[ 06-03-2007 ]
Wang Leehom’s Heroes of Earth show was everything a concert should be ... and more. Fantastic ... brilliant ... mind-blowing ... wonderful ... magnificent! There are plenty of adjectives that could be used to describe Wang Leehom’s out-of-this-world Heroes of Earth concert. In fact, if you were among the 25,000 screaming fans at National Stadium Bukit Jalil on Sunday night, you would know what all the fuss was about. It was an affair not to be missed even if you were not a fan. Heroes of Earth, presented by Celcom with Galaxy Group as organiser, was everything a concert should be – entertaining, fun, good music, great vocals – and it was well worth every sen paid, especially if you were in the RM353 seats. Fans got to shake his hands and even touch him! From the word go, Wang was in his element, delivering an impeccable performance that lasted over two hours. There was not a note out of tune, a line forgotten or a missed cue. The man was basically on fire and had fans eating out of his hands. Every nuance, every gesture had them clamouring for more. When he removed his jacket, the entire stadium erupted into a deafening roar. When he serenaded his classic power ballads like Yong Yuan De Di Yi Tian (Forever the First Time), Ai De Jiu Shi Ni (You are the One I Love) and Kiss Goodbye, female fans sang along with him as if trying to soothe his heartache.
Stellar showcase: Performing to a sell-out crowd, Taiwanese superstar Wang Leehom wowed his fans with an extravagant concert on the last leg of his Heroes of Earth World Tour 2007 at National Stadium Bukit Jalil on Sunday night.
He started the show with the rousing Gai Shi Ying Xong (Heroes of Earth), Fang Kai Ni De Xin (Open Your Heart) and Ai Ni Deng Yu Ai Zi Ji (Loving You Means Loving Me) that had some excited fans up on their feet, dancing and swaying, while others were content to remain in their seats, hollering. Dressed in a resplendent yellow traditional Chinese outfit, Wang looked so handsome, albeit a little too slender. His boyish good looks definitely set quite a few hearts a-flutter that night. Wang revealed that it’s been six months since he has dabbled in any music, as he has been busy filming Ang Lee’s Lust, Caution. The time away from his music did him good as that night he played and sang like a man possessed. It was obvious that he was ecstatic to be singing and playing music again. His smile, laughter, monkeying about on stage with his band all proved there was no doubt Wang enjoyed his performance. He put his heart and soul into it and as a result, fans were rewarded with what was perhaps one of his best KL shows to date. One of the night’s highlights was his duet with best bud from Singapore, JJ Lin. Both were equally matched in their warbling skills and their voices complemented each other’s perfectly. Lin started off by singing Ni Bu Zai while playing the piano. Then Wang emerged unexpectedly, also playing the piano and belting out Jiang Nan. It was quite a sight. Two songs sung by two men but they did it so seamlessly that it seemed like one song. When they were done, the applause was thunderous. As usual, at every opportunity, Wang showed off his mastery as a musician. He played the violin on Julia, the erhu on Zai Na Yao Yuan De Di Fang, the drums on Love, Love, Love and the guitar and piano during the six-song acoustic set. Regardless of what the instrument, he was at ease with it. There was no doubt that Wang is a born musician.
He also proved to be quite an adept dancer as he strutted his stuff during the fast numbers such as Gai Shi Ying Xiong (Heroes of Earth), Fang Kai Ni De Xin (Open Your Heart), Ya Birthday, Wo Jiu Xi Huan (I Like) and Nu Peng You (Girlfriend). Is there nothing the man can’t do? Apparently not, especially considering we will soon be able to see him take on acting in Lust, Caution. Despite the risk of sounding like a broken record, it has to be said that Wang is definitely one of the brightest talents the Chinese music scene has to offer. In the past 11 years that he has been in the industry, he has made conscious efforts to offer something new to audiences. Three years ago, he came out with the “chinked-out” style of music, a blend of hip-hop and traditional Chinese music, which became the basis for his last two albums, Shangri-la (2004) and Heroes of Earth (2005). Obviously not content to stick with the tried-and-tested, Wang is putting his money where his mouth is, and making great attempts at diversifying the Chinese music industry. In the song Yi Shou Jian Dan De Ge (A Simple Song), one line goes “zhe yi shou jian dan de ge bing mei you shen me du te / hao xiang wo ... na me de ping fan que you shen ke” which translates as “there is nothing special about this simple song / just like me ... ordinary but with depth.” That says everything about this not-so-ordinary guy called Wang Leehom. |  
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