Mayday’s Shanghai Concert Controversy: Accusations of Lip-Syncing and Legal Troubles
If you find it absurd that the sale of chewing gum is illegal in Singapore, here’s another weird rule to ponder: In China, lip-syncing is against the law.
The Taiwanese rock band, Mayday, faced accusations of lip syncing during their concerts in China. In November, the band held eight concerts in Shanghai, attracting more than 360,000 fans.
B’in Music, Mayday’s record company, dismissed these claims as malicious attacks in a statement on Weibo on 4 December. They also stated that Mayday was cooperating with law enforcement authorities to investigate the matter.
How The Allegation Came About
So how did these allegations come to light? This incident started when a Weibo user uploaded a video from Mayday’s concert. In the post, the user claimed that after putting his microphone down, the lead singer, Ashin’s, vocals could still be heard.
Additionally, another music blogger supported these allegations. The blogger claimed to have used voice separation analysis to access 12 live audio recordings from the band’s concerts, concluding that there was a mixture of singing and lip-syncing, and believed that five songs were lip-synced.
You must be wondering why lip-syncing is a crime in China. After all, apart from Beyonce who can sing while running, it seems like a fairly common practice for singers to lip sync especially if their performance involves strenuous choreography.
However, according to a regulation imposed on performers in China, lip-syncing is not prohibited as it deemed to “deceive the audience”. If found guilty, Mayday would face fines ranging from 50,000 yuan to 100,000 yuan, equivalent to S$9,400 to S$19,000.
To validate these allegations, investigations were conducted by Beijing Cultural Market Comprehensive Law Enforcement Corps. Nevertheless, Mayday, vehemently denied the accusations.
The beloved band is scheduled to perform in Singapore on 13 and 14 January 2024 at the National Stadium with tickets ranging from $168 to $368.
Not The First Time Mayday Faced Controversial Allegations
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time Mayday has faced controversial allegations. Last November, Mayday was accused of making extras in their music video stand in the rain for long hours.
The shoot took place at the Taoyuan track-and-field stadium, and complaints were posted on Facebook and Instagram stories by two individuals.
The Facebook post revealed that hundreds of bandsmen had to stand under the rain for hours. Moreover, they claimed they were not fairly compensated and did not receive any reimbursement for transportation expenses.
Likewise, the individual who voiced his grievances on Instagram claimed that the planning for that day was inefficient as both band members and their instruments were soaked in the rain for hours. He pointed out that they earned a mere NT$2100 which equates to about S$90. He even criticised the stylist but later deleted his stories and apologised for his remarks.
B’in Music responded to the allegations, explaining the unpredictability of weather when during outdoor shoots. They mentioned that raincoats were provided on set and, shelter was offered when the weather turned bad. They also expressed their gratitude to the extras for their participation despite the challenging conditions on set.
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
Read Also:
- Salon Allegedly Charged $880 Treatment Package to Elderly Who Has Hearing Difficulties
- Man Replaces M’sia-Registered Car With a S’pore Plate & Drives It Without a Driving Licence
- Confirmed: Allianz Withdraws Its Offer to Buy Income Insurance
- 10th Floor Resident Leaves Baby Stroller On Air Conditioner Compressor
- $400 Worth of Durians Delivered to Customer; Customer Allegedly Takes Durians Without Making Payment
- Woman Borrows Touch ‘N Go Card From S’pore Driver to Cross JB Checkpoint & Didn’t Return Card
Advertisements
