If you grew up listening to Search, you'll know Rozana, you'll know Nirmala, you'll know Isabella. If you like Search even more when they do hard rock, you'll know Emmanuel.
(If you have to ask who are all these people I mentioned above - please go get a hobby, nerd-san!)
Last Sunday the joint known for its shitty service, Planet Hollywood was packed like every Monday is a national holiday - thanks to Amy, Nasir, Din, Kid and newly-recruited star-drummer Lola, plus keyboardist Firdaus. Yep, Search is in town!
This photo's taken using Alcatel One Touch 835, a phone that will force its user to subscribe to GPRS service to transfer data - yep, no infrared no Bluetooth, no PC link cable. Cropped it to 50% of actual size prior to loading it so that my blog won't bloat.
And your's truly - a long-time (since 1990), loyal (I don't dig Wings) fan, lucky enough to escape the long queue outside and the RM35 cover charge - was there.
For the record, I would have paid the RM35 anytime - hey they're the biggest rock act in the archipelago! But it's so happened that I got connections, this time in a form of a kind-hearted, handsome guy. Thanks a million, budak cute!
It was 10:45PM when the group finally got on stage. The crowd - everyone on the dance floor, everyone on the stools and chairs and tables and bar and staircase, and everyone who's stepping on everyone else's toes (literally) - welcomed them with the glass-breaking (again, literally) noise that they deserved.
The group immediately started their performance with their usual extraordinary flair, enticing the crowd - damn those rock-kapak fans - they had to sing along so loudly I could hardly hear Amy's vox! Yet who could blame them - Search, over the years has accumulated an impressive repertoire, each album studded with songs not easily forgotten by fans.
Me, I let my mind flash the lyrics like timely-coloured karaoke fonts and give the pleasure to the singer do the singing.
Personally Amy is by far the most charismatic front-line figure that I have ever seen. The paragon of glam-rock and a constant superfluousness, he's got everything one would need to be a rockstar - above all, he's got the voice.
When the band delivered Kejora I told myself, finally, I can go back and "RIP".
This track is under my best gile list (along with Layar Bahtera, Gadis Misteri and Pawana) and when the group did not get to play it during their recent KL concert (the one they did with Godbless at Stadium Merdeka) I went home babbling curses in my sleep!
Perhaps it was a mistake to berth so closely to Firdaus. The way his fingers run across the keyboard is really more pain than joy to watch cause with every stroke I realized that I'll probably will never get to his level.
Half-way through the first set, Din suddenly put down his machine and went off-stage. The band went on till break-time regardless of his departure.
During break we found out that Din had breathing problems. Back for the second set, Amy announced though Din had succumbed, the show will go on.
"Janji...?" he dared us. And we screamed back, "...ROCK!"
"Janji rock sampai tua*..." he corrected us.
And the band rocked on.
* During Search's Sunday Night Live show last weekend, Amy, in one of his on-stage musings announced that he'll turn 46 come this July 28th, hence the cheeky, new tagline. Apparently Amy, once he starts talking, it'll be some time before he realizes that he should stop and let the show continue. This time Amy ranted for more than five minutes before Nasir, with a sincere smile, professionally tug him on his shoulder and whispered something along the lines of "Aku panggil kau ni sebab nak suruh kau stop..."
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