Oxygen tank hauled onstage at gag-filled 5566 concert

Back in the early 2000s, before K-pop took the world by storm, there were the likes of iconic Taiwanese boybands such as 5566 and F4.

The then-heartthrobs were easy on the eye, full of infectious energy and captivated millions of fans during the era of CDs. Fast forward to 2019, where CD-players are almost obsolete but 5566's Zax Wang, Jason Hsu and Tony Sun proved that they certainly were not.

Entertaining an 8,000-strong full-capacity crowd at the Singapore Indoor Stadium last night for three and a half hours seemed effortless to the showbiz veterans.

What truly set them apart at their SINCE 5566 Live In Singapore 2019 concert, 16 years after they last performed at the same venue? The ability to laugh at themselves and engage in non-stop witty banter amid belting out nostalgic tunes from their extensive repertoire.

Wang, 38, who has developed a noticeable 'dad bod', addressed his physique, stamina and dance prowess by telling the audience in jest that he often feels hurt when he is compared to popular K-pop boybands like BTS.

In a bid to show that he could still dance as well as his Korean counterparts, he busted out his moves in an energetic dance routine that had the crowd cheering him on.

Said accounts manager, Lin Sher Ying, 35: "Zax really danced like there was no tomorrow, it truly touched me.

"I could see that he was panting a little from the exertion, it's clear that he's no longer some young dance machine but neither am I. We've all grown together over the years, this is why this concert is even more special to hardcore fans like me."

Once Wang's dance medley came to an end, he stood on-stage breathing hard while fans collapsed in laughter at his exaggerated struggle.

Thunderous applause followed when Hsu, 33, then dragged an oxygen tank towards Wang, encouraging him to use it to save himself. Wang gamely put on the oxygen mask and said to his bandmates: "You two continue talking okay!" while Sun, 41, suggested moving a hospital bed on stage for Wang next time.

The jokes continued as video clips of Hsu and Sun acting as TV journalists reporting on their own success, via celebrity impersonations such as "Ed Sharon, Michael Jason and the Bakestreet Boys" were shown.

Mindy Kwek, 37, a receptionist, said: "Jason and Tony put in so much effort to make us laugh because they know a great performance is more than just being able to sing really good songs. My heart is warm as this is exactly what I needed after a tough week at work."

The concert had its serious, emotional moments as well when band leader Sun admitted that the group always performs like every show is its last.

He said: "This is the truth because you really never know when you have performed your last song. Thank you to all the fans who have stayed by our side all these years. You are the reason we persevere." He delivered a touching rendition of Journey's Open Arms after Wang sang Bon Jovi's Thank You For Loving Me.

The origin of their band name, 5566, was a projection of how how the initial five group members planned to delve into the six entertainment fields of singing, dancing, acting, hosting, modelling and commercials.

While Sam Wang was unable to be a part of this reunion concert due to scheduling conflicts, Rio Peng made a surprise, comical appearance at the end of the show, rising from beneath the stage with only one shoe on. Peng had left the group in its early days due to a serious back injury.

As the night drew to a close, with the fans singing loudly to I'm Sad alongside their beloved band, it was clear that while the group's name wasn't just a number, its members' ages were certainly only just that.

editor@asiaone.com