[1] Many early Malaysian rock bands would put on performances, also known as "fun fairs", in car parks, as they were a readily available and affordable urban public space.

[2] Rock kapak is musically characterised by slow-tempo power ballads, often featuring elaborate electric guitar solos and wide vocal range.

Influence was also drawn from traditional forms of Malay folk music, such as asli, with its characteristic steady beat and lilting vocal style.

These generally included long hair styled with the use of hairspray, makeup, and elaborate costuming often featuring tight leather and denim clothing.

Kutu then became a label more generally applied to young, urban and largely working-class Malays – in particular, the "street kids" who drew influence from rock artists' fashions.

[5][9] The earliest manifestation of rock music in the Malay peninsula emerged in the early 1960s, particularly influenced by the electric-guitar-driven rock-and-roll sounds of the "British Invasion" artists such as Cliff Richard, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

Throughout the 1980s, the mainstream popularity of Malaysian rock kapak groups was significantly enhanced by high-profile television shows such as Muzik-Muzik, which highlighted new artists and songs; and Anugerah Juara Lagu, a music competition.

This elevated the profile and popularity of rock kapak significantly, arguably allowing it to transcend ethnolinguistic boundaries despite it almost exclusively being sung in the Malay language.

[4][18] Some young fans began to migrate to thrash metal, but as it attracted even more controversy and government scrutiny, it never gained the mainstream popularity that rock kapak did and largely remained an underground phenomenon.