LONDON: Pakistan’s first Sufi rock band Junoon returned to London for a splendid and lively performance. The band last performed in a concert at the same venue, namely Wembley venue, almost 13 years ago.
The concert which continued for four hours was a treat for thousands of Junoon fans, who danced and sang along with the band’s lead singer Ali Azmat as he sang one hit Junoon song after the other.
The concert, titled “Junoon – The Comeback Tour”, was presented by Geo Television Network for British Pakistanis. During their speeches before the beginning of the concert, famous Pakistani TV show host Hamid Mir and cricketer Shahid Afridi said that Junoon had played a great role in presenting the cultural and peaceful side of Pakistan on the global level.
The crowd, mostly comprising of Pakistanis, had traveled from all over the United Kingdom and gave a roaring welcome to Junoon’s lead singer Ali Azmat, lead guitarist Salman Ahmed, bassist Brian O'Connell, producer John Alec, guitarist Omran Shafique and other band members.
Ali Azmat had promised his fans before the concert that they were in for an experience of a lifetime. The lead singer and the band lived up to their promise by giving an incredible performance, which validated Salman Ahmed’s earlier claim that Junoon still had a loyal fan base.
Some of the most memorable songs performed by the band included Khudi, Saeein, Jazba-e-Junoon, Lal Meri Pat, Yaar Bina, Pappu Yaar, Garaj Baras, Dosti, and Ghoom Tana, before ending the show with Pakistan’s national anthem.
Junoon broke away 14 years ago in 2005 but the energy of both the band and the fans was out of this world as the fans sang along with Ali Azmat and matched his lyrics as he sang.
As is typical of Ali Azmat, he kept the crowd on its feet by sharing a joke or two on stage. Salman Ahmed also took the opportunity to talk about the band’s reunion and their journey.
One could also not help but notice that the band’s coordination and body language were in complete harmony; almost perfect. It was expected because the original members of Junoon, namely Ali, Salman and Brian, have been known to set the stage on fire whenever they performed in the past.
After the performance started and the mood turned festive, enthusiastic youths gave the security a tough time when they started pushing towards the front rows to get a good look at their idols. The fervor was so great among the fans that even after the band had finished its performance the fans kept chanting “one more, one more”.
The performance ended on an emotional note as the original Junoon trio and the other performers thanked the fans for their strong support and then warmly embraced each other.
After the concert, Ali Azmat and Salman Ahmed spoke to Geo News and said, “It was an overwhelming experience for us to see so many people attend the concert and show so much unconditional love. The response of the crowd was so amazing that it made the concert a success.”
They also said, “It was like a family reunion and an unforgettable experience.”
After the success of the London performance, the band would be performing in the United States of America and Canada.
The concert which continued for four hours was a treat for thousands of Junoon fans, who danced and sang along with the band’s lead singer Ali Azmat as he sang one hit Junoon song after the other.
The concert, titled “Junoon – The Comeback Tour”, was presented by Geo Television Network for British Pakistanis. During their speeches before the beginning of the concert, famous Pakistani TV show host Hamid Mir and cricketer Shahid Afridi said that Junoon had played a great role in presenting the cultural and peaceful side of Pakistan on the global level.
The crowd, mostly comprising of Pakistanis, had traveled from all over the United Kingdom and gave a roaring welcome to Junoon’s lead singer Ali Azmat, lead guitarist Salman Ahmed, bassist Brian O'Connell, producer John Alec, guitarist Omran Shafique and other band members.
Ali Azmat had promised his fans before the concert that they were in for an experience of a lifetime. The lead singer and the band lived up to their promise by giving an incredible performance, which validated Salman Ahmed’s earlier claim that Junoon still had a loyal fan base.
Some of the most memorable songs performed by the band included Khudi, Saeein, Jazba-e-Junoon, Lal Meri Pat, Yaar Bina, Pappu Yaar, Garaj Baras, Dosti, and Ghoom Tana, before ending the show with Pakistan’s national anthem.
Junoon broke away 14 years ago in 2005 but the energy of both the band and the fans was out of this world as the fans sang along with Ali Azmat and matched his lyrics as he sang.
As is typical of Ali Azmat, he kept the crowd on its feet by sharing a joke or two on stage. Salman Ahmed also took the opportunity to talk about the band’s reunion and their journey.
One could also not help but notice that the band’s coordination and body language were in complete harmony; almost perfect. It was expected because the original members of Junoon, namely Ali, Salman and Brian, have been known to set the stage on fire whenever they performed in the past.
After the performance started and the mood turned festive, enthusiastic youths gave the security a tough time when they started pushing towards the front rows to get a good look at their idols. The fervor was so great among the fans that even after the band had finished its performance the fans kept chanting “one more, one more”.
The performance ended on an emotional note as the original Junoon trio and the other performers thanked the fans for their strong support and then warmly embraced each other.
After the concert, Ali Azmat and Salman Ahmed spoke to Geo News and said, “It was an overwhelming experience for us to see so many people attend the concert and show so much unconditional love. The response of the crowd was so amazing that it made the concert a success.”
They also said, “It was like a family reunion and an unforgettable experience.”
After the success of the London performance, the band would be performing in the United States of America and Canada.