FIVE decades is a remarkable achievement for any band, and while Hong Kong's The Wynners may not be the Fab Four, they will always be Cantopop's Fab Five.
Fronted by lead singers Alan Tam Wing-Lun and Kenny Chung Chun-Toh or Kenny Bee, the group had some 10,000 fans mesmerised by an extravaganza of non-stop Cantonese, Mandarin and English hits at the Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur on Nov 4.
LOYAL FANS
The three-hour concert, organised by Star Planet, began at 8pm and featured 35 songs.
It was titled The Wynners' Farewell With Love Tour to celebrate their 50-year journey in Cantopop.
The group, which also comprises guitarist Bennett Pang Kin-Sun, bassist Danny Yip Chi-Keong and drummer Anthony Chan Yau, had kicked off the farewell tour at the Hong Kong Coliseum in August.
Alan, 73, Kenny, 70, Anthony, 71, Bennett, 74 and Danny, 73 emerged on stage punctually, dressed in white suits, and opened the concert with Never Change, their trademark introductory song which is a poignant tribute to their friendship.
Following the upbeat Listen To The Music, the quintet got the crowd singing along to Making It, their bilingual hit that spoke of their early days in the entertainment industry.
"I love you Kuala Lumpur, it is so good to be back after 13 years," Alan said to the crowd's applause.
Kenny added, "Sing with us tonight".
After dedicating This Song to their fans of all ages, the group -- backed by nine musicians and three back-up singers -- delivered their first Cantonese number, Just Play.
Here, the big screen showed scenes from three feature films in which the young Wynners starred, namely Let's Rock (1975), Gonna Get You (1976) and Making It (1978).
An upbeat romantic song Melodic Affair followed, before the quintet had fans singing and dancing to their first medley of Let's Rock, Money, Eager To Learn and Team Work.
HAPPY MOMENTS
Taking the lead for the number Teenager, Danny then presented photos of each member from their preteen days.
"We strive to be like our teenage selves by thinking positively and cherishing happy moments," he said before the group sang the bilingual Face The Reality.
Alan and Kenny, with their pitch-perfect voices and superb vocal harmony, had their first duet with The Hollies' He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother,
Bennett returned to the stage, dressed entirely in pink, to sing a medley of Sound and Pretty Smile, as well as the Nameless Song which he co-wrote with Hong Kong pop group Beyond in 1987.
He displayed power-packed guitaring and his comical voice reminded fans of actor-comedian Michael Hui.
It was Anthony's turn next, and he wowed fans with his powerful drumming in the instrumental Caravan.
He also impressed with his crystal-clear voice in When I Get Old.
BRUCE LEE TRIBUTE
Danny went on to display superb rapping skills in a short tribute to his idol, simply titled Bruce Lee.
After this, the Wynners regrouped, dressed in T-shirts and denim jackets, to deliver a medley of Carl Douglas' Kung Fu Fighting, Neil Sedaka's One Way Ticket, Leo Sayer's More Than I Can Say, The Cascades' Rhythm Of The Rain and Brian Hyland's Sealed With A Kiss.
Alan's solo segment kicked off with two poignant ballads, With Her and Most Of Love. These ended with two female fans presenting bouquets of flowers to him.
"I had always wanted to sing and the first great singer I loved was Nat King Cole," Alan said as he delivered Cole's Mona Lisa.
SOARING BALLAD
After a sad song, Inexplicable Tears, and the upbeat Lorelei, Alan promised to be back, before introducing the crowd to Kenny.
"Ah Bee you are so handsome!" one female fan screamed as Kenny appeared on stage.
"Thank you, I love you!" Kenny replied, as he sang the soaring ballad Ocean, the poignant Mandarin song Father and a new version of Danny Chan's Looking Back In Anger.
Kenny ended his segment with the sing-along Willingly, and Alan re-emerged to sing four more duets, Natural Relationship, I'll Never Dance Again, 4.55 and I Go To Pieces.
Lastly, all five Wynners introduced their musicians and said goodnight to fans, before belting out Sing and Till Now, and a fast-paced encore comprising LOVE, The Walkers' Sha-La-La-La-La, OK and Brothers.
