F.I.R. will rock mainland fans
By admin on 2014-12-29

Taiwan pop band F.I.R are preparing for their first tour to the Chinese mainland later this month, hitting Beijing on March 27 and Guangzhou on April 2.

The trio, guitarist Real Huang Han-chin, vocalist Faye Chan Wen-ting and composer-pianist Ian Chen Chien-ning, rose into fame five years ago with hit song Lydia, the theme song for popular Taiwanese TV drama The Outsiders. The song propelled F.I.R to fame and their self-titled debut album has sold more than 1 million copies in Asia.

Releasing five albums and staging five concerts across Asia since, the band's originality and diverse style, as well as Chan's emotive vocals, have seen them well received by fans and critics alike.

Their upcoming concert tour, Fifth Anniversary-Smile Days, is the group's way of paying tribute to their supporters.

"Live performance is a chance for us to interact with fans. We stand on the stage, share the stories behind each song and have their feedback right away," Chen said. "That's our best way to thank those who have been supporting us for five years."

The band is promising a concert of remixed hits, great costumes and stunning sets.

The show will be divided into four parts; opening, exotic flavor, love songs and rock spirit.

"We want to create a concert for fans to review and feel the difference. Like always, we want people to escape with our music," Huang explained.

Twenty-nine-year-old leading vocalist Chan said that she would try her best at putting on a great show. "I am not good at dancing so it's really awkward to dress up and shake my body on the stage," she laughed. "But my stylists told me that the makeover will definitely surprise our fans and create some screams!"

The band added that performing at the Beijing Exhibition Hall was a dream come true as it is the same venue where the godfather of Chinese rock, Cui Jian, held his first concert.

"We have lots of rock-styled songs and Cui is definitely one of our rock idols. We would be honored to perform on the same stage," Chen said.

The group will also present tracks that they have composed for other singers such as Tanya Tsai, Jolin Tsia and Angela Cheung, all with a rock remix.

F.I.R. came together in 2002 when Chen, a veteran producer-songwriter, recruited Chan and Huang; they are nearly 10 years younger than 37-year-old Chen and refer to him as their "mentor."

One of the main reasons that the band has survived in the fast-changing music industry is the members' different tastes in music, according to Chan. Chen grew up listening mainly to Mandopop; Chan loves British rock such as Coldplay and Huang is a fan of Japanese pop.

"Although we love different music genres and have different personalities, our passion for music brought us together and keeps us going," Chen said.

"Sometimes we argue and have different music opinions but it never affects our friendship," he added.

F.I.R.'s style has gradually evolved and they have absorbed new dimensions and elements. Their popular songs Moon Crescent Bay (Yue Ya Wan) and Flying Tribe are mixed with Tibetan chanting and Indian drum beats.

"The possibility of music is unlimited. There's so much to explore. It's hard to give a definition as our style is always evolving. Each album is an experiment to test and find out our potential," Chan commented. "We feel grateful that we didn't let our fans down when releasing new albums."

F.I.R. have been playing together for seven years and their personal relationships have also been taken to a new level: Chan and Huang became engaged two years ago when Huang proposed to her during at a concert in Taipei.

Though they seldom talk about their relationship in public, F.I.R.'s feelings about love are expressed through their music.

"We make music that speaks our true feelings. We hope to share our happiness and frustration about life with our fans," Chen said.