Hong Kong singer Gloria Tang (also known as G.E.M.) announced the end of her 73-concert world tour on Weibo yesterday afternoon, and thanked her staff and fans for their support over the two-year period.
But fans discovered that tickets to G.E.M.’s November 22 show in London were selling for £0 before the mandatory £2.50 tax, which meant it cost approximately S$5.35 to catch G.E.M. live.
The marketing strategy didn’t manage to pack the venue, and some supporters said G.E.M.’s London concert tickets were being handed out for free at a local Chinese forum because her staff were worried about having a small audience.
One fan said he took a pair of tickets at no charge, and the forum organiser then asked him to distribute 40 more tickets.
Industry insiders said it’s extremely difficult for Chinese musicians to hold concerts in foreign countries, because few locals attend such shows and the audience comprises mainly overseas Chinese.
Famed Chinese pianist Li Yundi reportedly lets his concert tickets go for cheap when he plays abroad, and performing overseas is said to be more of a matter of vanity for Chinese musicians and artistes.