Asia dances to Western pop stars' tours
Source: Agencies |
April 24, 2012, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
WHEN Lady Gaga launches her hotly anticipated "Born This Way Ball" world tour on Friday on what is set to be an elaborate castle-like stage, fans in Asia will be the first to see it.
The singer leads off her travels with sold-out shows from South Korea to Singapore in a striking upgrade of her Asia itinerary over a previous tour that included only Japan. Western pop stars are increasingly criss-crossing the upwardly mobile region in search of new markets while financial malaise continues to afflict parts of the West - and Asian fans are ecstatic.
"We're getting so many concerts nowadays, it's hard to decide which ones to go for!" said Mindy Chew, an information technology consultant in Malaysia who snapped up US$120 seats to watch Lady Gaga's show in neighboring Singapore within 30 minutes after tickets went on sale.
"Some of these shows are like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I'm expecting lots of drama at Lady Gaga's show, lots of costume changes," said Chew, who has caught performances by Gwen Stefani and Michael Buble in recent years in Malaysia's biggest city, Kuala Lumpur.
The long list of acts who've penned Asia into their tour plans this year include chart-toppers like Katy Perry, LMFAO, Maroon 5, Nicki Minaj, Jason Mraz, Avril Lavigne and Foster The People.
Next to Lady Gaga, rock band Radiohead has amassed the most buzz for its planned shows in Taiwan, Japan and South Korea this July.
But fans also are looking forward to artists as varied as Elton John, Morrissey, Christina Perri, Lifehouse, Death Cab for Cutie, Avenged Sevenfold, Backstreet Boys, The Flaming Lips and Manic Street Preachers.
For unbeatable star power, this August's two-day Summer Sonic Festival in Japan alone is supposed to feature Rihanna, Green Day, Ke$ha, Adam Lambert, Pitbull, Calvin Harris and Gym Class Heroes.
Japan has long been a hub for gigs by Western headliners, but touring activity has been building up in the rest of Asia over the past two years, Alan Ridgeway, president of international markets for Live Nation, the worldwide promoter for Lady Gaga's shows, said.
The reasons boil down to supply and demand. Asia makes economic sense now because rising disposable income among fans here has driven up demand for live entertainment across the region, Ridgeway said.
The singer leads off her travels with sold-out shows from South Korea to Singapore in a striking upgrade of her Asia itinerary over a previous tour that included only Japan. Western pop stars are increasingly criss-crossing the upwardly mobile region in search of new markets while financial malaise continues to afflict parts of the West - and Asian fans are ecstatic.
"We're getting so many concerts nowadays, it's hard to decide which ones to go for!" said Mindy Chew, an information technology consultant in Malaysia who snapped up US$120 seats to watch Lady Gaga's show in neighboring Singapore within 30 minutes after tickets went on sale.
"Some of these shows are like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I'm expecting lots of drama at Lady Gaga's show, lots of costume changes," said Chew, who has caught performances by Gwen Stefani and Michael Buble in recent years in Malaysia's biggest city, Kuala Lumpur.
The long list of acts who've penned Asia into their tour plans this year include chart-toppers like Katy Perry, LMFAO, Maroon 5, Nicki Minaj, Jason Mraz, Avril Lavigne and Foster The People.
Next to Lady Gaga, rock band Radiohead has amassed the most buzz for its planned shows in Taiwan, Japan and South Korea this July.
But fans also are looking forward to artists as varied as Elton John, Morrissey, Christina Perri, Lifehouse, Death Cab for Cutie, Avenged Sevenfold, Backstreet Boys, The Flaming Lips and Manic Street Preachers.
For unbeatable star power, this August's two-day Summer Sonic Festival in Japan alone is supposed to feature Rihanna, Green Day, Ke$ha, Adam Lambert, Pitbull, Calvin Harris and Gym Class Heroes.
Japan has long been a hub for gigs by Western headliners, but touring activity has been building up in the rest of Asia over the past two years, Alan Ridgeway, president of international markets for Live Nation, the worldwide promoter for Lady Gaga's shows, said.
The reasons boil down to supply and demand. Asia makes economic sense now because rising disposable income among fans here has driven up demand for live entertainment across the region, Ridgeway said.
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