Lost lamb

OMG I didn't know David will be so depressed & ashamed abt his being drunk. So sry I didn't mean to laugh at him in my previous post. Actually I didn't think it was such a big deal. I think if this has happened in LA, he would have coped with it better as he is more comfortable in giving directions in english & more familar with the roads. But he hardly ever drove in Taipei so it must be difficult for him to find his way back to his recently moved home when he is not sober.
Even though he is being joked abt & his image may have slipped but I actually like him a lot better when he revealed this crazy, wild badboy side ^__^ All he wanted was a few hrs of forgetting that he is a celebrity who has to watch his every step. Thank god his guardian angel must have been looking after him cos he could have been robbed & hurt bodily.
My wonderful DT, to me you are still imperfectly perfect & an incident like this will not taint your image too much. If ppl think less of u cos of this well they must be pretty immature. It is acceptable behavior in the west & now even in the east for both men & women to visit a bar almost everyday for a few hrs of drinking afterwork so really what David did was not so unforgivable. Of cos I do hope from now on he will drink a lot less as liquor is not good for either his health or his voice.
I do feel a bit fearful that he might be feeling stressed to be drinking so much. Maybe the pressure of finishing his movie script, the new album, the ongoing concerts gets too much for him. Perhaps he is thinking he hasn't accomplished a lot this year. All I can say is all great artists have ups & downs, this is the nature of real talent. If its smooth sailing all the way, then you should start to worry. A big fat storm with vivid lightning flashes, rumbling thunder & skyhigh waves is infinitely preferable & far more interesting.
In fact this episode is like something out of an idol series heehee famous singer got drunk & landed in police station. I would nvr have believed it could happen in real life & to my idol - David Tao. Lately he seems to be living the life of a soap idol. Going to Italy with his parents & fan asking for his autograph in Rome. Asking a highly sought after female singer to star in his yet unnamed movie without a script & being accepted in front of a big audience.
So don't worry David. Your fans will not love you less cos your feet could sometimes turn to clay. Sometimes you are like a lost lamb & I cherish you even more.
Lost Lamb
Be quiet, little lost lamb
Stop your fearful trembling
The heart of the Good Shepherd
Knows there is one lamb missing
From his safe, loving fold
He will come for you soon
His perfect vision sees
The tracks your small feet made
Across the verdant pasture
He knows the sweetness
Of the poisoned spring you chose
To quench a thirsting soul
Soon his footsteps will sound
Upon the rocky soil
His tender hands will move
The thorns that hold you fast
High upon his shoulder,
He will bear you home.
(By Virginia Walden Hogue)
Happy New Year to David & all his fans. Let's all be lost lambs waiting to be saved *__*

Gift for DT

Lots more pixs of VW car show event here & here, also can watch same clip @ tom.com & sina.com ^__^ He looks so debonair & sings so beautifully. Agreed with him that Free is a vry suitable car song.
But DT is not a happy man cos apparently he carefully shopped for hours & personally chose 35 special Xmas gifts for friends & staff despite his busy schedule but only got 7 in return. He felt that ppl have forgotten the meaning of exchanging gifts during Xmas. The excuse he got was they dun know what to give him or too busy but he replied who is busier than him & even if its a glass with Bruce Lee image, he will be happy. Dun know he is Bruce Lee fan cos I willingly give him my treasured Bruce Lee doll heehee Dun know if he really angry or just joking cos he can't be that petty >"< Still I do understand what he meant cos I too felt ppl are always giving excuse of 'busy' when what they meant is they cannot be bothered. NOBODY can be that busy - best eg President Bush playing golf during Katrina disaster. That's why my dad & I spent this Xmas quietly by ourselves cos the rest can't be bothered even though my dad like DT also called them to complain *sigh* But no matter dear DT, u r always treasured virtually here in my blog which is my perennial gift to you.
Good news is that Peter Chan has promised to support DT's movie & he already has a budget of $3000K. Cos he promised to finish his script by yearend, his investors have already been pestering him as if they dun know Mr Delay Tao by now *roll eyes* During new year DT will be personally scouting shooting locations in China *__* Wow so exciting, really looking forward to his movie now that all seem to be getting together. Btw Peter Chan's The Warlords starring Jet Lee, Andy Lau & Takeshi Kaneshiro is doing great at the Asian box office with good reviews & is 2007 bona fide box office success.

DT in blue

David as TW spokesman for Eos Individual which is quite a nice car. I like his blue suit but I think it needs a darker shirt, the shoes are nice though.
Singing & looking Free ^__^ He has a few more appearances in largescale concerts in China after the Superstars concert in Shenzhen. Dun wanna bother with details as rather tired of these appearances. He will just sing the same songs ending with a karaoke version of I Love You. Is he ever gonna have a new repertoire I wonder? But for sure it will be enjoyable for those attending. Maybe appearing in these largescale concerts are obligations he cannot afford to turn down but just afraid that they are turning him into a second-class singer *heavy sigh*

Missing DT

Vry adorable sideview of our Dave (credit & thanks to DTFC). Hope everyone including David had a great Christmas. Not sure where he is now, hopefully back in LA for some rest as he has some activities in China & the Big John party in Taipei next mth. Wow it will be next year next week. Not sure abt David's schedule for nxt year, he is always vry vague & always say the same thing: concentrating on movie, more concerts (even though he is supposed to taking a break from them) & if he is a good mood, he will say new album & if he is not, then no album. I have a feeling even EMI has no idea what he is up to ^__^ He just refused to get tied down. Anyway I am just happy he is happy doing his own thing whatever it is.
Btw my cousin told me this funny thing abt Jay's LA concert where ppl began throwing lightsticks at the stage. It was getting dangerous as quite a few ppl were hit, anyway they had to send a guy out to tell the audience to stop it before Jay was willing to come out :P Dun know but I thought it was so hilarious, the idea of Jay hiding backstage till the audience stop throwing lightsticks. This is also a pet peeve of David who repeatedly told the audience NOT to throw lightsticks but I dun think he went so far as to hide backstage.

Something abt Stef

Stefanie wiping David's sweat ^__^ During the commercial break after their duet, David told Stef that he would like her to star in his movie nxt yr. To his astonishment, Stef agreed & asked him if its a 'flower vase' role. David shook his head & said that once his script is completed, he will get a copy to her asap. Stef accepted his offer in front of the 20000-strong crowd (her manager must be having heart palpitations backstage). Anyway they were reminded that they should negotiated fee backstage & Stef quickly replied that she should indeed consider before accepting. David said jokingly it would be a vry big cheque.
There must be something abt Stef that makes so many directors want to work with her, including Stephen Chow. I think it could be her refreshing innocence, she nvr lose that fresh dewy look. But she has also nvr accepted any of the film offers so David must be feeling vry honored that Stef gave him her first public acceptance of a film role even if its just jokingly. But it seems that she is indeed considering going into movies nxt yr. I think maybe Stef is half-serious as she does not strike me as someone who works only for the money, if she likes the script then there is more than a chance she will agree. Anyway, I guess if they are fated to work together then they will but I hope David will get his Christmas wish *__* Some youtube clips of David singing I love you & Hey Jude. I love his speech before Hey Jude where after introducing the song as one written by Paul McCartney for John Lennon's son, Julian, he said that its heroic to do something for a friend & a responsibility to do something for the world. He also dedicated the song to those who were affected by the recent floods in KL where the no of deaths stood at 26.

The duet :)

Seems most ppl like DT & Stef duet of Hey Jude the most during the ntv7 concert which is unsurprising as it was really superb. Good chemisty & even better harmony, even their outfits match *__* David sang lower & also roughened his voice as contrast to Stef's sweet high notes. The last part where he sang backup to her was so good, he really knows how to bring out another singer if that singer is up to it of cos. Fortunately Stef was in good form & there was less squeakness.
Got this off a blog (sry forgotten where so can't give credit) but this pix tells a lot. Often wonder why for such a good singer Stef can sometimes sound so hesitant live. I think it could be her slight lack of confidence & need for someone to guide her. David was a bit protective & Stef seems to look to him for guidance. I think he even held back a bit for her cos I was waiting for him to let loose with 'judejudejudejudejude' at the end but he only did a bit which was disappointing. But it could be he didn't wanna unbalance her. In fact one viewer even said it was almost like she was his guest at his concert hah but anyway for their first cooperation, it was an unmitigated success. Also when they finished singing, apparently they helped to wipe off each other's sweat during the commerical break ^__^ dear dear even though I am still holding on for DT/Penny union but DT/Stef seems acceptable too hee!

Hey DT

According to the Malaysian forums, David was the second last to appear. He sang Can't get outta my mind, Love Can and I love you. Then a duet with Stephanie Sun - Beatles' Hey Jude. Wow sound wonderful. They kept praising his singing & vocals so I guess his health is back to normal. Also it was so hot that he kept perspiring & his clothes became wet >"<
This is Ivana Wong (王菀之), one of the new HK singers who can sing, looking vry pleased cos she received this gift of a crystal piano with David's signature. After attending David's first concert in HK, he has became Ivana's ideal dream lover ^__^ but not actually sure where his signature is - on the piano or card? A talented songwriter, lyrist & pianist, Ivana has written many songs for many HK singers including Jacky Cheung. In fact it was Jacky who first introduced her to the public in his 2004 concert where they sang one of the songs she wrote for him:

She looked different now cos she lost a lot of weight which kinda sickening in HK showbusiness where all the girls have to look like stick insects.

DT in nirvana

Nice pix of DT & Kheng Long. Wonder if he is already in KL for tomorrow concert? Feel like flying there just to peep at him ^__^ He really makes me so happy, well his music & his attitude towards music & life in general. David gave himself high score of 90 for the Guangzhou concert! Wow high praise from a perfectionist who is unlikely to give full score of 100. Read one review which began bemusedly that for a concert that was not even full house but already fans loudly proclaiming it as a tremendous success, this could only happened to David Tao. Couldn't agree more. David's attitude is not to stage the most sold-out concert or the most spectacular but the most memorable for his audience. As far as he is concerned, if he, his band and his audience had a great time then it is a success. Simple as that, & he seemed to have convinced his audience to think the same *__*
Curiously caught a clip of Nirvana's Unplugged in New York (1993) with Kurt Cobain singing Come As You Are. Not that I am a big Nirvana fan but the man did really had some strange charisma. He looked terrible with stringy hair & his singing flat & almost emotionless yet I could feel his yearning sadness & endless pain. This was only a few months before his suicide. Cos of David's catching enthusiasm in Power of Live that lately I began to have different thoughts when watching live concert clips. Normally dun mind elaborate staging, awful puppet dancing in tandem & horrible sound system, now I just wanna listen to the singer sing. Dun even mind if the singing is not perfect so long as it can move me to the point where I am almost holding my breath & let it all out when the singing is done. Dear DT, once again you inspired me & heightened my sense in watching concert clips *TQ* (Pix above reminding me of Cobain credited to Australian fan who posted @ DT forum. Another non-Asian fan who is also vry good photographer.)
(Above pix credit & thanks to DTFC)
Read some few yearend reviews of 2007 albums & there wasn't any real favorite. A reviewer who put Jay's album on top cos he still had the most 'renzhi' then grouchily declaimed David with a chinese proverb that described him as 'still having his eye on the territory but in actual fact, has retreated back to his homeland'. Vry fanciful haha but actually not a bad description of DT. I think when David released The Great Leap, he was still all enthusiastic abt changing the perception of good chinese music but now he just wants to do good music & to hell with the charts, sales & 'renzhi'. He really has retired from the race of who is considered the best, the most saleable, the most bankable, the most favorite. He is just not interested anymore. If you enjoy his music, buy his album. If you don't, then he is not gonna lose sleep over it. I don't know but maybe this has given him an almost invincible aura which gets up the nose of Chinese critics who hate this kinda care less attitude. Anyway good luck to his performance in Star Live Concert 2007!

QZ snapshots

Nothing like a DT pix to cheer me up. Lips look luscious - yumminess factor vry high hee ^__^ Loads more pixs here & here.
Of all the fans he invited upstage, I like her the most cos she is beautiful, dignified & closer to his age. Wonder if she's available *__*
Dear dear he just looks so serious & adorable when he tries to be all sexy. I think he has put on some weight & is looking all hunky again. Make me just wanna sweep the hair from his forehead hah!
My fav pix ^__^ although chemistry still lacking but they look like they are having loads of fun which is the main thing. Anyway the concert satisfied most of his fans & there were praises for his superb singing. David was happy too as he was afraid that the Quangzhou audience used to vry elaborate staging may not enjoy his more simplistic concert. However he still felt that a concert should focused more on music & singing to wow the audience. Dear DT dare to be different! I will always support you *__*

Papillion DT

Nothing much abt the Quangzhou concert *sigh* Anyway even though I feel vry alone blogging abt David, I do enjoy my loneliness which in a way is strange. My aunt said its cos I hate humans which could well be true haha But sometimes its hard not to hate humans like today waiting for the bus & there this rather overweight man who has trouble moving trying to alight with a walking stick hung with several bags of groceries. I quickly moved outta way to give him space but the other people just rudely pushed past me to board the bus forcing the poor man to retreat & alight only when they had all gone up the bus >"<
The bus was fairly empty & the driver ain't gonna drive off anytime soon so what was the hurry. Not only that but they were glaring at the poor man with annoyance. I felt so disgusted that I decided not to board the bus & endured their horrid company. I admit I am not really a vry nice person but I believe I do have manners & consideration for others. Like David ^__^
Still one must have faith in the human spirit. That why there's this beautiful movie with a beautiful title Le Scaphandre et le papillon directed by Julian Schnabel. In english, its called Diving Bell and Butterfly. Although a lot of critics lauded it as the best foreign movie in 2007, it will not be competing for the Oscars as it is a French film directed by an American so the French will not submit it. Ironical isn't it when Lust Caution is a Chinese film directed by a Taiwanese who insisted on submitting it as a Taiwanese movie.
By the by did you know the replacement movie for Lust Caution in Taiwan's entry to the Oscar, En Chen's Island Etude, was not nominated in any categories in Golden Horse? Could be because the filmmakers did not submit it cos for some ppl, making a movie is not just to win awards. Mr Lee Ang might wanna remember that before he throw another little tantrum abt Taiwanese movies not being respected. The late Edward Yang & Hou Hsiao-hsien might not agreed with you as their uniquely Taiwanese films were much respected & won a lot of awards.
Oh well another director fallen by the roadside but then there is always Wong Kar Wai, still my fav. DT just have to step up to it & come up with his movie soon so I can claim him as my favorite & most respected director *__*

Quangzhou concert tonite!

David should already be in Quangzhou rehearsing for his concert tonite. Wish him the very best for his last concert in China for 2007. Some pixs of his interview @ QZ station. Apparently he sang quite a lot of songs which is unusual as most singers normally dun sing before their concert.
He looked vry nice & relaxed wearing his fav hot pink shirt ^__^ Like his longer hair. Hope there will be some great pixs of his concert to post. Really miss him a lot *sigh* As usual done a DT calendar for 2008 *__*

2 days to QZ concert

Looking for a Xmas gift? How abt this personalised Swarovski crystal with DT autographed card & tag with proceeds going to a children charity? Really wish I could buy it *sad*
Anyway it seems David will be spending New Year in China with EMI sponsored concert in Shenzhen on Jan 5 in 2008. Not sure if he is appearing in any bigscale concert on New Year Day inself but if not, then he would probably be spending it with his parents in Shanghai. Really hope to see more news on him. Getting a bit DT deprived already hee but should have more news with his upcoming concerts this Sat & 12/22 in KL yah!

5 days to GZ concert

Nothing much on David in the news except more gf rumors again *sigh* Is it a crime for David to have a gf? The paparazzi seems to want readers to think so, but I think its to punish him for daring to take one of them to court. So far they have given him 2 gfs in 2 mths, can't wait for what they will write nxt mth? Will they bring in another lingerie model? Or will they revive the yoga teacher? ^__^
Golden Horse time & the poor dilemma of the judges. Forget the others, only 3 needed to be considered. Pride of Taiwan - Lust, Caution. Pretender to Pride of Taiwan - Secret. The movie that deserved to win - Getting Home. They decided to award all - Best Movie to Lust Caution, Best Taiwan Movie to Secret, Best Audience's Choice - Getting Home. Oh yeah, there's a locally made movie to be taken into account as well - What on earth have I done wrong got the Critics award. Were the last 3 awards just tack on to take care of this? Cos nvr heard of them in Golden Horse before. Also they awarded Best Actress to the gorgeous Joan Chen & Tang Wei got Best Newcomer although does she even qualify considering its not her first movie? Anyway who cares?
Only movie I wanna watch in 2007 is I am Legend. Cute Will Smith & even cuter German Shepherd. How can I resist? *_*

12 days to QZ concert

Big John website is operational with a vry enjoyable clip of David talking abt their co-operation. This is something I always love abt David - his childlike enthusiasm for every project he is involved with & his ability to come up with something deep & meaningful. For instance he mentioned the history of Big John jeans, I guess he meant that Mr Ozaki who founded the company, was credited with first introducing blue jeans into Japan. Anyway there will be activities, contests & suchlike leading to the party nxt yr. Guess the nice thing is that it will keep him here in Asia after his QZ concert.
The NTV7 concert in KL on 12/22 is also confirmed so it won't be long before his fans here can get to see him. I happened to catch televised MTV 'live' performance of Da Mouth who will also be performing at this concert & sry to say they were lipsynching. The audience seemed to suspect so the applause was rather sparse. Hope they will at least try & sing live during that day although for their kind of dance music, it could be hard to sound good live. So its Dec & time for lists of best & recommended albums but it will be slim picking. Not just album but there isn't any song that stood out either. I read an article telling David off for criticising the current state of chinese pop music & concluded that David would not be missed when he retired. But the thing is DT will not criticise unless he has given up & it will take a lot for him to give up. Cos for a man who can even find something profound to talk abt blue jeans, he can surely find something good to say. But being an honest man, he really has nothing good to say abt chinese pop music now & I agreed with him.
Like this morn I was randomly watching mtv & Jay's new hiphop mv came out followed by Jay-Z's new mv for Roc Boys. They shouldn't have cos the difference is so glaring. Jay is living on borrowed time from the past. His musical influences stopped roughly at 1999 & he nvr seems to want to move on. Luckily for him, Asia seems to be on a neverending retro kick so his music dun sound too dated. Jay-z on the other hand took musical influences from 1970s & remixed them for the 2000s in his new album American Gangster. Already the album is getting good reviews & I can understand why when listening to Roc Boys. The horns section in there is just pure magic, luv it! I went & read some of his interviews for this album & was once again reminded of David in the way he talked abt pulling the album together by telling stories, the painstaking recording & production process. Guess all great musicians think alike ^__^

West on DT

Some news abt Zhou Bichang wanting to attend David's Quangzhou concert. Apparently her fanclub bought a lot of concert tickets, maybe they knew she was gonna attend. Of cos media speculation that she may sing with him which will be quite nice. Here's a nice english blog review of the Taipei concert with pixs, & article abt the upcoming concert in Life Of Guangzhou website. Another westerner singing David's song, this time is Black Tangerine, must say his chinese pronunciation is extremely good. So is this blonde singing Smalltown Girl over @ youtube:

This is a vry interesting western viewpoint on how the chinese listen to music. I must say I do empathise with him cos I have wondered abt this myself. How it is that ppl here are able to listen to the same song continuously for such a long time? Ppl here seem to think that only if they want to ktv the song then it is a good song. I can understand why David is so discouraged with the chinese music scene just like that guy who lovingly make such good cds for the pool hall but they only like the cd with the song repeated 18 times *sigh* Also interesting are the 5 songs picked as the monster hits in China & the fact I know 3 of them ^__^ Mice Love Rice, Kenny G's Going Home & of cos, Marry Me Today.

QZ news & clips

Lots of nice pixs, short newsclip & vry enjoyable longer newsclip ^__^
The event was held in the largest shopping centre in Guangzhou & David was surprised by the no of fans on the top flrs & just adorable when he kept waving & pointing at them.
He wore jeans instead of the suit pants but carried off the look well & think its Big John jeans. Apparently he will have some Big John activities on 12/8 & a party planned for Jan nxt yr. His Big John ad can be seen on some buses in Taipei & gifts with his images are available with Big John purchases. (Big John info credit & courtesy Tao Mi Tian Tan)
He looked gorgeous here, vry sunshiny. Good interview where he talked abt his concert, his music & ideal partner. While most singers will feel successful when ppl can sing their songs @ ktv, for David it would be a failure. Only if not many ppl can sing like him then he will consider its a success. Seemed some fans read his palm from his album cover (The Great Leap 2004) & said that his love life will not be smooth sailing, David laughed out loud & earnestly told fans not to believe in palmistry cos happiness should depend on oneself. He felt that for his first movie, he should personally write the script cos he felt a director should be totally immersed in his own creation in order to have good results. I am curious in what language does he use to write his script. Considering his chinese is not so good, does he write in english first & then get it translated? Must be a long & painstaking process.

Quangzhou concert promo

DT @ his concert promo in Quangzhou. He looked really good. His hair is longer & styled the way I like it. He wore a dark grey 3-piece suit & pink shirt with a gorgeous lapel pin, rather baroque, maybe he picked it in Rome *heehee* Wow vry dressed up but I like it. With his excellent physique, he can look good in both formal & casual wear. DTFC put up some short clips & he sounded good too but his mic didn't work again. Its strange he always given malfunctioning mic during his concert promos. He looked relaxed & happy so think the European jaunt did him a whole lot of good. There's usual interview questions abt the concert, future plans & stuff. But one funny one was when he was told lotsa fans find his songs hard to sing. He replied that of cos, singing is his profession, if everybody can easily sing his songs then he must have failed & should step down. Then he laughed & explained that he did not deliberately make his songs difficult to sing but he is just following his own feelings. He will also not try & make the songs so difficult to sing that ppl find them unacceptable. Such a funny, cute, articulate & lovely man.
Anyway he seemed vry satisfied with his script writing. He is quite adamant that he will not be an actor but only director. He wants to go back to his original career which is behind the scene. He only wants to do the things he knows he can do well because he wants to respect himself as well as his audience. He is filming not because he wants to make a David Tao movie for himself but he wants to make a movie for a wide audience that will be a breakthrough in the chinese filmmaking industry. Wow that's quite ambitious but its good that he is so confident. Might as well go for broke & try to make a movie nobody else is making rite?
No matter what, he has his fans' support esp when asked when did he find his concert most touching. He said during the ending when he is saying goodbye. In those few minutes, there is no music & he introduced his band mbrs & made some heartfelt speeches. No screaming or clapping from the audience as they silently listened to him. At that moment he suddenly felt that it must be these ppl, so many years, always supporting him so he must thank them. So must we thank you, always there, so many years giving us good sincere music, never compromising. A musician who respects himself as well as his audience. Looking forward to your movie *__*

Live it up DT

Seemed that David will be in Guangzhou today to promote his upcoming concert altho tickets are selling well so he probably just wanna met his fans & thank them. Hopefully there will be some pixs so can remember what he looks like ^__^ Also some more news abt his Europe vacation where he took his parents & staff mbrs to Italy. He wanted to celebrate his parents' 39 wedding anniversary. I must say David is most generous when it comes to the important things in his life *__*
Saw some concert clips of Amy Winehouse's infamous London gigs & I must say despite her obviously unsober state & occasionally bickering with her band, the woman is amazing. She could just mesmerised even when she was just standing there unappetising with eyes downcast looking like she really needed rehab yes yes yes :P She sang unrestrained without holding back, everything out there so you can see deep inside her, feel her, move with her. It was just so gut wrenching, the power of live indeed. I wish DT could move up to this level. He is almost there but not quite. He needs to let go more. Freefall David freefall, remember John Lennon. Forget abt the girlies with their silly water sleeves. Vry stunningly pretty I admit but honestly, its just fancy dressing & not required in the concert of someone who wants to live up to the power of live singing.

Legal DT

Recent news abt David winning court case against Taiwanese mag for misleading articles last yr claiming he was a cad who left his girlfriend at home while pursuing 2 models. Both models had categorically denied that he tried to court them. Vry surprised that he actually took legal action against the mag but glad that he did. Although not gonna stop the lies & slanders in other publications & already there is another 'underground gf' rumor *sigh* but at least he took a stand. Even though it took more than a yr to prove that it was all a pack of lies & most ppl would have forgotten the story by now, but its a small step of victory against the paparazzi. A vry matured & civilised approach by David. Once again, dun care what others think abt you but you are an honorable man. Your grandparents & parents taught you well & they should be proud.

Some DT news

2nd episode of Hennessy Art of Mixing on MTV did show David but it was much too short. The interview was in english & as ever just fell in love with his crazily sexy voice ^__^ They only showed his performances briefly with Justin & Kewei. He looked good & sounded even better. Really cannot fault his live singing even when he is not 100%. He is just such a consummate singer.
Okaaaaay, not sure if I wanna do this. Although this is a blog abt David but I really do not want to intrude into his privacy. But there is so little news abt him now *sigh* & he seldom updates his website. So here goes *big sigh* Apparently David is in HK at the moment & he visited a famous restaurant & met up with an old friend! Oh dear he looked so tired still it was late at night but he is still beautiful to me *__* Love the clothes he is wearing. Hopefully his business there is related to his movie. Before that he had been holidaying in Europe with his parents & in Rome a fan managed to get an autograph. Anyway he has revealed abt his Europe vacation so don't feel too guilty abt showing this. So sweet that he took the time to take his parents to Europe *swoon* Glad that he had some time off to rest & relax before busy December. Hope he will write soon to update us on what he is doing so I don't have to feel so guilty abt writing my blog. I feel like the paparazzi sometimes >"<

Review: Power of Live

First off, the packaging is really gorgeous. He really do spend time and creativity into the packaging of his releases. Of course he does employ a creative team but I feel he put in a lot of his own thinking as well. It shows that he respects his works and his listeners so he wants to give them the whole experience of enjoying his works not only aurally but visually as well.
He also included a written foreword as well as closing thoughts in the dvd. I like the completeness of the various selected clips from the first concert to his most recent. Not only is he presenting his music, his live performances but he shares with us his emotions and ideas about staging his concerts. It is almost like a little music documentary. I am reminded of Ultrasound where along with the selection of songs, he also included a cd with demos to take us through the process of writing those songs.
There are 11 live performances: 9 from 2003 Taipei Soul Power & 2 from 2006 Love Can HK. The 2 live performances from 2007 Shanghai concert are sadly much too brief probably because that concert tour hasn't ended yet. The performances are not in order like his 2003 Soul Power dvd but the songs are mostly the same with the only difference in the last encore track. I am disappointed that he did not include his father's song but maybe he would rather people remember the song as his father's not his updated version. David tries hard not to use his parents to promote himself, something I always admire.
There are 10 tracks in the cd. 9 from 2003 Taipei Soul Power are similar to the dvd but not in the same order. There is also more talking & interaction with the audience which is quite funny. The 10th track is rearranged Regular Friends which showcases his supreme talent in music arrangement. The bonus track of Free brings a nice ending as even though it is studio recorded track, it gives a sense of on the road again to another city, another concert.
The sound quality is not as good as his first concert dvd & cd but it has more of a live concert atmosphere. David's vocals are not always perfect or in pitch but his voice is still clear as a bell. But as he explained, this is what live performance is about. If people want to listen to perfect rendition, then they can listen to the studio album.
I feel that there is a trinity here. Ultrasound, 11 Labor Room & The Power of Live all combined to let us follow David's progress through his music from the recording studio to the stage. He probably didn't plan it this way but sometimes things just fall in place naturally.

Free DT

(Pix credit DTFC) Not sure if this is a recent pix but he looked healthier & fatter at least in the face ^__^ David will not be guest @ A-Mei's concert as he will in KL on 12/22 for a free concert held @ Bukit Jalil National Stadium's car park A. Dun know why it is held in the carpark or maybe just a misprint. Anyway really nice that he is venturing out of China & into Asia. He should pay more attention to his fans here cos we r always so DT deprived :P Caught the 1st episode of Hennessy Art of Mixing in Guangzhou tonight & only featured Justin & Grand Avenue. David will probably be on nxt week in epi 2 so watch out for it nxt week on MTV Mandarin channel.

12/15 Guangzhou concert

Guangzhou concert has been confirmed on 12/15. Venue is 广州市天河体育场 and tickets range from RMB150-680 but according to DTFC only 680 & 480 available now. Also unconfirmed reports that David might be guest for A-Mei concerts in Taipei Superdome on 12/22&23. And he might be performing at a largescale concert in Shanghai on 12/9. So his Dec schedule looks pretty packed, hope he have enough rest now & fatten up plse so u don't get sick again :P We don't mind if u r not svelte, yr sexy voice is enough ^__^
SGFC is able to get in these concert merchandise like this really nice id tag so visit their forum if u wanna place yr order. Power of Live only have 1 concert rearranged song, Regular Friends, but it was just so amazingly good that I really hope he would release concert cd containing all the rearranged songs including the special new rap he did for Susan Said.

Freeing DT

Vry quiet so hopefully David has flown back home to work on his script. At least he didn't release an album this yr or he could be caught in the crossfire. Nobody is talking abt music now but its all abt the fake sales figures *sigh*. Basically if u support your idol & buy original, dun have to worry abt any figures or watch the chart so avidly. Don't even have to look at the charts & I can tell you which albums sell well & which didn't. Although it pains me vry much to say this but if DT wants to leave the music scene after his 6th studio album has been released, then I support him wholeheartedly. He can't be happy to work in these conditions & I do want him to be happy. Was randomly watching a movie last nite & noticed Gold Label & Paco in the credits. Since Paco is already in the movie business, hopefully he can help DT film his movie nxt yr which is less than 2 mths away.
Listen to Eagles' new single How Long & I like it almost as much as David's Free. Both songs are quite similar being country rock with the strong feel of wanderlust. Of cos DT's guitar playing cannot match with theirs but they are a band & he is a one-man band. I was thinking this song will probably be a hit here not cos ppl like country rock but cos it already a hit in the West. But if David were to release Free as a single off his new album, ppl will just say its bland yada yada *sigh* Craig David is back with his 4th album & his 1st single Hot Stuff is updated version of David Bowie's Let Dance. I have yet to warm up to it but the mv is vry cool *__*

DT spotlight

David appearing in a chinese program called 欢乐中国行 in 常州 on 11/3. He sang Rain & Love Can. Here's a very funny blog entry abt his appearance in Eason concert. I think if I sit behind him, I will be so mesmerised by his backview that I forget watching the concert even if its Eason ^__^ I find it so unbelievably sweet & sincere of him that he follows what he preaches. He always say audience should stand during a concert and so he did. I don't care what the rest think of you but in my heart, you have always been the most truthful star, one that will always try to do the rite thing but not for show, not for grabbing headlines, not for winning but for yourself. But somehow the spotlight always shine on you.
Anyway it appeared that Sam Chen of EMI has resigned & David when interviewed said that he has yet to work with Sam on an album but he believes his boss absolutely. It seems that EMI only has sales records for David & Nicholas Teo. This whole affair seems not quite rite on the surface. Something vry shady & slimy abt it. Basically only EMI & the singers apart from David & Nicholas will be adversely affected since their sales figures will be questioned if too high. Suffice to say that I would not be at all surprised if after Jolin's EMI contract ended, both she & Sam resurfaced in Jay's company. A bit like Death Notes where the person who on the surface appears noble & honorable is actually the person pulling the strings behind the scene. But I don't really care as none of these ppl interest me. I will not mention this anymore in my blog unless somehow DT is involved.

Lend me your ears

I come not to bury David but to praise him ^__^ Enough of the negativity. Some nice news of our Dave. He hopped quietly to HK over the weekend to watch Eason concert apparently. Here some nice pixs of him rehearsing in Singapore for Shanghai concert. Love his back view. I already watch Power of Live twice & listened to the cd many times.
There is a song I love most & it is not written by DT *gasp* It is 晚安曲 (Goodnight Sonata) written by a Taiwanese songwriter called 劉家昌 (Liu Jia-Chang) who was famous in the 70s for writing many love ballads used in movies. David inserted part of it into I Love You during his encore. As I listened, I realised once again why I am captivated by this multi-talented, multi-faceted man. His voice, his music can evoke strange emotions in me. As I listen, it is the particular flavor of Taiwan that I am experiencing. If you ever watch movies by Hou Hsiao-hsien or Edward Yang, you will know what I mean. Its like La Vie En Rose reminding me of France. I have heard many old Taiwanese hits by Taiwanese veteran singers but none can evoke that feeling in me. God I love that feeling, I love being reminded of a place, a story, a scene with just a snatch of a song or voice. So for a few minutes as David sing, I can almost feel his heart beat with pride as he sing this favorite Taiwanese tune before a 40 000 strong audience in his homeland. At that moment he is all Taiwanese.
Then when I listen to Spring Wind, I can feel his gradual acceptance of being part of Taiwan. When he first went to work in Taiwan, he was initally unhappy & could not settled into Taipei. Then listening to Tuberose, it was his strongest feeling that chinese music must be updated & dragged into the 21st century. With Shanghaied, it was through his tourist eyes that I see the fastest growing, most modernised city in China. In The Art of War, I heard the sound of ancient China with the help of 12 Girl Band merged with his ultra modern outlook on the world through chinese eyes. Every song & his voice just so evocative. Sometime I can't bear it & just turn off the music so I can keep the refrain of his voice in my mind. Esp with Free. That song just brings so many images in my mind. Like him, I fear normality & having to settle down in one place. The thirst to wander & seek forever something unreachable. The joy is not to reach the destination but the journey.