KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 — It was a rollercoaster of emotions at the GenKRU The Finale: One More Time concert at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday, where pop trio KRU — brothers Datuk Norman Abdul Halim, Datuk Yusry Abdul Halim and Edry Abdul Halim — delivered more than 20 nostalgic hits to a packed crowd.
They were joined by guest performers including girl group Elite, nasyid group Rabbani, singer Adam AF2 and legendary singer-actress Datin Juliana Banos, who impressed with strong vocals despite not performing on stage for over 20 years.
The concert also featured a horn section, backing vocals from Dina Nadzir and Mior Zulkarnain, and guest guitarists Edrie Hashim and Ritz Metalasia.
However, the energetic two-hour showcase appeared to take a toll on Edry, who suffered a mild ailment after the show.
Edry’s post-show ailment
At the press conference, only Yusry and Norman appeared initially, with Norman saying Edry had vomited several times after the performance.
“After we finished with our performances, he was vomiting several times. Maybe because he was performing on an empty stomach, but it is nothing serious,” Norman said.
Edry, looking pale and tired, later joined the session, apologising for being late and unwell.
“After the concert, I had cramps all over my body, maybe I was too exhausted but I am okay.
“Thank you to the medical team who tended to me.
“My apologies for keeping everyone waiting,” he said.
The brothers also revealed they were heartbroken their father could not attend last night’s concert. — Picture courtesy of Bangsawan Pictures
Earlier during the show, the brothers shared an emotional moment when Edry spoke about their father, Abdul Halim Kamal, who is currently hospitalised.
“Around three weeks ago, our father was in critical condition and he had to be hospitalised.
“My mind was all over the place, especially when we were preparing for the concert.
“Leading up to the concert, every day we were going back and forth between the hospital and our practices,” Norman said.
He added their father had been looking forward to attending the show.
“What breaks our heart even more is that our father really wanted to watch our performance.
“When he told us he wanted to watch us tonight, we were concerned about his health and we tried to ease him up by telling him that the packed crowds might not be ideal for him.
“But we told him he can watch us perform live again during our upcoming cruise ship showcase next year,” Norman said.
He added that his father’s condition has improved and asked fans to pray for his wellbeing.
KRU will hold the four-day, three-night DreamKRUise Showcase from Singapore to Thailand from January 27 to 30 next year.
Was Malique amongst the crowd?
Another highlight was the question of whether reclusive rapper Malique Ibrahim — who has not made a public appearance in more than a decade — attended the concert.
Speculation began after the Sedih Hati rapper posted a photo of his GenKRU tickets earlier this week with the caption, “It’s been a while. See you this Saturday.”
Concert promoter and organiser Iman Tang, who revealed he is now managing Malique, said the post was a favour.
“He asked me if everything was good with the concert and whether I needed any help?
“I told him he could help by promoting the tickets which he later said he was going to post (on his Instagram),” Iman said.
Iman said he had given Malique two standing tickets but did not expect him to attend.
However, Malique’s latest Instagram post featured several photos from the concert, including a silhouette believed to be the ‘General’ watching from the stands, as well as a picture of Iman with Malique’s long-time collaborator Tripdisz.
