Fans blow YouTubers away

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By YP cadet Vinisha Asarpota
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YP cadet Vinisha Asarpota meets a very grateful musical duo whose passionate fans inspire them to write

By YP cadet Vinisha Asarpota |
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If you have any doubts that YouTube musicians can draw an audience halfway round the world, Sam Tsui and Kurt Hugo Schneider will talk your ear off on the topic.

Sunday's concert at MacPherson Stadium was their second in Hong Kong after the first one in September pulled in a large crowd, and they're still shocked at the monstrous reaction this time.

"We were absolutely blown away! We knew we had fans out here, but couldn't have possible imagined how huge the reaction was," says Tsui.

"The biggest thing was just seeing that the views on YouTube actually translated to people coming to our shows! It let us know that we could keep coming back and playing shows for our fans out here."

Tsui and Schneider started their YouTube career while studying in Yale University in the US, producing covers of popular songs. They've covered artists such as Adele, Bruno Mars, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake, as well as making their own mash-ups and songs. In May, Tsui released his first all-original studio album, Make It Up, which was inspired by the beauty of uncertainty.

When they found out they were going on tour again this year, they wanted to have new songs to play. So last month, they released a new EP, Wildfire.

Although they had little time to put Wildfire together, they're proud of the result. Fans love it, too, and sang along at Sunday's concert. They thought it was amazing that the fans knew the lyrics already, and say the song pays tribute to these supporters.

"The intense passion of the fandom inspired me to write Wildfire," says Tsui. "[It] is just about being incredibly passionate about something."

"We enjoy getting up on stage and seeing all the fans, knowing that they are there not just for the show but also to support our music. Whenever we put up a new a video, these are the people who are sharing it, making it get seen, liking and commenting on it.

"It's the most amazing feeling."

Sam and Kurt share some dim sum with local fans

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