The latest Mayday concert signalled a rocking homecoming of sorts, writes Loong Wai Ting
THREE years after they rocked music lovers in Malaysia, the boys of Taiwanese rock group Mayday returned for another concert.
Playing to a 20,000-strong crowd on a recent Saturday evening at Stadium Merdeka, Mayday delivered a highly energetic show powered by its upbeat rock numbers and equally moving love ballads.
Dubbed Just Rock It, the concert, which stretched for three hours with three sets of encore, felt like a homecoming for both the audience and the band.
Although the sprawling and elaborate sets typical of its Taipei and Hong Kong shows were missing here, that did not stop the band from maximising the usage of all four corners of the stage to get close to the audience.
The concert kicked off with a volley of five songs, which included classics such as Ni Bu Shi Zhen Zheng De Kuai Le, Wei Ai Er Sheng and Sun Wukong that launched the band into international fame.
It evoked a nostalgic feel, as the band sang of love gained and lost, and of feeling abandoned by the world. The melodies and lyrics fired up the crowd, who in turn, sang along passionately.
As the throwback moment gave way to a more stripped-down affair, the band members gathered around a long table setting where they joked with fans and reminisced about their younger days.
Looking dapper in a three-piece suit, lead vocalist Ashin then addressed the hyped-up crowd, while his band mates Guai Shou and Shi Tou (both on guitars), Masa (bass) and Guan You (drums) looked on.
“Tonight is the night we party till dawn,” he said, half-jokingly. “The weather, like the fans here, is so warm. This is the reason why we love coming back. Your support means a lot to us. Without you, we would not be here tonight. This is for all of you,” he said, before the band jumped into its next number, Gan Bei.
As the fans embarked on a massive sing-along, the band wasted no time in revving up the energy level in the stadium with its performance of Ya Che, in which Guai Shou showed off his guitar riffing skills.
Other hit songs, both old and new, like Hao Hao, Gan Bei, Ru Guo Wo Men Bu Cheng Xia Yu, Wen Rou and Hou Lai De Wo Men, continued to entertain the willing audience.
When the well-loved hit Zhi Ming Yu Chun Jiao was missing from the setlist, the fans pestered the band to perform it, not minding if it was just the chorus. The band happily obliged, which then flagged off another live karaoke session.
“Thank you for giving us such a beautiful experience. We couldn’t have asked for more,” said drummer Guan You.
With the Petronas Twin Towers and KL Tower standing majestically in the background on the far side of the stadium, it was indeed a sight to behold.
“The view tonight is amazing. There were times when we thought the band might not survive when Shi Tou left the band for his studies in England. And here we are, performing for all of you again,” said Ashin.
As the rest of the band disappeared backstage for a quick change, Masa walked over to the piano, sat down and performed a piano version of Noah’s Ark.
Masa hynoptised the crowd with his rich and gentle vocals, which complimented the song’s melancholy lyrics.
The band’s signature songs such as Tu Ran Hao Xiang Ni and Jue Jiang predictably received the loudest cheers from the crowd. If their previous concert was marred by a subpar sound system and murky vocals, this time, things improved tremendously — all thanks to the state-of-the-art equipment and set-up.
As the concert progressed further on into the night, the band showed no signs of fatigue. Instead, the crowd received more up-tempo songs.
After the essential ballad Yang Chong, the band ended the concert with Han Ren, with a little message: “Love, embrace and celebrate our differences”.
As the band took its final bow and the light on stage dimmed for the last time, the stadium was awashed in a sea of emotions. Some sang with their friends, some stayed back just a little longer while the rest of us went home knowing that our love for the band had solidified even further. Well played, guys!