At the start of the year, it was announced by Live Nation and Orientouch Entertainment that Wakin Chau would be performing at Wembley Arena. Living near to the venue and having only known of him a little from his cameos in films like Rumble in the Bronx and Mr Nice Guy and musical collaborations with Jackie Chan, I could not help but be curious about what that show would be like. His last concert in the city was in 2012, therefore it seemed like a rare opportunity to see him live and experience some of that vibrant Mando-pop energy.
The venue itself was scaled down to feel more intimate than the usual arena shows. Only the seats on the ground and first floors were for the audience as the higher floors were blocked off.
Wakin entered the stage and joined his full-scale band which also included a sitar, violin, flute and saxophone. Starting with “Friends.” Wakin entered the stage stylishly dressed in a long black coat with gold buttons. This would later be followed by various costume changes. The crowd greeted him with cheers and sang along to harmoniously sound like a choir. The production consisted of 3 huge, crisp, high-definition screens in the background which displayed various narrative themes such as time and celebration, for each song. What appeared to be 10-foot-high fireworks automatically went off at the front of the stage. Wakin and the band performed live reworkings of his classic power ballads and newer songs, inviting the audience to sing along. He also shared with the crowd his experience of a funny encounter with a Horse Guard while sightseeing in London.
Not everyone may understand why someone would go to a concert where the songs are performed in a language that they only know a few words of, but in the East Asian film and entertainment world, these events are rare. To experience a Wakin Chau concert is less about understanding every lyric and more about sharing a collective nostalgia with devoted fans who have followed him for decades.
Thanks to Ben Lewis for the review.
