Elton John warmed up his vocal chords for a concert early yesterday morning in Taiwan by telling photographers to "fuck off" and that they were a bunch of "rude, vile pigs."
However, despite rain and a fracas at the airport on arrival, he opened with The Bitch is Back at his concert, which filled about 80 percent of the 12,000-seat Chungshan Stadium in Taipei.
PHOTO: TONY YAO, TAIPEI TIMES
"We had a bit of an incident at the airport. But I want you to know that the people of Taiwan have been wonderful," he said. "But those cameramen and television reporters are a disgrace to your country. They should not be allowed to meet people like that at the airport."
The media ambushed the rock star after he arrived by private plane shortly after midnight at CKS International Airport.
John was angry that police did not properly restrain the pack and protect him "from the ensuing chaos," a statement issued by the singer said.
ETTV cable news showed footage of John, dressed in a royal blue track suit and matching sunglasses, berating the photographers and TV crews as he cleared immigration.
The fuming star was also shown clenching his teeth and muttering expletives as he stood with his arms crossed tightly across his chest.
"Rude, vile pigs," shouted John, who was to perform in Taipei. "Do you know what that means? Rude, vile pigs. That's what all of you are."
One of the photographers shouted back, "Why don't you get out of Taiwan?"
John answered, "We'd love to get out of Taiwan if it's full of people like you. Pig! Pig!"
The star, who recently performed in Shanghai, said: "We had a great tour of the Far East and then we come to Taiwan and ... fuck."
Taipei was the last stop on his four-leg Asian tour, which also included Hong Kong, Seoul and Shanghai.
"Despite this frightening arrival, his spirits remain high and he is looking forward to performing the concert," John's statement said.
The British singer has declined to give any interviews while in Taiwan, according to the local agency handling his concert arrangements.
Despite previous grievances of the sort John encountered, local media representatives with a pass are allowed to enter the restricted areas of airports, according to a statute governing the use of airports' restricted zones.
In many countries, however, it is not the normal practice for the media to be allowed access to such areas.
John was not the first foreign star to experience an immediate case of culture shock after encountering aggressive Taiwanese photographers at CKS airport.
When British singer Robbie Williams arrived for a concert in 2001, he ran through the terminal as photographers pursued him.
Some reporters later objected to Williams' use of an expletive when referring to Taiwan.
"I didn't insult your country. I will insult you," Williams said before rattling off a series of expletives.
A Chinese freighter that allegedly snapped an undersea cable linking Taiwan proper to Penghu County is suspected of being owned by a Chinese state-run company and had docked at the ports of Kaohsiung and Keelung for three months using different names. On Tuesday last week, the Togo-flagged freighter Hong Tai 58 (宏泰58號) and its Chinese crew were detained after the Taipei-Penghu No. 3 submarine cable was severed. When the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) first attempted to detain the ship on grounds of possible sabotage, its crew said the ship’s name was Hong Tai 168, although the Automatic Identification System (AIS)
An Akizuki-class destroyer last month made the first-ever solo transit of a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ship through the Taiwan Strait, Japanese government officials with knowledge of the matter said yesterday. The JS Akizuki carried out a north-to-south transit through the Taiwan Strait on Feb. 5 as it sailed to the South China Sea to participate in a joint exercise with US, Australian and Philippine forces that day. The Japanese destroyer JS Sazanami in September last year made the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s first-ever transit through the Taiwan Strait, but it was joined by vessels from New Zealand and Australia,
SECURITY: The purpose for giving Hong Kong and Macau residents more lenient paths to permanent residency no longer applies due to China’s policies, a source said The government is considering removing an optional path to citizenship for residents from Hong Kong and Macau, and lengthening the terms for permanent residence eligibility, a source said yesterday. In a bid to prevent the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from infiltrating Taiwan through immigration from Hong Kong and Macau, the government could amend immigration laws for residents of the territories who currently receive preferential treatment, an official familiar with the matter speaking on condition of anonymity said. The move was part of “national security-related legislative reform,” they added. Under the amendments, arrivals from the Chinese territories would have to reside in Taiwan for
CRITICAL MOVE: TSMC’s plan to invest another US$100 billion in US chipmaking would boost Taiwan’s competitive edge in the global market, the premier said The government would ensure that the most advanced chipmaking technology stays in Taiwan while assisting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in investing overseas, the Presidential Office said yesterday. The statement follows a joint announcement by the world’s largest contract chipmaker and US President Donald Trump on Monday that TSMC would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next four years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US, which would include construction of three new chip fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities, and a research and development center. The government knew about the deal in advance and would assist, Presidential
RSS