Live show resurrects Beyond

Paul Wong Koon Chung and Yip Sai Wing, former members of the famous Hong Kong band Beyond will give two gigs at the Workers Gymnasium on Feburary 1 and 2. Black Panther, the mainland's top band will guest at the shows.

With vocal/guitarist Wong Ka Kui, who died in 1993, and his brother Wong Ka Keung, Beyond was one of the most famous rock bands in Hong Kong in the 1980s. Their albums Goodbye Ideal, New World, Modern Stage all sold well.

Beyond became popular when Japanese pop music was influential in Hong Kong and many local bands reworked Japanese songs into Cantonese. Beyond did so well they re-exported their music to Japan and won over fans there. In fact, Wong Ka Kui died of internal bleeding after falling off stage head first when he was doing a show for Fuji TV, in Japan. He was the group's main writer and composer.

Beyond kept going without Wong Ka Kui and in 2003 even resurrected him in the form of a life-size video projection that played and sang alongside his former band mates. The trio also released a few albums after Wong Ka Kui's death, including some of the songs he had written. Beyond is still popular in China.

Black Leopard was formed in 1987 and launched its debut album in Hong Kong, 1991. Don't Break My Heart went to the top of the Hong Kong charts and the band was big in the 1990s. It has maintained a loyal fan base over the years

Chen Jie

7:30 pm, Feb 1-2

Gongti Beilu, Dongcheng District

4008101887, 8008101887

(China Daily 02/01/2008 page20)