Of toilet bowls and pop stardom

Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau cuts a rug with one of his performers in concert. PHOTO COURTESY OF UPASS

He's a Hong Kong mega-star, possibly the most mega of that city's mega-stars, with a face that's recognizable even to people who don't like or listen to Mando-pop. So it comes as a surprise to many people newly arriving in Taiwan to pull up to a toilet or urinal and see Andy Lau's (劉德華) luminescent mug grinning back at them from a sticker on the porcelain.

Was sticker placed there by a dirty-minded and spiteful fan of Jacky Cheung (張學友), Andy's long-time rival? Or, did Andy hit upon hard times and have to scrounge for advertising spots? The answer is actually much more banal. Ho Cheng Group, a toilet components company, hired Andy as spokesman for their products because of Andy's hit song Toilet Bowl (馬桶), which, despite its name, is another of the crooner's saccharine love songs.

Well, so much for that angle of this story.

Anyway, tomorrow Andy will put on one of his massive, spectacular concerts in Taipei at the Chungshan Soccer Stadium, as the only stop in Taiwan on his 2002 world tour. The show is in support of his latest album, A Better Day (美麗的一天), which he promoted in Taipei last month by complaining that kids were listening too much to Jay Chou (周杰倫), in jest of course.

Andy's about to be phased quietly out of the Mando-pop scene because a whipper-snapper like Jay is hogging the limelight. He's been around for well over a decade and has released no less than 75 albums, though a lot of these are compilations and soundtracks for his movies and TV shows. Nonetheless, he still boasts a staggering repertoire of pop songs that could potentially make tomorrow's concert extend well into Sunday afternoon. That's not going to happen, though. He'll choose the choice cuts that the entire crowd will be able to sing along to and the stadium will erupt as one enormous chorus. Don't forget your lighters and glow sticks.

Tomorrow's begins at 7pm. The Chungshan Soccer Stadium is located at the corner of Mintsu East Road and Chungshan North Road. To avoid traffic at the stadium take the MRT to Yuanshan Station. Tickets cost between NT$800 and NT$1,500 and are available through ERA ticketing.