The affability
of Emil Chau is such that even in a euphoric post-concert high,
he does not forget his manners.
"So sorry to keep you waiting," he said over and over to a group of Singapore reporters. Yet they had waited a mere five minutes outside his makeshift dressing room in Taipei's Municipal Stadium on Sunday night.
His face flushed after performing for over 2.5 hours, he had a towel draped over his neck as he received congratulatory hugs from his American-born wife and members of the backstage crew.
Chau's trademark chuckle rang through the dressing room. He greeted every reporter with a firm handshake and eye contact.
And with his unflappable energy and good cheer, it was easy to see how his personality, as much as his music, has elevated him to the superstar status he enjoys today.
Two shows here in Taipei over the weekend kickstarted his Super World Tour this year. It is likely to last for 1.5 years, with the singer taking his 26-piece band all over the world, including Singapore next month.
Days before the shows, the Taiwanese press was already hailing them as boasting a few firsts.
This is the 2002 stage concept for Wakin's World Tour Singapore concert on 10/19/02
c/o www.wakin.com
The stage, which was covered by a giant arched shelter and extends to as wide as 110 m, accounted for $830,000 of the production costs of an unprecedented $1 million. Chau sprinted from one end to the other during his performances.
In the past, he always made up for a lack of dancers and fancy costumes with pitch-perfect singing and good-natured banter with the audience.
But this time, the performance took on a visual edge, employing laser shows, pyrotechnics, and even a fireworks display after the encore.
There was the usual reworking of his
signature tunes -- "Tomorrow I Will Marry You" had an a capella
feel as he was accompanied by only four back-up singers and drums
-- and introduction of a few new songs.
But what ardent fans noticed was that he made much less small talk with the audience than he used to.
In the past, topics ran the gamut from making fun of his band members to stories about his two young children.
"I think this is the more professional way of holding concerts," he explained backstage.
"There is no dancing in my concerts, so in the past, I always worried that the audience might get bored. That was why I talked -- to make up for it. It later became a habit."
The line-up for this new world tour is more compact. Chau lets his songs do the talking.
Rehearsals for his Taipei concerts began 1.5 months ago. He followed a rigorous routine during them.
"I slept every day at 5 am. I woke up at noon, had lunch, practiced with the band until 7 pm, practiced drumming and piano until 11 pm, memorised the lines to the songs until 5 am, and then went to sleep," he said.
But the painstaking efforts paid off. Appreciative sold-out crowds of 12,000 packed each show at the open-air stadium.
To the Hong Kong-born Chau, it was like performing for the hometown fans. After all, he has become an adopted son of sorts since he moved to Taiwan 17 years ago.
He is a self-professed "typical Taipei person" who wants his son and daughter to be educated here.
Chau also revealed that the new concert format comes with a "hidden aim."
"I want to use these concerts to bury the old songs," he said. "The World Tour ends in 1999 and with the new century approaching, it would also mean a new phase in my musical style. When it's time for the next round of concerts, I don't think I would want to do the old songs anymore."
His new style takes up where his last
two albums left off. The strains of world music in the song,
"Friends,"
are the most obvious shift.
"It's really hard to find the right balance -- to progress in a new direction while still keeping the listeners," he said.
"The band and I are still trying very hard to find the formula, but it will be clearer in the next album."
He still has six more concerts in Taiwan before he descends on the Singapore Indoor Stadium from Sept. 11-13.
He confirmed that the shows here will be similar to the ones seen in Taipei, although the staging will be different because of the switch to an indoor setting.
"The details are not sorted out yet, but I can guarantee that Singapore audiences will not be disappointed," he said.
Submitted by Mun and much appreciated!
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