One thing I didn’t expect was Eric Chou’s return to Australian shores after his world tour last year. Surprised and excited, I knew his encore concert tour, Odyssey~Journey RETURNS, would be an absolute pleasure to be a part of.
John Cain Arena was a perfect selection for Eric’s return, the intimate arena set the tone for what would be an unforgettable night, accompanied by his soothing vocals and classic hits. Handsomely taking to the stage, the atmosphere was quickly energized by ‘That’s All’, ‘Say Too Much (說太多)’ and ‘Nobody But Me’. His all-black sleeveless vest was my favourite outfit of the night, a perfect balance of sexy and elegance.
Eric Chou greeted Melbourne fans and explained that his concerts are meant to be cosy to rediscover emotions and memories when you first listened to his music, in hopes to create a large karaoke session for all to sing along.
With 10 years under his belt, Eric Chou has created so many classic hits that have had such an impact over the years. With songs that have naturally ingrained itself in our lives and music history, ‘Freedom (終於了解自由)’, ‘What’s Wrong (怎麼了)’ and ‘The Distance of Love (以後別做朋友)’ were prime examples of Eric’s legacy and were so satisfying to sing out loud in unison with everyone in the venue. Eric also performed ‘I Will Always Be With You (明天我在你身邊)’ for the very first time in Melbourne, the ending theme song of a recently released movie, High Forces.
Affectionately sharing with patrons how much he loves Melbourne and that during this visit, he finally got the chance to see a lot of places in our city, Eric stated that he appreciated how multicultural the cuisine is here. Eric also shared that he got to eat bits and pieces of everything. He even joked about purchasing a property here in future to join his good friend and fellow idol, Jay Chou, who hosted him during his stay. In tribute and gratitude to his friend, Eric performed a cover of Jay Chou’s ‘A Step Back (退後)’.
The lighting and screen effects were great throughout the night, but I was thoroughly impressed by the duplication effects during ‘Something in LA’ and the buildings casted on the screen on stage during ‘When We Were Young (小時候的我們)’.
A quick outfit change brought Eric back in a white suit, which gave off prince charming vibes while he serenaded the Melbourne audience with his beautiful tracks, ‘Unbreakable Love (永不失聯的愛)’ and ‘I’m Happy (我很快樂)’. His ad libs during these songs were a pure treat.
Eric Chou expressed his jealousy as Melbourne seemed to be a golf heaven; he enjoyed playing golf and loved the weather, but also complained about the masses of flies he encountered in his short stay. He revealed that he is in the midst of finalising his new album which is due to be released at the end of the month. It has been four years since his previous album release and Eric Chou promised to deliver a range of genres, of course including his popular love songs. Eric mentioned he actually shot around 11 locations in Melbourne for the upcoming album, including the State Library where he fell in love with the green lamps that reminded him of Harry Potter. As Eric reminisced his Melbourne experiences, the arena quickly returned to its a giant karaoke session to his song ‘How Have You Been? (你，好不好?)’.
With the intention of hyping up the arena. Eric Chou jumped off stage during ‘That’s Why I Like You’ and got up close and personal with fans. Eager Little Stars (Eric’s fanclub name) rushed forward to get a closer glimpse of the artist, without chaos, and everyone peacefully returned to their seats by ‘Let It Go’.
After ‘What’s on Your Mind (想知道你在想什麼)’, Eric conveyed his gratitude for the support he has received over the last 10 years. He mentioned when he was 11 years old, he moved to the US for studies and felt lonely. During that time, music was where he found comfort. Eric hoped that with his music, he has been able to provide the same level of comfort to accompany fans during tough times.
I was delighted when I realised a song he wrote for A-Lin was added to the setlist. Eric’s version of ‘Best Friend (摯友)’ was equally beautiful and extremely touching to hear. In true Eric fashion, a segment was dedicated to song requests and my favourites of the selected were the gorgeous ‘Obviously (明明)’ and the sweet ‘Enough (受夠)’.
Seeing Eric Chou perform live for a second time was just as magical as the first. His sweet personality radiated throughout the night as he threw an uncountable number of hearts into the Melbourne crowd while he performed. We luckily got a lot of insight about his upcoming album and I look forward to this long awaited release. I also genuinely can’t wait to hear his new music and spot all the Melbourne locations he visited.
Time flies when you’re in musical heaven. Before I knew it, we reached the last song of the night, ‘The Chaos After You (如果雨之後)’. Hearing Eric Chou sing, especially live, is like drinking a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s day. It is just so comforting and healing for the soul. His Odyssey~Journey RETURNS Tour visit was intimate, cosy and gave off a sense of belonging as you blissfully sang along to many of Eric Chou’s iconic hits, all which have undoubtedly left a lasting mark in our lives over the last 10 years.
Eric Chou returned to Melbourne for his Odyssey~Journey RETURNS Tour, proudly presented by Chinatown Cinemas, and performed at John Cain Arena on Friday November 8th 2024. He concluded his Australian visit in Sydney, performing at Qudos Bank Arena on November 10th, 2024.
For more information, visit:
https://www.instagram.com/chinatown_cinema
https://www.instagram.com/ericchou0622
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5fEQLwq1BWWQNR8GzhOIvi
Photography by VISPENN Photography, supplied by Chinatown Cinemas.
