Legendary icons rock historical city of Yogyakarta.

It was almost 11 p.m. when around 17,000 fans of legendary rock band Scorpions packed the Kridosono Stadium in Yogyakarta.

The crowd patiently awaited the appearance of the German group during the JogjaROCKarta Festival #4 2020 on Sunday. The predominantly middle-aged fans were eager to watch the band’s fierce slow rock performance with classic anthems, such as “Always Somewhere”.

On stage, Scorpions – comprising vocalist Klaus Meine, guitarist Rudolf Schenker, guitarist Matthias Jabs, bassist Pawel Maciwoda and drummer Mikkey Dee – promptly stung the audience with “Going Out with a Bang” and “Make it Real”.

Formed in 1965, Scorpions is one of the world’s most popular rock bands and its album, Blackout, has been named one of “the 100 greatest metal albums of all time” by Rolling Stone magazine.

“Selamat malam [Good evening], Yogyakarta,” greeted Meine, who is now 71, amid cheers from the audience who mostly came from outside Yogyakarta. Scorpions then responded to the cheers with “The Zoo”, “Coast to Coast” and a medley of four songs from the 1970s.

The Scorpions’ performance was not as wild as they used to be, apparently due to the band members’ advanced ages.

The guitarist duo, Rudolf and Matthias, took turns to demonstrate their talents. Dee, the former drummer of Motorhead, put in a six-minute solo to the satisfaction of the large and enthusiastic crowd.

That night, Scorpions played 15 songs for around 80 minutes with a graphic video accompanying each song on the backdrop screen to enhance the show.

In Indonesia, Scorpions’ slow rock hits like “Wind of Change”, which depicts the fall of the Soviet Union, “Send Me an Angel” and “Still Loving You” remain so popular that the audience joined in with Meine to sing these favorites.

One of the fans, Sunaji Zamroni, said he was happy with the concert. He has been a fan of Scorpions, which also performed in Indonesia in 2001 and 2004, since he was a teenager.

“It’s like a dream to watch Scorpions again,” said Sunaji.

In 55 years, Scorpions has released 26 albums and the band members credit their fans and social media for their longevity.

“With social media we can reach new audiences,” Rudolf, a cofounder of Scorpions, told journalists on Saturday.

Prior to the Scorpions’ performance, British hard rock music group Whitesnake, founded in 1977 by vocalist David Coverdale, took to the stage. No rock music aficionado is unfamiliar with this band as Coverdale is a well-known singer who was once a member of the legendary Deep Purple.

Shout out: British rock band Whitesnake vocalist David Coverdale gestures to the audience during his performance at the JogjaROCKarta Festival #4 2020. (JP/Bambang Muryanto)

Opening the concert with his high-pitched voice, Coverdale, backed by Reb Beach, Joel Hoekstra (guitars), Michele Luppi (keyboards), Michael Devin (bass) and Tommy Aldridge (drums), rocked the crowd with five songs at a stretch, starting with the top hit “Bad Boys”.

“It is nice to see you again since 1975, beautiful people, beautiful country,” said Coverdale, welcoming spectators.

When he was a vocalist of Deep Purple, Coverdale performed in Jakarta in 1975. Among the hits he has created with his current band are “Burn” and “Stormbringer”.

Whitesnake’s two guitarists, Hoekstra and Beach, also showed off their solo talents to the delight of the audience. Drummer Tommy Aldridge was no less prominent in this formation. He has played with various hard rock groups such as Ozzy Osbourne, Yngwie Malmsteen and Motorhead.

Already 70, Aldridge is still energetic, capable of pulling off solid beats. His solo ended spectacularly when he played the drum set with his hands after throwing his sticks into the arena.

“The old drummer can still put in a remarkable performance,” said Joyo, who came from Denpasar, Bali, to watch the concert.

Whitesnake played 13 songs with “Still in the Night” closing the band’s first appearance in Indonesia. Of the numbers, Coverdale only rendered one new hit, “Shut up and Kiss Me”, the highlight in the band’s latest album Flesh and Blood (2019).

Before Scorpions and Whitesnake, there were six supporting groups, The HU from Mongolia and five others from Indonesia: Death Vomit, Kelompok Penerbang Roket, Navicula, Power Slaves and the veterans of God Bless. Power Slaves blasted their 1980s hits like “Jauh Sudah” (Already Far), also familiar to Scorpions fans in Indonesia.

Local legend: Indonesian rock band God Bless vocalist Ahmad Albar captivates the audience with his soothing voice. (JP/Bambang Muryanto)

Concert promotor Rajawali Indonesia chief executive officer Anas Syahrul Alimi had special reason to invite God Bless for the third time to the JogjaROCKarta festival.

“I wanted to present God Bless vocalist Ahmad Albar along with David Coverdale. God Bless was the opening band for the concert of Deep Purple in Jakarta in 1975 with Coverdale as the vocalist,” he said.