EASON CHAN MOVING ON STAGE 5 CONCERT

Ok....let's do some justice for Eason. My previous entry does mention that I wasn't entirely satisfy with the concert last Thursday. But before I start whining, I had to first say that Eason's voice was great that night. Exactly how he sounded in his albums....brilliant and no doubt about it. Prior to the concert, I already came to know that the concert will not be one that will be liked by anyone who watches it. I've heard the new album and the music was brilliant....but brilliant in a way that it's either loving it or hating it. I had mental preparation that the concert would sit on a radical side....artistic customes and weird song arrangments like "Fau Kua".

Indeed it was rather radical right at the start when he appeared in a white custome with a veil covering from head to toe. *WickedlyWEIRD*

Sang a few songs, did a few dances but it was again, weird that he did some intimate dances with the MALE DANCERS...male dances in skimpy or minimal clothing...or wearing nothing on top at all!!

Not the weirdness of the concert that left me disappointed.....in fact I was rather amazed by it. Ok, I have not been following the developments in the HK entertainment news. I probably did not get the artistic meaning behind the customes and the dances. (In fact, I read over the internet that the Stage 1 in HK had a bunch of men ballent dancers dancing in tutus!). It was rather the concert arrangement and preparation that, I felt, wasn't properly done.

• There was nothing surprising about his appearance that nite. He simply just walked out and started singing.
• I didn't even know ENCORE session has started because it seem like a small pause. Not really feeling the yells and screams of fans.
• There wasn't anything special when the concert ended. He just simply say "thank you" and walk back inside. I didn't even realise the concert was over until the lights came back on.
• He sang most of his popular songs in mandarin!! That despite the crowd responding their preference for cantonese songs when he asked. Imagine "Next Year's Today" and "Lonely Christmas" all sang in mandarin.....BIG put off!
• Dancers weren't really synchronised that night, giving the impression that preparation and rehearsals weren't done adequately prior to the show.
• Not the entire MOVING ON concert was showcased that night. I checked on the internet that there are still SO MANY customes in MOVING ON STAGE 1 but STAGE 5 only had like....5?

The crowd that night was TOTALLY CRAZY though. A twist and turn from Eason will send the crowds screaming as if he had just jumped down from the 3rd floor. Another weird thing was that I realise it was mainly the guys who seem to go totally ballistic at his every move or his every word! OMG OMG OMG....is Eason turning into some gay icon or something!!??!?!?

Overall, again I need to emphasize....I enjoy Eason but not the concert overall...prob should put the blame on the sponsors for not forking out more $$ to bring the whole Moving On Concert over from HK......Stage 1 seem extravagant but I guess minimal budget, tight schedule and tiny stage made Stage 5 a less interesting one....

But then again, I've never really enjoyed a concert in Sydney Ent. Centre except for the brilliant 'God' Jacky Cheung and Kelly Chen....and prob Sam Hui....I've watched Joey Yung, Miriam Yeung and Twins but nothing to huh-hah about.....Regardless, I still have my thumbs up and all the respect for Eason for the talent buried inside him and for who he is and what he does......concert is not always the best way to judge a singer because most of the time, they had to bow to the sponsors and organisers. But then again, no sponsors, no concert.....wat a love-hate relationship!

**Will try to put up more photos when I get home....**

U KIDDING ME?

Are You kidding me, are You f*cking kidding me? I'm not even done with the no-one-accompany-me Eason situation and I am hit by yet another HUGE, GIGANTIC concert bug....

Ok....Don't You tempt me anymore....I cannot resist the temptation! My purse is screaming at me now.....she likes her size and dislike having to go on diet!!!

ARGHHHH.... *cracks up head....*

but........ *only to realise there's a Sammi Cheng mini-me living inside worrr*

oooo....Sammi....it's Sammi............Cannot say 'no' wan lar. Coz this might be one of her last concert already. If I miss this, it might be FOREVER!

So......wanna go, wanna go?? *evil evil grin*

MONEY....OR COMPANY

I just got off the phone with my sister in Malaysia and came up with a dilemma in life which striked us these recent years without us realising. The dilemma happens due to 2 elements.....

MONEY??

&

COMPANIONS...

Back in those days while I was still in Malaysia, we used to go shopping, karaoke, movies, concerts or dinners together. There never was prior long discussions about the outing besides a simple question of "You wanna go XXXX?" If the answer was a positive one, *BAM* book table/ticket/room and off we go. We never need to worry about companionship because we had each other.

There was never worries of winning a pair of tickets and had no one to go with. Usually the situation was much more simple if we only had 2 tickets because that would mean that we would go with each other, no questions about it. It was always difficult when we got more than 2 premiere tickets because then we would be stuck in a situation where we have to decide who we want to invite and risk the chance of losing a friend or two whom we had to give up on. But regardless, we always have each other's company.

Only issue back then was more to the financial & transportation factor: the price and the means of transport. That would all come down to the approval of our parents. But 90% of the time....no, rephrase....100% of the time my parents will end up being our ATM and cab driver because they would rather go through all the hassles of getting stuck in jams and wandering around the mall while we carried on with our activities, for worries that we might face danger taking public transport or accepting offers from so-called friends whom we barely know.

Rewind a few years and a few decisions along the way, I drifted off the rough sea and land, settling down in the Land Down Under while my sis remained back in Malaysia. Since then, we hardly ever go for any concerts, and if we do, it's usually after a loooong series of persuasion and asking around. We are old enough now, I've entered the materialistic world of work and career while my sis earned some extra bits through her scholorships. Yet, we both are still facing the devilish factor of money and companionship.

Most of the time, sis got stuck in situation where she had no one to go with. Even the last concert she went was with my mum, and that was for Jacky Cheung in Genting. And the reason she manage to persuade mum to go was because mum likes Jacky and mum only go for concerts in Genting Arena of Stars.

Over the other side of the world, I was slightly a little over the lucky side. I had a friend who liked Jacky Cheung so he tagged his girlfriend along, and then our girlfriends decided to come along as well, regarding it as a group outing rather than having admiration towards the singer. But not all the time you had such luck. Just like the situation I had now. I manage to set hands on a pair of Eason's $98 tickets for just $68! Good, financial part settled. The concert was at Darling Harbour, within walkable distance from my house....transportation was settled as well. Only missing was the companionship. I had no one to go with. No one to scream with, no one to discuss the concert with.

Eason's going to KL on 14th June as well...and my sis, though wants to go, but might have to keep the enthusiasm level down to the minimum because, high chances, she might not find someone to go with. Plus, concert ticket prices have soar up high within the last few years. 6 years back, we could enjoy a front row concert for RM120....(I watched absoule front row of Nic Tse for just RM99)......now, RM120 might score u the cheapest seat IF you are lucky. Jacky Cheung's concert in Genting...the ticket price soared up to RM700 for the most expensive section! She is faced with an even bigger problem.....financially AND companionship!

Aihhhh....since I left, she hardly go karaoke, or had impromptu dinner of 'har gau' 'siew mai', seldom to the cinema to watch movies of her choice unless her bf was free to accompany her. As for me, ever since I've been here, I had to search for my own source of income, find friends every single time I want to go somewhere or do something abnormal......But anyhow, like what old folks say, there is no solution that benefits every criteria, you just have to make-do with whatever you can get.

EASON'S MOVING ON SYDNEY CONCERT

When I first saw the advertisement at Ticketmaster website, I almost let out a big scream in the office! Eason is COMING!!! FINALLY!!!! I've seen his mini showcase many years ago in Malaysia and had been waiting and waiting for his concert to come the a city near me....and now....here he comesssss....

BUT....BUT, BUT, BUT...

Why? Why? Why doesn't anyone seem to fancy Eason? I've been such huge fans but no one around me seem to share the same level of enthutiasm with me.

"Hah, Eason ar? Ok lar...not really a fan wor. No lar, dun wanna go lar!"

"Eason ar, can ger...when is the concert ar? Har? 22nd March ar? I cannot make it lar. Anyway, not a fan oso lar...."

"Eason ar, quite like lar. But not to the point wanna go watch his concert lor"

"Eason ar, not my cup of tea worrr..."

Above are just some of the response I get arrr...how disappointing ler! Just like Jacky Cheung, I have been a super fan but never had a chance to watch his concert until Oct last year....That's y I told myself I will not commit the same mistake of procrastinating for another concert because there is always a perception that they will come again soon mah! That's why I really wanna watch Eason before it drags along a few more years and by then maybe I have kids to feed or a husband to take care.

I've been reluctant to cancel my booking for the tickets I made about a month ago because I was always hoping that someone will wanna go with me last minute. But today I called the agency up to cancel the tickets only to be told that she have got even better tickets for me at a reduced price!!! OMG! Reduced price, good singer....where to find?!?!?!




I want to watch Eason!! *Fingers crossed*

BACKSTREET'S BACK...ALRIGHT!

"Everybo....dy, Yeaaaah, Rock Your Body....Yeaaaah, Everybooooody, Rock Your Body Right! Backstreet's Back, Alright!!!"

"I'll never break your heart, I'll never make you cry, I rather die than live without you...."

OK, OK, I know some may comment... "OMG! Backstreet Boys!!??! That's a boyband...it's sooo lame etc... etc...". But come on, admit it! Once upon a time, long long ago, in a land far far away....you have, at one point, listened to their songs until you could blurt out the lyrics or might have even bought their album before.

And I won't deny it....I LOOOOOVE the Backstreet Boys some time ago...those boyish looks, those many karaoke repertoires, those cheesy but oh-so-cool dance moves. And YES, I even bought 2 of their first albums entitled, 'Backstreet Boys' and 'Backstreet's Back'. They came to Sydney sometime in Jan 2006 at Entertainment Centre but I wasn't able to catch that show because I was back in M'sia for holidays. So going to their Unbreakable Sydney concert last Friday was sorta like finally being able to chase back my teenage dream *those were the days....loooong gone...*

Brian McFadden (of Westlife fame and fiance of Aussie songbird Delta Goodrem) opened their act at 7:30....sang I guess about 4-5 songs including his latest, 'Only a Woman Can'. It was such a boyband night, considering McFadden used to be part of Westlife. And, after his gig, it was a painful 40 minutes wait before the BSB started. Audiences were at first, enthusiatic, doing rounds after rounds of human waves. And then there were cheers, screams demanding for the boys to come out. Silence again, human waves again, screams again.....I had to admit I was getting a bit frustrated about the wait. The tickets noted 7:30 as the start time but it wasn't until 8:40 that they finally appear.

And, they did not just appear and kick off the show with some real cheesy boyband-style dance moves, they did it in the most unusual way....as if it was a boxing match, with a commentator introducing each of them at each corner of the mini made-up boxing stage. We had a good laugh on that one...

It was suprisingly a pleasant night. Not really a tacky boyband reminiscence night. They did sang most of their hits eg. Quit Playing Games with My Heart, All that I can Give, Larger than Life, Show Me the Meaning (of Being Lonely), I Want it That Way, More than That, The Call, Incomplete, Just Want You to Know and their new song, Helpless When She Smiles. The whole arena went totally crazy when they did I Never Break Your Heart and As Long As You Love Me while the music video was shown at the background, instantly comparing their boyish looks back then with their 'matured' looks now. Also, I looooove the part when they did Everybody (Backstreet's Back) and performed the dance move as of the music video. *Coooool!*




Throughout the show, all 4 of them did individual songs of their own. Howie did a latin-ish rendition, Nick with his rave drums session, Brian sang his new song 'Welcome Home' while AJ sang a solo heavy-rock track, fast proving that boyband too, has their own style when it comes to solo careers. And the BSB I love most.....AJ! I just don't know why but I felt his outlook passes some similarity with Jacky Cheung.....the moustache, the face shape, those 'man-ly' looks. Both had their different styles but I can't deny that they do look alike!

My favourite part of the night was the performance of 'Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely'. The setting was a poker table at the edge of the stage. All four of them played a few hands of poker with cigars in their hands while they sang. The background showed a close-up of them in black and white, almost like a scene in some mafia movie back at those colorless era.



They still manage to pull through despite Kevin's decision to leave the band. But then of course, among all 5 of them, Kevin was always the one who sang the least throughout their career. He was more of a dancer and composer rather than a singer. So his withdrawal from the band almost cause no impact at all to the remaining 4.

Everyone was obedient throughout the show even when Brian came down the stage to greet some fans....but during the encore session, Nick came down and that was the time when everyone went crazy (ermmm....that includes me) and ran to the front. Of course the main reason of me running to the front wasn't for Nick....I was hoping and praying that my fave among all, AJ, will come down as well.....Too bad, my predictions was wrong. Indeed AJ came down the stage but it was on the left side while I ran towards the centre of the stage....BADDDD.....but I did manage to catch some good shots of all four of them.

The show ended with the song 'Shape of My Heart'. Overall, it was quite an enjoyable nostalgic night, although it was just a less than 2 hrs show. I had a fun time going down memory lane along with the arguably best boyband of all time. And finally after 15 years, I have fulfill my dreams to watch them live on stage.....