The great K-pop phenomenon comes to Brighton
The great K-pop phenomenon comes to Brighton for three special gigs organised by Amberley Waterton and Nikita Hooper through their company KTAM Events Ltd.
They are hosting three K-pop showcases in Brighton: April 18 at 6pm at Daltons, all ages, under 18s accompanied by an adult and must leave the premises by 10.30pm; April 19 at 5pm at Komedia, 14+ accompanied by an adult; and April 22 at 6.30pm at Komedia, 14+ accompanied by an adult.
On April 18 and 19 the line-up is a duo called Studio L, a four-member group called DAYCHILD and a solo artist called Bao plus MC and special guest solo artist Jinu. On April 22 the line-up is: Studio L, DAYCHILD and a six-member group called NTOP plus MC Jinu.
If all goes well, the aim is turn this into a series of events every six months, bringing intimate K-pop shows and experiences to the UK each time. Each show will last approximately three hours and conclude with a fan signing and photo/polaroid event where you can meet the artists and take away precious mementos.
“We also offer additional VIP packages for all the shows which offer early entry for the ticket holder, soundcheck, exclusive VIP merchandise, a signing brochure and Hi-Touch,” Amberley says. “Tickets are £60. However we have a limited amount of community general admission tickets available at £40, and Komedia tickets are frozen at £40 on their box office.”
As Amberley explains: “We originally started as a K-pop online shop selling K-pop paraphernalia and albums and photo cards. Lots of them you just couldn't get over here so we sourced them from Korea and Japan. And then we went to Korea and Japan where we saw lots of artists in Japan. We just thought it was an amazing experience that again you just don't get in England. They've got very small venues that do K-pop shows every day. Groups do what they call a season of two weeks or a month and you can see them as many times as you want. And the rooms are 100 or maybe 200 capacity. It's really fun and intimate and you get to meet them. And we just wanted to bring that experience back to England.”
As Nikita says: “K-pop just really gets into your brain. It takes over. Western music and western culture are good but you just don't get that. A lot of people get sucked in by the music with K-pop and then there is so much more to discover. You listen to the songs without knowing the words and you like the songs but then you look up the translations and you discover that the lyrics are just so beautiful and just so incredible. And from one CD you start spiralling downwards into it all. You get to know one group and then you get to know multiple groups.”
Crucial is the performance style, says Amberley: “It's a bit like 90s boy bands with all the dances synchronised and that was such a fun time. They have brought that back but made it into such a new style which is just so incredible to watch and so synchronised.”
Over in Japan Amberley and Nikita started chatting to the bands, and so the plan was hatched to bring some of them over here. As Nikita says: “They are so amazing and it will be an amazing experience for everyone. A lot of them have never travelled before. A lot of them have never been to England.”
Key to the experience will be the relative intimacy of it all: “Most of these bands are used to playing to between ten and 100 people, usually ten or 20 or 30. We are hoping to get between 30 and 50. Half the appeal is that you are meeting them one-on-one. They are very lovely people to get to know, and we want people to have the same kind of experience that they would have in Japan.”
Tickets from eventbrite General admission: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ktam-unleashed-general-admission-tickets-1979461045272?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio