Air Supply concert in Singapore: Short, sweet and superb

Despite being a 90s kid, I’ve had the pleasure of having Air Supply’s music lingering throughout my life. All Out Of Love and Two Less Lonely People In The World were constant repeats in our family car; Now And Forever was amongst the first vinyl records I got; and my university roommate played Without You – out loud – so many times that I wouldn’t be surprised if Spotify Wrapped placed him amongst Air Supply’s top 0.001 per cent of listeners.

Even though I consider myself an Air Supply fan, Friday evening (Dec 13) marked the very time I witnessed Russell Hitchcock and Graham Russell live in the flesh. 

And what a shame I hadn’t done so sooner.

The pair commanded Resorts World Convention Centre with such ease and energy that it makes you forget they’re in their mid-70s. 

And then, there were their vocals. It was as if Hitchcock and Russell had swallowed Air Supply CDs before performing. Every song sounded exactly as I remembered – it’s just that now, I could finally see them being sung right before my eyes.

No songs demonstrated the duo’s prowess better than Without You and All Out Of Love – the final two pieces of the night. Hitchcock and Russell hyped up the crowd with their pitch-perfect vocals and even got them screaming out the lyrics – another case study that supports my colleague’s hypothesis on evergreen bands.

A heartwarming moment came during a break, which saw Russell regaling audiences with the story of how he first met Hitchcock at a production of Jesus Christ Superstar.

“He had a fantastic singing voice,” said Russell.

He also revealed that despite their many years of friendship, he and Hitchcock have never argued with each other – drawing a symphony of awws from the audience. 

In an era where concerts run upwards of two hours, Air Supply’s 90-minute-long concert on Friday might have seemed short with its setlist of 14 songs and a poetry recital by Graham Russell. 

However, I’d argue it’s the perfect length for its genre. 

Firstly, there weren’t any prerecorded video segments or fancy costume changes like in K-pop concerts, so all you’re getting are pure vocals.

Plus – and this is a controversial opinion – with a succinct set of 14 songs, you’re getting only the hits. There have been many instances in recorded history, where the atmosphere in a concert takes a hit, when an artiste performs B-sides that only five per cent of the show’s attendees are aware of.

That wasn’t the case for Friday’s concert as audiences were treated to banger after banger.

With Air Supply celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025, it’s highly unlikely that this is their final Singapore concert. Hitchcock and Russell hinted as much, saying that they always looked forward to performing in the country since their first show in 1982.

So should a 50th anniversary tour ever be announced at some point, I’ll be the first to say “Here I Am”.