Chak de tu saare gham…

The audience at singer Imran Khan’s concert had every intention of having a party, and they certainly did!

BY PALLAVI SINGHAL

Bright lights and loud, carnival music at Luna Park set the mood for the huge crowd that turned out for singer Imran Khan’s first show in Sydney recently. The excitement was palpable as they waited for the singer to come on stage, singing their favourite songs from his debut album Unforgettable, and even dancing a little.

They were willing to do exactly as he says in his aptlytitled track Ni Nachleh: Chak de tu saare gham, mehbooba meri ban, saara kuch bhul ke to saade nal nachle

And nach they did, you can be sure of that!

The discernible bhangra vibe with two dhols ushering in Imran Khan’s own rhythmic, heavy beat, made sure that they would, indeed, ‘nach all night’.

The electrifying music created a throbbing heartbeat that shook Luna Park’s Big Top arena, and created a mass of energy that had the crowd shouting out the lyrics of his hit songs, while dancing to his upbeat, pulsating music. Countless fists pumped the air in rhythm withhis fastpaced tracks like Chak Glass, Hey Girl and Aaja We Mahiya, and couldn’t seem to get enough of his strong voice and infectious energy.

And he seemed to be returning the favour to the crowd, as he wooed them with lyrics such as Ik thumka tera saare

The charismatic singer owned both the stage and his audience from the moment he made an appearance, a vibe that carried throughout his performance.

Imran embodied his hit Superstar, arriving at the venue in a classic red convertible, and completely dressed in black with dark sunglasses and plenty of bling.

Despite his personal style and extraordinary fame, he displayed no starry attitude and humbly cited the date on which Ni Nachleh was first released, expressing gratitude to everyone who helped him get to this point. He talked about his wonderful journey to fame and his undying passion for music. Imran seemed overwhelmed by the audience’s response as he repeatedly thanked his fans for their enormous show of support. In an endearing act, he even pulled out his mobile phone to film them singing Bewafaa at the top of their lungs.

At this point, Imran laughed as the audience sang the chorus louder than him, pulling up a few lucky fans up on stage to bounce to Bounce Billo, and even did an encore of Amplifier in a self-confessed effort to “reach his fans”. And it worked – the crowd danced their hardest and sang their loudest, even as the versatile singer stepped off the stage to shake hands and sign a few autographs. His worry about “coming all this way” and still not being able to connect with his fans proved to be absurd, as they responded with enthusiasm to his presence and begged him to keep singing.

The singing star didn’t even forget his sponsors, personally thanking Tantra Nights in association with

Imran’s songs gain their notable uniqueness through his incorporation of techno beats, revamping the classic genre to create a more alternative sound

Vision Asia, Mixtabishi, Ash-G and Cinestarr for bringing him down under. The 45-minute performance wasn’t enough to satisfy his fans, and he finally left the audience still chanting his songs and calling for an encore. Imran now promises to be back with a new album in 2012.

The singer of Pakistani origin was born in Holland, emerged as a promising artist on the British Asian music scene in 2007, with the release of his chart-topping single Ni Nachleh. He started singing at the age of 12 and signed his first deal at 19, and his music is a product of the early influences of classic Punjabi music, western R&B and hip-hop. His songs are all highly energised and use the classic underlying drumbeat accompanied by fast-paced lyrics, which characterise the Punjabi bhangra genre. Imran’s songs gain their notable uniqueness through his incorporation of techno beats, revamping the classic genre to create a more alternative sound. The incredible reception of his debut album Unforgettable in 2009 instantly catapulted him into success and took him all over the world on his first international tour. After weeks on the road, it was understandable why Imran wasn’t quite the energetic singer that fans saw at his concerts in India and Africa, but he was lucky to have a wonderful audience that was willing to participate throughout the entire show in Sydney. They made the best of the concert through their enormous enthusiasm and visible love for music.

Just like Imran’s album, the entire concert showcased a new style of bhangra, strongly influenced by both eastern and western music styles. The show appealed to the diversity of ages present in the audience, with classic Bollywood songs blending seamlessly with MTV hits to create a wonderful atmosphere that had even the most reluctant of dancers bobbing to the beat.

The opening acts preceding Imran’s appearance on stage set the atmosphere for a rocking evening. The whole stadium turned into a dance floor with impromptu bhangra circles dancing with Path Preet Singh of So You Think You Can Dance fame, the Nupur Dance Group, MOB and Bollywood Down Under, while singing with amazing local talents, JP, Zora and Jesta. Although Imran Khan kept his fans waiting, they wasted no time in getting the dancing started as they enjoyed a huge variety of talented singers, dancers, even a fashion show!

The entire event was a brilliant montage of the best that the Indian music scene has to offer, with everything from the stunning dances to Imran’s own spectacular performance forming a truly entertaining concert – but it was the crowd’s undying energy that was the real heart and soul of the night.