Four hours on stage may have seemed insufficient to satisfy the longing of some 20,000 fans for national rock legend Datuk Awie, who returned to the solo stage after two years at the Konsert Awie Rock King — The Last Man Standing 2026 at Stadium Merdeka last Saturday.
The concert, which was scheduled to end at midnight, eventually wrapped up at 1 am, as though fans were still reluctant to bid farewell to the 58-year-old singer after being treated to 35 songs spanning four decades of his musical journey.
From his glory days with Wings to his solo career, Awie took fans on a nostalgic journey through the moments that shaped him into one of the most prominent figures in the country’s rock scene.
Even more impressive was Awie’s seemingly boundless energy as he remained dynamic until the end of the show despite battling bronchitis for the second time, triggered by the haze that had affected his lung health.
“Are you okay? I’m the one who’s not okay. It’s alright, let’s continue. Raise your voices!” he told the crowd, drawing thunderous cheers from the fans.
Dressed smartly in an all-white suit, complete with a bandana adorning his microphone, Awie opened the show with “Sayap Ilusi”, followed by “Rock N Roll Ronda Randa”, “Mata Hati Jiwa”, “Tiada Rahsia Antara Kita”, “Di Bayang Awan” and “O-Tak”.
That night was not merely a musical journey for Awie, but also an opportunity for him to share the stage with special people who have been part of his personal life and artistic career.
His beloved son, Merrah, performed alongside his duet partner Putri with “Baldu Biru” and “Bernafas Dalam Lumpur”, creating one of the evening’s sweetest moments.
The stage then came alive with appearances by Stacy, Akim and Black, who each joined Awie for “Peronda Jaket Biru”, “Midnight Blues”, “Ingatkan Dia” and “Intanku Kesepian”.
However, behind the guitar riffs and rock rhythms that dominated the night, Awie also revealed a more personal side through “Tragedi Oktober”, a song once linked to romance rumours surrounding him.
“I didn’t really want to sing that song, but I had to,” he said, before the atmosphere in the stadium turned more poignant as the song was performed.
The “Cinta dan Filem” segment then showcased Awie’s romantic side, with his longtime duet partner Erra Fazira appearing to perform “Cinta Makrifat”, followed by Hannah Delisha with “Halaman Asmara” and “Kita Permata”.
Moving into the “Last Man Standing” tribute segment, the atmosphere grew solemn once again when Awie performed the late Tan Sri P. Ramlee’s “Jeritan Batinku”, before Datuk Hattan joined him for “Gerhana” and “Kepadamu Kekasih” as a tribute to the late musical legend.
The solemn mood did not last long, however, as the tempo picked up again with “Layang-Layang Terputus Talinya” and “Ku Di Halaman Rindu”, before Amir Masdi joined Awie for “Gemuruh” and “Mentari Merah Di Ufuk Timur”.
Amid the festivities, another moment captured attention when chants of “Free, Free Palestine” echoed throughout Stadium Merdeka, with thousands of fans joining in as a show of support for Palestine.
As the night drew to a close, Awie finally returned to the roots of the rock journey that built his name when Wings appeared to share the stage with him.
“Opera Hidup”, “Hukum Karma”, “Harapan” and “Sejati” reverberated through the stadium one after another, prompting thousands of fans to raise the “W” symbol and sing along, as though Stadium Merdeka had been transported back to the era when Awie and Wings carved their names into the history of Malaysian rock.
Four hours may have seemed long, but for fans who stayed until the curtain finally fell, the night still felt all too short.
Awie may have earned the title “The Last Man Standing”, but after almost four decades, one thing is clear — the rock spirit he carries is still burning bright and shows no sign of fading. – BERNAMA
