Still singing 40 years on
THE seemingly never-ageing Alan Tam celebrated his 40th anniversary in the music industry with his Malaysian fans at the Putra Indoor Stadium in Bukit Jalil last Saturday evening.
Despite the heavy downpour before the concert started, his fans did not lose their enthusiasm.
It's a testament to the enduring quality of this Hong Kong Canto-pop legend that many of those who came were in their middle age who grew up listening to his music.
The stadium was packed with them cheering him on wildly and waving their glow sticks as they relived their younger days through their idol.
From the moment Tam stepped on stage, he began taking his fans down memory lane, revisiting his 40 eventful years in the music industry via animated movies with seasonal themes, and belting out classic after classic for almost three hours.
Most of the songs were culled from his numerous albums that came out in the 1980s and 90s.
"Malaysian audiences have always welcomed me like a family member," Tam said when he greeted his excited fans after performing the opening songs.
The singer, who is a known foodie, shared stories of his durian journey to Cameron Highlands earlier that day. He even took time to promote his new restaurant – Starz Kitchen at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur – which he opened together with Hong Kong singer Hacken Lee.
"Come and visit my wanton mee restaurant, you might catch me there," he said to the laughing audience.
Tam also wowed the crowd with seven sequinned costume changes throughout the show. One audience favourite included a pair of sunglasses, but Tam joked that he couldn't see anything through the glasses, and had to take them off.
"One of the biggest achievements of a singer is having a song that every audience is able to sing along to," Tam said before performing his iconic 90s hits – Love of My Life.
The stadium turned into a huge karaoke session when Tam went on to sing his other hits including Fantasy, Love Trap, Romance in the Fog and Autumn Romance.
Most of his songs were in Cantonese. His only Mandarin number that night was Tonight's Romance. He also performed songs from his latest album, The Glorious Time – 40th Anniversary, such as Ngan Ho Sui Yue and Can't Forget You.
In a video showing his career highlights, Tam spoke about his father, telling how the elder Tam taught him to handle the storms in life with a positive attitude.
"I have my dad's genes," he said. "He was always filled with positive energy."
He added that he was grateful to have this gene which helped sustain him through the many ups and downs of his career.
Now, considered one of the most respected veterans in the Hong Kong music industry, Tam's brand of positive energy has made him a renowned mentor to fellow performers, earning him the nickname Principal Tam.
"I wish to continue singing until I'm 80 years old," Tam exclaimed, earning him loud applause from his fans.
While Tam was certainly giving his audience a night to remember, he got a surprise of his own when he was given ang pows by well-wishing fans in honour of his 65th birthday on Aug 23.
During the encore, Tam asked his fans to switch on the torchlight function on their mobile phones while he sang his signature friendship song – Friends – together with them.
The stadium was like a dark sky full of bright shining stars, which referenced lyrics from the song.
Tam finally ended the evening with the song Gratitude, a fitting song to mark his 40th year as a singer.
The Alan Tam 40th Anniversary World Tour live in Malaysia was jointly presented by Sports Toto and Robson Hill Residency and organised by Star Planet.