20081228

CNEX talk today!

Poster of Jiangsu NY concert in Nanjing I think but it kinda confusing all the concerts going on end of the year. David will be doing CNEX talk today, wish him good luck. Not sure what he will be talking abt but guess it will be film-related. I am looking forward to his rock-oriented concept album next year. For those asking, there is presently no date released on the dropping of his album nor any preorder activities.
There are however vry bizzare rumors that he has been 'banned' in China due to the lyrics of Different, a song in his sophomore album I'm OK released in 1999. Now this song has already been banned in China so how can he still be banned for a song never released? DTFC, bless them, has been on the case very quicky & apparently it started from an online dicussion forum which is usually the case with many of David's rumors. It is extremely insidious how quickly it became a news item on various chinese newsites. Dig a little deeper & one could perhaps find that the rumor orignated from Taiwan as with many of his ugly rumors. Guess it has nothing at all to do with a certain tabloid magnate who is probably still fuming that David dared to sue his company. Also a bit coincidental that it started on the eve of his first public appearance in Taipei for quite a while. Guess anything will do just to rain on his parade.
Anyway guess nothing much he or his fans can do abt it. This kinda of DT harassment is likely to continue for some time, some ppl like to get their kicks by smearing other ppl's reputation. However I always believe in just desserts. In the meantime I will be here to support DT & let the world know the injustices he faces cos he is brave enough to stand up for his rights.

20081219

9 days to CNEX talkshow

Just find it heartbreaking that what started as an update on his new album turned into a moving eulogy for his pet dog, Lucky. This man sure wears his heart on his sleeve. I also find it touching that he left the decision to his parents since they were the ones who took in Lucky first. Or it could be he just could not bear to let Lucky go as in his last line - unselfishly and graciously let it go when the time comes - he revealed how hard it was to make the final decision.
Sorry haven't been blogging lately as having updated my browser, my computer was promptly taken over by aliens ^__^ It was not easy to fix as half my registry was corrupted. Anyway decided to start a countdown to DT's film-related debut on 12/28. I think it should be fun as I can imagine him chatting away in that particularly adorable scholarly way he has. Tickets apparently have been selling well. He also has a New Year Eve concert in Nanjing. More details in the next post.
(Btw let's not speculate wildly just cos he mentioned the name Joanna. It's probably not that Joanna but his parents' good friend.)

20081218

New DT Msg: Let's Celebrate Life

12/1/08 Shanghai 3:46am
I hope this journal finds you all well. Amidst a devastating financial downturn, the beginning of a new US presidency and much continued political and social upheaval in the world, it’s a struggle to remain calm. The world seems to be exponentially spirally downwards with calamities and problems being borne faster than solutions can be thought up. However, I still have hope that we can make a difference if we continue with prayer and take action in the right direction.
The first of December brings a lot of anticipation for many people, including myself. With the arrival of Christmas and the New Year, my upcoming months will be preoccupied with the production of my album. During the latter half of 2009, I will turn my focus to my film, which I will share with you later on when the time comes.
If I haven’t already mentioned in previous statements, the majority of the songwriting for the new album has been completed and, so far, I only need to write 3 to 4 more tracks and the songwriting process will be complete. The next stage of my production entails working on lyrics as well as putting the arrangements together. This will be a heavier, more rock oriented album and, therefore, I’ll be playing more guitar myself than on previous albums. The concept of this album has evolved quite a bit since its inception a year ago though the core has not changed. I’m very excited with the concept of this album and I only hope that I can dutifully translate it from my mind and heart for you. Being that it’s a “concept album” means that there’s much more than what is on the surface while, hopefully, not being a burden to it. I’d never want to make a concept album simply for the sake of making one or, even less nobly, for the sake of being cool or academic. The concept of the album should serve to unite the songs and emotions so that they come together to form a more powerful sum of the parts. Some albums are comprised of songs that have little bearing to each other but, on this album, most of the songs evolved from a singular yet related “concept” and motif. I think once the album is completed and in your hands you’ll understand more clearly what I’m talking about.
I don’t recall making any public statements on the recent passing of my dog, Lucky, but I gather that some of you may have heard about it somehow. On 10/30/08, Lucky was put to sleep as he was in very poor health due to a previous heart condition. I was in Asia at that time and couldn’t return to LA but my parents flew back and alongside a friend, Joanna, accompanied Lucky in his final days.
We had known that Lucky had a heart murmur condition as far back as 4 years ago. However, this was something the doctors said could not be treated and was something we could only observe and hope wouldn’t worsen. As the years went by, Lucky didn’t seem to be affected very much with only a few symptoms such as hacking and some occasional languidness. He was still very much playful, active and would enjoy walks around the neighborhood. Seeing the occasional cat or squirrel he would still want to give chase even though I knew it was more to demonstrate his bravado. We were never really sure how old Lucky was but from his dental condition the doctor guessed that he would have been around 13 years old when he passed away. Lucky was a stray dog in Taipei who used to roam the alleys around my father’s old office until one day my dad decided to buy him a house and take him in. Lucky wasn’t a large or menacing dog but he held his own and was a “street fighter” in the neighborhood. Before we took him in, my father used to always recall seeing Lucky head to head with other dogs or proudly leading a pack of dogs down a street. Like any “street” dog, Lucky had a certain edge about him shaped by the years of living amongst the elements. However, around his master and the few people he trusted, his loyalty and sweetness was unmatched. After a few years living at my dad’s office and then eventually at our Taipei home, my dad and I decided that we would immigrate Lucky to Los Angeles to spend more time with me there. I still remember the days when Lucky would accompany me at my office and studio, staying up late with me during my late night writing sessions. Patient, understanding and quiet, Lucky would follow me wherever I went and I enjoyed our late night walks around the park near my studio probably just as much as he did. One thing that everybody always remarked when they saw Lucky was how young he appeared to be. Especially after a trim, Lucky looked like he was just a baby and people were always shocked when I revealed his true age. Because he was a stray, Lucky was a mix of quite a few breeds. We never really cared what the exact mix was but just that he was adorable, handsome and so considerate. Lucky was a very frugal and content dog, he never begged for food like most dogs do and didn’t like to play with toys at all. Getting him to chew a bone was nearly impossible and because of that his teeth suffered as with many strays. I guess the only thing that Lucky needed was love from the people around him. Sometimes if you were to just look in his eyes with affection that would seem to make him happy as he would tilt his head slightly as if smiling.
The two months before Lucky’s passing was when his heart began to trouble him and when we started to notice things changing for the worse. He was put on medication at that point which seemed to relieve certain symptoms but two weeks before Halloween it seemed that nothing we did helped much. He stopped eating, sometimes had difficulty controlling his urinating, and was too tired to even walk out of the house. We consulted the doctor several times but it seemed that we had reached the end of the road. It was a very tough moment for all of us but we didn’t want to see Lucky suffer and his quality of life diminish to nothing. Lucky didn’t make a fuss about anything and just quietly sat on his pillow often staring into space. We didn’t know if Lucky was in pain but we knew he wasn’t happy.
A few days after both my father and mother flew back to see Lucky, my dad made the final decision along with the consent of the veterinarian to put our loved dog to sleep via injection. My dad chose not to be in the operating room so my mom and Joanna stood by to see Lucky off.
Those of you who have or have had pets and have seen them pass away know the sadness and difficulty in seeing them in pain. The helplessness an animal experience is sometimes greater than a human as they can’t express themselves verbally. They can’t make the voluntary decisions and, thus, leave us to their care. The passing away of even a dog reminds me of how fragile life is and how inescapable we all are from mortality.
Let us celebrate life but also unselfishly and graciously let it go when the time comes.
DT

20081210

DT & awards

As usual, the Golden Horse Awards reminded me of DT. Will we ever get to see him attend this award show I wonder? Unsurprising, at least to me, it was victory for Peter Chan & The Warlords over Cape No 7. The thing is unlike Chinese music, Chinese movies received a lot of international attention & dun think the GHA judges wanna risked international ridicule by awarding top honors to a parochial movie that owned its popularity more to its Taiwanese content than acting, direction or storytelling. Unsurprising too, at least to me, The International Federation of Film Critics gave its gong to another Taiwanese movie, Parking directed by Chung Mong-hong & staring Chang Cheh. Parking, described as film noir in the mood of WKW, has been invited to Cannes & the rights bought by a Canadian distributor I think. So a good start for a debuting director Chung Mong-hong. Talking abt awards, a rush of albums out this mth so as to be in time for GMA I guess. Could also be the reason for delay of DT's album to next yr if as suspected, he is not gonna stay with Typhoon which meant the company will not bother to put the album or his name up for any GMA awards. Not that I care anymore. I think he will probably be like Graham Greene, the renowned author most unlikely to win the Nobel prize for literature cos judges thought he was too popular. Ppl still frothed at the mouth at the thought of Marry me today winning best song ^__^

20081204

DT @ CNEX

David will be doing a talk discussion in the CNEX Documentary Film Festival 2008 - Dreams and Hopes - on 12/28. His theme is called 藍色烏龜之夢 loosely translated as 'blue dream of the black tortoise'. I have no idea what's abt but it sounds interesting. CNEX is a non-profit organization founded by a group of professionals from Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, who are passionate about Chinese culture. It is devoted to the production and promotion of documentaries related to the Chinese people.
So if you have the time & money, its a great way to spend a Sunday evening with our one & only DT ^__^ There are more details in english on the website on how & where to attend. He is full of surprises, isn't he? Still I like that he is spending time & co-operating with people who are passionate abt what they are doing. I think he is getting on the right train on his journey into films. I really wish him all the best & that he will find what he hopes to achieve this time.

20081203

Vry special DT

Thanks to Noshka for recommending & youtube mbr HoonAmy for uploading following vids of DT in Ningbo:



Vry enjoyable esp singing Susan Says with girl fan. Noticed he handed her the mike to sing part of the opera aria so he can rest his voice a little ^__^ Clever DT! He figured most of his Chinese fans will probably know how to sing that popular opera aria. Actually Noshka he had 2 fan meetings in the Zhejiang province: Ningbo on 11/29 & Zhoushan on 11/30 inviting girl fan onstage for both meetings while singing Susan Says. I think its great of him to make the effort to travel to meet his fans all over China. Usually singers hold fan meetings only when they have a new album to promote or endorsing a product. I also like that he was all dressed up for both meetings even though there were probably only a few hundred fans attending. But to him the meetings were more important than promo visits for his sponsors where he is normally more casually dressed. Its a way to let his fans know he respects them & how important they are to him. That's the kind of guy he is. Here's a DT pix I really like thanks to DTFC fan in Ningbo ^__^

20081202

DT & his fans

David looking stylish during 江舟山 fan meeting on 11/30. He sang mostly love ballads & this time successfully invited girl fan onstage.
Hugz ... hello ... *muak* ^__^ vry DT. He looked happy & healthy which is good. His hair is longer, unstraightened which is how I like it cos it looks so thick & slightly wavy which is his natural look. Fans are bouyant with this hairstyle cos a longer look apparently meant he is abt to release his new album. Anyway he promised Jan09 but dun wanna to whinge abt poor Typhoon every post hehehe

20081130

DT @ Chengdu

David looking stressed in Chengdu. He arrived late for the press conference & only had time to pose for pixs before he was rushed backstage. It could be he didn't realised he was the first to perform as I think he had to play some games with selected mbrs of the audience. He sang Rain, Moon represents whose heart, Smalltown girl & Susan says. Before singing Susan says, David joked that he has the habit of getting a girl up to serenade & singing halfway he surprised the audience by leaping down from the 1m tall stage *gasp* maybe he is still in 007 mode hehe He then went up to his fanclub mbrs & invited a delighted girl fan upstage but the uniformed guards refused to let the girl entered the restricted zone so David had to get back on the stage by himself. I thought that was a bit unprofessional >"< Dear DT more singing less tricks plse :P
Still he did look happy performing cos he really loved his Chengdu fans who dun often get to see him. He told them that his album will most definitely come out in Jan09 & they will get to see his movie next yr too. Hopefully he is able to keep both his promises. Below is a great pix credit & much thanks to DTFC fan in Chengdu:
Read some news abt Typhoon wanting to sue Sam Chen who resigned after the controvesy with Jay last yr. Not sure what its abt but personally feel that Typhoon is just revengeful that he stole Jolin away *sigh* There's also speculation Stefanie Sun & A-Mei may go back to Warner cos of him. Also heard some rumor abt the largescale concert held in Taipei sponsored by Macdonalds. Seemed both companies for Show Luo & Wang Lee Hom were squabbling to have their stars sing last. Singing last meant that the singer has the most popularity to made the audience stay until they appear *roll eyes* Anyway since both endorsed for Macdonalds, the organisers were having a hard time to decide but finally opted for Show Luo causing some bitterness for Lee Hom & his company.
OK plse fans of both I am not saying this really happened cos its probably a makeup story by paparazzi. But the thing is dun think I have ever read abt squabbling who to appear last in Taiwan before. I know it does happen in China. In the past when both DT & Jay Chou were to appear in the same concert in Taipei, DT opened the concert & Jay appeared last. There was no squabbling abt who is the most popular. So I am thinking it might just be Typhoon wanting to promote Show since he has a new album coming out next mth. Anyway the more I read abt Typhoon & their method of managing their stars, the more I hope David is going to leave them soon.

20081128

DT news roundup

It was reported that Harlem Yu who has some domestic problems lately sang Bastard with a guest during his program & that he seemed to enjoy belting out: you will regret all your life *roll eyes* But it is true that there does seem to be a DT song for every occasion ^__^
There was some weird rumor that Ella will be singing a duet with DT in his new album but I doubt that David will do another boy/girl duet. Now there's news that Ella wrote lyrics for Huang Yida so I think it was probably a mistake in the first place & Yida was the singer/songwriter whom Ella worked with not DT. Much as I like Ella, dun really wanna hear another duet from DT.
Apparently Rain has been having problems with his new single Rainism cos of the supposedly 'explicit lyrics'. Which made me think of DT's Let's fall in love. Has he ever been in trouble with that song's 'explicit lyrics' I wonder?
Apparently Stanley Huang has left Typhoon & is now with Warner. He will be releasing his new album soon *sigh* Poor DT, when can you get yr freedom? Maybe his TW fans can set up a Release DT tent outside Typhoon office in Taipei & play his song Free 24/7 haha
DT Bond: Release me or else ...

20081120

Release DT!

A very DT pix credit & thanks to DTFC. He will be heading to Chengdu next weekend for a couple of fan meetings & another largescale concert for a telco company *sigh* seems that Show Luo's new album is coming out next mth, so there can be no denying that there is a deliberate delay on DT album. Even more so now it seems certain Jolin Tsai has signed up with Warner after the extremely quiet release of her english album. Although Typhoon has been heavily promoting Anson Wu as 'China's little r&b heavenly king', I think they would still wanna hang on to DT for talent power at award shows. At the moment he is their best bet for nominations & wins. Poor David, this is not the kinda pressure he wants at the moment surely. Come on, Ronald Cheng, I always thought you are someone with some integrity. Don't try & harnass him to your company. Give him his freedom to go do the thing he wants I beg of you.

20081118

Mourning with DT

David looking like he lost a lot of weight & sleep. I lost a few pets myself so I probably understand how he is feeling & Lucky had been with him a lot longer than mine - 13 years. So maybe its a good thing he has a few more activities in China & then he can shut himself in the studio to put the finishing touches on his album. He told the audience that he will 'see them' in the New Year Eve concert in Shanghai which is also sponsored by Nokia.
As usual some fans complained his voice was hoarse & his live singing less than perfect. Strangely enough, I always wondered why at EVERY live performance & concert, there will be a few fans complaining abt his voice & singing but when I listened to the available recording, he sounded fine. Now with the debate abt lipsynching flaring again, I am beginning to wonder if some audience may not be able to differentiate between actual live singing & singing to a backing tape. For it seemed that lipsynching is more prevalent in China than I thought, a lot of ppl are coming out to say that as much as 80% of chinese singers opted to lipsynch & there were a lot of reasons from bad acoustics to singers who really cannot sing live. But the reason which really floored me was that a singer cannot remember the lyrics or even how to sing the hits that made them famous in the first place. Now that's really unprofessional.
So I am proud to say that on Nov 15 David sang Wang Bu Liao from his 5th studio album, Susan says from his 4th studio album, Rain from his 2nd studio album & I Love you from his debut album. He sang all of them live & maybe he did forget a few lyrics here & there but he made the effort to remember the songs & not rely on a backing tape. Actually I am not that against lipsynching if it makes for a better performance. A lot of chinese singers lack vocal power & they cannot project their voice even with a microphone. I find that annoying. Its like a chef who has great recipes but cannot cook well. Also apparently for some events, singers are allowed to tape their performances during rehearsal & lipsynched to them on the actual day. Which was what David & Jolin did when they sang Marry me today @ Spring Nite. But still most singers prefer to sing to a studio backing tape than pretaped a live performance. I don't know nor do I care anymore honestly. I think that chinese entertainment has made their bed of promoting 'singers' who can't sing & now they have to lie on them metaphorically speaking.

20081116

Sad news

Some sad news posted @ DTFC & davidtao forums that Lucky, David's pet dog, has passed away due to old age. At the moment not sure if it can be confirmed but do hope David is feeling alrite. I thought he had an aura of mourning when he sang Butterfly, it reminded me of Eric Clapton's Tears in Heaven.
DTFC reported that he looked pale & tired @ the Nokia concert *heart pain* He sang 4 songs - Wang Bu Liao, Susan says, Rain & I Love You. Some other depressing news is that his fans & the media are getting suspicious abt his album delay. They felt that it was a delaying tactic by Typhoon as they are afraid he will end his contract with them after the album release & go off to film his movie. They wondered why there are still so many activities for David when he has no new album to promote. They also speculate that David may set up his own company rather than sign up with a record company. Anyway the writer of the article who could be a DT fan, concluded that it would be a pity that a music talent like David should be harnassed by commericalism and hoped that the album delay is due to something simpler like economic conditions.

20081115

DT effect

Found another youtube version of David singing Butterfly @ 11/1 concert without the talking part. Already a lot of fans have been shaking their heads at his lapse in lyrics in this performance. But I guessing that he didn't even have time to rehearse which would explain the music stand. So he had to remember guitar chords as well as the lyrics. Also Butterfly is not the easiest song to sing even without strumming the guitar. If you are not careful, you could end going too high which almost happened with David. But he was just amazing as he kept his voice under control without using vibrato or going nasal. I have noticed he sometimes, but not often, used these vocal techniques in his live performances (not his concerts) when he was tired or trying to rest his voice. Remember this was his second song & he had been talking for abt 5 mins but the clarity of his voice just got better & better as he sang. He sang with conviction, with feeling, with love mixed with a tinge of sadness, right till the very end. His guitar strumming was almost flawless, matching the mood of the song without any kind of showman flourishes. What a command performance! Probably cos he was playing for God.

20081114

DT & gossips

Our Dave did it again & got himself into the gossip rag:
punters got more than their fare share of skin this week when Shatina Chen (陳思璇) showed off a considerable amount of her leggy assets. The former “queen of the catwalk” had been laying low since she was caught last year in a late-night rendezvous with a married man on Yanmingshan. She returned to the spotlight this week in high style after performing a sexy number at a press conference during which she wore a skimpy black skirt that provided a clear view of her white knickers. Is there nothing models won’t expose for a little exposure?
If gossip rags are to be believed, Chen’s long legs were alluring enough to enrapture David Tao (陶吉吉), who sweated through her performance and drooled over her afterwards — an amazing feat, really, because Tao is notorious for pursuing sweet young thangs.
So much gossip so soon after returning to Taiwan. He must have wished he was back in LA. Dear DT, dun worry, I believe you are not a womaniser even though there seem to be a concerted effort by the Taiwan press to paint you as one. Some celebrities no doubt wish they have the level of exposure you have but you only want a quiet life *sigh* There seems to be early news that Jolin Tsai will most probably sign up with Warner to reunite with her ex-manager who gained fame as Jay Chou's No 1 enemy :P The news claimed that Jolin was not happy with the delay of her english album. At the moment Typhoon seems to be heavily promoting Anson Hu who is preparing for his first concert in Taipei & of cos Ronald Cheng. So it doesn't look very good for DT who was also rumored to be unhappy abt the delay of his album.

20081113

Tao of bike

No news abt DT but he should be departing for Shanghai soon for the concert on 11/15. Just posting some nice pixs, above a big thank you to Beachgurl for sending to me. Really like his simple outfit. Also luv him when he is laughing with abandon:
At last a model with curves not bones ^__^ As to why DT was chosen to endorse a Bond movie, could be he is one of the few Taiwanese male artists BMW can trust to ride their monster bike up the stage without causing grevious bodily harm ... to the bike hehe There's a breathtaking motorbike stunt in the movie of cos but not sure if the bike is BMW.
Anyway I think DT has the makings of 007. He's ex-cop so he should know firearms & self-defence. He's suave & muscular *__* Not sure if he drinks martinis - shaken not stirred - but we KNOW the man likes to drink ^__^ The tabloids like to take unauthorised pixs of him with different women like promo pixs of Bond :P Lastly he can ride a bike pretty damn good.

20081108

00DT

David appearing as 007 at the opening nite of Quantum of Solace in Taipei. Once again surprised by his chameleon qualities to appear like serious singer/songwriter one nite & mandopopstar the next *__* There are not many who can straddled both worlds comfortably. But my does he look superduper suave in this event although don't much care for the WMD he is holding >"<
Some newsclips here, here & below. So wonderful to see him so relaxed & hearing his familiar making-me-melt voice and oh make sure you catch beginning of the clip below as he flew onstage on the BMW bike *heart stop* vry vry vry vry vry Bond hehehe

Also funny to see the slight distance he was trying to keep from the lovely model :P Could be cos he was followed by paparazzi earlier & caught on film walking with a pretty longhaired girl along the streets of Taipei. Dun wanna post the related pix cos it was taken without his permission but he looked MAN in a low-neck grey T with the coolest shades <33333333
Poor DT always at the mercy of the tabloids *sigh* but dun worry, we still love you as can be seen in these pixs of the 11/1 concert where a lot of his Taiwanese fans showed their support.

20081107

Inspiring mando-pop DT

The Christian Post online has a very nice article abt the Franklin Graham event in Taipei:
Graham Concludes '08 Crusade in Taiwan
By Ethan Cole
Christian Post Reporter
Wed, Nov. 05 2008 01:07 PM EST
American evangelist Franklin Graham concluded his 2008 world crusade this past weekend in Taipei, Taiwan where nearly 10,000 people committed their lives to Jesus Christ during the event.
The four-day festival from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2 drew more than 150,000 people to the outdoor plaza of Taipei’s famous Liberty Square - formerly known as Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall – making it the largest religious gathering in the history of the venue.
Graham preached a simple but fundamental message about salvation only through Jesus Christ, which is proclaimed at all the Franklin Graham festivals.
“There is no other name under heaven by which you can be saved. It’s only through Christ,” Graham said, according to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, to citizens of a country that is 90 percent Buddhist and Taoist. “Jesus said ‘I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life. No man comes to the Father but by me.’”
In addition to the 150,000 adults that attended the Taipei festival, another 33,000 kids attended a special children’s event on Sunday.
Local musical artists opened for Graham each night, including Heavenly Melody, JJ Lam, and popular mando-pop singer-songwriter David Tao.
During his visit to Taiwan, Graham also met with Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou on Oct. 30 in the Presidential Office.
President Ma called Graham “one of the world’s best-known preachers” and said he was delighted to meet the evangelist. He also praised the past evangelistic event led by Franklin’s father, renowned evangelist Billy Graham, for its positive effects on Taiwan 33 years ago and expressed that Franklin’s event would also bring the same comfort to the people in the country.
Graham also met with many of the country’s leading pastors and city leaders.
In total, some 650 local churches participated in the Festival.
The event in Taipei was the sixth Franklin Graham Festival this year. Prior festivals were held in Belfast, Northern Ireland; Knoxville, Tenn.; Villahermosa, Mexico; Timisoara, Romania; and Charleston, S.C.
For 2008, more than 487,000 people in total attended the Franklin Graham Festival events.
So DT is a 'popular mando-pop singer-songwriter' ^__^ Anyway just wanna express my heartfelt thanks for the msgs below. I really love it when you guys rant abt DT cos really reinforce my own feelings abt him. Like Sukyee I too feel at a loss 'without the conviction of his voice'. Perhaps that could be his weakness, that his physical presence can sometimes be so overwhelmingly inspiring that we need to be constantly reassured. Thanx beachgurl for digging out the Parable in Black Tangerine. He got the album rite anyway if not the age :P
Black Tangerine could be his most inspiring album perhaps. When the album came out, it made ppl realised that music can be inspiring & that it could reflect social issues happening in our times. The reason David was able to touch us with songs like Black Tangerine, Today's News, Dear God & Angel was because he was witnessing the events at firsthand. He was in the US during the 911 incidents & he was affected by them directly. So he wrote the songs that told of his fears, his depression, his frustration, his anger, his helplessness & his uncertainties. The songs reach out to us cos we felt all of his feelings with him & we could think of situations where we felt the same. In these songs he cried out to us not to sit back but to do something cos this is the world we live in & no matter how hard we try, we cannot run away.
Reality always bites. President-elect Barack Obama made history significant again but he had to make his acceptance speech behind bulletproof glass walls. There is no magical 'ever after' where he and his family can go and live happily in the White House. I would imagine he would require the tightest security ever by a US president. Brave new world indeed. Dear DT's fav phrase hehe but then he has always been a visionary man. So yeah I long for his new album. Apparently on 11/1, he said that he is the midst of producing his 6th studio album. I thought he said earlier that it was completed. Whatever. So long as there is a DT album coming out SOON I hope.

20081105

DT & change

History in the making & for sure, DT will be pleased ^__^ Anyway found this interesting blog all abt DT's appearance at the Taipei Franklin Graham festival including his speech, the story he told, Butterfly lyrics as well as link to dl the related mp3. Only thing is its all in chinese. But once again, his simple but heartfelt sincerity has seemingly inspired quite a few ppl. To me DT is the Obama of chinese music who believes in change, the future, hard work & the will of the common people. Everytime he appears in public, he just brings along such hope & inspiration. Amazing man. Although do agree with anon who post below abt the lyric stand hehe:
Anonymous said...
Oh I L-O-V-E this unplugged performance, just DT and the guitar. He looked comfortable and confident, that's my man !
PS : Zhaodi, I think he needs the lyric stand for the parable part - geez it's some 4 minutes or so...
11/05/2008 1:37 AM

20081104

DT & talents

Almost full-length pix of the most mesmerising man in my life hehe He looked too gorgeous at least in my eyes ... & he sounded just as mesmerising *__* Thanks to Noshka's links to youtube vids posted by sansword of the entire DT portion of 11/1 concert:


In the 2nd vid before singing Butterfly, he told a biblical moral story called Parable of the Talents ^__^ He said he heard this story when he was doing his 3rd studio album (Black Tangerine). He was at a loss even though he had money, career & success. Even though he was happy making music, he didn't know what it was for. After listening to this story, he realised that he must not waste the wealth of talents his master (Jesus) has given him. He is such an adorable as well as ecclesiastical man -- worthy of my devotion. His rendition of Butterfly is the purest, most superb acoustic version I have ever heard. His voice, his singing, his guitar strumming is just out of this world, heavenly. Thank you so much sansword for posting the vids.
Noshka, I too wonder if David is going to vote & he may very well be back in US now since his nxt performance is on 11/15 in Shanghai. Although its possible to vote even if he is not in US, just have to go to the US embassy. Anyway this is a private matter for DT so all the best to the US Presidential Election.

20081102

DT galore

Everything A-OK with DT? YESSSSSSSS if he keeps on looking so ultra-manish ^__^
Looking slightly embarrassed? Since he confessed that his album will be delayed till Jan09 *sigh* but we are always willing to wait.
A lyric stand for 2 songs? Guess he wanna make sure he got the lyrics rite hehe

Covering DT

Apparently DT was in good form for the Taipei Franklin Graham festival & sang 2 songs, Rain & Butterfly, strumming on his acoustic guitar. He dressed simply in green T & jeans wearing a cap as well as specs. How I wish to hear him sing acoustic version of Butterfly *sigh* Update: Found Jkt concert vid of DT singing Season of Loneliness:

Anyway tonite I chanced upon Yang Peian covering DT's I'm OK on Sunday Night Fever, a program that inspired to be all abt good music & live singing. It was a damn good cover too & Yang managed to own it too making it his version not DT version. Later when the hosts interviewed him, he said David was a huge influence on him & he had once interviewed him on radio. A pity he nvr said more abt the interview, only that David gave him a lot of confidence to pursue his own music ideals. He praised DT's versatility & ability to sing both rock & soulful ballads. He then said his nxt song is also DT's which is a bit 'unrefined' in chinese ^__^ yeah it was Bastard hehehe but he didn't quite do justice to the song which is not really his fault. I have yet to hear anyone cover Bastard well.
Actually I think these 2 songs show the artistry of our Dave. He is such a remarkable songwriter that he is able to write songs that is generically unique if that made any sense. I'm OK has recognisable rock elements but David's arrangement was fairly safe. Perhaps even at that time he knew the chinese market too well that a heavy rock song was nvr gonna be accepted. Still I'm OK was not popular & known mostly only to his fans. He went further in Black Tangerine but by that time he was probably more confident in composing a rock song that would still be accepted. I have yet to hear a good cover of Black Tangerine too cos its probably imbedded in my mind too much as a DT song ^__^ Still I'm OK kept resurfacing as it was probably one of the few good chinese rock songs around but nobody managed to cover it well. Actually all it took was a good voice & the right rock attitude. All of which Yang Peian has in spades so he did the song full justice.
Bastard was an entirely different case. Bastard sounds like a simple song to sing but it does has a rather complex melody. It will not grab you on the first listen & in fact most ppl would not list it as their fav DT song. I am actually convinced only David can sing this song because he wrote it for himself. He said he wrote it after someone scratched his new car but I think he is releasing all his frustration in this song. All the injustices he felt he has suffered in this world. In fact most ppl who like & play this song feel the same, that they are releasing their frustration. There u go - 2 completely different songs from David, one you can cover well only if you have a good voice & the right attitude & the other uncoverable hehehe
If u dun know Yang Peian, well he has released one album I think but he is more famous for being able to go very high. Fortunately he has stopped appearing on entertainment shows where all he did was to show off his high range. Strangely it was hard to find a good normal pix of him only promo ones where he was dressed frivolously in ridiculous poses. Also unfortunately that episode of Sunday Night Fever was the last repeat.

20081101

DT shanghaied

David will be in Shanghai for this Nokia music festival on 11/15. Another bigscale concert *sigh* Come out with yr album already so you can end yr contract & stop being a paid singer. Dear DT, we love you & we dun care if you ceased being a popstar. We just want you to walk your walk, continue your music & movie journey without selling out.
Selling out is just such a common feature in chinese entertainment now. Even Qing Feng of Sodagreen cannot avoid walking the familiar road of becoming famous, becoming commercialised & writing songs for female idol singer known more for popularity than singing. David has been down that road before & my heart ached for him then. I am glad that he has stopped writing songs for other singers now cos I think he realised the futility of writing songs for singers who are not able to express what he wanted to express in a song.

20081030

DT @ Jakarta

Some pixs of Jkt concert from a big thank you to Dini who wrote a fantastic review in her excellent blog, please check it out. Terima kasih Dini *muak* hehe Beachgurl also wrote a review in Davidtao forum & big thank you to her, I got the songlist:
1. Runaway
2. Wang Bu Liao
3. Close to you
4. Lets fall in love
5. Ghost
6. Susan says
7. Who do you love
8. Moon over whose heart
9. Airport at 10.30
10. Black tangerine
11. Regular friends
12. Marry me today
13. Season of Loneliness
14. Love Can
15. Rain
16. I Love You
Thanks again to all who came here to let us more abt the concert. Its just great & make my heart swell to know there are still ppl out there who care abt DT to want to let others know. My blog is just a virtual meeting place for these random DT fans cos I know those more established DT fans have their ways of finding out info. The next outing for David is at the Taipei Franklin Graham Festival on Sat, 11/1. Apparently Vanness Wu who is also performing at this festival had to turn down an invitation from Kanye West to be his guest at his Beijing concert on the same day. Sweet boy ^__^ however dun worry Vanness fans, he will guesting at Kanye's Shanghai concert on 11/3.

20081028

More on Jkt concert

Thanks to beachgurl & anon for sharing your experiences of Jakarta concert. So good to know that DT is still in excellent form & great voice. I think his parents went to Bali before for holiday & DT went with them. Wonderful to know that his mother performed in Indonesia before. God I missed him & his voice so much :(
Anonymous said...
The concert room is not that good and the crowd is just ok.. But this is one of the BEST concerts I have ever been to!!!!(I watched destiny child, the corrs etc)
The quality of his voice is omg.. So good.. Speechless... Superb!
Hope he wants to come back to Jakarta and I will prepare myself better (like memorizing the lyrics!! So painful I couldn't sing along..
And david, how could you not sing 'Liu Sha'?
Superb for the whole team
10/27/2008 2:34 PM

Anonymous said...
SUPERB concert, despite the location/stage.Sound system is great, no glitches.The usual band team, 2drum/percussion, 2guitar(incl Jamie), KhengLong,David Tan, Kewei&Elisa. David sang 15 songs in a row without costume change.Good interaction with audience, speak some bahasa (correct accent :-),taste gado gado & cendol. He also mentioned that his mom had visited/perform in Indonesia some 30 years ago?... tbc.
beachgurl
10/27/2008 4:43 PM

20081027

Not enough DT

My dear DT, I don't expect a lot from you either but that you continue to touch people with your songs & live performances so its so nice to read msgs like this on my blog dedicated to you:
Anonymous said...
Very memorable concert. I didn't expect much as I do not really into him, but surprisingly the impression is so deep. The concert is not long enough. I want more!
10/27/2008 1:01 AM
Thank you anon *wipe tears from my eyes* We always want more from DT but he is so unwilling to give to us *sigh* although I do understand he wants to keep a big part of himself private. So I guess his debut Jakarta concert is a success. Hope he enjoyed himself too. Here's an Indonesian fan review if u can read Indonesian.

20081025

Jakarta concert tonite!

Thanks to beachgurl for following msg:
Yayayayay, 1 more day to DT Concert. DTblogindo owner had greeted DT on airport today - so he's already in town. Arrrrggggghhhhhhhhh !
beachgurl

Good luck to DT & his band for a successful debut concert in Jakarta!

20081020

5 days to Jakarta concert

David's trip to Shanghai was actually to perform at a concert sponsored by Mercedes Benz I guess in preparation for the upcoming F1. It was reported he looked handsome in a 'silvery' suit & glasses. He appeared with A-Mei & they looked 'intimate' together.
Vry nice pix of them ^__^ I think those are new frames but he does look vry good, very directorish hehe Its strange he can look all boyish & expressive in one concert but matured & refined in another. He seems to have lost some weight & gotta love that falling-in-the-face hair *silent scream*
DT will also be performing in Taipei on 11/1 for what looks like to be a Christian youth concert in the poster. So looks like he will be in Asia for a couple of weeks <3
(Poster pix credit & much thanks to TW DT Yahoo Grp)

20081019

6 days to Jakarta concert

Latest pix of DT in Shanghai attending Carina Lau's nightclub celebration or something. Wonder why he had to fly halfway round the world just to attend? Considering he wasn't even invited to their wedding so they are not close friends. Maybe he just want to get drunk again? His behavior is so strange & secretive lately. No news abt album release or whether he is signing up with Typhoon. He really needs to do some fan service soon, not that I need him to take off his top again >"< but a little info abt his album will be much appreciated for sure *sigh*

20081018

7 days to Jakarta concert

At last Sands International updated their website with DT concert promo. Also online ticketing here. Otherwise not much news on our elusive DT ^__^ Was reading an article abt chinese music successfully mixing in both chinese & western styles & Anson Hu's Hong Yan was mentioned as one of the earliest but not so popular. If you haven't heard it, listen here cos I really like it a lot. Considering Anson was still in his early 20s then, the song is marvellously sophisticated. Its evocative of old China without being overtly zhongguafeng, not to mention Anson's wonderful vocal abilities.
I also like Anson's latest hit, Man KTV, which he wrote for Justin Lo but much prefer his mandarin version. If I haven't been a DT fan first, dare say Anson Hu could have become my idol. I love his simple sincerity & obvious respect for music. He is one of the few chinese singers who didn't get commercialised once they gained some fame. To date, Anson has not endorsed many products if any & did not rely on love rumors to get some headlines. Although its a fairly harmless thing to do, you know, male singer mention secret love interest during new album launch. The media speculated on the identity & those identified played along cos its exposure for them too. Just a bit immature.

20081017

8 days to Jakarta concert

Thanx to those who commented below. Glad you share my sentiments abt David even in these uncertain times where the whimpers of chinese music could hardly be heard as it is being slowly, mercilessly tortured, murdered & buried in no man's land. But a little glimmer of hope as I heard being played in 2 supermarkets the music of Lu Guang Chong from his album 100 ways of living. It's heartening to know that good music can be appreciated anywhere without any kinda hype. Although I do hope he will stop changing his english name, its a bit disconcerting. In fact why have an english name, why not just stick with his chinese one? I will try to blog more as I feel I have been neglecting David lately. Not that he is not always in my heart but I admit I do feel disappointed with him. I felt he should have waited till he release his 6th studio album before disappearing to do the stuff he wants to to like shoot a movie. While I always believe in less is more but really 5 studio albums for a singer/songwriter about to turn 40 is kinda low rite?

20081011

14 days to Jakarta concert

Poetry in motion - 2 fabulous pixs that showed exactly why DT loves to rock. Looking at them for some reason I went & listen to his sophomore album - I'm OK. Once a critic called it 'his masterpiece' but didn't explain why he thought so. I didn't understand why but now I do. Cos if you have to ask for an explanation, then there is no longer any point. You either get DT or you don't. I'm OK is usually the overlooked album. Most ppl, not his fans, would either remember his first or Black Tangerine. Yet I'm OK has a lot of DT evergreens - Rain, Regular Friends, Smalltown Girl, Close to you. Usually ppl remember 1 or 2 hits off a forgotten album but I'm OK has at least 4. Despite the hits, contradictorily it is the least accessible album out of the three. David himself claimed it's his least favorite album but I think only cos he remembered producing it with a lot more pain ... & perhaps passion? I dare say it marked the start of his journey in music, so let's go back to the beginning:
The setting of this album is Union Station in Los Angeles, a gorgeous old-fashioned station much used by movies including Bladerunner. I hardly think that it was a coincidence he chose a railway station. After the success of his self-titled album. David went back to LA cos he couldn't cope with the sudden success & fame the album had brought him. It took him 2 years to come up with his 2nd album & by that time he had decided that he was going to embark on his music journey. Perhaps he struggled with his director's dream or his unwillingness to give up his freedom to become a public figure. He already had a successful behind the scene career as songwriter as well as producer so it wasn't as if he didn't had any choice. But he also said very honestly that it was hard for him to convey his feelings through another singer. In other words, unlike other producers he could not find his muse or was unwilling to find one. Meaning he was stuck in the railway station with nowhere to go unless he is singer, songwriter & producer all rolled into one.
This is also the first album that he was so open with his religion from the intro called Doxology to the ending called Amen & the biblical references in his first track Rain. A very personal album so how could he not recalled it without pain? The second track is Smalltown Girl which he has since admitted he was writing about himself. Appropriately the track featured the sound of a leaving train. Smalltown girl who was shy & unsure embarking on a journey to the city to further her career leaving behind a lovelorn boy. The lovelorn boy was of cos his old self & the lyrics went on to say that he would not be around if the girl ever return. Meaning he could never be that lovelorn boy again once he got on the train. This is something I always like about David - his willingness to go forward not backwards. Even though his songs speak of nostalgia, it is always memories that you can remember but you can never recapture. The past is a foreign country, I am not sure but I think it was Graham Greene who wrote that.
David not only wrote the songs but many of the lyrics as well as played most of the instruments in I'm OK. It was produced mostly in his LA house & in the lyrics booklet, it was printed as 'at My House' like it was a studio. I'm OK also has the least popular of his Teresa Teng's cover songs - Tuberose. Actually this cover is 'purer' than the rest. Unlike the others, he didn't give it any new lyrics & the arrangement sounded fairly simple. He merely updated it with a faster beat & a more jazzy feel. However listen carefully & you will find that it has some of the best acappella he ever produced, so good that you don't even realised that it was acappella. I would say it's the best of his cover songs because it remains so close to the original & yet it is different. It is not a song where you marvelled at his creativity or instrumentation, it is just good music. In this album you can hear his Beatles influence in a couple of tracks but the one I like best is Circus. I feel he was using it as an analogy to the entertainment world he would be entering where he felt he would always be performing like a clown. He was, and still is, not comfortable with being a celebrity. In his world, he can only be his real self during his concerts. In his last album, his last track is Olia where he also mentioned the circus leaving town but the clown is still around. Could it be he is referring to himself that he is unable to keep up with what is going on in the entertainment world? But he can never return to being the 'lovelorn boy' he left behind in Union Station. The past is a foreign country. Not long after he got so drunk that he had to be hauled to the police station cos he couldn't find his way home.
So what now? Remember his msg called 'New Beginning'. Is he contemplating another journey? Not from Union Staion now of cos. But I think one sure thing is that he is back at the crossroad of his life waiting to get on another train or plane. The question is where is it taking him?

20081010

15 days to Jakarta concert

Very adorable pix. Guess he had a great time in Tianjin. It was raining again & he got drenched singing Rain but hoped that he could 'find himself' again in Tianjin. Listen to a few clips posted by DTFC & he sounded great. Powerful clear voice, effortless projection. There seems to be a worrying delay with his new album. Earlier he had said almost dismissively that he had finished the album & its up to his record company now. His record company confirmed that they have his finished album & is doing final promo work but set back the release date to Dec or even later Jan 09. Why the delay?
I hope its not going to be like Elva Hsiao & Warner where she couldn't even release her album. I have a bad feeling abt his working relationship with this new record company. There was some report midyear which said that he was not pleased when they wanted to delay the release of his album ... and you know what David is like when he is not pleased >"< He wouldn't say anything in public of cos but lately his attitude seems to be a bit lacklustre when talking abt his album. Anyway whatever obstacles you may face, DT, we will always support you. With rampant piracy & oncoming recession, there is no guarantee that his new album will sell well esp when he is adamant not to make a crowdpleasing album. Dear DT, just walk your own walk & if you are sincere, all will turn up well for sure.
He promised we will be able to watch his movie next year but I wish he will stop with the hype abt making a breakthrough in chinese movies. I don't know if he is doing it to please his investors but hype usually comes to naught when you fail to deliver. Anyway one Taiwanese movie has already proved that one can be successful without hype. Wei Te-sheng's Cape No 7 has become a trueblue box office success. He borrowed NT$30 million putting himself into debt just to film this movie & it has already made much more & is Taiwan's Oscar entry this yr. If one really has a dream, one go ahead with it no matter what. If David's dream is to film a movie, he would have written a script a long time ago & worked hard to get the funds to film it. Not wait till 10 yrs later when he is famous & is able to get investors interested without even having a finished script yet.

20081008

10/7 Tianjin concert

Oh dear I totally missed his Tianjin concert was yesterday. Anyway here some pixs to make up for it. He looks so wonderfully DT ^__^ And his familiar voice so powerful yet comforting. Will do a countdown for the Jakarta concert as it will be his first one there.