rumors | confirmation | booking | deciding | launch | outing | live interview
interviews and reports | ice queen cometh | press conference | the final event | booklet
it may sound kinda silly. but I am writing a report of my next experience with Faye, her 1999 Singapore concerts on 13th and 14th February 99. yeah such a long time since she came to Singapore! for the past 4 years I have only got to see her through magazines, TV appearances, award ceremonies and cable television. I really yearn to see and hear her in action.
Rumors of Faye Holding a Concert in Singapore
hmm let me start off with the news of Faye holding a concert in Singapore. at first rumors of her holding a concert in Singapore was uncertain and the confirmed dates were not made to the public's attention. at that time it was around October I think [kinda have a short memory span so that's why I made all these in black and white or otherwise I will forget!]. I was of course excited as the last time Faye held a concert was in 1995 and I kinda didn't have the capital to go for any concerts at that time. so I made sure that I had the money to purchase the best tickets available!
wowee! I was so happy when the concert dates were being confirmed! however there was one Fayenatic that was kinda pessimistic as she told me that there were chances that the concert might be put off as when the news was released to the press, Faye's mother passed away unfortunately. I too began to get worried as none of the magazines reported of the event only just ambiguous predictions like 'staging her second gig next year'. I was kinda worried too at that time and her guangzhou concerts had just taken flight and Fayenatics were given a preview of what to expect on the sg 99 concerts. I was so excited seeing her performing live! I managed to catch snippets of her concert! wow she was jumping around, having a great time and what the hongkongers call 'high'.
Singapore Fayenatics Home Concerts Tickets Online Booking
when the official Singaporean Fayenatics site proclaimed that mingyi will take in orders for the sg 99 concerts tickets I was even happier that the news is really confirmed finally. the tickets were kinda on the expensive side but it is Faye Wong we are talking about here! now at that time I was kinda in the economic slump and my cash was not ready yet. my was I desperate! I tried all ways of getting money, and I am kinda ashamed too coz I stooped really low not in the sense that I stole cash but kinda morally degrading! hehe these things I shall not reveal coz it was kinda awkward. I tried asking my parents for the cash and I was given a bad response at first. hmm suddenly I went into a 180 degrees change! I was extremely friendly and tried mingling more with the family finally I was given the green light from both my father and mother. I really heaved a sigh of relief! now I just have to wait for my orders to be completed. naturally I hoped that the days won't be so long and draggy! I just can't wait anymore!
now I am faced with the trouble of choosing which day to go? I had only enough cash for one day's concert! I must choose wisely. after haggling and 'fighting' with another Fayenatic, she told me that maybe the 2 days will be the same as Faye will be too tired and just want to get the thing done over quickly! since it [the concert] was on valentine's day eve and on the actual V day, I decided to go on 13th Feb 1999. I hope that I made the right choice!
Official Launch of Concert Ticket's Sales
I saw her picture in 8 days in the coming attractions section! I was so happy to see her in the mag, the picture had her sitting and extending a leg out. it was the one with the green strip across the face, she wore a pleated skirt and sleeveless shirt. this is what it read.
Faye Wong. The pop queen will be backed by husband Dou Wei and his Chinese Rock Band Hei Bao [ Black Panther ] in her concerts on 13-14 Feb, 8pm. Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tickets: $75, $120, $160 from Sistic. |
I was excited and told my non-Fayenatics friends of the concert and they were warmly surprised that Faye is going to hold a concert!
sigh. I really hated myself for oversleeping that day. I only managed to reach bugis at 12 sharp, the other Fayenatics were supposed to meet at 11am. that day it was the official launch of Faye's tickets at parco bugis junction [a mall in sg]. when I reached there I heard the deejay playing Faye's DATE. then I saw posters of her perimetering a big board! I was so excited coz the posters were indeed a beauty. Faye looks so cool! then I saw long, extremely long queue! it was evident what the people were queuing for. I was glad that I booked the tickets through mingyi! then I also heard that only the first 100 will get a poster! kinda envious at that time but I knew that we were already given the privileges so there was nothing to fret about! there was so much happening that day
-Screening of Snippets of Concert Shots from Guang Zhou, Kun Ming and Shen Zhen
what a treat for me! but I think that the screens were too small, but better than nothing rite?? I enjoyed it although it was repeated a gazillion times I was not bored at all. enjoyed it!
-Screening of the Faye Wong mini Concert in Taiwan
again the screen was too small. but it was nice as we got to see Faye singing live and just having fun. there was a short contest that had 3 [or 4] Faye Wong impersonators. the first one tried too hard, the second one didn't try half as bad but the third one was the best and they were all given an EXTRA big Faye Wong poster! the winner had Faye's signature on it too! wah! I also want!
-Giving Away of Posters
now it was really easy for us to get a poster! all we had to do was to guess a Faye tune and guess the song's title! hehe I didn't get any chance to win any posters but a kind Fayenatic donated her extra poster to me! I will not forget you, thanks by the way! it was kinda fun watching Fayenatics rushing one another to get a poster! I guess I am lucky to be given one! and not be forced to sing a verse from the song! I have a toad's voice ya know.
-Silver Singing Contest
more and more Faye Wong wannabes! something funny was that the song PLEDGE was a popular one among the contestants. I become kinda sick of the wannabes trying to yodel like Faye , esp. in the ending! too many cooks spoil the broth! [no offence intended but then it can get kinda a bit overboard, they sang well] but nonetheless we were actually waiting for Faye to talk via satellite with us! there was altogether 9 contestants each of them gone through a makeover so that they will look like Faye, the sunburnt strip...the extended eyebrow...the butterfly...the extended long sleeves...the hair..you know what I mean. halfway through the singing contest the compere told us to expect the phone to ring!
Faye's Live Teleconference from Hong Kong
the moment we were all anticipating!
Fayenatics: Faye, you're happy, so I'm happy!"
Faye: Thank you, Thank you....
MC: ....what about a word of I love you to your fans??
Faye: "Aiyoh! Oh my god! Thank you to all my fans lah...I don't know how to say anything too special."
Faye:".....I can do anything when the mood is right!"
Fayenatics: (Cheers, Screams, Claps)
Faye: (sound a bit threatened) why are you all so happy?? What do you want me to do?? (Faye...we want.....)
towards the end of the interview, we told the MC to tell Faye that some of us are going to HK to watch her concert and we ended by shouting "Faye!!! Meet you up in HK!" and Faye replied,"OK...see you in HK, see you in HK!"
excerpt from Singapore Fayenatics Home
Newspaper Reports of Faye's Upcoming Concerts
above is the newspaper article from Straits Times view the New Paper article at Singapore Fayenatics Home
Fayenatics Discussion about the SG 99 concert
we were all gathered at the banana plantation [gina's [in case you don't know is a banana] house] for the meeting. it was kinda noisy and everyone was distracted. finally mingyi, yilin and gina got the group together to discuss things. it was wacky, hilarious what have you. some of us were abit not sound! hehe kinda mad or was it something in the food? hmm must ask the chefs hehe =) finally we planned to have a chalet outing during the concert weekend so that the Malaysian, Japanese and Indonesian Fayenatics can have a roof above their heads. but the response was kinda lukewarm, everyone got their own questions and Doubts. I yet to hear from them. some of the plans they had for Faye's concert were : the female Fayenatics had to apply the green [luminous or glow in the dark] strip across their nose bridge just like Faye [male Fayenatics had the option of putting a bandaid for a more ?macho? look], we were forbidden to stalk Faye wherever she was, no shaking of sweaty hands with Faye as she hates it a lot. furthermore, the Singaporean Fayenatics won't be able to view some of the visual extraordinariness in her concert here as some were censored?! dunnoe why...but forget about Faye doing a sleazy show...
Suggestions About the Concert
from the ML I think Wei ting suggested that we should wear some paraphernalia [dunnoe whether correct spelling but it doesn't matters] from her HK concerts, such as the hedgehog chain or something like that.
Entertainment Beat's Interview with Faye
yeah! Faye's hk concert has been covered by local entertainment show. the host guo liang asked Faye a lot of questions about her concert, the showing of family clips, the stage, the lavish costumes and the make up Faye had. as usual Faye kept on saying [how do I put this ] [zhi ma shuo...] during the interview. I was kinda happy when I saw Faye's mascot Faye Zai to go upstage with her! if only I was the person inside I will be instantly gratified! hehe okay okay she also said that the concert in Singapore would be different from the hk ones. the costumes will change if she gets bored of them. furthermore she will be singing more Mandarin songs in Singapore so the song list will be different! Faye was very cool in the interview with a brown knitted something she wore that had no sleeves with dark blue seasoned jeans!
Entertainment News On Faye's Concerts and Giving Away of Freebies
what a treat! free Faye hk scenic tour concert t-shirts [cool design with pink porcupine scales over dark brown mini tee with an embossed small Faye Zai at the corner of the T-shirt! Free keychain! aaargh and all we had to was to write in to the address! hehehe well, the reports were mainly on Faye's concert in HK and the differences between HK and SG concerts! well...this Wednesday there will be Showbuzz live coverage of her China Concert
Time : 8.00 PM Date : 3 February 99 Channel 5 Repeated Telecast 12 or 1 PM Friday
be sure to catch it! maybe the entertainment beat will also do a report to and it's on Friday 5 February 99 8.00 PM!
Ice Queen Cometh Singapore on 12th Feb 99
Faye finally arrived in S'pore today, after a
long awaited period of time. A couple of us first met up with Mingyi before heading down
to the airport, while some others decided to meet us there directly. As we reached the
airport at about 6pm, and Faye's flight would not arrive until about 7.55pm, we went to
grab a bite at BK, and then headed down to the arrivals counter, and waiting for her
outside her belt area.
At that time, there were not that many reporters there, and a TV crew with their video
camera. AS we were still pretty early, we started chatting happily away, and someone,
dunno whether was it mention or suggested, but cause a wave to break out, where everyone
decided to search through their personal things to see if they can get Faye to sign
anything. Oh, forgot to mention... among the Fayenatics, about 20 of us turn up. But we
did drew quite a number of crowd with our T-shirts we were wearing... it was the specially
designed S'pore concert T-shirt. And plus, Gina dyed her hair pink, which made us
even more outstanding, and one more... the banner. have to thank Gina for all the hard
work she put in. It's a glow in the dark banner, so can be used for the concert...
heheheh... but because the words are yellowish, on a black background, it stand out very
well.
Anyway, as the clock started ticking away, everyone started getting more and more
impatient. I was no exception... hhhehe... hands were starting to perspire. Then the
arrival of Faye's flight was announced. We started getting really excited, and I guess
that was one of the longest 20 mins wait of our lives. from the time the plane landed till
the time we spotted Faye at the immigrations counter.
She took quite a while at the immigrations counter... I guess the officer wanted to talk
to Faye longer... hahahhaha... oh well... anyway, when we spotted Faye, Peiying, Gina and
I started shouting to the rest about Faye's arrival. She was spotted wearing a greyish
black top, I think it was striped, from my view when I saw her, and had a maroon long
sleeve blouse placed over her shoulder, and as I was pretty excited, I didn't notice what
she was wearing at the bottom... heheh.. but was told by Shirley and Daryl that she wore a
black pants, and a maroon pair of shoes. And not to forget... her famous sunglasses...
heheheh... when we first saw her, she reminded us of her HK signing ceremony. Look almost
like it.
Anyway, after she left the immigrations counter, she and Angela headed towards the belt to
collect her luggage. Still remember... belt 33... hehehhe... As she walked towards her
belt, she started waving to us, while Gina waved back frantically at her... heheh.. and
with her prominent pink hair, Gina kept saying that Faye definitely saw her...hahahha...
At that time, there was quite a crowd waiting outside at the arrivals hall. All waiting
for Faye... poor Angela went to get most of the luggage's from the belt.. while Faye just
looked towards the belt, her back facing us. When they were done with the luggage's, they
started heading towards the exit. Everyone started getting high and started shouting for
Faye, and the cameras started flashing. Due to a crowd outside the direct entrance near
her belt, I think Faye decided to go out from the other door which was a couple of steps
further away from the one most of the Fayenatics were outside of.
When we saw Faye heading that way, many of them, started running straight towards the
other exit, while poor Yilin and someone else, I think was left to run with the banner.
The security quickly surrounded her as she came out, which was a good thing, otherwise I
guess she would have been mobbed by the other people, not among our group, I think. At one
point, she almost fell, and Angela quickly pushed her towards thefront, and security was
even tighter than before.
We gave her 3 of the T-shirts we had made... one each for Faye, Tong Tong and Dou Wei, as
well as a pandan cake, which is one of her favorites... heheheh.. for those who dunno...
it's a local made cake.. which is green in colour, and has a hole in the middle... very
nice to eat... no wonder Faye likes it... heheh.. I like it as well...hahahah...
Okay, anyway to continue.... some people managed to shake Faye's hands, and Gina, on the
other hand, went for a different approach.... hehehe...stroke her back... and also managed
to stroke a bit of her hair... she said that her hair's pretty rough... must be all the
dying she had doneto her hair.
Anyway, it took barely 1 minute for her to get from the exit to the mini-van which was
used as her transport to the hotel. Some fans even went to chase her back to the hotel,
but of course, we the Fayenatics are not that crazy to do that, as we knew she wanted her
privacy. So we stayed on at the airport, and also hearing that Dou Wei and Katie would be
arriving later, we decided to get a drink and then welcome both of them. Some of the
others decided to leave, as it would be pretty late by then, so left exactly 10 of us.
Oh... before Faye came out, this other guy came out, and seeing such a crowd at the exit,
he asked his friend who went to meet him there, "why is there such a crowd??? Some
actress coming???" Something like that. As I was beside him, I said,
"No... a singer"... and to which he replied, "oh.. I was in the same class
as her".. and then he walked away... envy that person... hahhahaha...
okay.. back to main story. We headed up to the cafeteria to have a drink, and Mingyi
started fixing up the group picture which they took in HK with Katie... and she had to
edit the wrong spelling she did to the word, "scenic"... heheheh... and after
that, we signed the side of the group picture, with our greetings to katie.
As we knew both of them would be coming in at around 10+, we had a look at the arrivals
guide, and realized that there was one flight coming in from Beijing at 10.09pm, and
another at 10.25pm from HK. And later we heard from one of the security guards (not many
were left after Faye left... hehehe.. all followed her back to the hotel to protect Faye I
think), that Dou Wei would be coming in on the earlier one, and Katie on the later one.
the security also asked us not to "play-play" around... hahahha..since there
were not many security left at the airport, to which we said we won't do so.... we know
how to behave ourselves.
When the flight arrived, there were quite a lot of Faye's entourage on the flight...
people like Dou Wei (of course), Zhang Ya-Dong, Dou Ying (Dou Wei's sister... quite pretty
leh)... and some of the other group memebers from the band. We actually also requested
taking a group photo with Dou Wei, which he actually agreed, but the security pushed him
along, and asked him to head towards the mini-van, which was a pity.
Anyway, a short while later, Katie's flight also landed, and before she exited, she was
kind of I think shock when we started waving to her...heheheh.. must be wondering why she
suddenly got relatives in S'pore... hahahha.. all wearing the same outfit. But when she
got out, we said, "Happy New Year, Katie" (oh.. forgot to say that we wished
Faye and Dou Wei and those people we recognized when they came out the same thing).
And then Mingyi passed her the picture, to which she said thank you to.
We also tried requesting for a group photo, but Katie didn't agree, as she said she had to
rush off to the hotel. So that was the end of the Faye's welcoming session... hehehhe...
oh... seems like Tong Tong won't be coming down at all... heard was because Faye won't
have time to take care of her, so didn't bring her down on this trip... Such a pity...
anyway, do hope Faye will have a good rest and enjoy her stay in S'pore.
After that, we went our separate ways and went back home. It had been a tiring, but quite
exciting day... still can't get over the fact that I finally saw Faye live... my first
time... heheheh...looking forward to her concert. By the way, those who were at the
airport.. if I missed out anything... please add on... hehehhe...
hmm...this press conference only lasted 15 mins hehe...so cool...hmm... I think that the press conference report is available in other sites....of course it had to be Exit | a Faye site go there if you want to find out about the press conference! hehe =)
Q: On Valentine's night, will you prepare some special, heart warming performance?
A: Nothing special, but I'll wish the audience Happy Valentine's Day.
Q: How will the S'pore concert differ from that in HK?
A: Songs lined-up will be slightly different...More mandarin songs...the way I present will be quite the same...Ya...Ya.......just like that.....
(A Beijing reporter from Reuters asked, Faye brightened up a bit)
Q: The way you sing always give a lazy, floaty, drifty feeling .....do you decide the way you sing. Do your experiences in life have some influence?
A: My singing style & my experience in life are inter-related....not only a particular thing or person....I've grown to an age that many people, many events, a lot of music experiences have influenced my music style. It has to do with my personality also.
Q: How do you look at yourself during your initial stage in the music industry?
A: When I look back, I'll certainly think my image at that time was not pleasing to the eye, my singing was unsatisfactory. But that was also me, I think it's a stage that I must go through.
Q: In which aspect do you think you changed the most?
A: You mean in singing?
Q: Your singing, your relationship with the media, the way you deal with things & people,etc.....
A: I think there's changes in every aspect. I hope that my greatest change is in my way of thinking...having the ability to handle & analyze problems that I've met....how to say......compared to the past, my path of thinking is clearer.
(Just then, someone's handphone sounded with a melodious tune. The crowd laughed. Faye laughed)
Q: After giving birth, what's the change in difference in your music motion compared to that before?
A: It's only a year (laugh)! There isn't any obvious change. (The MC interrupted by saying there is a great change in her latest
album, penning a song for Tongtong. Faye seemed puzzled & said " ah....." she probably doesn't consider that as a great change)
Q: A lot of fans may not be satisfy that you stayed for only 2 days....
A: Not merely 2 days. I arrived yesterday (laugh).......I can sing a few more nights...don't know why the
organizers don't allow me (laugh) (don't know whether is she making fun of herself or not....talking abt concert sales...but she thinks
fast)...well, I've to go back home on 15th for New Year mah....there'll surely be opportunities to come next time....
(The Beijing reporter raised her hand again...Faye said,"here comes our Beijing friend again"....she seemed to feel more comfortable with her comrade over here......as the conference continued, she seemed to loosen up a bit)
Q: Which is your favorite song?
A: There's a group of songs not 1 or 2 songs....(laugh)..ok...talking about the latest album.....there are 4 songs which I like. (we all know which 4)
Q: Does it include(the reporter read the starting lyrics of Red Bean) that song?
A: Red Bean?..."hai..hao...lah"(ok lah)
(Faye said that quite reluctantly, obviously she doesn't like it. Faye is quite mischievious here, she didn't mention the Exasperation album straight away...she didn't say the 4 songs are her compositions)
Q: How has your life changed since you give birth to Tongtong?
A: There's another core event in my life.
Q: Will you give up your career for your family?
A: I won't do that now. But things in future are hard to say...my way of thinking may change perhaps....
Q: Why didn't Tongtong come with you?
A: Why?(laugh)...I'll be running here & there these few days...quite inconvenient to take care of her. So I left her in Beijing.
Well, the conference just ended here,less than an hour's time.So fast..... Before it ended, fm88.3 presented her with some award..forgot the title...something about her achievements on the station's music chart.
Faye took photos with the panel...... & zoom.....she dashed off the stage...out of the room.Before continuing, I would like to clarify something about her dressing that day. I think I was too excited about her presence, she was actually wearing a black three quarter pants, big, black word ATTENTION was printed across her inner t-shirt.She wore slippers with embroidery. Oh yes....the image strikes me ...reminds me of her image (esp. the white top) in her drama series Eternity.......
After the press conference, Faye hurried off to another room, to accept some exclusive interviews with certain medias. Also, she was preparing for her trip down to the TV station for New year's eve show. Anyway, I followed a few reporters to "chat" with Katie & Ah Foon. But sorry to tell you people that due to my awkward position there, I didn't manage to ask questions. But here are some of the things they talked about.....Ah Foon spoke in Chinese, intertwined with some Cantonese. Katie with a little Chinese. Ah Foon did most of the talking. Katie was quieter. And both of them were heavy smokers, they took 3-4 cigarettes during the session.
About film....
Faye will participate in a film this year ...a Wong Kar Wai's movie,it's not Beijing Summer...details were not disclosed.But Ah Foon kept emphasizing that if nothing happens, if nothing happens, Faye will get a role in the film.
About Japan concert....
If I'm not wrong, Faye will sing many English songs. Ah Foon said she didn't know the tickets sold out in just 2 hours till she saw the newspaper. She then asked Katie whether she knew about that. The latter said she already knew about that. Ah Foon blamed Katie jokingly, " why didn't you tell me earlier???" And they were like arguing for quite a while.
About Tongtong.....
Ah Foon said she never saw a child as smart as tongtong. tongtong likes to act like a star, waves to every media...she said that tongtong is very thick-skinned & hardly sees her cry....Ah Foon said she really misses her, haven't seen her for quite some time.Katie added that tongtong looked more like daddy when she was younger but now she develops Double eye-lids, more like mum.
About the visual effects on stage....
Ah foon admired Faye for being a brave girl 'cos she insisted on doing risky acts, she knows that she is not the type who like to pacify her fans with all the " I love u I miss u " And the Japanese working partners were screaming," How can you let your artiste do such things?" Ah Foon admitted that she really fainted, nearly scared to death, halfway through the HK concert.She joked that next time we can call her Wang Dadan.(Daring Wong)
About her playful side....
Someone asked the reason for her attending the super trio show. She really likes to play a lot, she plays hard & seriously. The 2 of them were like shaking their heads at backstage,"how come she is so serious when playing games?"
Sidelights during her trip to Taiwan...
Taiwan entertainment shows have this tradition of rehearsing every single thing( eg. the answers to mc's questions)before the show is being aired. Faye couldn't adapt to that.She said,"Why don't you ask what you want to ask during the show.?No point rehearsing.I will say I don't know if I can't answer some. " And the person in charge said that also must rehearse. There was a show that Faye needs to say her likes,dislikes & her mosts. She had to rehearse her answer for what's her worst worries? She was
dumbfounded. Ah Foon then suggested jokingly," tai hong le"(too famous). Much to their amusement, Faye really thought hard on it & said that out during the show.
Faye's capability to....
Ah Foon said she'll be going to Taiwan after that. Katie going back to Canada. She doesn't know she has to take a plane transfer from S'pore to HK, then from HK to Canada.She said Faye had nothing to do the night before, & studied the map for her & gave her suggestions. Faye is very good at map reading....& no they were not playing mahjong that night...must rest lah....
About Ah Foon..
someone said that she slim down a lot. But when another offered to buy her ten bowls of laksa...her face beamed up immediately "Bring me to the place is enough" but later on she said she is becoming like "fei jie"(cantonese for fat girl) So...Fayenatics you know what to do....when you want her to do something for you...hehe....
Faye's close partners...
I saw Zing..tall, well-mannered guy. Katie was introducing him to some reporters in English ..."he's from S'pore..."
I saw Elaine she was inside the room, but later came out to talk on her handphone, she was like "squatting" near the wall holding a nuyou magazine in her hands. Angela was always inside the room with Faye...you know she is always glued to Faye.....And as I was about to go....I saw DouWei at the lobby.....my first encounter..he approached the reception counter to make some enquires...he kept nodding his head...well-mannered...casual dressing....carrying a haversack...he has a ok build...but looks very young. He walked with a certain momentum..near to "bouncing"...he left the hotel alone......
From The Electric Newspaper (Based in Singapore)
SIMPLE. That's what Hongkong's heavenly queen Faye Wong is. Her manager, Ms Chiu Li Kuang, says so, and she should know. Depending on how you see it, you either think of Faye as cool or bochap (Hokkien for can't be bothered). The Beijing-born singer, in casual wear and carelessly-slipped on embroided shoes, exudes a girl-like charm, an endearing nonchalance.
She plonked into a chair at her Singapore Scenic Tour press conference last Friday, glanced around the room like an inquisitive child and stared coolly at the eager cameras clicking away before her. Whenever Dongli 88.3 FM's Ms Ong Chong Lian or concert promoter Act II's Mr Aloysius Wong called her a "world-class artiste" or her show a "world-class event" in their speeches, she'd twist her mouth or raise her brows in embarrassment.
Said Ms Chiu, who is also managing director of the Hongkong-based management company K's Productions: "Many artistes would plan answers to questions in advance. But Faye just fields questions on the spot. If she can't answer them, she just says she can't answer."
Indeed, during the press conference, she chewed on almost every question for a moment before answering. Sometimes, she'd knit her eyebrows while thinking of what to say. Other times, she'd laugh a little before replying. As an interviewee, she is not exactly a reporter's dream, what with her brief replies and often unquotable quotes. But at times, her candid bluntness draws laughs.
When a reporter said that she should stage more shows for her current tour, Faye looked at the organizers and innocently asked: "Then why don't the organizers let me hold more shows?" The tour is co-sponsored by Lianhe Zaobao. Faye, 29, gives the impression that despite a decade in showbusiness, she has yet to master the art of public relations.
But she thinks she has changed since she started out. She said in her lazy drawl: "My biggest change is in... mmm... in my thinking. I'm more mature now, especially when faced with problems. I know how to analyze and face up to matters better.
"I've a clearer picture of things and I know myself better."
Cocky she definitely is not. Cool or bochap is more like it.
Diva lives up to superstar image
BY AVIS Wong
Feb 15, 1999UNFAZED by the mechanics of an elaborate stage filled with traps and other technical devices, Faye Wong reminded her audience once again why she reigns as the queen of Chinese pop. Relaxed, the way only a star can be with thousands of eyes glued to her, she dazzled with her vocal strength and stamina, as she belted out 31 songs - non-stop.
Bursting onto the stage on a platform suspended in mid-air singing Love Life, the first thing Faye did when she got back down on solid ground was to kick her sequined slippers away. True to form, the Hongkong-based diva kept the 9,000-strong crowd at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in eager anticipation of her next move.
In a white tee-shirt covered by black "cobwebs", black skirt chopped off at the back and messily tied-up hair, the star was completely at ease, making the stage her home. Her occasional grooving to the music, definitely not choreographed, was limited to a subtle twist of the shoulders or an understated shake of the body. But when she felt like it, she jumped and pranced around.
What brought the first night of her two Singapore Scenic Tour concerts to a high was the creative stage design. The stage was like one big magician's hat: secret elevators where Faye popped up and disappeared from, an elevated spiral staircase and extended platforms at four corners of the centrestage.
The highlight was when Faye stepped onto an illuminated circular platform which moved along tracks circling the entire perimeter of the stage while singing Free Yourself. Showing a more human side of herself, the star was herself mesmerized by the videoclip of her two-year-old daughter, Dou Jingtong when it came on the screen.
The end was without fanfare - Faye just awed, said goodbye and vanished. And despite persistent calls of encore, she did not return.
Now that's a superstar for you!
Musical Prelude | Love Life | Exasperation | Boredom | Chess | Cold War | Quitting Halfway | Di ~ Dar | Merely Appeased | 1 Person 2 Roles | Undercurrent | Video Screen | Doomsday | Decadence | Angel | Date | Scandalous | Brink of Love & Pain | Elude | Dream Walking | Love Commandments | Faye Drinks Water | Nostalgia | Glib Talking | Wishing For Eternity | At Dusk | One Little Wish | Faye Drinks Water | Sky | Falling Star | Don't Break My Heart | You Happy Therefore I am Happy | Red Beans | I'm Willing | No Regrets | End
Well, finally! the part all Fayenatics are waiting for...hehe hmmm I shall start off with this....I arrived at the Singapore Indoor Stadium [from now one referred to as SIS] at around 7.00pm...I didn't meet the other Fayenatics earlier as I had to follow one of my friend. okie okie while I walked down the corridor, something PINK caught my eye! Gina was there! with all the other Fayenatics wearing the special T-Shirt they designed very cute lah...okie they were all gathered at the east gate looking into the stadium...Faye is there! no wonder...so I ran there! when I got downstairs I could only managed to see Faye's hair! she was in a white top and many people were there....well after the thing...yilin rushed over to me and applied the pink streak across my face [something like this --> = | )]hehe! the Fayenatics were very outstanding that time! some people giggled as I walked alone dunnoe why? = | ) nvm..after that we saw Katie and yilin managed to get Dou Wei's signature on her portrait....most of the items were not signed by Faye...= | ( but of course, we couldn't blame anyone...
then all of us after some settling down and greetings to one another, we finally proceeded into SIS..well we were like a gang hehe...when we entered the SIS the staff gave out a booklet [containing ads and Faye pix and a short write-up] then they were also selling the merchandise [ I only managed to grab one long sleeved t-shirt hehe others were gone!] we proceeded to seat and Shirley took the time to distribute blue light sticks! hehe....we waited for around half an hour as the crowd was then only starting to filling in...
these pics were exactly from HK not SG ones...coz the SG ones are yet to be developed but the images are all in perfect running order and appearances
Faye and her pink feathers by zing...hehe sometimes it [the feathers] looks like flowers from afar... they are what I though were soft furry pink things keke =)
finally, the announcement was on and the scenic tour concert Singapore 99 is starting! Faye kicked off the concert with love life.she had on the webbed white top and the short pants that looked like a skirt from the front with one of the coolest shoes! it was a flat mule with beaded or studded with gliterrati! it as like a slipper! very cool shining in the light! she came down in a platform from the ground and she didn't moved a bit only lifting up the mike when she was going to sing! very cool and calm.the stage was illuminated by hues of purple and blue very coool!very beautiful I almost lost my breath as I looked at her...very well defined body and face...argh she looks better in person! very drop dead gorgeous! then she proceeded to ask questions
hehe the Fayenatics were all guilty of lying to Faye! almost none of us went to the 95 concert! = | ) hehe...then she proceeded to sing exasperation! she is so good at dancing...doing skips and something like the cancan but more subtle! hehe I was really high when she sang that song! her voice was tremendously clear and her diction was perfect! I was so high that admits of waving the lightstick I accidentally knocked another Fayenatics head! hehe sorry... = | ) Faye then sang bored and she pranced and strutted doing her new dance! she shaked her shoulders, walking with a slight jump and when the drum beat was one she walked in an exaggerated manner.. something yilin said could only be done spontaneously! she was really cute and childlike with her new moves..like the thing she does with her hand and bending her back over! hehe very adorable! well...the show continued with Faye singing the songs in the song list hehe...she had like 4 costume changes and the only similar makeup was the silver eyshadow and the natural look...zing came up with a few new looks, for example Faye had pink stuff on the apple of her cheeks and she also had a shiny iridescent face [think vacation MTV] for her last look - the ultra short shiny dress and pulled back hair..well my fave was the pink soft furry stuff on her cheeks! I made eye contact with her for like 10 secs! I was like flailing my arms all over the place hehe =) something about the concert was the platform and the stage it was so elaborately planned. during the song sky, snow flakes started to fall and the stage morphed into a circular cascading stairs..very beautiful, Faye would go up and just sing...then when the song redbean was on, the stage again morphed into the cascading stairs and she ended the song with red spotlight! very very nice! then when she went around the SIS in something like a mobile platform..she started waving to the audience! our east side was the most frantic and Fayenatical! hehe coz most if not all the Fayenatics were on east side! then the video screen! whoa I laughed my head off when Tong Tong clips were rolling! she was very cute and almost behaves like Faye! I liked the part when Tong Tong had the Mohawk headdress on her! so adorable = | ) hehe...then it had lots of clips of Faye, Tong Tong and Dou Wei! well. it was different from the hong Kong one as it had an extra clip of Faye with Tong Tong in the pool! very very rare to see Faye in a swimsuit! what a treat! I also like the animations. .especially the porcupine! its so cute cuter then sonic! hehehehe it was played when she sang dreamwalking and zheng tuo! hehe when the lalalala part Faye Zai was on its back and butterflies surrounded him as he was breathless on the foot of the mountain <dunnoe whether correct or not> very cool and excellent animations! then...when Faye sang don't break my heart, she forgotten one verse and gave the tongue out sign further both Dou Wei and her were given the spotlight! well she did it a lot of times lah...very cool... I also like her side gaze and her smile! so sweet it basically melts you! the concert had one shocker! or maybe a few... Faye didn't sing Face....Bohemian Rhapsody.. my fave Exit... such a poor thing.... I expected the sham ba lee....shidz da sa lam bee... then zui hao mei you ren ming bai wo shuo shen ma....aargh why didn't Faye sang! and I found the concert was too short but she sang like over 30 songs! wow...she was practically breatheless! ahahhahaha I really enjoyed the concert and will be back the next day for sure! well...we didn't get to see Faye leave the SIS but we saw an array of stars...hehe I waved goodbye to Dou Wei keke I was so happy...he is actually quite good looking...very very cool...and zhang ya dong is so icy...with the shoulder length hair.. when he played the guitar no one saw his face coz it was practically covered by his hair! hehe cool! the audience loved such songs - Wishing for Eternity | I'm Willing | No Regrets Angel and basically more mainstream songs...no wonder Face was omitted from the song list! but why no Exit...I had such high expectations... anyway the concert ended with Dou Wei playing the drums.... he is such a professional man! cool... my role model hhahahahha! be back with other reports from the other Fayenatics! keke... and the booklet....hehe = | )
The Second Night
The 2nd night was great!!! her live singing skills are justundescribable... much better than her CD ones. Apparently, Faye seemsto like our group alot... heheheh.. kept taking a peek at us whenevershe's facing the other sides of the stage, and because the table whereher water is placed is on our side... you can see her trying to smile atus whenever she drinks. Before the concert started, we passed her avolleyball with our signatures on it. And guess what... during theconcert, when she first started her speech, we shouted to her, "WangFei, Dou Wei, Qing Ren Jie Kuai Le"(happy Valentine's Day Faye and DouWei). And guess what she replied... She said Thank you, and she alsosaid that she remembered that there are a few of us here which were herethe previous night (didn't hear this bit... Mingyi and Gina said thatthat was what she said), and she also thank us for the volleyball...heheheh.. so happy to hear that!!! Everyone was very high that night.. our whole group just kept comingforward to where the fences was... and kept shouting for Faye, andwaving the neon sticks and all... people were jumping around... and Iguess all our hands were aching after the whole concert.She forgot the lyrics for, "don't break my heart" again!!!! hahahah....but this time was worse!!! It was 2 lines which she forgot!!! And wejust broke out laughing.. she herself also laugh... heheheh.. and shedidn't dare face our side when she forgot... hahahahha... so cute... Also, when she went down to change her clothes, because this particular point she had to go down facing our side... she actually wave bye bye tous.... and Mingyi said she also mouth the words, "Bye bye" as well... One thing was that Faye actually try hard to listen to what we weretrying to say... so nice... on a second occasion when she was sayingsomething.. we started shouting some things to Faye.. I think Shirleywas mentioning to her to drink more water or something,.. and I thinkshe thought we said that we wanted to drink water.. and she just said,"You want to drink water ahh?" And at the end of the concert, justbefore she sang her few songs, before leaving, she said something, andwe were shouting to her, "Faye... don't go!" She heard it, but she just smiled.. and paused for a short while and then continued on with herspeech.At one point near the ending of a song, she also jumped very high... Iforgot what song was that for, just remember it was a very fast beat one... others please confirm. Faye was just so cute during the wholeconcert!!! So unbelievable... can see her mischievious and playful sidealso at times. And she just seems to be doing a show for us.. since shefaced us and keep looking back at us so many times.oh.. forgot to say something.. at the beginning of the concert, Foon-jiewalked past our side, and we then shouted to her, "Foon-jie, qing renjie kaui le"... hehehhe.. guess what her reaction was... she justquickly walk away, had her hands covering her face from our side.. andfaced the other way... hahhahah.. so funny... and at the end of the concert, we also wished Dou Ying and Zhang Ya Dung a Happy Valentine'sDay.Oh... before the concert was about to start, the lights were stillpretty bright.. and the whole stadium was like quiet... so we startedshouting, "Wang Fei, Wang Fei, Wang Fei... " and the crowd started toshout with us, and a few seconds later, the shole stadium dimmed, andthe concert started... heheheheh... hmm, what else did I forget... OH!!!! At one point of the concert, shewas wearing the piece with the knot on her side, and she startedadjusting her top... hahaha..and it was the point when she was walkingalong the sides of her stage, and she was facing us!!! The funniestthing was that she took a pretty long time adjusting it... hahahah.. sofunny.. we just laughed... hahahah... I dunno what else I forgot, sinceI mentioned the costumes and all the previous day. Oh.. she didn't dothe pink feathers thing on the side of her face this time round, that's one thing I didn't mention. Anyway, if I had forgotten anything, others at the concert please add on. Will talk about sending Faye off later.
Maryanne
internationally recognized - as one of today's premiere musical talents with an unprecedented array of prestigious awards in the regions musical industry. Faye Wong has also established herself as an actress with an overwhelming popularity, nominations and awards to her credits. each album released through the years surpasses the industry's sales records acknowledging the region's acceptance and recognition for her music. her skilful singing, melodious golden voice and her captivating facial attributes propelled her popularity not only in hong kong but also in the US, Canada and South East Asia.her fans seen her rise to superstardom from her humble beginnings. the recognition and accomplishments for her musical and acting talents resulted in her sell-out concert tours, her participation in the widely telecast performance at China's National Day Celebration in Hong Kong and the invitation by the hong kong's and china's government to perform in the reunification celebration shows in hongkong and beijing.
new beginnings - although Faye has achieved enormous success in a relatively short span of time, she is no means an overnight sensation. during her teenage years, Faye has developed an appreciation for teresa teng's music and at the age of 18 took up singing lessons after migrating to hongkong with her family. her first audition for cinepoly records resulted in her formal debut in 1989 under the stage name of "Shirley Wong, a girl from beijing". her sensational performance at the Asian Pacific Golden Original Pop Music Competition caught the attention of everyone and was awarded the bronze prize. in 1992, in an effort to advance herself in her career, she persued further studies in music and the arts in the US which, at this time 2 compilation series album were released by her cinepoly label. the result proved to be sensational with platinum sales record. the album that was released upon her return from the US become another outstanding accomplishment with remarkable platinum sales and numerous radio and TV industry's awards.
image changes - this came about when she eventually discarded her old image, together with her English name Shirley and took up a more personal and positive step forward in becoming an artiste. her new image has attracted the attention of several consumer product manufacturers such as Motorola and an international airline carrier. product endorsement with extensive local and regional advertising campaign has helped create greater awareness and further boost her career.
handpicked by famous director - besides her singing capabilities, she has proven in 1993 to be a talented actress on TV and on screen. handpicked by famous director Wong kar wai to star in Chungking Express, Faye won 'The Best Actress Award' in sweden, and was nominated for "the Best Actress Award" both in the Golden Horse Award in Taiwan and the 14th Hong Kong Film Oscars. her first mandarin album was released in 1994 in taiwan and hongkong. the album single climbed up to no 1 in both cities and the rest of Asia.
sold-out concert tours - in november 1994, Faye Wong embarked on her first concert tour to America and Canada. the event was well-received followed by eighteen nights of sold - out concert performances in HK. the phenomenally successful 1995 concert - tour included Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Taiwan.
respect and admiration - was earned throughout the region's entertainment world, the media and among her legions of fans across the globe. in 1997, Faye Wong signed with EMI HK and released her inaugural album entitled "Faye Wong" with overwhelming record sales. in the same year, Faye shared the stage with an ensemble of international musical talents like Richard Marx, the Gypsy Kings, Wu Bai, and Ikko Kawai at the heineken music horizons '97. in 1998, the remarkable sales of her new album successfully penetrated the Japanese and Korean music scenes. today, Faye, a mother of one child writes her own songs and performs them in her distinct personal style. she managed to keep her personal like away from the scrutiny of the paparazzi and spurned the high profile existence once thought to be indispensable to keeping a Chinese Canto pop star in public favor.