Tuesday, January 01, 2008

Winsome Wynners!!

What a blast! What a way to end 2007 and usher in a new year 2008!



Again (the last time was in 1999 in Genting Highland) I had the privilege of attending The Wynners concert. How could I miss it? If Alan Tam is in it? Haha, but honestly, having the five of them together in a concert is as good, if not better, than a solo show from my idol!!

This would be their 33rd anniversary concert and I had already attended the press conference early this month. Yep, I was so excited to catch it that I wanted to grab the best available seats at the media area. I was also given two comp tix but I was given the option to be at the VVIP area by the kind organiser Star Planet so I gave my two comp tix to my ex-colleague (whose wife is a big fan too!) And I asked Lynn - who nicknamed herself `Choo Ah Lian' - to accompany me.



We were so early that the VVIP area was practically empty and we got really good seats - 5th row from the front! But had to wait until 9:30pm before it started and the weather was very warm.. and threatening to rain. In fact, it did drizzle a while during the concert but good thing it didn't pour..




I tell you, watching the Wynners is both nostalgic and comedic! They were well known from the 1970s of course and so their average age is also mid-late 50s already.. But yet, these canto-pop stars really know how to put on a show! They don't let their `maturity' set any limitation in the way they put on their show! They still sing and dance like they are in their 20s! And then because the style is so 70s, and their costumes were pretty `old fashion' yet elaborate, it was as if we were sent back in a time warp.. only that the artistes have the face and body of a bunch of middle-age men..

Speaking of costumes - gosh, they really don't stinge! I've lost count of the number of changes in the 3-hour show. And they're all really flashy and pretty corny even! I read that this concert - the props, the costumes, the run-down and all - is exactly the same as the one they did in HK during CNY. And yes, it was `action-packed' and well executed, although some of them, namely Alan Tam himself, seemed to have forgotten bits and pieces of the dance choreography!! :p



There was this part when they brought the audience back to the time when the band was formed - the members of Wynners came from its predecessor Loosers, except for Kenny Bee. It was hilarious to see them all in shoulder-length wigs, school uniforms and then put up a mini skit of sort that really had us in stitches! Gosh, I never laughed so hard for a long-long time! It's true as they claim, where there's Wynners, there's always fun and laughters!



Because each of them have their unique expertise, yet they are also a unit, there were many different segments that showcase them as a band and as individual performer. Of course, just like how it was back then, Alan Tam is the unofficial leader/spokesperson while Kenny Bee comes a close second. And as arguably the most successful singer in the 1980s, Alan got the chance to sing more songs, followed by Kenny Bee, who both Lynn and I agreed looked the best among the lot. Alas, must admit my idol has piled on quite a bit of weight and is the most chubby among the five!




Drummer Anthony Chan seems like a man of few words but can still plays his drums fiercely! His solo presentation earned thunderous applause! Bennette Pang, who loves his dog and his guitar, is dubbed the happiest person of the lot. The most timid of them all as always is Danny Yip, who surprisingly did a hot rap number!



Having covered countless Canto/Mando pop concerts, it is only at one person's concert I would scream.. (no prize for guessing who!) And so I did - yelling and calling out his name - un-shamefully directed at one particular member! And the audience - whose age groups range from grandma to small kids - adored The Wynners too!

They were singing more English songs in those days. So at the concert, they also sang many - among them by the Bee Gees (Alan did such a comical imitation of Barry Gibb!) and The Beatles and their own brand of songs like L.O.V.E. and the ever cheerful Sha-la-la-la. There were also poignant moments when they presented their own reunion theme songs like `chin zoi bat bin' and the latest `33 chun' that sang of their unchanging friendship.



The countdown at midnight was a tad disappointing.. nothing to do with The Wynners but the organisers this time stinge on the fireworks!! There wasn't a proper firework display like last time at `Zor Lun Yau Li' countdown shows.. hmmmm.. but it's not really a damper because everyone was already so high with the highly energetic performance on stage. And it didn't matter too that they didn't know the lyrics of `Auld Lang Syne'!

So they sang on for another half and hour of so into the new year before calling it a night. It ended with Alan Tam's fast songs `Har Yat Hon Fung' - and I just can't help but be awed and amazed at their stamina. They must be boiling hot in those thick winter costumes (from HK's show) and they were still dancing and running across the stage, singing and talking and in Alan Tam's case, yelling as well! Yap, Alan was truly the charismatic lead who naturally shines on stage - never mind his protruding tummy :p





So I left the concert in an euphoria high, even had an urge to rush to the celebration party to see them (read: Alan) again. But common sense got hold of me. Traffic in city center at 12:30am on new year's day will be a nightmare! And I was kinda tired...



But once I reached home, I spent the next hour or so uploading all the (clearer) pix onto my Facebook! I've already deleted those bad ones and still I had like 140 pix from the concert!! Of course, the ones here are the best of the lot!

It goes without saying that I had such a memorable time.. So how was your New Year eve? ;)


4 comments:

Kian Ming said...

Surprised that you managed to drag Lynn to the Wynners concert. Sounds like you guys had fun. Wish I could have been there! OKM

jesscet said...

drag? more like she jumped at the opportunity! don't u know she's a typical choo ah lian now? haha u must read her livejournal blog: http://lynnckl.livejournal.com/

yeah i think you would have enjoyed it very much too!

Unknown said...

Wynners are winners



For me and for some of us who were too young at that time or too poor to buy a cassette player in the early 80s, a missed opportunity in the past came back.
It was as if a time machine had transported the Wynners of three decades ago to New Year Eve in KL.
As Alan and company rocked away at Merdeka Stadium, I relived the days of "Tai Kah Lok" on that magically nostalgic night.
And so it was for the thousands of fans from the Wynners era.
Oh, those nostalagic words that I grew up with: "L is for life n living, O is the oath of giving, V n E, the vow of my live, LOVE love..."
Oh, the Wynners were winners again, winning our hearts.
Thank you a million, EeTan, for giving me and my wife the opportunity to travel back to a 'Missed Past'.


Kongster

jesscet said...

Kongster: you're most welcome. And thanks a bunch for making the effort to learn how to post a blog comment so that you could post on mine! ;) Am glad you and Cindy enjoyed it as much if not more than me!? Cos I don't really know their songs but love them becos of Alan Tam!!