On the eve of his reunion with his old pop band mates, Hussein Idris and Billy Chang, the 80-year-old, said: “Our glamour is gone, our youth is gone, but the music still sounds brilliant.”
Drummer Hussein, 73, said: “ Do what you gotta do, but you gotta be there on Sunday,” while bassist Chang, 75, insisted, “We are doing it for the fans.”
The three original members of the Strollers will reunite for the first time since 1973 for the nostalgic, Just As We Were, concert tomorrow.
Entry to the three-hour event, beginning 4pm, is free at Hangover PJ, Dataran 3 Two Square, in Petaling Jaya. Due to limited seating at the venue, the show will be live-streamed at the adjoining Beerbook Tapas and Sports Bar.
The show has been put together by a group of Strollers fans to honour the crackerjack band that had demonstrated extraordinary fortitude since it was formed in 1965.
Undimmed by the passing of years, the inspirational, gutsy and high-spirited musicians are set to add another top-shelf performance to their glowing profiles.
Magness was refreshingly chatty and candid as he talked about the iconic band’s get together.
“I’m confident our music will get the audience in a nostalgia-filled mood,” said Magness, who migrated to Australia in 1989, and returned for the gig on Monday.
Magness said he was happy the band had over the years remained remarkably durable despite changing trends in music and going through a few incarnations.
He acknowledged the talents of the current members, guitarists-vocalists Soon King, Rodney Steele and keyboardist Dave Singh. “They are simply the best.”
To Hussein it’s “bringing on back the good times,” and to Chang, it’s “yesterday hasn’t gone yet.”
Hussein said the band will make its obligatory nods to the superb tunes that have stood the test of time. “We are still standing because of the support from the fans.”
According to Chang the band was not very different from the original group. “The young members still have the resonance of the old band.”
Chang is the only one who has been in the band all the time, “so I’m in every photo there is of the Strollers.”
A segment of the show will pay tribute to the deceased Strollers, who through their music gave many joy, empowerment and purpose in their lives.
The gratitude will go out to multi-instrumentalist Nand Kumar (1991), guitarists Terry Thaddeus (2003), Amrin Majid (2010) and Hassan Idris (2021), drummer Ramli Yaakob (2019) and the band’s first manager, Jap Tan, whom many regarded as the “fifth Stroller” (2021).
The show will also feature guest appearances by local stars A Radha Krishnan, who will double up as the emcee, Vernon Steele, Jason Noah, Colin Jansen and pop diva Ice.
The Strollers “Just As We Were” Reunion Concert:
Date: Sunday, April 2, 2023
Venue: Hangover PJ, Dataran 3 Two Square, 2, Jalan 19/1, Petaling Jaya
Time: 4pm-7pm
Entrance: Free. First come, first served.