Alec Su will be holding a concert in Beijing on September 11th, his birthday. Tickets are divided into VIP at 1500 RMB (approximately 888 MYR) and regular tickets at 911 RMB (about 540 MYR). VIP tickets, aside from access to the concert, also include benefits such as priority entry, group photo, and a personally signed poster, but the spots are limited. As fans scrambled for VIP tickets and failed to get them, some suggested that regular ticket holders should also be entitled to a group photo. Su responded, “This is a concert, not a photo event. I’m selling talent, not myself. If you don’t love music, don’t come; it’s a waste of my partners’ efforts to organize this one-off event regardless of cost.” His remarks sparked controversy.
This concert is positioned as an “intimate music sharing session,” where Su hopes to create an immersive experience in a small live house venue, with a selection of relatively obscure songs and original debuts. However, the event became embroiled in ticket-selling disputes.
Some netizens pointed out that if Su insists on “selling talent, not himself,” why is it that only VIPs can have a group photo? In that case, no one should get a group photo at all. They argued that charging a high price for a group photo is also a form of “selling oneself,” and felt that using the analogy of “selling oneself” was inappropriate. Others believe Su’s team had already established the concert rules; it would be unreasonable to change things just because some couldn’t get VIP tickets. If he did acquiesce, it would be unfair to those who paid for VIP tickets.
In response, Alec Su said: “The original intention behind this B-Side exclusive concert was that, after my 16-show tour, I discovered a massive audience for my early solo music period—listeners I never even knew existed. Their song requests even reminded me of many old tracks I’d almost forgotten myself. Also, I recently performed as a guest at Shin’s concert and sang ‘Deserter’ for the first time ever in my life. Some fans regretted that they only got to hear those songs at someone else’s concert. That’s what sparked the idea for this one-off B-Side special concert on 9/11. Unexpectedly, after the official announcement, the focus for some fans shifted to not wanting to attend unless there would be group photos. I reacted impulsively and posted my remarks due to the stark contrast with what I’d felt. The phrase ‘selling talent, not myself’ was not well-chosen, but what I really wanted to convey was that I’ve heard your wishes to enjoy my music—please don’t buy tickets just for my face.”
Su explained that he made the post in a fan forum as an interaction with his supporters, and hopes that after understanding his state of mind, bystanders and netizens will not misinterpret his intentions.
Source: Apple Online News