Disposable Diary is a Noisy Headspace project where we send disposable cameras to bands, allowing them to document their daily lives in a candid way. For this edition, we turn to Porcelane, the pop-punk outfit who wrapped up their first Southeast Asia tour in 2024.

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Exactly a year ago, I handed a Kodak disposable camera to pop-punk band Porcelane before they set off on their Southeast Asia tour. It was their first time performing together outside Malaysia, joining Padang-based emo band Quaint on the road. The tour came together at the last minute, and with that came the pressure of keeping things afloat. For Porcelane — fresh off the release of their 2023 EP Not Dead Just Asleep — it was a chance to share their music with new audiences, moving beyond the familiar comfort of playing at home.

After three shows in Kuala Lumpur, they drove straight to Singapore for a gig, then flew to Bandung and Jakarta the following week. Now, with a year having passed since the tour wrapped, the band sits down to revisit their disposable camera photos for the first time. As always, I kept the images hidden until our conversation, so their reactions unfolded in real time. They reminisced about the small joys that held the trip together, including unforgettable meals, generous hospitality and the chaos of getting lost in foreign streets. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Adam: We were on our way to Jakarta here.

Ajith: The stewardess took this photo.

Adam: Look at me. I was very salty because I had to sit alone.

Farhira: How was the preparation for the tour?

Adam: It was a big thing for us. When the opportunity came, we couldn’t say no. We thought, okay, we’ve been playing in Malaysia, running out of venues, why not go to Singapore and Indonesia? Going into that tour, we were excited. At that point we played the same setlist for 10 shows, so there was no reason to be nervous in our performance, but we wondered, what’s the crowd going to be like? How’s the turnout?

Farhira: How did you guys know the band Quaint.?

Adam: From our good friend Aqmal from Pasca Sini. He runs Petai Belalang, and Quaint. was doing a tour. They reached out to Petai to ask if there’s any band that wants to join. Our schedule aligned, so we thought, what’s the worst that could happen?

Farhira: At the time did you guys think “Oh okay, we are ready enough to go on a Southeast Asia tour”?

Adam: I think mentally we always had been prepared. We were gonna do it. I believe in manifestation. I always speak things into existence. Prior to it, I kept saying I want to play Indonesia, and we always had conversations about eventually going to the Philippines or Thailand.

Farhira: What’s happening here?

Daud: We were in a Grab in Indonesia and booked the wrong one. We had to squeeze into the car because our gear filled the bags, and we had to hold some inside. Thank God the driver is chill. Even if you book the wrong car they’ll be like, it’s okay, don’t do it next time. In Singapore or Malaysia they’d tell you to get out *laughs*

Farhira: So it was just the four of you during the tour?

Daud: Yeah, it was kind of impromptu. We knew Quaint. maybe two weeks before the tour when Aqmal invited us to play the show at Petai. We would have loved to have a PR crew, a photographer, or someone in charge of social media. But touring isn’t cheap, and with such short notice we had to handle that ourselves.

Adam: It’s a very DIY tour.

Farhira: Since the tour happened on such short notice, how did you manage the roles, like who does what?

Adam: Good question. I think Daud did everything.

Daud: For administrative stuff I’ll handle it with Ajith or Adam’s help. Creative stuff is usually Adam and Dro. Backend financials I handle, calculating costs so everyone knows how much it’ll be.

Farhira: How did you have the experience to manage the tour finances?

Daud: I thought of just multiplying what it would cost for me alone by four.

Adam: That’s the Porcelane tour formula.

Daud: But seriously, we agreed on a rough budget and tried to book the most bang-for-your-buck deals. For example, would it be cheaper to book a car from the airport straight to Bandung, like a two, three hour drive, or take a Grab to the train station and then the train? For four guys with gear, the train was cheaper.

Farhira: Did you get any advice from others in the scene on how to tour in Indonesia or Singapore?

Daud: It helps if you have friends where you’re touring. For example, Quaint., even though they’re from Padang, some of their members work in Jakarta and Bandung. It was easier because they had the network to book shows or handle transport. In Singapore, the organiser was also very helpful. Shout out to Our Stray Liberties from Singapore.

Adam: This is in Jakarta. Before going there, we already had a good relationship with Converse. We just reached out: hey Converse, we’re going on a little tour to Singapore and Indonesia. Converse Indonesia was nice enough to say, come get a shoe and a piece of clothing. It was surreal to shop at Converse in Indonesia, especially on a tight budget. It felt like a privilege.

Farhira: How did your partnership with Converse first start?

Adam: It started with the Create Next campaign. They called us to make a song for them because they wanted two bands with different vibes. At that time we got a manager, and he pulled some strings. Converse took us in, and the rest is history.

Farhira: Were you guys surprised such a big brand could support your band?

Adam: Absolutely. This goes back to manifesting. I remember when we got the news I was in Japan. Porcelane was at a stagnant point. We just started our Instagram, didn’t know what’s next. I went to a shrine and prayed, “Please give me success for my band in the next few years.” The next day we got an email from Converse. It was surreal. I used to tell myself one day I want to be sponsored by a skate brand.

Ajith: I need to find this in Malaysia, man.

Adam: This is like a caveman discovering fire.

Ajith: This is telur gulung. We found it at a street stall. One of the Quaint. members, Wira, told me to try it. I’m vegetarian, so food is hard to find. I bought two, and they laughed at me. Apparently, two is not enough. I ate it and it was so good I ordered 25.

Dro: That’s the only thing you could eat on the street.

Adam: I remember he said, I’m going to try it, then me and Dro went back to get… what did we get?

Dro: I ate the best bakso of my life.

Adam: It’s safe to say I’m going to Indonesia again just for the food.

Ajith: The show we played in Bandung…

Dro: The nasi goreng?

Ajith: They gave us for free.

Dro: I’ve never had nasi goreng that tops it since I got back.

Adam: And it was fresh out of our set. They served it to us right after. The hospitality in Singapore and Indonesia was amazing.

Farhira: This was your first time going on tour, right?

Adam: Yeah, outside of Malaysia, yes, it was the first time.

Farhira: Before this, you guys followed Pasca Sini on tour, right? How was having your own tour different compared to joining someone else?

Adam: I think when it comes to touring, it felt nearly the same because we had other bands with us. With Pasca, because they were more experienced, they knew what they wanted to do. It kind of felt like we were just tagging along. And since it was in Malaysia, it was easier, no need to worry about flights and accommodation. If anything, we could just drive home that night if we really needed to. With this tour, it was almost the same, but a bit more nerve-wracking because we didn’t know what to expect outside Malaysia. We’re used to how the scene works here, but in Singapore and Indonesia it was new. So when we experienced it, we were pleasantly surprised.

Farhira: So would you say the challenging part about the tour was the unfamiliarity of the scene?

Adam: In Singapore it wasn’t as hard because they speak English, but in Indonesia we had to learn their language just to break the middle ground. They could somewhat understand us, and we could understand them. It made interactions less awkward.

Dro: Oh my god, I still remember me and Ajith. Whenever I was ordering food, I would just grunt. If I saw something I liked, I pointed at it. When they asked me questions, I’d just say “Huh.”

Daud: This was the second bus station we reached after going to the wrong one first. It was in the middle of nowhere. And that bus only went to the airport.

Adam: I wasn’t awake enough to remember. I just woke up like, where are we, and then suddenly we had to go.

Daud: We had to charter a mini bus back to Jakarta. One guy negotiated it for us. We all went back together in that mini bus.

Adam: It was like a six-hour drive, a pretty long one. We stopped at an R&R for food and stuff. Honestly, if we were to tour again with more funds, I’d probably just book a van and hire a driver. That would be the most effective way of touring and traveling.

Daud: Ajith had a really hard time getting a train ticket.

Dro: Oh my goodness, yes.

Ajith: The VPN was messing with my internet connection, so it was tough. But we managed to settle it in the end.

Farhira: You guys did everything by yourself for this tour. How did it change your band’s dynamic? What did you learn about each other along the way?

Adam: Our friendship.

Others: *laughs*

Ajith: In terms of dynamic, I think it’s always been well defined. So when the idea of touring came up, we already knew who would be doing what. We kept everybody on track. We’ve always worked like that, so it was just the same thing again.

Adam: This is at Haji Lane.

Dro: Porcelane in Haji Lane.

Ajith: I wasn’t in this photo because after the Singapore show, the next day I had an exam in uni. So Adam and I drove together in my car, then we took a bus to Singapore. And then after that, we played the show, then I left early. I took a bus back, and then after that I drove from Johor to KL at like one in the morning. Then I slept for two hours and went into my exam the next morning.

Farhira: Wow.

Ajith: I would probably never want to do something like that again.

Farhira: Yeah, I was about to ask, like, you guys all have day jobs and then Ajith also had your exam. How did you balance that with going on tour?

Adam: I remember specifically for this tour I took unpaid leave. I told myself, just take this unpaid leave and go on the tour cause I know something good is gonna happen. I don’t care if not many people see us play, I just wanna meet some people.

Dro: Oh, I applied for annual leave in advance and then I just told them I gotta go play *laughs*. It took like a week plus. I just cleared my AL because I wanted to come back down to reality slowly, rather than get straight into work. Cause when I came back from Singapore it was so depressing. I’m like, “Damn, that’s it?”

Adam: Yeah, I know. I feel like that’s what people overlook about musicians that have a day job. The comedown after a good show is so crazy.

Farhira: The post-tour depression.

Ajith: Yes.

Adam: It’s like yeah sure, the audience has post-concert depression. But for musicians themselves, it’s amplified sometimes, especially when you have to drag yourself to work.

Farhira: What did you guys learn about the scenes in Indonesia and Singapore during the tour?

Adam: I feel like in Singapore the scene is way more tight knit, you know? Because it’s a small country. So whoever’s in the scene, the audience, the bands, the artists, the photographers, the organizers, everyone will know each other.

Farhira: What about Indonesia?

Adam: We got culture shock in Indonesia, sia. Because we went to Indonesia not knowing what time was our soundcheck or what time we’re playing or where the venue was. So Indonesia punya style is yes, just come and we’ll tell you the place and time the day before.

Dro: In Jakarta we only found out on the day itself. For the soundcheck, I remember we told the guy we’re in a rush for the soundcheck, but when we came at 6:30 only they opened the venue.

Adam: We were told that’s just how things work there so we didn’t complain.

Ajith: In Jakarta, I feel like the crowd was a bit less active than I would expect, a bit less active than they are here. Maybe less two stepping, less headbanging, less smashing.

Farhira: That’s surprising.

Adam: They were pretty tame. Maybe less moshing but more getting up to your face, you know?

Adam: The caption for this should be “Singapore, we’re inside of you.”

Farhira: Was there a moment when you guys thought, whether in Singapore or Indonesia, “We should have something like this in Malaysia?”

Ajith: Telur gulung.

Daud: I think organiser hospitality is something we could improve here in Malaysia. Like in Bandung, immediately after the show they brought nasi goreng and teh o ais for us. You won’t see that in a Malaysian event. Here it’s more like we just expect you guys to show up and that’s about it. I think Petai does it a bit differently. They actually go and pick up the act at KLIA and drive them around, which is a lot like what the Singaporeans did. Except the Singaporeans don’t have a car so they actually paid for a Grab from Woodlands, the bus station, all the way to the venue. 

But I think the question that opens up is, what would enable organisers in Malaysia to do that? Cause I think margins for event organisers here aren’t that big. Some of them do ticket splits, some of them maybe just rent the venue themselves, or whatever other method. So what would enable it is either more shows or they have to raise the price of shows? I don’t know. But yeah, I guess it’s something to think about.

Adam: Yeah, and also, I think Singapore punya shows, outside of the space that we played, they had like a little Beyblade competition, which I won by the way. I am an average Beyblade champion. I’m proud to say it. It was fun, I feel like those little activities outside of the venue were pretty fun. Instead of just promoting the acts and events, I think more shows should have like a bit of activity, just a side thing.

Dro: Dude, I remember you were losing the finals also but then the epic comeback. And this is when I fought you, and I lost. Full disclosure, Adam cheated when he fought me, but it’s okay lah.

Adam: What do you mean?

Dro: Kidding lah. Off the record. On the record, he cheated *laughs*

Ajith: I will miss Petai Belalang, man.

Adam: Yeah, we’re gonna miss Petai Belalang so much. I’m gonna miss the stage platforms especially. Not a lot of venues have this, and it’s pretty fun because you can climb that thing and get close to the crowd. I’ve hit so many people with my headstomp, not on purpose.

Daud: It’s a great venue. The ideology they have there is really cool.

Adam: They’ve given us the space to continue to enjoy being Porcelane. Yeah. It was like a joy every single time we played there.