" because he didn't have enough sleep prior to the early morning interview.
Sleepless or not, Mi Lu Bing, with their cherubic nature, will definitely capture the hearts of youngsters, for a long time to come. HOOKED
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Written by Guest on 2008-03-23 03:28:01
 | Written by Guest on 2008-03-30 02:53:46
    | Written by Guest on 2008-12-19 03:21:00
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