Hong Kong singer-actor Nicholas Tse went ahead with his scheduled concert in Qingdao, China, on July 25, performing for the first time since the death of his father Patrick Tse.
The veteran actor, popularly known as “Sei Gor” or Fourth Brother, died at the age of 89 on July 16. His death was announced by his family after his body was cremated on July 20.
Nicholas Tse, who is currently on his Evolution Nic Live tour, returned from Hong Kong to mainland China on July 23 to prepare for his concert.
The 45-year-old shared several behind-the-scenes photos of his concert rehearsal on social media earlier on July 25, captioning them: “See you tonight, Qingdao.” He was seen in one photo tuning his electric guitar and gazing at the sky in another picture.
A sudden downpour hit Qingdao a few hours before the concert, but the rain stopped by the time the concert began. Tse appeared on stage dressed in black and wearing his late father’s signature sunglasses at one point.
“We’re very lucky it’s not raining now. We’re here with lots of positive energy, so thank you,” he said while waving at the sky, according to videos shared by fans on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu.
Tse, who has always projected an image of strength, also shed rare tears on stage.
His voice was noticeably choked with emotions as he sang his classic song Thank You For Your Love 1999. Tears welled up in his eyes when he sang the first lines “Say goodbye, but don’t say ‘forever’; goodbye won’t be forever”, as he asked his fans to join in the singing while he paused briefly.
Tse was again overcome with emotion while performing his hit song, Playground (2000), wiping away his tears before finishing the song.
He posted a 1½-minute clip of the concert on Instagram early on July 26, set to his song, Blue Sky (2018).
At the end of the video, he bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle to all the fans in the audience, and he concluded the clip with his father’s oft-quoted words, “The show must go on.” His next stop on the concert tour will be in Shenyang on Aug 8 and 9.
Earlier on July 23, Tse’s agency Emperor Entertainment Group issued a press statement warning against netizens who spread false rumours about Patrick Tse’s cause of death and the distribution of his estate.
Patrick Tse had two children – Nicholas Tse and model-actress Jennifer Tse, 43 – with his second wife, Hong Kong actress Deborah Lee, 74, whom he divorced in 1995. He was previously married to Taiwanese actress Chen Chen, 78, for three years before their divorce in 1977.
“The deceased has passed away, and his reputation, privacy and personal dignity should be protected by law and accorded basic respect by the society,” said the statement.
“Any act of fabricating facts, distorting the truth, maliciously slandering or manipulating public opinion in the deceased’s name constitutes a lack of respect for the deceased and amounts to an infringement of his rights.”
Emperor Entertainment said the company and Nicholas Tse reserved the right to take legal actions against those who persist in spreading false information. -- The Straits Times/Asia News Network
