Hong Kong Canto-pop duo Tat Ming Pair making headlines ahead of 30th anniversary shows
The beloved and influential outfit are playing three shows at the Coliseum this month to mark their 30 years together – and their fans want people to look past recent controversies and focus on the music
Ever since the group’s singer, Anthony Wong Yiu-ming, became something of a freedom fighter by speaking up on behalf of sexual minorities and supporting students during Occupy Central in 2014, he has fallen out of favour with the mainland authorities, losing all job opportunities across the border. And his reunion shows with bandmate Tats Lau Yee-tat, which start on March 23, have also been affected.
First, the pair failed to find a commercial sponsor for the three shows at the Hong Kong Coliseum. Then the MTR removed the concert poster, which was inspired by The Beatles’ classic Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover, featuring 80 figures the pair believe have influenced the city’s affairs during the past three decades. Wong expressed concern over an “invisible hand” behind the move as well as looming self-censorship.
While many praised the group’s outspokenness – a breath of fresh air in the local entertainment industry which prefers not to rock the boat – music critics want to remind the city that Tat Ming Pair are not just about politics: they have also created a unique sound that sets them apart from other Canto-pop acts.