IT'S not easy being a long-lived rock band which has attracted fans across generations. When Journey appeared at the Indoor Stadium on Tuesday night for the American group's first gig here, not everyone was on the same page.

Blame Glee. The ongoing musical television sitcom, which started in 2009, introduced pimpled teenagers to a teenybopper version of Don't Stop Believin', complete with perky smiles and cheerleader enthusiasm.

And this wasn't the crowd that may have appreciated what Journey, the band, has always been about - big songs, indulgent guitar solos and lots of energy.

In fact, it was apparent on Tuesday that much of the 8,500-strong crowd didn't know the band's newer songs. Everyone was on their feet screaming for the two most famous song from 1981 album Escape, Don't Stop Believin' and Open Arms, but lesser tracks from the same album, Keep on Runnin', Escape, Dead or Alive and Stone in Love seemed to leave a big part of the crowd lukewarm.

But those who knew just what sort of tickets they were buying got their money's worth with a programme that cut a broad swath through the band's four-decade career, which included an eight-year hiatus that ended in 1995.

The band knows how to put together a concert programme. It kicked off the night with one of its big hits, Separate Ways, made famous by the 1982 film Tron and its 2010 sequel. That got things started on the right note. Other Journey anthems such as Faithfully, Open Arms and Wheel In The Sky were savvily spaced out to keep up the energy.

But that left relatively slim pickings for the encore, which comprised Be Good To Yourself from 1986 and Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin' from 1979. Good songs and successful singles in their time, but not the sort of material that inspired instant recognition today, even with the latter song's appearance on Glee.

Yet most people stayed, and a big reason for that was Arnel Pineda. The Filipino vocalist was talent-spotted by Journey guitarist Neal Schon on YouTube in 2007 for sounding uncannily like Steve Perry, the band's defining voice until 1987.

But Pineda isn't a clone and has snarl and grit all his own. Hitting all the notes was impressive enough, but what really set him apart was his palpable charm. He came across as a really nice guy in love with the songs, jumping around on stage like a teenager - at age 45.

Of course, that still makes him the baby of the band. The next youngest member is drummer Deen Castronovo at 47; keyboardist-guitarist Jonathan Cain is the ranking senior citizen at 63. But they belied their age in the 90-minute set, replete with extended solos from everyone except bassist Ross Valory. This band's journey is far from over.