KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 — On Saturday night, local rock legend Datuk Amy Search proved that his star power has yet to fade.
The 67-year-old singer rocked Axiata Arena here in his first-ever solo concert, where more than 4,000 of his fans turned up to witness the “historic” moment in his career spanning over four decades. Even though the concert coincided with the Malaysia Cup final between Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) and Sri Pahang FC, the rock king’s charisma easily eclipsed everything else,
The Johor-born singer known for his iconic fashion sense, demonstrated that physical changes and advancing age have done nothing to diminish his power and brilliance on stage.
“Grateful that at 67, I’m still standing on this stage… my wife often asked me, ‘When are you going to do a solo concert? Are you afraid?’ This was something I never knew when I could get to do but finally, the dream has come true,” he said.
Still bursting with energy and delivering powerful vocals, Amy performed 21 songs including medleys, dressed in a knee-length black coat, opening the three-hour show with a selection of songs from his various solo albums.
Songs like ‘Gita Rama Sita’, followed by ‘Aku’, ‘Apa Saja’, ‘Suralaya Dalam D Major’, ‘Mengintai Kelawar, Ghairah’ and ‘Kau Bukan Sadura’ filled the first part of the performance. These numbers showcased a rarely seen and more personal side of the singer, whose real name is Suhaimi Abdul Rahman.
Although some of the songs, drawn from albums like ‘Magic’ and ‘Aku Amy’, may have felt unfamiliar to some of the audience and caused a slight sense of confusion early on, it was perhaps Amy’s way of allowing fans to dive deeper into his solo works.
“…this concert won’t be the same as with Search, it won’t be like with you guys (the members of Search), but this (solo concert) is for you all… we will always be happy,” Amy, who used to be the lead singer of the popular rock band Search, said in a video recording shown on the big screen.
As the concert entered the second hour, the energy soared as Amy unleashed his legendary hits that made history in the local music scene, starting with ‘Gadisku’ and ‘Rozana’, presented with fresh new arrangements.
From then on, the audience’s cheers never ceased as they relived the glory days of Search, watching Amy delivering timeless anthems like ‘Fantasia Bulan Madu’ and ‘Pawana’.
Amy also surprised fans with a nostalgic medley, covering songs made famous by his musical peers, beginning with ‘Suatu Masa’ originally sung by Datuk M. Nasir, followed by ‘Ku Di Halaman Rindu’ (Lefthanded) and ‘Sejuta Wajah’ (Sweet Charity).
Accompanied by a band led by well-known concert producer Jennifer Thompson, Amy also performed ‘Tinggal Sepi’, ‘Aku Dah Bosan’ and ‘Saat Yang Ku Idamkan’, stirring sweet memories among the fans.
Amy also sang ‘Kerja Gila’ and ‘Tiada Lagi’, two songs that continue to resonate with fans across generations, before closing the show with ‘Isabella’, a song that remains the symbol of Search’s success. — Bernama
