By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Dec 14: Malaysian rock legends Search and XPDC took Kuching by storm last night (Dec 13) in the Fenomena Samurai Concert, delivering a near four-hour showcase of hits and nostalgia at Indoor Stadium Petra Jaya.
Co-organised by Seri Simfoni and Bintang Batu Event, the concert drew fans across generations, from those who grew up with the bands in the 1980s and 1990s to younger audiences experiencing the music for the first time.
Opening act Kyoji Band warmed up the crowd with a high-energy set, setting the stage for the night’s rock legends.
XPDC then kicked off their set with hits from their Samurai and Brutal albums, with frontman Zul Mamu and bandmates interacting with the crowd throughout their performance.
A highlight of the night was the appearance of legendary XPDC vocalist Ali, who, despite health issues, performed four songs instead of the originally planned one, earning loud cheers and applause from fans.
Search followed with energetic renditions, including Fantasia Bulan Madu, Merah Di Ufuk Timur, Fenomena and Isabella, fronted by Pasya, the 2019 Mentor 7 runner-up.
The concert concluded with an encore featuring both bands performing Semangat Yang Hilang and Pawana, leaving fans with a memorable night of rock, energy and nostalgia.
Fans reportedly travelled from across Sarawak, Sabah, Brunei and Singapore to witness the event.
Fenomena Samurai Concert director Ikram “Atom” Zainuddin expressed gratitude to the Sarawak government, sponsors, media and the production team, noting that staging a concert in Sarawak can be nearly three times as costly as in Kuala Lumpur.
“We believe we have given our best – 200,000 per cent. We hope fans enjoyed the show. If there’s an opportunity, we might come back to Sarawak again,” he told reporters at a post-concert press conference, hinting at plans for future Fenomena Samurai events in the state, including possible shows in Miri and Sibu.
Meanwhile, XPDC bassist Eddie said the band was deeply appreciative of the turnout and the enthusiasm shown by fans, noting that while the stadium was not completely full, those who attended made their presence felt.
“Alhamdulillah, even though I was a little disappointed the stadium wasn’t completely full… honestly, we did our best. We give our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported this concert. If other organisers want to do it again, we are happy to cooperate,” he said.
On the other hand, Kid of Search expressed his gratitude to everyone involved in the concert as well as the fans in attendance, saying he was thrilled to perform in Kuching again at such a large-scale event.
“The last time I came to Sarawak was in 2011. Coming here this time, Kuching has really modernised — it almost feels like Kuala Lumpur,” he opined.
— DayakDaily
