Air Supply to celebrate their 50th anniversary in Philippines
Australian soft rock duo Air Supply is set to return to the Philippines in the coming days for the 50th anniversary concert. Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock will serenade Filipino fans with their timeless hits in Iloilo on Jan. 11, Calamba, Laguna, Jan. 24 and Cebu, Jan. 27.
From their first meeting in 1975 during the Australian production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” to their early days of making music together and up to the present, their onstage dynamics and offstage friendship have remained strong and unchanged.
“Graham gets to write the songs, and I just sing them. The way we look at the world, and the way we look at our music has matured since we started in the early days, yet the dynamic has always been the same. We just got better at what we do in a live show and recording in the studio,” Russell shared with the Philippine media during a virtual presscon.
The secret to their career longevity and enduring friendship, they said, is “surrounding yourself with good and honest people.”
As Russell elaborated, “Because there are many pitfalls for a new act, but I would say make sure to do your homework with whoever you work with. We have been with the same manager for 50 years, the same agent for 48 years because they’re great people and they know what they’re doing.”
To fellow musicians aiming for longevity in the music scene, he offered these words of wisdom, “They should follow their heart and not listen to other people. Don’t do something that’s already been done. Create something new.”
During their December 2022 concert at the Newport World Resorts, which The STAR attended, Graham fondly recalled how he met his closest friend in Australia in the ‘70s.
“(We’ve been friends) for almost 50 years and we never had an argument of any kind. And that is true friendship. I met this gentleman in a musical… There were 34 people. We sang together.”
Air Supply’s music catalogue has resonated with fans across the globe, both young and old, with hits such as Lost In Love, All Out of Love, Every Woman In The World, The One That You Love, Even The Nights Are Better, Two Less Lonely People In The World, Making Love Out of Nothing and At All, Just As I Am.
Graham and Russell lauded their Filipino fans and expressed their gratitude for the ardent support and appreciation shown to them.
Russell enthused that “Filipinos are people with open hearts,” adding, “They appreciate us being there. You have lots of great singers; they sing along at our shows, and that’s always a good thing to hear as a performer.”
He also noted how Filipinos “took us to their hearts” from the very beginning, describing the support they received from them as a “fantastic thing.”
“Our audience got bigger. It’s a fantastic thing, and it’s a very specific thing to the Philippines. Wonderful people, wonderful energy, very romantic,” he added.
Graham also remarked on how enthusiastic Filipino fans are, not just in the country but across the world. “When we play to any Filipino audience or the entire Filipino population in the US, they sing loudest and more in tune than anybody else,” he added.
He emphasized that there’s a “definite connection with this country and our fans certainly.”
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