WHEREAS SOME POP stars enjoy a meteoric rise to the top, others gradually build a loyal fan base. Canto-pop duo at17 are happy to be part of the latter category.
Unlike many local mainstream acts, Eman Lam Yee-man and Joyce Ellen Loo don't feel the need to release three records a year or stage a series of 12,000-seater concerts with just one disc under their belt.
'Why do we have to do everything so fast? Does it mean you're a failure if you stage a concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum with two albums when someone can do it with just one?' asks Loo, 20. 'We need time to learn from our mistakes. We feel very lucky that we've been given room to grow and explore ourselves.'
Since forming five years ago, at17 have released three albums and performed live hundreds of times at big and small venues around town. But the duo say the time is right for their first large-scale concert, and will be rocking an estimated 8,000 fans at the AsiaWorld-Arena on Saturday night.
The concert comes after seven sold-out dates last year at the Hong Kong Arts Centre's Shouson Theatre, where about 2,800 people caught their shows.
The duo, signed to Anthony Wong Yiu-ming's People Mountain People Sea (PMPS) label, are grateful for the help they've received from the veteran musicians at the production house. 'PMPS are always very patient and tolerant, giving us a lot of time to learn,' says Loo. 'They never force us to do things such as writing 10 songs for them in a month.