Unforgettable Fainting on Stage Two Years Ago: Jacky Cheung Humorously Laughs at Himself—'Stand Firm!'

The 'God of Songs' Jacky Cheung returned to the Malaysian stage after two years to kick off the Malaysia stop of his 'Jacky Cheung 60+ World Tour', with the first of six sold-out shows launching grandly at the Axiata Arena on the evening of the 15th. The venue was packed, and the charm of the God of Songs remained unstoppable. Two years ago, Jacky Cheung had unexpectedly fainted while performing at the same venue, making it an unforgettable episode in his career. This time, as he made his return, he humorously joked at the start: "Make sure not to faint! Stand firm, Jacky Cheung! Come on!" Easily diffusing the awkwardness of the past incident, his words drew laughter and applause from the entire audience.

After holding six consecutive shows in Malaysia in 2023, Jacky Cheung once again brought the same scale of six performances this time around, and tickets were once again snapped up instantly. The first show on the 15th already marked the 269th stop of the tour. Although the setlist remained largely similar, he especially performed a duet with fans of the classic Hong Kong drama theme song "Zhi You Qing Yong Zai" (“Only Love Lasts Forever”). During the encore, he also surprised the crowd by singing four songs—"Mei Tian Ai Ni Duo Yi Xie" ("Loving You More Every Day"), "Xi Yang Zui Le" ("Drunk on the Setting Sun"), "Li Kai Yi Hou" ("After Leaving"), and "E Lang Chuan Shuo" ("The Legend of the Hungry Wolf")—which he hadn't performed at the previous shows, delighting the crowd and making fans feel their tickets were well worth it.

After singing 12 songs in succession, Jacky Cheung finally greeted the audience, triggering thunderous applause. He exclaimed excitedly: "Friends in Malaysia really are extraordinary! Welcome to the 269th show of the '60+' tour. It’s great to be back in Kuala Lumpur to see everyone again." He also shared that he was a bit "overexcited" upon coming on stage this time—"When I was supposed to speak Cantonese I spoke Mandarin, and I walked the wrong way on stage."

He expressed his gratitude for fans’ years of support, and playfully asked: "How many people are watching my concert for the first time?" Seeing many hands raised, he joked: "Really? So those who came last time didn’t come this time? Gave their tickets to someone else? That’s a good thing—more friends can see my concert." Then, in a more serious tone, he added: "The first thing I told myself upon arriving in Malaysia was—don’t faint! Last time, I fainted on stage as soon as the show started. It was a huge shock for me—as I've been doing concerts for decades and this was the first time I fainted on stage. Really embarrassing." He then mimed pumping himself up: "Before going on stage today, I did a lot of mental preparation; I really hope I stand firm today, and don’t faint. Jacky Cheung, come on!" As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd exploded into loud cheers.

269th Split

Jacky Cheung also specially thanked fans for preparing fan events for him: "Actually, you don’t need to do anything, because your voices are the best support and make me feel so happy to be back." After saying this, he gave a deep bow. Then, smiling, he bent over and did his 269th split for this tour, setting off another wave of cheers. Sensing the fans' enthusiastic reaction, he maintained the posture and confidently shared: "Some people might worry I’m rusty, but actually I’m even more skilled now! Last time I hadn’t done many, but now I’ve done at least 200+. Plus I practice before each show, so I’ve easily done over a thousand already—not kidding."

Although already 64 years old, the 'God of Songs' is in top form. He said he’ll keep working hard, stay healthy, and keep practicing: "After these six Malaysia shows, I’ll work quickly to plan an even better concert. I hope to come to Malaysia before I’m 70—is that okay?" He admitted he can never bear to leave the stage: "At any time, your applause, cheers, and laughter have helped me through hard times." In the end, he passionately promised: "I will definitely come back!"

‘God of Songs’—Witty and Humorous

Jacky Cheung deserves the title ‘God of Songs’—his singing is captivating, and he is witty and humorous when speaking. When introducing music director Wu Qinglong, he joked that they had worked together so many times—Wu had toured with him at over 500 concerts. "Did anyone see the 2002 ‘Music Journey’ concert tour?" he asked, and said that those who raised their hands were "revealing their age" because that was already 23 years ago. "You couldn’t have been born just for my concert, right? If your mom brought you to my show, you’d now be over 30, so you’re closer to my age, the generation gap is less!" The crowd roared with laughter. He asked fans: "Do you know my songs?" People immediately responded "Yes!" and he replied, "Not whether you know my older brother, but whether you know my songs!" Again causing a laugh from the whole audience. He then brought up that Malaysian fans love HK dramas, asking if they’d seen the TVB series Zei Gong A Niu (Robber and the Ox). Then, playfully, he "exposed" everyone: "Those who said yes, that series was from 1986! If you’ve seen it, you’re at least in your forties or fifties by now!" Before he finished, he invited fans to sing the theme song "Zhi You Qing Yong Zai" (“Only Love Lasts Forever”) together, and the audience responded in unison, as if becoming Kwong Mei-yun, singing alongside the God of Songs and reliving memories. The atmosphere was both warm and full of excitement.

Jacky Cheung joked that it’s already his 10th major tour since debuting: "If this is your first time seeing my concert, it’s not too late. Maybe I’ll do another 10 tours yet!" Then, in self-mockery, he quipped: "What, am I Ip Man? Finishing 10, then another 10?" Again, the audience broke into laughter. He promised that every tour will showcase a new side of Jacky Cheung, so fans will always see something different.

As the show reached its finale, the God of Songs ramped up the atmosphere during the encore, singing "Li Xiang Lan" and "She Came to Listen to My Concert", and unexpectedly choosing songs like "Drunk on the Setting Sun", "After Leaving", and the rock-flavored "Legend of the Hungry Wolf". Classic melodies followed one after another, giving the audience surprise after surprise and raising the mood to a fever pitch. He finally closed the curtain for the first night of the Malaysia tour with a rock version of "Kiss Goodbye".