If you're looking for an over-the-top, very Taiwanese and, dare we say taike (台客) way to spend your New Year's Eve packed with great music, risque humor and high-jinks, then Bobby Chen (陳昇) and The New Formosa Band's (新寶島康樂隊) Fish Says Year End Party (陳昇2006年-漁說-跨年演唱會) at the Taiwan International Convention Center (TICC,台北國際會議中心) on Dec. 30 and Dec. 31 is certainly the place to be.
Over the past couple of years Chen's year-end bashes have become hugely popular and have become synonymous with the festive season in Taiwan. While the crux of the concerts is the music Chen's year-end gigs are more than simple musical affairs. His laddish humor and insatiable appetite for fun and games means that proceedings invariably get out of hand and fans are, more often than not, treated to a rowdy four-hour variety show rather than an orthodox concert.
And, needless to say, this year's gig should prove to be an equally boisterous affair with the boozer, crooner and wild man of Taiwan's mainstream pop and mild rock scene already promising to put on one hell of a show. Although the singer is tight-lipped about who will be joining him on stage this year it is safe to say that Chen's guest list will read like a who's who of the local entertainment industry.
Chen first made his mark on the local pop/rock scene in 1988 following the overnight success of his debut album, Crowded Paradise (
His womanizing and rock-star lifestyle nearly came to an untimely end a couple of years ago, however, after an altercation with a fellow diner in a Taipei restaurant in which Chen was repeatedly hit over the head with a wine bottle. Chen was hospitalized and underwent major surgery to remove blood clots from his brain that were reportedly caused during the restaurant melee.
While his injuries were, according to both his agent and doctors, life threatening and could have led to perma-nent brain damage, Chen made a speedy recovered and within six months he was back on stage. He did, however, drop his longtime bad-boy onstage persona for health reasons.
His doctors may not approve, but three years on from the wine bottle incident Chen has reverted to his former-self and now enjoys a few drams during his performances.
What: Bobby Chen Fish Says Year End Party (陳昇2006年-漁說-跨年演唱會)
Where: Taipei International Convention Center (TICC, 台北國際會議中心)
When: Dec. 30 and Dec. 31 from 8pm until after midnight
Tickets: Tickets cost from NT$900 to NT$2,500 and are available from ERA Ticketing outlets nationwide.
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