Liquid Blue - Asia History

Asia History

Liquid Blue made history in 2004 when they were the first American act signed to a Chinese record label, Shanghai Audio and Video. Since 2002 the band has made eight trips to China, more than any other recording act from the West. The pop and rock music scene has been slowly and steadily gaining popularity in China and Liquid Blue has been a part of that emerging culture and music history as it has unfolded. On the band's first visit to China in September 2002, they performed a popular Chinese song "Pong-Yo" in Mandarin to a thrilled audience of 65,000 at People's Stadium in Dalian during the 14th Annual Dalian International Fashion Festival Grand Opening Ceremony. This show was broadcast live on CCTV, China’s national government run television company. Although the band also played original music from a recently released EP, their version of Pong Yo became embedded in the hearts and minds of the Chinese people and the TV coverage of the song was played repeatedly across the country. With the SARS epidemic reaching its climax in 2003, tour plans were unfortunately cancelled. The timing was inopportune and the band had to wait two years before setting foot in the world's most populous country again.

In November 2005 the band was invited to perform at the 7th Annual Shanghai International Arts Festival as one of only two acts from the USA (the other being the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra). The popularity of the band was still intact as evidenced by two sold-out shows at the 5000 seat Minhang Arena in Shanghai, with no other acts on the bill. In 2007 Liquid Blue made several trips to China including performances in Sanya, Zhongshan, Lhasa, Chengdu, Haikou and Beijing. Most of these shows featured Liquid Blue along with several well-known Chinese pop stars. In Haikou the band played to 35,000 at Hainan University Stadium. With the Olympics set for Beijing in August 2008, CCTV's all-sports channel officially became the "all-Olympics" channel on New Year's Eve, 2007. Liquid Blue was invited by the Chinese government to perform at the very first broadcast of the newly crowned station (CCTV-5). The sold-out event was held in Beijing at the China Agricultural University Sports Arena (with a of seating capacity 8,200) which will host the Wrestling competition for the 2008 Summer Games. The show was broadcast internationally as well, including on CCTV-9 in the USA. In the fall of 2008, Liquid Blue vocalist Jessica Manning qualified for the semi-finals in the Chinese version of American Idol, MN Idol. In 2009 another member of the group, Nikki Green, qualified for the Top-10 in the same contest.

The group is also popular in other parts of Asia including the Philippines which they visited for the first time back in 1997. In 2007 the band became the first U.S. act to perform in Dipolog City, selling out the 6000 seat Andres Bonifacio College Arena.