Richie Jen’s timeless classics brought back countless memories to the Melbourne stage.
Richie Jen (任賢齊) is a name that has existed in my household for as long as I can remember. I have been told that it all started on a family holiday when I heard one of his songs playing in the streets. I instantly fell in love and that’s how the first Richie Jen CD came into my life. I’ve been lucky enough to see Richie Jen perform each time he has visited Melbourne, dating back to his first Melbourne concert in 2003, and then later again in 2013. A Melbourne revisit for Richie Jen was long overdue, and I was thrilled to learn that he was bringing his new tour ‘齊蹟’ to The Plenary at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Richie energetically ran on stage to ‘A Wave Flower (浪花一朵朵)’, accompanied by cheerleaders, which had the Melbourne crowd following suite as they waved their complimentary lightstick. The lightsticks had no time to rest, as they were raised higher for the song, ‘Like An Angel (天使也一樣)’.
Richie Jen warmly greeted Melbourne fans and shared that he hoped that everyone would sing along with him throughout the night, asking if anyone grew up listening to his music, which earned loud supportive cheers from the Melbourne audience. Jen knows his music is a symbol of youth and growth, with different songs sparking memories of feelings, friends and events. Talking about the generation of cassette tapes and CDs, where once upon a time, we had to go into a physical store to purchase his music. So in order to test everyone, he started singing snippets of all his popular hits and had the fans sing along and finish each line. As expected, the whole theatre loudly followed along, his lyrics engrained into their memories. Jen ended with ‘Far Away (千里之外)’ [a Jay Chou song] and then shared that he met up with the superstar earlier that afternoon.
I was happily surprised when Richie Jen performed ‘Candle Light (燭光)’, as it is a song that I’ve loved for a long time, but hadn’t heard live before. A sea of starry style lights from Melbourne patrons’ phones created beautiful scenery for ‘Wish Upon A Star (星語心願)’. Soon after, Richie split the crowd into two and had us battle it out to see who can sing ‘Your Crying Face (流著淚的你的臉)’ louder than the other. One of my favourite parts of the night was ‘I’m A Fish (我是一隻魚)’ where bubbles filled the Melbourne venue, perfectly matching the song and forming a dreamy feel for the audience.
If you were to know anything about Richie Jen, it would be how well that he perfects the Wuxia genre. I loved how he incorporated this aspect into his concert with the use of traditional Chinese dances, Pipa and the Chinese flute in ‘The Young Traveller (少年遊)’, ‘I Am Free (任逍遙)’, ‘A Night With Blooming Flowers And A Full Moon (花好月圓夜)’ and ‘The Bold And The Beautiful (愛江山更愛美人)’. It was stunning and made every moment feel like you were transported back to Ancient China.
Richie Jen gave an encouraging message to all; to do everything with sincerity and to give it your all, as genuine people are ‘Not Gonna Die (死不了)’. I absolutely loved ‘The End of Earth (天涯)’ as the dancers came out in period outfits and combined dance with martial arts.
After such a powerful segment, things slowed down to his guitar session. The most memorable part of this section was when he performed ‘I Were a Little Bird (我是一隻小小鳥)’ where he talked about how no matter what hurdles and hardships you may come across in work, studies or life; we continue to work towards a better and brighter future. This resonated with the Melbourne patrons who responded by banding together and singing passionately.
The night took a quick turn and became a comedy corner as Richie bantered with fans during the song request section. This included a wife telling her husband, her true love was indeed Richie Jen while requesting ‘Awakening Dream (夢醒時分)’ and Richie who had a mental breakdown as fan chose ‘A Little Snow (小雪)’, his most difficult song in his discography.
A solo Pipa performance took my breath away before an impactful entrance with ‘Brothers (兄弟)’ and ‘Laughter in the Vast Sea (滄海一聲笑)’. This last section was jam packed, filled with Richie Jen’s most iconic work, and some of my favourite songs including ‘Dependence (依靠)’ and ‘Hurt Badly (很受傷)’ which were performed back to back.
Richie broke out in a cute quirky dance with ‘Flowers Bloom in Spring (春天花會開)’ and dancers flew in with colourful flowered umbrellas. He announced it was time for a world-famous song, and fans instantly clocked it was the immensely popular ‘Girl, Look Over Here (對面的女孩看過來)’. Jen even taught a little dance before beginning to ensure the audience was ready to dance and sing with him.
Of course, the night would not be complete without the fan favourite song ‘Too Softhearted (心太軟)’ which pioneered his career. Jen requested his Melbourne fans to sing the beginning of the song in his stead, and as he enjoyed the loud singing along, he acted out the lyrics on stage. The final goodbye came too quickly, as Richie Jen wrapped up with a classic, ‘The Sad Pacific (傷心太平洋)’.
Hearing Richie Jen perform live is always a treat. It’s the series of his iconic tracks that bring back the nostalgic reflection. Richie Jen is someone who always has so much positive energy to share, which is easily shown through his music, his passion and the heartfelt messages that he delivers, reminding fans that life may be hard, but it’s okay. Struggles can exist and it’s alright to be vulnerable, but never give up and having the strength to move forward.
Richie Jen’s ‘齊蹟’ 2025 World Tour in Melbourne was a success and a great night filled with iconic hits and passionate singalongs. Starting his career back in 1990, Jen has pathed his way to become one of the most influential and acclaimed singers in Mandopop. I look forward to the next time he returns to Melbourne and hope that it won’t be another 12-year wait.
Richie Jen performed in Melbourne at The Plenary, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Sunday October 26th as part of his 齊蹟 2025 World Tour, proudly presented by Chinatown Cinema Corporation.
For more information, visit: https://chinatowncinema.com.au
Photography by Visspen Photography, Supplied by Chinatown Cinema Corp.
