Residents living near the Taipei Dome complained of “earthquake-like” vibrations on Saturday night that they said were caused by tens of thousands of fans jumping during a performance by pop superstar Chang Hui-mei (張惠妹), also known as A-mei (阿妹).
The 52-year-old singer, known by Taiwanese as the “Queen of Mandopop” for her highly successful career dating back to the 1990s, performed the first concert of her “ASMR Maxxx” tour at the packed 40,000-seat arena, with attendees leaping in unison as she sang crowd-pleasing numbers, including Three Days and Three Nights.
However, a hotline run by the Taipei City Government received 30 complaints between 7pm and 11:30pm, the municipality’s Research, Development and Evaluation Commission said.
Photo courtesy of Mei Entertainment via CNA
A majority of the calls came from people living in residential streets directly east of Taipei’s biggest stadium.
Ward Chief Wu Chian-te (吳建德) yesterday morning posted on Facebook videos of shaking chandeliers and other household items sent to him by residents in the community he represents.
Wu said that the vibrations had disturbed the residents and urged the city government to “immediately instruct the Taipei Dome to suspend singing and dancing activities.”
Photo courtesy of Mei Entertainment
A-mei’s performance on Saturday was not the first time complaints had been received over shaking during a concert at the recently completed Taipei Dome.
During Jay Chou’s (周杰倫) concert earlier this month, some residents living near the arena also reported unwelcome vibrations.
Farglory, the company that runs the multi-purpose indoor stadium in Taipei’s Xinyi District (信義), issued a statement yesterday saying that “objective structural certification and engineering inspection data” indicate that the venue operates “in accordance with regulations.”
The company nonetheless said it would communicate with the organizers “if the authorities have suggestions about the performance content and format.”
A-mei was scheduled to perform at the Taipei Dome four more times: yesterday, Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday next week. It remains to be seen whether enthusiastic fans of A-mei would again cause the ground to shake over the coming days.
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