Originally known as "Panjaitan Brothers," Panbers is an Indonesian rock group founded in 1963 by siblings Benny Panjaitan, Hans Panjaitan, Doan Panjaitan, and Asido Panjaitan. The group based itself in Surabaya City for several years, then moved to Jakarta in 1969. The band's debut album, Volume 1, was released two years later in September 1971. Inspired by psychedelic rock and partially performed in English, the album became an iconic release for Indonesian rock fans and yielded a hit single, "Achir Tjinta." A second release, Sound 2 (Why This), followed in 1972. Panbers became a go-to opening act for western bands during their Indonesian tours, resulting in shows alongside groups like The Bee Gees and The Shocking Blue. The song "Free" became a significant hit on Indonesian radio during the mid-1970s and quickly went gold, the first of six songs to achieve gold status. During the years that followed, 1976's "The Fate of My Love," 1978's "Musafir," 1979's "My Love," and 1986's "Old Church" also went gold. Bass player Maxi Pandelaki was added to the group during the early 1990s, becoming the band's first member who didn't belong to the Panjaitan family. Several years later, Hans Pandjaitan passed away in 1995, and the group performed as a four-piece act until recruiting a new member, Hans Noya, to fill Hans' vacant role in 1999. Violinist Hendri Lamiri joined in 2000, and bass player Doan Panjaitan passed away in 2010. After celebrating the band's 50-year anniversary in 2013, Panbers remained active, releasing the album Gereja Tua in 2022 and reaching Number 22 on the country's Top 100 Deezer chart the following year with the album's title track.
