WHEN it comes to declaring a certain band "Emperors of Malaysian Rock", it often boils down to two, namely Search and Wings.
But since Search has split into two Searches, Wings, which remains intact, has got to be the title's sole possessor.
Wings, comprising the charasmatic Datuk Awie, proved to be just that in their two-hour rock extravaganza, aptly titled Konsert Wings The Rock Emperor — Kuala Lumpur Chapter, which took place at Stadium Malawati in Shah Alam recently.
ALL WALKS OF LIFE
The crowd-pulling quintet comprising vocalist Awie, drummer Black, bassist Eddie and guitarists Edrie Hashim and Syam wowed more than 10,000 rock enthusiasts in their non-stop concert aimed at ending 2023 with a bang.
Malaysians from all walks of life gathered at the indoor stadium as early as 6pm to await Wings' final showcase of the year.
In the concert organised by Rumah Produksi Merah and Awie Entertainment, Wings performed 26 songs, including medleys.
BLOWING HORN
Emerging on stage at 9pm sharp, the Wings members looked fresh, energetic and ready for a good time.
Dressed in black T-shirts with the occasional yellow tanjak, they kicked off their show with "Adoney Dari Paran", a hard-rocking spiritual song about enlightenment.
Awie introduced this song while blowing a shiny, metal horn reminiscent of the horns blown by ancient emperors. He and his bandmates were initially seated on stylish thrones.
SMALL FIRES
Surrounded by several small fire stoves that symbolised their passion, the band proceeded to their second song "Jumpa Hilang" about "losing despite winning".
After a crowd favourite "Lubuk Pusing" about facing life's challenges with perseverance, Awie introduced to the audience several photos of the band over the years, from their founding in 1985 up to the present day.
BETTER WITH AGE
Newspaper articles and videos of past concerts were also beamed onto the big screen, and fans remarked that Awie "looked better with age".
"Apa khabar semua? I feel great tonight, and I hope you feel the same," said Awie to a thunderous applause.
AGE NO BARRIER
Awie subsequently debuted "Cinta Seusia Kita", which carried the timeless message that "age is no barrier to true love", and this was followed by the band's first sing-along for the evening, "Komplikasi Pramaya", a motivational song.
"I've got your favourites next, ladies and gentlemen," said Awie after he removed his headdress to reveal a short crop of dark brown hair.
These crowd favourites, most of which were voted in by fans via Wings' social media page, were "Jerangkap Samar", which is about staying clear of scammers, "Bernafas Dalam Lumpur", which was the theme song of former member Joe's 1994 movie "Putera, Gemuruh", a song about remorse, and "Ingatkan Dia", about keeping promises.
UNIVERSAL ROCK
The foreign songs segment came around 10.15pm, and Awie called on fans to look at the big screen once again.
"Rock is a universal language, rockers communicate via music. We may not understand every song, but we all know a good song when it reaches into our souls," said Awie, before belting out "Holiday" and "Black Knight" by German rock act Scorpions.
ANOTHER STORY
Awie went into falsetto mode with The Fray's "Run For Your Life" to the applause of the crowd, and had fans dancing at their seats with his next cover version by Cinderella titled "Nobody's Fool".
Finishing the foreign segment with Pink Floyd's "Run Like Hell", Awie said that over the years, Wings did get to meet some of the rock groups that they admired.
"But that's another story for another day!" he said with a smile.
CORRECT ANSWER
Returning to local songs, Awie waved some ringgit notes at the crowd, asking them to guess his next song.
When most of them gave the correct answer, he dived into "Nur Nilam Sari" and pointed his microphone at the audience who sang the entire chorus.
"Honesty and integrity are the best policy, ladies and gentlemen," said Awie, as he sang "Sekeping Kertas Bermaruah", a song that carried this message.
At the end of this song, he reminded fans of a great man whom he portrayed at Istana Budaya.
That man was football legend Datuk Mokhtar Dahari and Awie played him in "Supermokh The Musical" at Istana Budaya in 2013.
MYSTERY LOVER
Wings fans also sang along the chorus of "Dalam Kehadiran Sofiah", a song about a mystery lover from the band members' past.
This haunting song was followed by two upbeat numbers, "Rock and Roll" and "Awang Thrasher", which harked back to the rock quintet's early days as "wild boys wanting to have fun".
FOR PALESTINE
The evening's moving moment came next when Awie sang the spiritual Arab song "Allah Allah Aghisna" as a tribute to the people of Palestine.
Awie then introduced every member of his band, plus Eddie's daughter Nabila Samsaidi of "Akademi Fantasia 12", their backup singer.
BOB LOKMAN
Disappearing backstage for a split second, the band quickly returned for a six-song encore, which comprised "Rantai" about breaking free from dogmatic thinking, "Intan, Ku Kesepian", "Belenggu Irama", "Anugerah", "Misteri Mimpi Syakilla" and "Taman Rashidah Utama", which Awie dedicated to their friend, the late songwriter Bob Lokman.
"Goodnight, everyone! Drive safely home, and Happy Christmas to those who celebrate," said Awie.
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