Three essential tracks for a Halloween-themed bash… Yeah Yeah Yeah’s “Date with the Night,” Unwound’s “Corpse Pose” and Primal Scream’s “Miss Lucifer.”

My Halloween dream costume is… a bunch of grapes with a wee leaf on my head.

If the party was outdoors, it would be at… the top of the hill of MacRitchie Reservoir where everyone can worship the beat of the midnight sun.

Us Against The Sound punters can expect… bass bombs in this party mortuary.

Gear up for Us Against The Sound on October 29, Home Club. Early revelers in full costume get in for free.

How did the idea of incorporating ice for the project come about?
Asif Khan: The catalyst for the research stemmed from a fascinating conversation with a local taxi driver. He was talking about an area called Ice Bridge and I was instantly attracted to the mythical notion of this location.

Memory is such an important facet in this work. What are some personal memories you recollected while working?
Pernilla Ohrstedt: The personal memories that the works evoke for me is my childhood in Sweden spent gazing at ice hotels. They seem rather banal but they certainly had a sense of magic in them. What’s intriguing is how we have gone to primitive ways of using huge blocks of ice in air-conditioning systems now.

How laborious was the entire project?
Asif Khan: The project involved over 3.5 kilometers of rope and over 1,000 knots tied by hand. Ice stacks were specially made by hand. We were fortunate that many hands made light work, which includes the support from the companies involved and the design students helping us to tie the knots.

We heard that the sand used in this project will be re-used by the sponsors. What do you hope will happen to it?
Pernilla Ohrstedt: Hopefully, the sand doesn’t turn into either glass or concrete. It would be great if it is used for land reclamation purposes. We don’t think we would be pleased if it turns into something under another tower block.

The Future Memory Pavilion runs through November 18 at Stamford Green, National Museum.

What’s the biggest occupational hazard of being a popular comedian?
Hot women throwing themselves at me. At one show recently, I even had a mother/daughter combo flash me during the show. Really, ladies, I am married and no amount of your shameless tata flaunting, aggressive flirting or rubbing yourself on me will make me stray. I do encourage you to try your best, however.

Do you look back on your earlier work and wish you hadn’t done some of it?
Comedy is unlike other professions. In medicine, you go to school for years and learn at hospitals before you are actually permitted to do brain surgery. There’s no looking back and saying, “Wow, when I was just starting out, I really sucked at it! Look at all those jagged edges!” On the other hand, in comedy, the audience gets to see all those jagged edges because we learn on the job. So, yes, I watch videos of when I was first starting out and cringe at the string of dead patients. But as comics, we keep growing, so I’ll even cringe at things I did last week.

Most surreal gig?
I once did a show at a birthday party for a dead guy. When I got onstage, I asked the crowd where the birthday boy was and one guy approached me and quietly said, “He’s in the cake.” Being a wiseass, I asked, “Is he going to jump out and say happy birthday to himself?” Then I was informed the birthday boy died the week before and as a tribute, they cremated him and put his ashes in the cake. Gross ... I’ve never had Fred Velvet Cake before.

The Kings & Queen of Comedy Asia 2 runs through Oct 29 at the Esplanade Concert Hall.

Some of the funniest people on this planet were known to be manic depressives. What’s your off-stage persona like?
If I had a ringgit for every time a stranger said to me, “Actually, for a comedian, you’re not very funny,” I would have loads of ringgits in my pocket. Being “funny” is a chore and a challenge and (in my case) almost an “on-stage” persona. My off-stage persona is best described with an anecdote: My wife recalls that our first date was, in her words, “probably the most boring date she had ever been on.”

If stand-ups botch their set, what should be their due punishment?
The punishment is inherent in the moment. If we do a bad set the audiences’ non-laughter is enough to make the average person want to run off stage and bury her- or himself under a pile of horse manure. That’s why there are not that many stand-ups as compared to singers because it takes a special sort of stupidity to come back on stage and try doing comedy again after “dying” on stage. And, just like life, one will die at one time or another.

Does humor exponentially increase your mating potential?
Nope. As Eddie Murphy once said; “Singers get all the chicks.” When you hear a woman say, “I like a guy with a sense of humor,” what she means is: She likes the comedian—but she’ll have sex with the singer. So, anyone out there looking to get into the entertainment business for “mating” purposes—sing.

So you didn’t luck out yourself then?
Saying that, my wife is hot! But it’s purely coincidental. And, in our case, she makes me laugh—so, yes, humor is important.

The Kings & Queen of Comedy Asia 2 is on Oct 28-29 at Esplanade Concert Hall.

One thing that you discovered whle recording Forevermore... bears are Whitesnake fans.

Ever considered a haircut... no, I like having long hair.

Any regrets in your life... none at all.

Misperception that makes you laugh the hardest... the Sex Object awards I have at home.

Greatest non-musical influences... My wife Cindy.

Catch Whitesnake play on Nov 1 at Fort Canning Park.

What is the most important ingredient for the local literary scene?
We as a society need to focus on arts education for young Singaporeans growing up and exposing them to different literary forms. This is crucial as it would inspire the scene, and in turn attract youth to pursue arts-based careers.

What are some recent developments that have impressed you?
There is something brewing in the country, with the introduction of new quality journals like Ceriph and online outlets like Poskod. The vibrancy is never about producing big international literary stars because you can never plan for that but what you can do is build a conducive environment for writers to exchange ideas, create networking opportunities and connect with publishers.

What do you hope to achieve with The Singapore’s Writers Festival?
It’s a great opportunity for Singaporean writers to garner a wide audience. The publishing symposiums will also expose the local literary community to folks from abroad. We hope the big international names will inspire the next generation of writers too. And it’s also great that this would become an annual event to look forward to in our city.

The Singapore’s Writers Festival is on from Oct 22-30 at various venues in the city. Log on to www.singaporewritersfestival.com for more details.

Club Colaba

Taking its name from the legendary Colaba area of Mumbai (or as we prefer to call it, Bombay), Club Colaba occupies two standalone shophouses. Walking in, you’re greeted by an altar, traditional Indian adornments, the scent of jasmine and a thick haze of incense. Its wide dance floor is ideal for the clubbing crowd who keep the party going till the early hours seven days a week.

Khazana

Decked out in classy wooden carvings and plush lounge chairs, and located above the Archipelago Brewery flagship bar, Khazana offers two levels of comprehensive entertainment. On the second floor, you have a live band accompanied by dancers, not to mention a retro light-up disco floor. On the third floor, you’ve got DJs.

Bollywood Dhoom

A small metal figure in a Namaste pose on the door welcomes you to this cozy little pub promising “live performance by exotic Indian dancers.” Bollywood Dhoom delivers just that, and lets you get up close and personal with your entertainers. The lovely ladies strutting their stuff in traditional garb are mere feet away from the tables. The place also has a more than decent selection of whiskies and other spirits.

The Rupee Room

Well, the only Gandhian thing about this upscale joint is the minimalist décor but it does come in a plump shade of purple that would make any Bollywood starlet purr in delight. The intimate, cozy atmosphere is ideal for friends to meet up over cocktails and scrumptious Indian and fusion accented canapés. And if you are tanked up on liquid courage, bust out moves like Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai as the DJs spin a mix of lounge and Hindi tunes.

What are some themes that you constantly explore in your works?
They are heavily based on appropriation and my interest in everyday life. As an arts educator, I have always been intrigued by my differences with the younger generation as well as the problems they face. In fact my latest interactive work Performance Karaoke was inspired during my stint teaching students from Maris Stella High School in Malaysia. It also serves as my commentary on youth’s fascination with new media and technology.

Why was your mother involved in the creative process of works like Another Woman?
I involved my mother because I had the compelling need to explain to her why I made the choice to quit my regular job and create art. The entire process was therapeutic as we learnt so much about each other during the process.

How does presenting your exhibitions to a worldwide audience affect your subject matter?
The more international I ventured, the more my works became increasingly local. I felt it was my duty to engage these audiences with a distinctively Singaporean identity despite the universal values that resonated in them.

As a veteran artist, what do you hope to convey with your works?
Art shouldn’t be put on a pedestal. It is an essential part of life and our
need to value ourselves.

The exhibition is on through Jan 1 2012 at Singapore Art Museum.