YOGYAKARTA – The legendary Danish pop-rock band, Michael Learns to Rock (MLTR), performed once again in Indonesia. This time, Jascha Richter (lead vocal), Mikkel Lentz (guitars), and Kare Wanscher (drums) played at the Prambanan Jazz Festival 2026 for the first time. They entertained the massive crowd at the Rukun Stage for ninety minutes. Furthermore, fans from various generations packed the arena, sang along, and captured the magical moments on their phones.
The band opened their energetic show with the soft rock song Someday. Next, Richter dedicated the famous song Sleeping Child to children all over the world. After that, guitarist Mikkel greeted the enthusiastic crowd and expressed his gratitude. He joked that the band became Michael Learns to Jazz for the evening. Then, the group played Complicated Heart. Drummer Kare also thanked the audience and invited them to travel back in time. Consequently, the beautiful intro of I Still Carry On filled the night air.
The band also performed Blue Night and praised the beauty of the Prambanan Temple complex. Richter explained how Indonesian radio stations played The Actor in the past and boosted their global career. Afterward, the band shifted to an acoustic setup to create a closer connection with the audience. They used a grand piano, an acoustic guitar, and a cajon. During this intimate session, they played hits like I’m Gonna Be Around, Out of the Blue, Nothing to Lose, and 25 Minutes.
Following a short five-minute break, the trio returned to their original full band format. They immediately played their iconic song The Actor. Then, they performed Love Will Never Lie and You Took My Heart Away. Meanwhile, Lentz shared a funny story about their band name. He explained that they chose Michael Learns to Rock as naive teenagers because they dreamed of making loud rock music. After the story, they played Wild Women.Near the end of the concert, they performed their biggest hits, Breaking My Heart and Paint My Love. Richter emphasized their special bond with Indonesian fans since 1994. Finally, the band returned for an encore and closed the amazing night with Take Me to Your Heart and That’s Why (You Go Away).
Jascha Richter founded Michael Learns to Rock in Denmark in 1988 to sing his own songs. He invited school friend Kare Wanscher, Mikkel Lentz, and bassist Søren Madsen to join the band. In 1991, they released their self-titled debut album. Although America ignored the album, listeners in Denmark and Asia loved it. Later, their second album Colours sold over one million copies in 1993, which led to their first Asian tour. They self-produced their third album Played on Pepper in 1995 and sold another million copies. In 1996, they released the smash-hit compilation Paint My Love, selling three million copies across Asia. Even after Søren left the band in 2000 to pursue a solo career, the remaining trio continued their success with the album Blue Night. Today, MLTR remains a dominant force in the Asian music scene.
Footages doc. NAP
