VETERAN Danish rock band Michael Learns To Rock (MLTR) returned to the Arena Of Stars, Resorts World Genting for a two-hour concert last Nov 10.
The rock trio comprising lead vocalist and keyboardist Jascha Richter, guitarist Mikkel Lentz and drummer Kare Wanscher got some 5,000 fans singing along to 18 of their popular songs.
They also debuted their latest single, 'A Life To Remember', which reflected their years as a band and the challenges they faced along their journey.
TWO YEARS
MLTR is currently on its 'Take Us To Your Heart' world tour, and they last visited Genting two years ago.
Opening the show with the catchy 'Someday' and the infectious 'Sleeping Child', MLTR warmed up the Arena and greeted Malaysians with a boisterous "apa khabar", delivered with near-perfect Malay by lead singer Richter.
Guitarist Lentz, arguably the "Michael" of their name (though they also credit the late, great Michael Jackson as the man behind it) said: "Did you know, the first time we came to perform in Asia was at the Hard Rock Cafe Kuala Lumpur 30 years ago?"
Richter added: "At that time, we sang in front of only 300 spectators, and now this has multiplied by leaps and bounds."
LATEST
While the trio rocked the big stage with several back-up musicians, they went acoustic for their next three songs namely 'I'm Gonna Be Around', 'Nothing To Lose' and 'Out Of The Blue', the last two being sing-along favourites which Richter allowed the crowd to sing entire choruses.
Their next song turned out to be their latest, 'A Life To Remember', and Wanscher remarked that it was reflective of their three-decade journey as close friends from Aarhus, Denmark who bonded because of their common love of pop-rock music.
Wanscher said: "Our latest single is about getting older, a process that happens to everyone.
"We have been around for 30 years and we are not young any more.
"So, this new song is our reflection of our journey thus far."
DRIVING
Sharing the earliest moment of their musical journey, Richter, 61, said: "We remember that time we were driving in the car and suddenly for the first time we heard our song playing on the radio.
"To save that special moment, we reached for the camera and took a photo of the car radio. It was a very special moment."
Richter said MLTR always appreciated their Malaysian fans.
"People in Malaysia are friendly, sporting and sing along with us. They are some of our most supportive fans," he said, adding that MLTR had "lots of fond memories" in Malaysia.
20 TIMES
Lentz, 55, said MLTR had visited Malaysia more than 20 times since the 1990s.
He added that the band planned to record a new, updated version of their 1990s hit song about a man who missed his wedding, and everyone knew it was '25 Minutes'.
"That is a popular song with fans, a must-play in every concert. It is a catchy, sad song that helped make us a household name," said Lentz, as MLTR sang '25 Minutes' with full audience participation.
HOLLYWOOD
Wanscher, 55, then introduced MLTR's first hit single, about a struggling starlet in Hollywood.
The crowd knew it was 'The Actor', and once again, they helped Richter complete the entire chorus.
MLTR's next few songs — 'Breaking My Heart', 'Love Will Never Lie', 'Blue Night', 'I Still Carry On' and 'Complicated Heart' — did not receive much airplay, but nevertheless had the Danish trio's sound written all over them.
GIANT SCREEN
Each band member's station was equipped with a camera that displayed their faces on giant screens right behind them, and this enabled them to connect better with the crowd.
And while Richter, Wanscher and Lentz may have passed the half-century mark, they still appeared young.
Even Richter's youthful voice remained unchanged, and each song sounded just as it was in their nine studio albums to date.
With 36 years of experience and album sales exceeding 11 million, MLTR had clearly maintained themselves in tip-top condition.
ROCK AND ROLL
Lentz joked that they were named Michael Learns to Rock because in the early stages of choosing a musical genre, they wanted rock and roll, but after that the path led them to ballads and pop rock.
And to show what the band would look like if they delivered a rock and roll song, 'Wild Woman' was their answer.
HANDPHONES
Richter thanked the crowd for a wonderful evening, and dedicated two major hits — 'You Took My Heart Away' and 'Paint My Love' — to all Malaysians.
The crowd waved their lit handphones and sang along with Richter all the way.
The lights soon dimmed, and the band went backstage, triggering chants of "we want more" from their fans.
Predictably, the trio came back and ended their show with 'Take Me To Your Heart', their well-known cover of Jacky Cheung's hit song 'Goodbye Kiss', and 'That's Why You Go Away', which has always been their farewell song.
MLTR was founded by Richter, Lentz, Wanscher and former guitarist Soren Madsen in Aarhus, Denmark, in 1988.
MLTR has played in more than 600 concerts worldwide.