Air Supply rocks Shillong

Shillong, May 15 (UNI) More than 10,000 music lovers in this picturesque city braved a gloomy weather to soak in a spell of soft love ballads, as international rock band 'Air Supply' put up a pulsating show here after their live performances in New Delhi and Bangalore.

The stands at the Jawharlal Nehru Stadium were filled up by rock enthusiasts, mostly young boys and girls. The atmosphere was charged up even before the first stroke on the guitar chord was made last night.

The audiences burst into thunderous clamour as the smoking machine puffed out and the 'Air Supply' duo, lead vocalist Russel Hitchcok and guitarist Graham Russel, took the stage last night.

Beginning the show with one of their all time hits Power of Love, they went on to belt out an array of old and new melodies Just as I am, Even the Nights are Better, This Time is the First Time and All Out Of Love.

While interacting with media later, the duo showered praises on the music lovers of Shillong.

''Performing in Delhi was a good experience. Bangalore was even better, but after performing in Shillong we do not hesitate to say that Shillong is indeed the jewel of music lovers in India,'' said Russel.

''It does not matter what language we speak, where we hail from, what culture we come from, but love transcends all these differences,'' he said.

Following the performances in India, the band will launch its new album 'The Singer and the Song' at a show in Hong Kong on May 20.

Soon after its formation in May 1975, 'Air Supply' took the English-speaking world by storm in the late 1970s and the early 1980s with a succession of soft-rock ballad hits.

They released their first album 'Air Supply' in 1976 that reached Gold status of popularity in Australia. Other albums to follow included 'Love&Other Bruises' (1977), 'Life Support' (1979) and 'Lost in Love' (1980).

Their recent records include 'The Book of Love' (1997), 'Yours Truly' (2001), 'Across the Concrete Sky' (2003) and 'It Was 30 Years Ago Today' (2005) UNI SG PC PA DS1205