Junoon: Rocked like a hurricane

So it happened. The Junoon concert proved that after so many years (well, 13 years to be precise before their reunion), they are still alive, kicking and extremely loud! They performed at the Sports Club, Moin Khan Academy to an astonishingly packed crowd. The entertainment-starved Karachiites literally had a ball while they danced and crooned to the nostalgic but electrifying tunes of the band.

Dec 25 started off with a gust of pleasantly cool winds in the forenoon so it was definitely a breeze for the Junoon fans who were about to witness a feat which was tagged as one of the biggest and most highly awaited events of the country.

The arrival time was between 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm and a horde of Junoon hungry fans could be seen swarmed at the main gate well before time impatiently wanting to make their way in just to catch a glimpse of their beloved band that they had been willing to see perform together for many years.

It would be unfair to mention here that the whole arrangement was very well managed and the organizers had done a brilliant job taking care of all the affairs from security, staff assistance to overall audience enclosures and stage setup. Unquestionably, it was all very well organized.

Also, to everyone’s ‘pleasant’ surprise, the event commenced as scheduled and on time with opening acts performed by some of the popular bands like ‘Lyari Underground Band’, ‘Khumariyaan’, ‘Tamasha’ and ‘Sound of Kolachi’. These bands, some aspiring and some established, were well greeted and received by the audience but the prickling desire of the fans to behold Junoon was blatantly apparent. After all, the real deal of the event was to see their rock icons perform live on stage with the original lineup.

After a brief hold-up, Junoon finally made a galvanizing appearance to the jam-packed audience, shouting out loud in unison the word ‘Junoon’ repeatedly – never to stop! I must say the band itself was awe-struck with the stupendous attendance and the cheering and love that the audience was expressing. So the first word Ali Azmat uttered after making his appearance on stage and looking at the audience was literally “Wow!” – he zealously exclaimed at least thrice!

The concert kicked off with the patriotic ‘Azadi’ and the immortal ‘Hai Jazba Junoon Tou Himmat Na Haar’ and then went on to enthrall the audience with their many other melodious ditties like ‘Sayonee’, ‘Khwab’, ‘Neend Ati Nahi’, ‘Bulleya’, ‘Khudi’, ‘Zamane Ke Andaz’ and many more that instantly captured the hearts of the fans who also sang along with the band with power-packed energy and amusement. We could clearly see the fans going crazy waving their hands in the air, shaking legs and chanting their beloved tunes as a unit.

In addition to Junoon, the next best thing about the event was the audience itself. There was not a trace of a single mishap or ill sighting. It was evident from the crowd that they were there just to have a good time and watch their favorite band perform. There were sightings of plenty of in-crowd in the shape of renowned actors, musicians, designers and the likes while there were families with three generations (including grandparents) to relish the gig.

Well, all’s well that ends well. Thankfully, the event ended without a hitch while Junoon invariably left a lasting impression through their rock-solid performances. Boy, do they know how to mesmerize their audience!

We hope that this reunion goes a long way and we get to see the band live on stage soon. And hey, as long as they keep cranking out performing acts like this, they can come back as often as they want – Karachi is waiting, once again!