五月天 at 「超犀利趴」Supa Slippa

Mayday are set to rock Taipei Arena this 14 August 2010 at the 「超犀利趴」Supa Slippa concert alongside 8 other bands: 1976、TIZZY BAC、宇宙人、旺福、拾參、熊寶貝、嚴爵&jazzy band、MAGIC POWER.

The concert is set to break the record for the longest concert ever held at Taipei Arena (current record holder is Sodagreen..?) With each band playing between 40 minutes to an hour, the concert will start at 3:00pm and run for at least 6 hours. Fans are advised to prepack dinner LOL

伯牙絕弦

Leehom's upcoming album titled "十八般武藝 [The 18 Martial Arts]" which will be released on 13 August 2010 features the song 伯牙絕弦, composed by Leehom and written by 五月天阿信&八三夭阿璞. Another great 宏信 collaboration :)

Ashin in Close To You

From music to movie, Ashin will be guest starring (as a boxing judge) in the upcoming Taiwan flick "近在咫尺的愛戀 [Close To You]" which will be released in the cinemas in Taiwan on 13 August 2010. Leehom's directorial debut "戀愛通告 [Love In Disguise]" will be released the same day

do I look like a boxing judge?

DNA tug o' war tape

Rolls of DNA tape that I caught over the course of the world tour. I had more but gave some away to friends.

The very first tape I got was courtesy of a friend's friend. It was the first DNA concert in HK in May 2009. The friend was kind enough to cut her roll of tape into strips to share with us ;) We didn’t even know her that well and I can’t even recall her name now XD

I look forward to Hosee each time during concert, especially when I'm in row 1. It’s easier to catch when you’re down in the front row (unless you’re not seated across from the stage)

The longest roll I caught was the full uncut one from Ashin at the LA concert in April =D That was the only time that no other fan attempted to grab the tape – goes to show what the American fans are like. The second night at the DNA Taipei concert I actually got not one, but two rolls cos there was a leftover roll near the front of the stage.

20100724 DNA Taichung Finale: 變形DNA無限放大版演唱會 台中最終場

Taichung 7/24 變形DNA無限放大版演唱會. The 44th concert in the world tour. The final one. My 17th DNA concert :)

usher didnt tear off the perforated part of my ticket

It was a hot sunny afternoon when we arrived in Taichung late Saturday morning. As I stepped out from the HSR station, it felt like stepping into an oven. After dropping our luggage at the hotel, we first went to the stadium to grab the Stay Real coupons and thereafter the Stay Real store to redeem the SR fans. It was a little past 1pm when we got there and there was already a long Q outside. Redemption started at 1:30pm and after viewing the exhibition upstairs, we went back to the stadium.

Taichung stadium

stadium's main entrance

The Q for the merchandise/Stay Real/Drumming had swelled by the time we got back. And then heavy rain came...

Stay Real Yizhong in Taichung

queue for the merchandise/Stay Real/Drumming

Drumming vs Stay Real

At 5ish in the evening, it started to pour really heavy again. Fearing that it would rain again during the concert, we packed raincoats and a stash of plastic bags.

We got to the stadium past 7pm. Rain had stopped by then. The road leading to the stadium was closed for the concert. Jen texted me and told me to be careful as it was very muddy at my area and to roll up my jeans (should have gone with shorts and wellies)

The stadium entrance was crowded at 7:30pm when we went inside. Ushers struggled to keep up with the sea of fans, and I casually strolled in without having to show them my ticket. When we got to the entrance to our area, there were planks on the ground beneath. So I thought this can't be that bad. As I walked towards the front area of the stage, the planks were gone. We walked past the wet grass ground and by the time we got to the front area... it was all muddy!!!

The ground was so soft it feels like I was gonna sink into it o.O It turns out only the folks down in the front row had the muddy ground :( Just great. A couple of the fans were barefooted.. Ewww. The mud smelled so bad I almost thought we were in a pig farm XD. Because the ground was soft - we couldn't jump! >.<>

confetti on the muddy ground

The stage was SMALL!! Much smaller than I had expected. All around we could see the 3D cameras. There was a second black robot at the back of the stadium - specially for the grand finale.

Taichung stage

bada$$ transformer

Concert didn't start till 8:30pm, which was pretty late and ended at 12:30am. They must be pretty tired cos they barely went on the runway - only towards the end of the concert. As time goes by, we see less of them on the runway.

Apart from the usual DNA setlist, the band sang a new song OA OA, which is the theme for 3DNA. It sounded like a footie anthem to me XD Wonder if it was written during the World Cup fever. They also sang DNA and Jump + Get Out (with Magic Power) twice as Ashin wanted to reshoot that scene for 3DNA - with the band having to do a quick 20 second costume change haha

Setlist:
opening 軋車
春天的吶喊
軋車
愛情萬歲
HOSEE
你不是真正的快樂
生存以上生活以下
瘋狂世界+候鳥
時光機
我們(時時刻刻)
我心中尚未崩壞的地方
人生海海
DNA
雌雄同體
離開地球表面+GET OUT (特別來賓:Magic Power)
笑忘歌
如煙
孫悟空
約翰藍儂+我
最重要的小事
天使
生命有一種絕對
倔強
OAOA
OK啦
闖+放肆
妳是唯一
突然好想你
知足
溫柔(還你自由版)
憨人 五人分唱版
Encore
戀愛ing (R&B版)
心中無別人
透露
DNA
離開地球表面+GET OUT
志明與春嬌
我們這一家

Over 40,000 fans attended the concert and among them were Ashin's mom, his 87 year old grandpa, 82 year old granny and two aunts

love peace music xoxoxo

See you in the next world tour year 2012

p.s thank you yiwen for letting me use some of her photos here

Happy Birthday Guan You

冠佑 生日快樂!!

Wishing you many many happy returns (:

Se a vida e (That's the way life is)

Pet Shop Boys.

I haven't heard of them or their songs in a long while, till last Saturday night at the Taichung stadium, their song 'Se a vida e (That's the way life is)' was played non-stop before the concert started. We sat for a good hour before the concert started and heard this song at least 5 or 6 times.

When I hear the song now, it reminds me of a breezy wet night in Taichung, muddy ground and a great band. The best concert finale EVER =]

20100725 阿信 X 不二良 X KEA @『基因搖滾Revolution of Evolution』開幕記者會

I'm not a frequent museum visitor, but I have never ever seen a museum as packed as the National Taiwan Museum of Arts. The '基因搖滾 Revolution of Evolution' exhibition at the museum which started on Sunday 25 July 2010 also saw the opening ceremony cum press conference attended by KEA, Ashin and No2Good.

The line for the press conference started a few hours before 2:30pm. Why did it have to clash with Leehom's signing session in Taipei? sigh. I had to make a choice between the two. By noon, fans had crowded all around the Stay Real Mousy figurines on display. Those who were in front were told to sit and I overhead a museum staff telling a fan who refused to sit - "please sit down. This is not a concert" LOL

For more pictures from the opening ceremony/press conference, surf on to the museum's official site here

Thanks to mrs wen for sharing this adorable pic of Ashin XD

2010潮流展－阿信

DNA epilogue

The 14 month DNA 2009-2010 World Tour which began in May 2009 will come to an end this Saturday, making Taichung the 44th concert in the tour (what an unlucky number)

It's a bittersweet ending for me. On the one hand I'm glad the band have finally concluded (yet) another world tour and can now move on to the next chapter. I hope they find some time to rest and relax. On the other hand it's sad that I won't get to see them ever so often in concerts across the globe XD After Saturday I would've attended 17 of the total 44 shows o.O Well at least the hole in my pocket won't be getting any bigger

Here's the rundown of the entire world tour:

五月天創造演唱會世界巡迴

1) 2009年5月20日香港
2) 2009年5月21日香港
3) 2009年5月22日香港
4) 2009年5月28日墨爾本
5) 2009年5月29日悉尼
6) 2009年7月3 日上海
7) 2009年7月4 日上海
8) 2009年7月11日北京
9) 2009年8月1 日哈爾濱
10) 2009年8月21日杭州
11) 2009年8月28日新加坡
12) 2009年8月29日新加坡
13) 2009年9月24日台北
14) 2009年9月25日台北
15) 2009年9月26日台北
16) 2009年9月27日台北
17) 2009年10月6 日南京
18) 2009年10月17日佛山
19) 2009年10月31日重慶
20) 2009年11月3 日東京
21) 2009年11月21日廣州
22) 2009年12月5 日高雄
23) 2009年12月12日鄭州
24) 2009年12月26日長沙
25) 2010年4月4 日紐約
26) 2010年4月4 日紐約
27) 2010年4月10日洛杉磯
28) 2010年4月11日舊金山

變形DNA
29) 2010年4月17日新加坡
30) 2010年4月24日廈門
31) 2010年5月2 日北京
32) 2010年5月10日紐西蘭
33) 2010年5月12日布里斯本
34) 2010年5月14日墨爾本
35) 2010年5月16日雪梨
36) 2010年5月22日武漢
37) 2010年5月28日香港
38) 2010年5月29日香港
39) 2010年5月30日香港
40) 2010年5月31日香港
41) 2010年6月5 日吉隆坡
42) 2010年6月26日西安
43) 2010年7月10日南京
44) 2010年7月24日台中

Additional tickets for Taichung 7/24

Additional 700 tickets will be added for the 7/24 Taichung DNA concert, announced late last night. The tickets in the G and H section, all priced at NT$1280 will go on sale on Friday 7/23 at noon. That’s only a day before the actual concert! ..not that they’d have trouble selling so many tickets in such a short span of time

There's so much hype surrounding this concert and the 3D filming.. I can't wait already!!

5 hour final gig

Further to my last entry on additional late night train service, it was reported today that the 24/7 Taichung 變形DNA無限放大版演唱會 will run for an estimated 5 hour from 7:30pm till 12:30am on 25th. It's gonna be a long final concert =D

Out of town fans are strongly advised to purchase the return ticket in advance to avoid the massive queue at the station after the concert.

5 days to go!

Mayday @ Ding Dang's Taipei concert

Ding Dang 丁噹 performed at the University of Taipei stadium yesterday on her 「Dream Girl下一站天后」tour, which was attended by 4,000 fans along with her B'in Music stable mates who turned up to show their support which included Mayday (minus Guan You, but lookalike Michael Wong was present) and Fish Leung.

Countdown to 24/7 Taichung DNA

6 days to go to the final DNA concert in Taichung on 24 July 2010

Train services from Taichung have been extended on concert night to ferry out of town fans home after the concert which should be ending later than usual, with the last outbound train departing at 2:30AM.

First no more

Back in May it was reported that Mayday were to film and release Asia's first ever concert in 3D titled 「3DNA」, set to be released early next year ...only to be beaten to the title by Japan's Ayumi Hamasaki!

Ayumi had recorded her 2009 tour in 3D and after an eight month post production, the 3D concert movie (which also includes CG effect) will air in cinemas across Japan this 28 August.

Looks like the guys should've started filming in 3D when the tour kicked off last year LOL

Nanjing DNA and Taipei Toy Festival

Another busy weekend for the band as they are holding the second last DNA concert in Nanjing tonight. Meanwhile, over in Taipei, No2Good is busy holding the Stay Real fort at the 7th annual Taipei Toy Festival 2010: Monster Vs Toys which is being held from 8 to 11 July 2010.

Featuring designer toys, products, and collectibles from various deisgners, this year's event sees Stay Real occupying 3 booths (way to go SR!!) No2Good was onsite today for an autograph session this afternoon.

What a surprise when Tik texted me today as she was Q-ing up to get No2Good's autograph, and told me later that she had got me something signed :))) Thank you so much Tik *muaks*

基因搖滾 Revolution of Evolution

The STAY REAL Forever exhibition which is currently held in Shanghai until 12 July will be moving to Taichung come 25 July. Titled '基因搖滾 Revolution of Evolution', the exhibition will run from 25 July 2010 to 12 September 2010 at the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts located at 2, Sec. 1, Wu Chuan W. Rd., Taichung 403 [in Chinese: 403台中市西區五權西路一段2號]

Be there or be square!

Happy 70th Ringo

Ringo Starr turns 70 today. Happy birthday to a legend!

I love the song Octopus' Garden, which was written by Ringo and appears in The Beatles' Abbey Road album. Great song and equally wicked album :)

Usher vs Leehom

Come 11 July (no I'm not going to go on about World Cup finals), Usher will be having his first ever in Beijing. The American R&B superstar is currently in Asia on a world tour. What's special about the Beijing stop is that Usher will be joined onstage by Leehom.

Usher and Leehom? 2 homeboys in China? haha. What's interesting to note was Usher had a list of invitee (which included Wilber Pan, Jay Chou, David Tao.. amongst others) and the concert organiser had requested for fans' feedback on who should be sharing the stage with Usher. So finally, just a week before the concert, it was announced that Leehom will be Usher's sole guest at his Beijing concert. Now that should be an interesting collaboration

New CF

First post of the month.

Mayday had a MassMutual Mercuries Life [三商美邦人壽] event in hot Taipei today (I was told it was 40C there today? @_@) So there will be 2 new commercials, the first of which is below. And there will be a new song 改編了的[憨人十周年], but the band didn't perform it at today's event.

Cool流行酷報第155期封面人物—阿信