‘Shocking’: Taiwanese band Mayday in lip-synching controversy after mainland China performance
- Taiwanese rock band Mayday are under investigation following allegations of lip-synching – illegal in mainland China – after a November concert in Shanghai
- The band’s label refutes the allegations as ‘slanderous rumour’, while a more recent Paris concert reportedly featured off-key singing and audible breathing
Lip-synching during live concerts is not only frowned upon in mainland China, it is actually illegal – something that has landed Taiwanese rock band Mayday in the centre of a controversy.
The five-member, all-male group are currently under investigation for suspected miming to pre-recorded songs during their November 16 performance at the Shanghai Stadium.
A Chinese blogger posted a video on the YouTube-like video platform Bilibili on November 30, claiming he made the “shocking” discovery after matching recorded clips from the live performance with a lip-synching identification tool.
The band’s label, B’in Music, has since refuted allegations that the quintet had lip-synched during their concerts, telling the Taipei Times they were a “malicious attack and slanderous rumour that has severely harmed the image of the company’s artists”.
Mayday were in Shanghai for an eight-concert stop, which concluded their tour in mainland China that started in May.