Concert review: The joy of finally watching Taiwan’s Accusefive live at Yes 933 Hits Fest 2023

SINGAPORE – Accusefive? Excuse me, what is that?

That was the reaction I got when I asked friends of a similar vintage if they wanted to go see Taiwanese band Gaowuren – Accusefive in English – when they were slated to perform at the Esplanade as part of Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts in February.

Excuse me, Accusefive are very popular, okay? That gig sold out in hours, as did the Mandopop group’s concerts in Taipei and Kaohsiung this summer.

At the sold-out Yes 933 Hits Fest 2023 held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Nov 25, I finally get to see the trio – made up of vocalists and real-life couple Pan Yun-an and Chuan Ching as well as drummer Richard Lin – at the three-hour concert-cum-awards show organised by local radio station Yes 933 and hosted by its DJs.

Many others in the audience are excited to see them too, going by the loud applause and how most know the lyrics to their hits.

Singaporean singer Boon Hui Lu picked up the S-pop Media Recommendation award at the event. PHOTO: MEDIACORP

Overseas artistes dominate the show, but Singaporean singer Boon Hui Lu does the heavy lifting in the S-pop segment, performing songs including Till The End (2023), the refreshingly upbeat theme song for the recent Channel 8 drama series of the same name.

My friend and I have aged out of Yes 933’s target audience, but she still listens to it and is familiar with the likes of bubbly Malaysian singer Ivy Lee, winner of the newcomer award along with Taiwanese singer PoLin.

Most of the 7,000-strong crowd have come for Chinese singer-actor Zhang Zhehan, judging by the legions wearing the same light blue T-shirt and holding blue signboards and tote bags that bear a photo of their idol.

We are impressed, but that is not us, we tell each other. We are chill.

Still, when Accusefive take the stage two hours into the show to perform Finally (2021), one of the songs from Taiwanese Netflix drama Light The Night (2021), the two of us start beating the air with our glow sticks, delirious with joy.

The strobe lights go a bit crazy for the next Accusefive hit, the fast and whimsical Somewhere In Time (2019). I feel like jumping up and down to work off the excess energy, but settle for intermittent screaming instead.

The band perform just three songs, but promise they will hold a concert in Singapore in 2024.

Accusefive are a hard act to follow, but guest star Bright Vachirawit – the Thai singer-actor who shot to fame in hit Thai romantic comedy shows such as 2gether: The Series (2020) and F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers (2021 to 2022) – floods the stadium with his megawatt smile as he performs English song Lost & Found (2022) as well as Thai track UnMovable (2021).

Guest star Bright Vachirawit of Thailand sings two songs at Yes 933 Hits Fest 2023 on Nov 25. PHOTO: MEDIACORP

The second last act of the night is the talented Taiwanese singer-songwriter WeiBird, who has a calming vibe that can lull you to sleep. I perk up, however, when he launches into Red Scarf, the popular theme song for the 2021 Taiwanese coming-of-age romance Till We Meet Again.

Taiwanese singer-songwriter WeiBird is one of 10 acts named Artiste of the Year at the Yes 933 Hits Fest 2023. PHOTO: MEDIACORP

Closing the concert is Zhang – who performs his song Magnificent Life (2023), which is crowned Hit of the Year – and I have grown very curious about him.

One of the leads in the boys’ love period drama Word Of Honour (2020), he sports long tresses, earrings and a black leather jacket with lots of dangly chains.

Chinese actor-singer Zhang Zhehan is also Artiste of the Year, along with the likes of JJ Lin and Accusefive. PHOTO: MEDIACORP

“He speaks very eloquently,” my friend remarks after Zhang tells concertgoers to boldly chase their dreams. He drops his mic halfway through a song, but nobody minds.

His dedicated fans are gearing up to support him at a fan meeting on Nov 26. Come to think of it, I am a fine fan too: I have sat through more than three hours of the show for 25 minutes of Accusefive – and would spend another five hours on this article.

Excuse me, if that isn’t devotion, what is it?