Indonesian blues band Slank dedicated its latest concert, '€œFlower Revolution: The Fragrant Generation'€, to the women of Indonesia, on Thursday.

The concert was billed as a '€œpremium'€ show, as Slank performed at the posh shopping center Pacific Place in Central Jakarta, with ticket prices ranging from Rp 450,000 (US$37) to Rp 1,500,000.

It was an unusual venue for Slank, which regularly holds performances in open fields or stadiums and charges entrance fees that are usually no more than Rp 500,000 '€” or sometimes even performing for free.

Drummer and founder Bim-Bim said that the band decided to hold a premium concert to cater to its fans from the middle and upper class.

'€œSlankers come from all segments of social classes. We have slankers who work as pedicab drivers and now, we even have the President as a fan. Through this premium concert, we want to accommodate slankers who are afraid to watch our performances in the open fields,'€ Bim-Bim said.

Some of the well-heeled seen attending the event included former women'€™s empowerment and children'€™s protection minister Linda Gumelar, rapper Joshua '€œJ-Flow'€ Matulessy, model Olga Lydia and Rolling Stone Indonesia magazine chief editor Adib Hidayat.

'€œBy holding the concert in Pacific Place, we also hope for our women fans to feel more comfortable to come with their best dresses and high heels. This is a concert dedicated to women and we want them to enjoy it as much as they can,'€ Bim-Bim said.

Bim-Bim said that it was not the first time Slank held a concert at Pacific Place. '€œWe had a concert here two years ago. So, it is just usual for us to cater for different segments of our fans.'€

Slank, which has been around for two decades, has matured and members have shown a political sophistication. Early songs such as '€œMaafkan'€ (Forgive Me) that were penned during the New Order offered strong political critiques in their subtext.

While plans originally called for the gig to be held in the Potato Head restaurant inside the Pacific Place, organizers moved the concert to the ballroom, fearing that the restaurant was too small to cater the number of expected fans.

The 2,000-plus capacity auditorium indeed offered a huge space for fans, who numbered no more than 750. The space was so huge that it reduced the intimate sense of Slank'€™s previous concerts. There was no moshing and no Slank black flags waved around, making the whole aura of the concert to be dull.

Air conditioning did not help. While providing significant comfort, the air conditioning made fans passive, showing little excitement or desire to move their bodies or to scream their hearts out along with the songs.

Regardless of the crowd, the band gave its all '€” as usual.

Slank opened the concert by performing '€œI Miss You but I Hate You'€, their hit from 2001.

At 40, Slank vocalist Kaka still showed why he is regarded as one of the best singers in Indonesia.

His throaty voice was still solid and strong. Missing a note here and there, Kaka needed time for a breather now and then '€” but those small flaws added extra sincerity and honest feelings into his delivery.

Throughout the concert, Slank featured a number of independent artists whom Kaka and Bim-Bim found on YouTube or at their regular musician gatherings at Gang Potlot, the band'€™s headquarters.

Some of the indie musicians included accordion player Windy Setyadi, saxophonist Anindya and violinist Mia.

In between songs, Bim-Bim shared some stories about the women that had changed Slank members into becoming better persons and musicians.

One story that Bim-Bim shared was about the three women who had stood by him in his darkest moments: his mother, his wife and his daughter.

'€œMy mother helped me to recover from a drug addiction ['€¦.] and then there is my wife, who helped me to get sober from alcohol and also my daughter who made me quit smoking when she was still 7 years old,'€ Bim-Bim said.

'€œThis concert is for all the women out there who can always help men to become better persons,'€ he added.

Bim-Bim'€™s addiction to drugs and alcohol almost led to Slank'€™s dissolution in 1996 when three members '€” Bongky, Indra and Pay '€” left due to the troubles caused by the band founder'€™s personal demons.

Kaka was also addicted to drugs and alcohol during the band'€™s tumultuous period. Bim-Bim'€™s mother, Bunda Iffet, then helped them both recover from their addictions.

After beating their addictions, Bim-Bim and Kaka recruited three new musicians: guitarists Abdee and Ridho along with bassist Ivanka.

This line-up has been considered the band'€™s strongest since its inception in 1983.

Although Slank'€™s performances and it between monologues from Bim-Bim and Kaka were solid during the concert, the fans remained to be somewhat calm and cold. Only a few fans were jumping up and down or singing their hearts out to the songs, like Muhammad Fuad, an event organizer professional who seemed to know the lyrics of all of the songs.

Most fans, however, were too busy taking selfie pictures or videos of themselves at the concert. Others took refuge, sitting in the corner of the auditorium to play with social media.

Slank finished the concert with '€œKamu Harus Pulang'€ (You Must Go Home), their biggest hit from 1994. Only when this song was played, did the majority of the audience start to sing with the band as well.

The fans at Pacific Place represented slankers who have grown up, had good jobs and earn well as professionals. Some claimed to have followed Slank for decades '€” including the wild concerts of the past '€” and now wanted to enjoy the band in a calmer environment.

Didi, a 27-year old slanker who has been a fan for 14 years, said that the aura of the concert was different, saying that the audience was a little bit too '€œpolite'€ while acknowledging the perks of having the concert in a posh venue.

'€œWell, in the previous concerts, a lot of people often lost their wallets. Here, the concert has more security,'€ Didi said.

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