(JP/Ricky Yudhistira)

Pop-rock band GIGI is determined to hold a grand concert in Jakarta before the year ends '€” aiming to seize on the momentum of the band'€™s two-decade long career.

The four-piece had planned to go all-out in a big concert at the famed Bung Karno Stadium in Central Jakarta in March, but the event had to be canceled due to a ban by the authorities in consideration of the 2014 elections.

'€œWe regret the ban but we have rescheduled the concert for later in the year. It has to be held this year to retain its value as our 20th anniversary concert,'€ front-man and vocalist Armand Maulana said.

Armand said that the band would wait for the political temperature to cool ahead of the inauguration of president-elect Joko Widodo in October.

Other band members, guitarist Dewa Budjana, bassist Thomas Ramdhan and drummer Gusti Hendy, share Armand'€™s sentiments.

Thomas said that they had been planning the concert for a long time and had prepared something special for the event.

'€œIt will be a big concert but with a minimalistic concept. Only the four of us will play; we'€™re tired of reunion concerts,'€ said the 47-year-old musician referring to a number of reunion concerts and tours the band has played with its former members in the past few years.

GIGI was established in March 1994 by Armand, Budjana, Thomas, guitarist Aria Baron and drummer Ronald Fristianto. With critically and commercially received songs, they rose to fame and recognition after releasing their second album Dunia (World) in 1995.

In the same year, Baron left the band, followed by Thomas and Ronald in 1996. Armand and Budjana kept the band alive by recruiting bassist Opet Alatas and drummer Budhy Haryono. Thomas returned to the band and replaced Opet as they were about to release their sixth album Baik (Good) in 1999.

This formation remained until Gigi'€™s 10th album Salam Kedelapan (Eighth Greeting) was released in 2004, after which Budhy resigned and was replaced by Gusti.

To date, GIGI has released 22 albums, which include a number of greatest-hits albums, religious-themed albums and a movie soundtrack.

Thomas said that after touring and performing many times with Baron, Ronald, Opet and Budhy, the band felt that it would not be as special a performance to hold another reunion concert for the celebration concert.

'€œIt wouldn'€™t be sacred anymore; we'€™ve met them on regular basis on stage,'€ Thomas said.

GIGI have planned seriously for their 20th anniversary celebration. In November last year, the band recorded their latest album at the historic Abbey Road Studio in London.

Armand said that they had been eyeing a slot at the studio for a long time before getting the opportunity. The 43-year-old singer said that the cost to make the album was 10 times that of a normal production.

GIGI recorded a live album containing nine songs, which they titled '€œLive at Abbey'€ and released in early 2014 as part of their 20th anniversary celebration.

The band is also planning to publish a photographic record of their journey in the coming weeks.

'€œWe rigorously documented the historic undertaking in London. We also have a video of the recording process; we'€™re thinking of releasing the music video as singles or in its entirety as a DVD,'€ Armand said.

GIGI said they wanted to keep moving forward as a productive and performing band. '€œDespite the bad situation in the Indonesian music business as long as we can perform and tour, it'€™s good enough for musicians,'€ said Budjana.

'€œWe don'€™t care anymore about the music-piracy problem. The government obviously doesn'€™t care about it, why should we? Just leave them be,'€ Armand said.

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