(JP/PJ Leo)

It’s Jamrud, but not as you know it: The rock band is back with yet another new lineup.

Since releasing their last album New Jamrud: Mimpi Jadi President (New Jamrud: Dreams of becoming president) last August, the Cimahi-based band has not appeared in public.

Until this week, that is, when they made two appearances.

First was at a campaign rally for candidates Megawati Sukarnoputri and Prabowo Subianto at the Gelora Bung Karno stadium on Tuesday, and the second was in front of thousands of fans at the Jakarta Fair on Wednesday night.

“Tonight we appear with a new lineup,” guitarist Azis Mangasi Siahaan said before the band went on stage at the Jakarta Fair. “Only me and bassist Ricky Teddy are from the previous lineup. The rest of the members are new, including a new singer Jaja Amdonal, new drummer Danny Rachman and another guitarist Mochamad Irwan.”

Azis said the new lineup with two guitarists took the band back to its original formation when it was founded in 1989.

“We were using two guitarists from when the band was founded but after guitarist Fitrah Alamsyah died, we didn’t replace him,” said Azis. “So when we did any recording in the studio, I did second guitar or we used another guitarist for live performances.”

Since it was first set up, the rock band has changed its lineup — and its name — a couple of times. It started out as Jam Rock with Azis Mangasi Siagian on guitar, Ricky Teddy on bass, Agus on drum and Oppi on vocals.

In 1996, the band became Jamrud, with a new drummer Sandy Handoko replacing Agus and another guitarist, Fitrah Alamsyah.

One year after releasing their seventh album All Access In Love in 2006, husky-voiced singer Krisyanto and drummer Suherman Husin quit the band.

By last year, the group had released eight albums including Ningrat, which sold more than two millions copies in 2001 and won best rock band, best singer, best rock songs and best rock album

at the AMI-Sharp Awards in the same year.

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