#SHOWBIZ: Hacken Lee late for concert; audience member steps in, sings nearly 20 songs

HONG KONG – Cantopop legend Hacken Lee turned up nearly two hours late for a star-studded concert in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, on September 26 after a series of travel mishaps. Originally set to take the stage at 10pm for the Hear Yourself concert at the Baotou Olympic Sports Centre, the 58-year-old singer saw his flight redirected to Taiyuan, Shanxi, due to severe hailstorms.

The electric vehicle tasked with picking him up ran out of battery mid-journey, necessitating a 600km journey that, by the time he arrived, had consumed over 18 hours of his time. At the venue, the rest of the lineup – including Taiwanese artists Chyi Chin, Zheng Zhihua, and Meng Tingwei – had already wrapped up their performances, leaving Lee absent from sight.

Facing a crowd of 30,000 with an impatient atmosphere, the concert director made a last-minute decision to call upon local singer Hou Lang, who was merely sitting in the audience as a ticket holder. With no prior preparation, Hou Lang stepped onto the stage and delivered an impromptu concert, performing nearly 20 songs within two hours.

His spontaneous act of heroism quickly went viral, with fans lauding his calm demeanor and celebrating the extraordinary talent residing in ordinary concertgoers. Later, Hou Lang expressed his pride in saving the show, describing it as a dream come true, and shared his gratitude with Lee, who had finally joined the stage around 12.20am to a crowd of roughly 80% who had remained.

Lee apologized repeatedly, admitting he hadn't eaten or used the restroom since 5pm. To make amends, Lee expanded his performance from four songs to six, delighting the stadium with hits like "Flower Protector" and "Red Sun" before concluding the show past 1am.