After a break from the Fringe last year, LKL returned this year to see what was new. A lot of the companies are fringe regulars: Brush, Modl, Cho-in and Hooam have all come over before, and in fact Modl this year was celebrating its 30th birthday. But there were also new acts, including Korean Gipsy … [Read More]
Category: Live music reviews (page 2)
Live music review: SaaWee at the Albany, Deptford
When anticipating Korea related events involving live performance, I generally try not to raise my expectations too high. That way, I don’t get disappointed. But sometimes I break that rule, usually based on past experience of one or more of the performers. Hence, when pulling together the events post for July I highlighted three events … [Read More]
Jambinai, Park Jiha and SB Circle – a roundup of reviews of three K-music performers
The line-up of K-music 2019 has been announced, and it’s nice to see some familiar faces returning to London so that we can get to know their music better. Jambinai, who open the festival, have become fairly regular visitors to the UK. They had the UK launch of their new album, Onda, at the Garage, … [Read More]
Photos from Birdsong and Borders concert at St Luke’s
While it’s a huge treat that there’s so much in the way of interesting performances involving UK-based Koreans nowadays, it’s a shame that sometimes they clash with each other. Hyelim Kim’s recent collaboration with Merit Ariane at LSO St Luke’s was something I’d definitely have gone to… if it hadn’t been for Jinyeob Cha’s performance … [Read More]
Concert notes: Byron Wallen, Jihye Kim and Pouya Ehsaei at Redon
It was hard to believe that Byron Wallen, Jihye Kim and Pouya Ehsaei had not performed together as a trio before – there seemed be such respect and understanding between the musicians, as if they were totally familiar with each other’s ways of playing. The three had shared ideas with each other in advance – … [Read More]
Review – ATEEZ: The Expedition Tour in London
Cast your minds to the 3rd April 2019 and the O2 Forum in Kentish Town. The weather was less than pleasant. It was cold, raining and at some point during the queueing there was hail. Fans known as ‘Atinys’ were eventually let into the venue at 6pm and, despite being at the back of the … [Read More]
Brief review: Seong-jin Cho’s Rachmaninov at the Barbican
I can’t help feeling slightly disappointed at Seong-jin Cho’s performance of Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto at the Barbican at the end of March. There was no shortage of virtuoso filligree fingerwork and moments of poetry, but somehow the performance as a whole lacked passion and fire. Perhaps part of the problem was rapport between orchestra … [Read More]
Embodiment, Performativity and Subjectivity: The Best of BTS’s Music Award Show Stages
Winning end-of-year music award shows is important for Korean idols and groups as it helps to cement their importance and popularity not only in Korea but across East and South East Asia. This is demonstrated by the fact that MAMA 2018 – one of the biggest music shows – took place across multiple countries with … [Read More]
A review of the London Korean cultural year 2018
Every year at this stage in the year, I look back on the cultural highlights, whether they be live performances, exhibitions, movies or books that I have encountered over the past twelve months. Every year I lament that I’ve been unable to cover everything, that I’m getting slower and that there’s been even more to … [Read More]
Video: Urban Sound at K-Music 2018
As lazy post that gives me the opportunity to sample a bit of the Urban Sound gig at K-Music 2018 – a concert which I was unable to attend: [Read More]
The BTS Love Yourself o2 concert – a fresh perspective
LKL’s young contributor Gargi Sengupta, who reported from the Sheffield Korea Day earlier this year, provides her second report – from the biggest KPOP event in London ever! On the 10th of October I went with my father to watch the BTS concert at the London o2. Since I have been a HUGE fan of … [Read More]
E-DO at Rich Mix: a second-hand review
I know I said that SsingSsing was the gig I was most sorry to miss from the K-music festival this year, but E-DO ran it a close second. Their music that supported Over the Moon at the Edinburgh Fringe last year was totally mesmerising, even in the absence of their percussionist who had to return … [Read More]
SsingSsing at Pizza Express Soho and South Bank – a second-hand review
The SsingSsing gigs that opened the 2018 K-music Festival were the ones that I was probably saddest to miss of all the events this year. Sometimes other commitments get in the way (in this instance, a long-delayed summer holiday) so this is the first of the second-hand K-music reviews of this season (there will be … [Read More]
Affective becomings and musical transformations: BTS take London
Dr Colette Balmain, or maybe a ghost writer, reports from the biggest KPOP event in the UK this year: Taking the Plunge This is the first concert review that I have written although I have been to many concerts, some of which I have good memories of and others which I wish I could press … [Read More]
Review: K-music showcase at Rich Mix
The K-music showcase at Rich Mix – now a regular venue for Korean music performances – was timed to take advantage of the many acts in the UK for the various May music festivals. The gig can also be thought of as a teaser event for the K-music festival that takes place in the autumn. … [Read More]
Peggy Gou at the Village Underground – the headline set
For those who couldn’t secure tickets – or who didn’t have the energy – to go to Peggy Gou’s appearance at the Village Undergroud for Mixmag Live earlier this month, here’s the complete set, from Mixmag’s YouTube Channel: [Read More]