Mayday Nowhere Tour Singapore 2013 (14 and 15 June Review)

What an earth-shattering weekend! Words could not describe how amazing the entire Mayday-fied experience – even if I try to 用尽了所有的图腾和语言描写, 那又是文字失效瞬间. It was quite easy to write a review of Jay Chou’s concert but to write a review of Mayday – it was almost akin to trying to describe a transcendental experience!

I tried to piece together the set list for both nights. However, due to overwhelming excitement and stunning close encounters with Mayday, my friends and I could not really recall the exact arrangement of songs.

The super fantastic set list for 15 June 2013

(The concert started around 8.10 p.m. with 家家 and ended around 11.30 p.m.)

1。有些事（一节）
2。 2012
3。爱情万岁
4。叫我第一名
5。星空
6。我不愿让你一个人
7。仓颉
8。你不是真正的快乐
9。抓狂+武装
10。我心中尚未崩坏的地方
11。如烟+如果还有明天
12。知足 (家家）
13。拥抱
13。第二人生
14。T1213121
15。三个傻瓜
16。孙悟空
17。春天的吶喊 + OK la + 軋车
18 。离开地球表面
19。温柔（还你自由版）
20。 OAOA
21。第一天
22。有些事现在不做一辈子都不会做
23。干杯

Encore Segment
24。诺亚方舟
25。人生海海
26。知足
27。憨人 / 听不到

28。突然好想你
29。洋葱
30。伤心的人别听慢歌

Firstly, I have to thank Ms G.S and Ms A for the super awesome concert ticket on Saturday.

Let me start by celebrating the significant milestone of my Mayday journey since 2001. I officially declare that this life-changing picture bears testimony to the most acclaimed achievement during my entire Mayday pilgrimage.

My left hand and Ashin! We were in close proximity to the runway because of the excellent location of our seats. After Ashin sang ‘三个傻瓜’, Ms G.S and I tumbled down the steps and threw ourselves at the railings. Ashin, Monster and Stone started to move down the runway when ‘孙悟空’ blared from the high quality sound system. Stone walked along the left side of the runway and displayed his guitar prowess. I was in awe when the hyper masculine and tanned Stone strode past me.

Then, our lead singer made his big entrance down the runway. We anticipated this moment when Ashin would walk along the runway and we could take close-up pictures of him. Hence, we gripped our cameras and awaited eagerly. However, when Ashin finally walked towards us and stood right in front of us, we were so star struck. In those few sublime seconds, I froze and just stared at him. Now I truly understand why people would freeze and stand rooted to the ground. I stretched out my arm in my desperate attempt to touch him. For a split second, I hesitated as I did not want to disrupt his singing. Before I could react properly and ‘molest’ Ashin, he walked away and vanished from my sight like 如烟 – 我站在栏杆前看着阿信的背影 – 已经如烟. Ms G.S was apparently more calm than me and she managed to capture the most intimate interaction between Ashin and me. Even though the picture was blurry, it epitomized how my obsession with Mayday had attained Nirvana-like status!

The Ashin-Rock Combo!

Alrights, let’s return to a more sane discussion of the concert. I like how Mayday had devoted much thought into the Singapore concerts by injecting some personalized elements. I was shocked when JJ Lin appeared in the Noak’s Ark pre-departure video. The video was given a different spin as JJ Lin spoke in English. The English version was quite funny as JJ used many technical jargons which did not really make logical sense. I guess Ashin is JJ’s good friend as they collaborated for ‘黑暗骑士‘. My friends and I were secretly hoping that JJ would appear as the guest star and sing ‘黑暗骑士’ with Ashin. For the Hong Kong tour, Andy Lau made a special guest appearance and spoke in Cantonese. Initially, I thought Mayday would use the same video with Andy Lau and just changed the language to Mandarin. I was pleasantly surprised that Mayday would make the effort to choose a Singaporean-grown artiste and customize the video.

After watching the Nowhere Tour close to seven times in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore, I had to say that the concert in Singapore was quite short as compared to the Taiwan’s concerts where Mayday would sing till midnight. Despite the shorter set, Mayday revitalized the Singapore tour with new elements.

They opened the night with a shorter version of ‘有些事现在不做一辈子都不会做’ and transited to the heavy-going ‘2012’. From the sombre overtones of ‘2012’, they shifted to the sexy ‘爱情万岁’ which never fails to awaken my carnal desire to rip Ashin’s shirt off. The light stick started to change colors at this juncture. The main color for this song was red which symbolized the ardent passion generated by this song!

After the fiery start, they continued with the high energy DNA on Friday. Mayday really cares for their fans. Why? Because – after Friday’s concert, Mayday asked for the fans’ comments about the concert. As they did not sing any Hokkien (闽南语) songs, a number of fans left Facebook messages and requested for more such songs. Thus, on Saturday, Mayday granted the fans’ wishes and sang the hokkien rock song – ‘叫我第一名’!

They slowed down the tempo and moved on to ‘星空’. I think this song is extremely well-written and it complements the film flawlessly. Just look at how Ashin looked so focused when he was singing this song!

With pitch-perfect singing, Ashin carried on to evoke intense emotions with the touching ‘我不愿让你一个人’.

After the impressive beginning segment, they left the stage for costume change and a well-deserved break. Ashin did not rest for long as he emerged on stage shortly.

WARNING: The pictures below are not for the faint hearted.

Thanks to Ms Y.Y (the warrior in the rock zone) – I could relive this incredible rendition of ‘仓颉’ over and over again as I drooled and admired these yummy pictures. Ashin looked absolutely charming in this vest-shirt outfit. I remembered when I first saw him in this outfit in Kaohsiung – I almost hyperventilated and died. The flawless combination of poetic lyrics, Ashin’s soulful voice and charismatic demeanor was exceptionally mesmerizing – this was my favorite segment in the entire concert. I had to mention the ingenious stage design. Seriously! Has anyone ever seen 5 elevated mini stages in any concerts? From the elaborate stage layout to the stunning special effects, Mayday had invested much effort and money in the Nowhere concert so that they could deliver the most memorable show for their fans.

Following this spectacular and evocative version of ‘仓颉’, Ashin tugged the audience’s heartstrings when he sang ‘你不是真正的快乐’. I simply adore the artistic photo montages used throughout the concert. The artistic direction for the tour was very professional. The evocative graphics were employed effectively. Every single picture poignantly captured the mood and meaning of different songs.

Another outstanding aspect of this tour was the innovative arrangement of musical styles. After the slow and emotive songs, Mayday increased the tempo by playing a refreshing medley of ‘抓狂’ and ‘武装’. The light sticks changed colors frantically during this energetic medley.

To all the detractors who keep criticizing Ashin’s vocals, please attend a few more Mayday concerts before making any sarcastic remarks. Ashin’s vocal was close to perfection during his two nights in Singapore. ‘我心中尚未崩坏的地方’ really showcased Ashin’s vocals. Just look at how Ashin used every ounce of his energy to hit the challenging notes. He may not be the best singer in East Asia – but he is definitely the most hardworking singer who continues to improve and refine his vocal skills so that he can stage the best performance for his fans.

This segment contained many highlights and the splendidly choreographed medley of ‘如烟’ and ‘如果还有明天如果还有明天’ was truly inspiring. ‘如烟’ is one of my favorite Mayday tunes. Its profound lyrics echoes the sentiments that many people share as they look back at their past. Mayday reached the peak of musical brilliance when they combined ‘如烟’ and ‘如果还有明天’ as both songs reinforced the emotions associated with passing time and fading memories. On Saturday, the fans were treated to a more complete rendition when 家家 harmonized with Ashin. The fans were also pampered with two versions of ‘知足’ as ‘家家’ crooned ‘Twinkle Little Star/知足’.

Swiftly, Mayday had another costume change and sang ‘第二人生’. I did not like the weird red and white outfits. Poor Masa had to wear an awkward-looking skirt-like outfit.

Mayday were in high spirits in Singapore. Ashin chatted non-stop. On Friday, they forced Guanyou to tell a joke and continued the ‘joke-tradition’ in Hong Kong. Guanyou told a lame ‘ass’ joke on Friday and a ‘tortoise’ joke on Saturday. During the Saturday’s concert, the multi-talented Ashin displayed his drum skills when Guanyou sang his classic ‘hokkien’ song. After talking ‘nonsense’ for about ten minutes, Mayday collectively sang ‘T1213121’. The Saturday’s ‘退票’ version of ‘T1213121’ was hilarious! I loved the ‘talking’ sessions when Mayday banter with the fans. Beneath their glamorous rock band image, they are just a batch of dudes who love to have fun!

After singing ‘三个傻瓜’, Mayday surprised the crowd with ‘孙悟空’ which was not a regular song in the set list. Ashin, Monster and Stone went on the runway during this segment and rocked the stadium with ‘离开地球表面’. Due to all the frenzy and excitement created by the stars’ presence on the runway, I vaguely recalled that they sang ‘春天的吶喊’, ‘OK LA’ and ‘軋车’ on Saturday.

Check out Monster’s guitar power! After his astonishing guitar solo, Monster gave me a high five on his way back to the main stage. Yes! He touched my left palm! What a heavenly encounter!

My heart was pounding non-stop during this segment. Well, the fans had to rest after such an electrifying segment so slowly the concert took a softer turn when Ashin sang ‘温柔’ (还你自由版).

Another video was played when Mayday went for a break. They returned and worked the crowd with the upbeat ‘OAOA’. Unfortunately, there were no more gigantic inflatable alphabet (O,A) and animals hopping around this year.

Dressed in gorgeous leather outfits, Ashin, Monster and Stone went onto the runway again and broke into the catchy ‘第一天’! On Friday, they sang the ‘爱恋-ing’ which was not part of the official set list. While on Saturday, they sang ‘有些事现在不做一辈子都不会做’.
Look at how close I was to the gentlemen!

They ended this amazing segment with a dedication of ‘干杯’ to all their fans.

They bowed to the audience after this fantastic segment. But the concert was not over yet! They came out shortly and sang ‘诺亚方舟’ – which was so spectacular in terms of visual and scale. Various notes written by fans drifted down from the top until all the surfaces were covered by the kaleidoscope of heartfelt messages.

After the majestic display of ‘诺亚方舟’ magic, Monster changed his electric guitar to an acoustic one and strummed the tune of ‘人生海海’. I simply adored the acoustic start of the song. Eventually, the bass and drums joined the guitars and Ashin belted out the full fledge rock anthem!

Like in other concerts for the Nowhere Tour, all light sticks were switched off and the stadium descended into darkness when Ashin sang ‘知足’. He asked the fans to switch on their hand phones and shine their lights to create a starry sky in the stadium. Ashin was very sweet when he said that despite of not being able to visit many places in Singapore during their tight schedule, he saw the most beautiful sight at indoor stadium as the fans waved their hand phones. Aw… I like the panoramic display of Singapore’s skyline at the backdrop of the stage.

On Friday, they performed a high spirited ‘倔強’. I was quite surprised as they did not sing that song often for the ‘Rebirth’ edition. When the entire stadium sang the song with Mayday, I was reminded of the coloured papers and man-made rainbow during the original tour.

On Saturday, instead of singing ‘倔强’, they sang their signature ‘憨人’. This song truly encapsulates the Mayday spirit. When the crowd ‘la la la la’ along with the familiar tune, the five gentlemen looked at the crowd intently. I love that look – it is as if they are soaking up the atmosphere while they stare at the fans in wonder – how did they end up as the most popular band when they were nobody (憨人) so many years ago?

The legendary ‘憨人’ anthem was given a different spin when Ashin inserted ‘听不到’. I love these hybrid mesh-ups! Please perform more funky mesh-ups during the next tour!

Sadly, all great shows have to end. I took a series of ‘bowing’ pictures as I enjoyed that moment when the fans applauded for Mayday. Mayday always bowed so low (almost close to their knees) for an extended period of time. With sincerity, they showed immense appreciation and gratitude for the fans.

Mayday is famous for their long concert set. So Ashin and company returned for the last encore performed the bittersweet ‘突然好想你’.

Recently, Ashin seemed to have taken a liking to ‘洋葱’ and exhibited great tenderness when he sang the heart-breaking ballad.

Finally, they concluded their concert on a high note with their awesome new song – ‘伤心的人别听慢歌’. I was extremely blessed to have heard this song five times in two days – once during Friday’s rehearsal, once during Friday’s concert, twice during Saturday’s rehearsal and the final time during Saturday’s concert. This song is so addictive! I can just ‘动次’ with Mayday the entire night! 让心跳动次动次动次动次感觉活着!

Oh well, there is no way I can fully describe the fabulous concerts using simply words and pictures. Mayday delivered their best and provided not just great entertainment and a inspirational music journey filled with ‘heart’. If we strip away all the glamour and spectacle and just have Mayday performing their songs on stage – Guanyou playing his drums, Masa, Monster and Stone playing their guitars and Ashin signing his heart out – the fans would still walk away with great respect for this rock band.

There must be a reason why Mayday is around after so many years in the industry. There must be a reason why there are so many devoted fans like me.

The reason is because they are 五月天 – five ordinary men pouring their heart and soul into their music.

谢谢五月天! 你们辛苦了! 加油！我们约定下次见！