Mayday promise to ‘make it up’ to fans at 25th anniversary concerts
If you attended Mayday’s concerts at the National Stadium in January, and left disappointed that lead singer Ashin was ill during the shows, fret not. The Taiwanese rock band have promised to “make it up” at their gigs at the same venue in January 2025.
In a recent video which featured the group’s five members, Ashin committed to give back to fans “what was owed” from the previous two-night gig. Back then, he was beset with vocal problems on both nights, and the audience and other band members chipped in to sing for him.
The video was filmed about two weeks ago in Shanghai, where Mayday had performed 11 shows at the Shanghai Stadium. In the video, Ashin said of the group’s upcoming Singapore concerts: “Apart from our #5525 material, we will also return to everyone what was owed all at one go.”
When asked what he would say to his former self, he replied: “I would tell myself that no matter what, before going to Singapore, I cannot catch a cold.”
The other members – bassist Masa, drummer Guan You, as well as guitarists Stone and Monster – have also been watching their health, and their energy levels have been “not bad”, the band revealed.
Guan You quipped: “If the audience sings and cheers loudly, our adrenaline will rise. Our strength comes from the crowd.”
Mayday’s #5525 tour marks their 2½-decade-long history since forming in the late 1990s. The numeral “5” stands for the character “wu” (meaning “five”) in the band’s Chinese name. The “525” refers to the more than 525 large-scale concerts the band have performed. “25” also refers to the group’s 25th anniversary.
The main stage of their upcoming concert will feature a giant LED sphere called a “heavenly time machine” and five floating dancing balls.
The show will also have 13,000 custom-made LED display panels. In addition, the band will travel around the stadium atop a “Mayday express bus”, which will allow fans to see the members up close.
The current tour kicked off in December 2023 in the city of Taichung in Taiwan, and has travelled to places such as Hong Kong, and Chengdu in China. The set list has included iconic tracks such as World Crazy from Mayday’s First Album (1999), and Party Animal from the group’s most recent studio album History Of Tomorrow (2016).
Like other stops, guest stars will appear on Mayday’s Singapore shows. In the video, Ashin revealed that each night will highlight a heavyweight in entertainment.
Energy have been confirmed as guest stars. During the Taiwanese boy band’s concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium earlier in November, their five members said they wanted to come for their fellow labelmate’s show, and leader Milk sealed the deal when he said: “See you all in January.”
Energy were also guest stars at Mayday’s Nov 15 concert in Shanghai.
And while the other guest star has not been revealed, many fans have said online that they hope it will be Singaporean singer Stefanie Sun, who is slated to hold her own series of concerts at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in April 2025.
Mayday shared that they are excited to return to Singapore again, and their upcoming concerts will include many surprises. Singapore, they said, is a place they always want to return to because of its food, scenery and fans.
Ashin recalled that the Lion City was the first stop outside Taiwan during their Where Are You Going live tour in 2001. After that performance, Mayday went on a temporary hiatus, during which some members enlisted in the Taiwanese army, until 2003.
Ashin said: “During that show, everyone knew we were going to take a break, and they cried buckets. It was a very moving and memorable experience.”
“Time flies, and our 25th anniversary is now here,” he added. “With our hits, we want to give back to the fans who have always been there for us.”
Mayday #5525 Live Tour In Singapore
Where: National Stadium, 1 Stadium Drive
When: Jan 11 and 12, 7pm
Admission: $168 to $368 via Ticketmaster (go to ticketmaster.sg or call 800-321-1678)
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