Making a connection: Tanya Chua and A-Yue savouring the moment during their encore together.
Despite the musical contrast, Singaporean singer Tanya Chua and Taiwanese rocker A-Yue’s double bill concert kept the fans appeased.
ONE is a sweet, singer-songwriter from Singapore with a knack for tender, melancholic ballads, and the other is a Taiwanese rock musician best known for his brand of tongue-in-cheek lyrical rock numbers.
Together, Tanya Chua (or just plain Tanya) and Chang Chen-yue (better known as A-Yue) made last Saturday’s double bill concert at Genting Highland’s Arena of Stars a memorable affair that would have satisfied not just the hardcore fans of each respective artiste, but also those who may not have been so familiar with their music.
Organised by Galaxy Music, the Tanya & A-Yue Galaxy 100 Live In Malaysia 2013 concert was a show of two halves – the first half, a relatively mellow and intimate set from the sweet and delectable Tanya, and the second half, an edgier, more upbeat set by the rocker A-Yue.
Tanya was up first, armed with an acoustic guitar for the short and sweet Yue Lai Yue Bu Dong (Don’t Know More and More), which set the mood for her mostly stripped-down set.
Dressed in a simple white shirt and pants and a pretty red hat, Tanya’s bright, yet slightly shy, demeanour and infectiously cute banter really endeared herself to the fans, and her voice was a wonderful, almost lazy drawl with just the right amount of emotion and melancholy to elevate her songs to more than just run-of-the-mill, Mando-pop balladry.
The first singalong of the night came with Tanya’s biggest hit Wu Di Dong (Bottomless Hole), which was then followed by an English song, Key To Happiness, a catchy little Jason Mraz-esque ditty. She finally closed her night with two excellent covers of Rihanna’s Umbrella and Lady Gaga’s Poker Face, and finally, the soaring Beautiful Love.
On her own, Tanya gave a wonderfully entertaining show, but it was when she started introducing her fellow concert-mate that we got a first glimpse of what might have been had the two artistes spent more time on stage together.
Singing Wo Gei De Ai (The Love I Give) together on stage for the first time, the two contrasting vocals and styles made for a fairly eclectic combination – Tanya’s bright, clear vocals harmonising uniquely with A-Yue’s gruff vocals.
Despite his subdued style of showmanship, A-Yue managed to keep the fans happy with a relatively strong set that included his biggest hits Ai Wo Bie Zhou (If you Love Me Don’t Leave), and the catchy Ai De Chu Ti Yan (First Experience Of Love).
A-Yue was at his best when he played the more upbeat and humorously tongue-in-cheek songs such as the aforementioned Ai De Chu Ti Yan, Aiyo Weiya (a song about a boy in the city who can’t find a wife) and the cheeky reggae-tinged, He Jiu (Drinking Wine).
While both artistes did well during their sets, one wished they had spent more time onstage together like they did during the encore.
During the encore, their chemistry was apparent for all to see, especially during the final song, the rocking Zi You (Freedom), which finally saw A-Yue become a lot more animated and lively. If only he had been that way throughout his set!
Still, at the end of it, it didn’t matter if you were a fan of Tanya or A-Yue, you would have enjoyed the concert anyway. I just wish it had been more of the “Tanya and A-Yue show”, instead of the “Tanya and then A-Yue show”.
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