Leehom Wang Music-Man II Concert 2012 (王力宏火力全开 – Hong Kong)

Asia’s most suave-looking, multi-instrumentalist, multi-music-styles Mandopop star, Wang Leehom (王力宏) is here in Hong Kong for his second Music-Man World Tour Concert 2012. Noted as one of 2012′s most impressive Mandopop performances by the Taiwanese media, Leehom charmed his fans with 2.5 solid hours of powerful dance hits, over 30 sentimental ballads, raps and impressive multi-instrumental performance. Hong Kong Coliseum is the birthplace of his first solo concert 10 years ago. Wang paid tribute to his loyal Hong Kong fans.

It isn’t the stage design or fancy attires that rocked tonight’s concert. In fact, I thought his entrance attire and style reminded me of Michael Jackson’s decorated army suit. So, don’t expect any fancy pyrotechnic displays or lazer-light shows. The only one thing which impressed me was the floating piano. Wow, that is totally unexpected and spectacular!

Throughout the night, Wong tried very hard to connect his songs with a mushy storyline about his messy tale of “love”. Some found it creative while I thought it was really cheesy. Who cares, his female fans were giggling and enjoying his every dedication of “fan-love”. I lost count on the number of “I Love You” he said on the stage tonight. With his suave, hot body and clean good-boy look, it is no surprise why his screaming fans are mainly females – both young and old ladies. He is really a natural charmer.

Really, Wang Leehom doesn’t need all these “cosmetic”, “special effects” or “cheesy scripts” to woo his fans. He is a multi-talented musician with a great, crystal clear, soulful voice. Tonight is’t his best “live” singing but every song of his stole our hearts. My favorite moment was the part when he performed a-cappella with his pre-recorded clones. Like Jacky Cheung or Jay Chou, Wang’s concert is a must go. 95% of his songs are timeless everlasting hits. Unlike other singers’ concerts when the audience drifted away in some unpopular hits, there is never a dull and unfamiliar moment at Wang’s Music-Man II Concert. (Enjoy the video highlight below!)

Girls’ Generation SNSD Hong Kong Concert 2012 (Asia Tour 2 – 15th Jan 2012)

This is Girls’ Generation’s debut concert in Hong Kong – it is powerful, sexy and explosive! 32 songs, 150 minutes. The 9-member K-pop group and their fans rocked the concert hall like no other Asian stars. Nothing comes close. Hate to say this – Not even Jay Chou or S.H.E. This is the power of 9.

Girls’ Generation charmed millions of fans worldwide. Today, they are South Korea’s most popular and important Ambassadors! It is amazing how a group of 9 Korean girls is able to woo the world. It doesn’t matter if their fans understand the lyrics of their songs. From young boys to mid-life crisis men (Ah Pek), Asians to Europeans, both males and females. They represent youth, peace, beauty and love. They are not divas or some pretentious “unapproachable” stars. It is the rawness in them that fans love them – they are your sweet “girls-next-door”. These lovely sirens charmed us with their mesmerizing winks, well-synchronized dance steps, seductive curvy moves (long legs and hairs) and very addictive “can’t-get-out-of-your-head” songs. Already, they are winning major music awards and breaking concert sales records everywhere. Their 12-Feb Bangkok concert tickets were snapped up within 20 minutes! (For the same class of seatings, their Hong Kong concert tickets cost 200% more than what I paid for Jacky Cheung and Jay Chou concert! Imagine the standing ticket cost about HKD1688/ticket and it was full house!)

The Hong Kong fans are superb! It was the fans who stole the show tonight! They memorized the Korean songs by heart! I have never seen fans that passionate and “well-coordinated”! (The fan club even posted up an online tutorial on Facebook to teach the fans what to do!) During the song “Complete”, thousands of the fans flashed their A4 home-printed banners “You + Me = Complete” at Girls’ Generation. It was a powerful movement, so dramatic and touching! (It moved Sunny to tears) And at the last line of the finale song “Fantastic” when Jessica sang “fly away”, the fans released thousands of pink balloons up in the air. It was so well-planned and synchronized! It was beautiful.

I hate to admit that I am one of the many “old boys” fans who fell in love with Girls’ Generation (aka SNSD – 소녀시대 / So Nyuh Si Dae / 少女时代). Seriously, their songs and dance are very addictive. (Trust me, these girls are more addictive and charming than Wonder Girls. If you don’t know them, go watch their “Genie” or “Taxi” MTVs online). Great songs + dances, great personalities and superb-talented individuals. It was confusing at the beginning to remember all their faces and names. But after watching their MTVs and variety-shows on YouTube, the power of 9 = full package of a perfect dreamgirl. The more you know them, the more you will like them. Mmmm…. makes me feel I should create my own girl-band. (It is not easy to manage a group of 9 girls. Utmost respect for their manager and record company!)

Jolin Tsai “Myself” World Tour Concert 2011 (蔡依林世界巡回演唱會)

Last night, Taiwanese Pop Princess Jolin Tsai heated up Hong Kong Coliseum with her sparkling performance. This is her 6th stop (total 8 cities) of her Asian “Myself” Tour. Teaming with Miguel Zarate (leading choreographer of Lady Gaga, Britney Spears), Jolin fired up the audience with her hot curves and seductive dance routines. She is the “Kylie Minogue” and “Ayumi Hamasaki” of Mandarin Pop.

It wasn’t the gigantic LCD Sphere or the pyrotechnics that stole the show. it was those daring, sexy and illuminated signature outfits Jolin wore. Red LED dress, Super bright Breast-Pads and low-cut tight dress that revealed her deep V. (See photo below) Simply booblicious! The key outfit of the night was undeniably the red laser-illuminated bodice. Hundreds of red laser lines beamed around Jolin – like a Goddess, a Superstar. (Ouch! She just laser-beam my eyes! What a knocker!)

Overall, it was a spectacular show (but not the best pop/dance concert I have attended). The Hong Kong concert was a little different from her Singapore and Taiwan legs. No water-dance finale and we didn’t see any special celebrity guest appearance. Jolin was an eye-candy but her singing was lacking. Loud woofer bass muffled her voice most of the night. Jolin didn’t really connect with her fans wholeheartedly – she sounded a little “cold” (not much confident) in her speech. Nevertheless, she managed to get half the audience standing and dancing towards the finale of the concert with her hot sexy moves. Surely, Jolin speaks louder with her body language than words. That’s being herself.

The House of Dancing Water (City of Dreams, Macao)

A costly HKD 2 billion production! The House of Dancing Water is indeed the world’s newest and most spectacular and original extravaganza. A cast of 77 performers from 18 different countries, this show took 5 years to prepare and 2 years of rehearsals. Situated in the heart of the City of Dreams, the 2000-seat theater houses the world’s largest commercial pool (3.7m gallons of water, 160ft diameter and 16ft deep – about 5 Olympic-swimming-pool-size) with 258 automated water fountains. Sounds impressive? Wait till you watch the performance live in action!

The show is now in its 8th month (it was launched last August) and it is still incredibly running full-house. We have been hearing so much good reviews about this show that we decided to watch this during our Easter break. As expected, it was full-house and we have to book the tickets 3 weeks in advance. All the mid-range tickets were taken, leaving us no choice but to get the most-expensive tickets available.

At first, I was doubtful about the reviews and thought the HKD880 (ticket) +500 (return ferry) was a little too much to bear. But it was worth every dollar! (And I will certainly bring my son and wife to the show the next time they are in town!)

If you are done with circus and musicals, the House of Dancing Water promises you a show like no other. Breathtaking acts, stunning stage effects and beautiful settings, the director of the show choreographed every scene perfectly. Audience sit around a deep pool. The stage effects are beyond anything I have seen before. Fog engulf the theater, a 30ft tall ship rises up in the middle of the pool. The ship sinks and an oriental pavilion rises in its place. There is rain and snow.  In a blink, the deep pool disappears, dry land rises. The land cracks and steam hissing out of the holes on the floor. Motorcyclists doing daredevil stunts. Dancers flying in mid-air, performing breathtaking dives from as high as 15m tall. Take a magical 90min journey across space and time! A 100% must watch if you are in Macao! Enjoy the official Sammi’s MTV below.

Updated: Jacky Cheung ½ Century Tour Concert 2011 (張學友1/2世紀演唱會 – Hong Kong)

Jacky Cheung is more than just an cantopop idol. He remains one of the best Heavenly Kings of the 90s. Even today, Jacky is still very much everyone’s “God of Songs”! Many of us grew up listening to his songs. For me, his songs accompanied me for 2 long decades since I was 15!

Shame to admit, this is my first ever Jacky Cheung’s concert and he blew me off with his spectacular performance! Jacky fired up the stage (and yes, he literally did that) with his powerful vocal, his well-choreographed act and his magical “musical performance”! Stunning! Instead of inviting guest stars to his concert, Jacky paid special tribute to the late Lydia Sum. 

This is more like a hybrid of Broadway and pop concert! Hits after hits, Jacky sang continuously for 3 solid hours! (Tonight is the 2nd night of his 20-night concert in Hong Kong!) I can’t believe Jacky is 50 years old this year (that is why he named his concert “½ Century Tour Concert 2011“). With an unbelievable level of stamina and energy, he outclassed all the current princes + princesses of pop! Based on tonight’s performance, there is no doubt Jacky is still the best male singer in Asia.

At the end of his concert and when it was time for “encore”, Jacky gave us not 2, not 5 but over 10 classic hits! It was a great night to remember. It is no wonder why he is named the “God of Songs”. Jacky is indeed legendary. Here is a list of some of the songs he sang tonight: 花花公子, 小姐貴姓, 初吻, 你的名字，我的姓氏, 你是我今生唯一傳奇, 一滴淚, 分手總要在雨天 , 月半灣, 吻別 , 人在雨中, 如果愛, 三分拍 , 李香蘭, 我真的受傷了, 餓狼傳說, 這個冬天不太冷, 每天愛你多一些, 祝福.

(Earlier this Jan, Jacky broke ticket sales record in Singapore and the organiser extended his 2-night concert to 5 nights from 26th – 30th Aug. He will be performing in Singapore Indoor Stadium! Don’t miss it!)

Going Deep with Vivian Chow (Deep V25 Concert 周慧敏演唱會2011)

Last night, I have a date with my childhood sweetheart, Vivian Chow. Back in the 1990s, she was every boy’s fantasy. She was the definition of my dream girl – slim, fair, long hair, pure, clean, curvy body, sweet charming smile, big sparkling eyes, baby fat and fragile-innocent looking. Back in those days, I spent all my pocket money on her movies, cassettes tapes and photographs. She was certainly one of the hot Asian idols in the 90s. The girls ogled at Aaron Kwok and Leon Lai. The boys had their eyes and minds on Vivian Chow (okay..and also Amy Yip).

Tracy managed to get last minute tickets via Vivian Chow’s Fan Club. We sat with her Fan Club. We were sitting center, just 5 rows from the stage! (I intentionally made Meijie jealous when I text-ed him about the concert! Unknown to many, Meijie and Jimmy held long, deep infatuation on Vivian! Bet Meijie keeps her poster till todate!) Many times, we saw ourselves on the big screen, in the midst of the many bright LED signage. Her fans were super crazy. Despite sitting so close to the stage, our view were blocked by their big signs. These fans came from all parts of Asia (China, Japan, Taiwan). Guess we were the only Singaporean pair sitting with them.

Thanks to my new 300mm paparazzi lens, I managed to capture some real close-up shots of Vivian. Good thing we were sitting on these special seats, I was facing right in the center of the stage. I told Tracy Vivian was waving and flirting with my lens the whole night – of course, she didn’t believe me. I bet Vivian did.

Suddenly, I feel so young again. Vivian didn’t aged much. She looks sensual (and still hot) in her 40s. She invited many guest stars to grace her concert last night. This concert marks her 25 years in the entertainment industry. I am so happy to see her sing live here in Hong Kong. It was a pity that she didn’t sing many of her more popular Chinese songs. And my heart melted when she cried last night. Aw….feels like 15 again…so so in love (especially when she let down her long hair in that purple finale dress!). It was good that my wife wasn’t with me last night.

Grease is the Word

The gloomy super typhoon may be heading our way but the atmosphere inside the auditorium is hot, sunny and GREASY! Hits after hits, “Grease” – the longest-running musical in the history of Broadway, rocked the hall with all its mighty pop hits and groovy dance routines! Men in tights and ladies in curls! Hot bods and sexy girls! Don’t you love the candy times in the 50s?