Chinese rock star in hot water over midlife crisis

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Zhao Mingyi from Chinese rock band Black Panther showed up for a magazine interview last week holding a vacuum mug of hot water, a seemingly innocuous move which has sparked some debate online.

While most youngsters in China prefer an ice-cold Pepsi or Sprite, drinking hot water is generally favored among older people who see it as a cure-all way to stay healthy.

So when Zhao turned up for his chat with Phoenix Weekly carrying this drink so closely associated with middle age, it made some music fans aware - perhaps for the first time - that he might not be quite the young rock god he once was.

Ding Dawei, a photographer with the magazine, sighed on social media, “It was hard to imagine, this once hard-boiled man coming in with a vacuum mug in his hands.”

Photo via Zhao Mingyi's Weibo

The story of the meeting has not only caused a spike in searches for Zhang's 578 yuan (86 US dollars) mug, but also a heated discussion about middle age and midlife crises.

Many web users sympathized about getting old, fearing the day they have to avoid rich foods and go to bed early every night.

Chinese netizens from all age groups have also sparred with each other online using recomposed lyrics from one of Black Panther’s biggest hits, “No Place to Hide”: “People come and go / there we are me and you / all have to get our healthy plan go…"

Screenshot via Weibo

"You don't have to talk/ but you already knew/ what's in your mug...Do not care that much/ don’t you cry/ you will someday/ be alike."

In response to the online buzz, Zhao posted a reply online, tagging his wife who bought him the mug. He admitted that he has had a taste for tea for 20 years, something which may undermine his image as a rock star.

Zhao and his four Black Panther colleagues were mostly all born in the 1960s, except for vocalist Zhang Qi and keyboard Hui Peng, who are in their mid-30s.

The band is currently in rehearsals for live shows in September, set to be their biggest to date.

In 1987, they emerged with raw but powerful chords and achieved the highest album sales on the Chinese mainland in 1992, when their eponymous debut sold over 150,000 units.

The band has been laying low in recent years, with many wondering if they had left the business.

Photo via Ding Dawei's Weibo

But, it seems, the spirit of rock 'n' roll never gets old.

The band has continued releasing singles and performing live for the last few years and is even planning a special show to mark their 40th anniversary in the business.

“By then I may be holding my mug,” said Zhao, “Too old to wave my drumsticks. But it would be fulfilling.”