(Photo by Cube Entertainment)
More concert photos here
"From a recycled group to a rediscovered group". This was the phrase written on the video shown at boy band BEAST's first-ever concert titled "WELCOME TO THE BEAST AIRLINE" held at the Olympic Park in Seoul on Sunday.
Every member of the group composed of Yoon Doo-joon, Hyun-seung, Jun-hyung, Yo-seop, Dong-woon and Gi-kwang experienced all sorts of mishaps before debuting as BEAST in October of last year -- from debuting in a different group which failed to see success to being booted off a reality show to the agency closing its doors due to failed business.
Yet in just six months of releasing their first record, BEAST took first place on a cable music show and started garnering popularity in Asia after touring in several countries in the region. Their debut showcase in Japan last month attracted a crowd of 10,000.
Now making headway into establishing themselves as a well-known artist at both home and overseas, the boys talked to media outlets just three hours ahead of achieving their biggest dream as newcomer singers.
Q: How do you feel about getting to hold a concert under your name for the first time? And what's the theme for it?
Yoon Doo-joon: Since our debut, we had always said it was our dream or goal to claim the top prize on music shows while holding our own concert has been the biggest of them and we're just a few hours away from achieving that. We're so nervous and happy.
Yo-seop: The theme for the show is "Welcome to BEAST Airline" and we'll become pilots who take flight with our fans. We will lack in some aspects because we've had to prepare the concert while everyone is busy but we've been practicing over six hours everyday by creating a stage exactly the size of the stage we'll stand on tonight at the arena next to where we're performing.
Q: We heard you will perform in duos tonight. What's this about?
Dong-woon: Each team, composed of Jun-hyun and Yo-seop, Gi-kwang and Hyun-seung, and Yoon Doo-joon and myself, are going to announce a new song each. We composed and wrote the lyrics to the songs ourselves after discussing with each other on the musical or vocal tendency each member wants to pursue.
Q: Are there any performances you have planned for your fans in particular?
Dong-woon: We mostly promote only the title tracks and follow-up tracks to our albums but we'll perform many of our songs from our albums with new choreography and arrangements.
Yo-seop: I think "Thank You" which I and Jun-hyung will sing will be meaningful since we wrote and composed it thinking of how grateful we are of our fans.
Gi-kwang: And you'll get to see Dong-woon and Yo-seop acting even more cutesy.
Q: What did the entertainers that you work with on variety shows say when they heard you're going to hold a concert?
Gi-kwang: I told the cast of MBC's "Hot Brothers" but they're all very busy all the time and the hosts of KBS talk show "Win Win" congratulated me on it.
Yoon Doo-joon: I really wanted to invite the cast of MBC sitcom "All my Love" to the concert but I couldn't because today's the day they shoot. I really wanted to show Mr. Kim Kap-soo and Mrs. Kim Yeong-ok me singing so I'm really disappointed. For sure next time though!
Q: You achieved many feats this year including winning best new artist, selling over 100,000 copies of your album and getting to hold a concert. Which are you most happy about?
Dong-woon: I think today. I'm happy about everything else as well but this is something all six of us had dreamt of since we were trainees so it's significant in that we get to hold a concert under our name.
Yoon Doo-joon: It's been slightly over a year since we debuted and everything was a dream to us back then. We worried a lot about whether we'd get to hold a concert and whether people would love our albums but very luckily, they turned out to be pleasant worries. I thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for all the love you have shown us and we'll work harder to repay you for it.
Yo-seop: I'm proud of us in that we released four albums during the past year. Despite the fact that it's been tough physically, I'm most happy about the fact that we got to inform people about the style of music we want to do.
Gi-kwang: I think everything that everyone just mentioned helped to make BEAST become better known.
Hyun-seung: Our concert. Like already said, it's something that all six of us have always dreamt of and we've practiced a lot as well through thorough planning. I don't want to disappoint the audience and I will do my best today.
Jun-hyung: I'm happy about all three but if I had to choose, it's definitely the concert. Up till yesterday, I prepared our show under a huge amount of pressure but that's over now and I'm now happy with the thought that I'l get to put on a fun and amazing show in a few moments.
More concert photos here
Q: Is there anyone you talked to or received help from when you were having a hard time while preparing for the concert since you were all very busy?
Yo-seop: We always talk to each other a lot rather than talk to anyone else in particular.
Yo-seop: The members of our group talk to each other a lot and we were eased of a lot of our worries after talking with our dancing teachers about the concert so I think we tend to talk and resolve things amongst ourselves.
Q: You recently held a successful showcase in Japan. How do you practice your Japanese? And who's Japanese is the best?
Jun-hyung: We receive lessons whenever we have time and honestly, we're more or less similarly bad at it (laugh) but I guess Dong-woon and Yo-seop could be considered to be relatively good.
Q: Some of you also appear in sitcoms or variety shows. What are the individual activities each of you would like to pursue in the future?
Yo-seop: We all want to do lots of things but we want to pursue them based on our singing career as members of BEAST. I would like to be a deejay for a radio show and study song writing and composing more. I'm waiting for the opportunity to come to me some day.
Dong-woon: I want to obtain a driving license. For extremely personal activities... (laugh)
Jun-hyung: When I see Yoon Doo-joon and Gi-kwang on sitcoms and variety shows, it seems very difficult so I thank them for doing such a great job. I'm not confident at being better than them yet so I'm thinking it'll naturally come to me one day if I keep working hard at it.
Hyun-seung: There are many ways I could go but I tend not to invest my time into improving myself outside of singing and dancing. I'm usually always practice my singing and dancing when I have time so if I get the chance to, I'd like to release an album as a solo artist who is capable of both skills. But before that, I'd like to work harder as a member of BEAST so that we may receive more love.
Gi-kwang: I made my acting debut thtough MBC's "High Kick Through The Roof" and was given the good opportunity of becoming part of the cast of MBC series "My Princess". Hence fans will get to see me as someone new, not Se-ho nor Gi-kwang. And I'll work harder at my singing career with BEAST so that we'll be able to show new sides to us.
Yoon Doo-joon: I think there's nothing I haven't tried my hand at -- singing, appearing in variety shows, being a radio deejay, acting, etc. I think I'd like to get to work on a larger variety of fields more professionally. I'm not scared of any of them. I'll work hard. Comedian? I'm all for it. (laugh)
Q: What is a strength that BEAST has compared to other boy bands?
Yoon Doo-joon: Even we ourselves think all six of us are very different but we go well together on the stage. We communicate very well too because we're all the same age except for Dong-woon. We might not get to meet our friends from school that often but the members of our group are all each other's best friends and colleagues so I think we have good teamwork.
Q: What's going to be your goal for after holding your concert?
Yoon Doo-joon: We're going to try harder to be loved by the public next year as well. And we'd like to hold concerts often if we could. We would also like to hold concerts in countries overseas as well instead of just showcases. We hope to make ourselves better known to more people.
Q: What does Asia mean to you? And what are your aspirations for the year 2011?
Jun-hyung: After debuting in Korea, I found out that a lot of fans overseas are interested in us as well. We visited them thinking we should repay them for their interest and we will continue to visit them. Whether it be Korea, Japan, Taiwan, or Thailand, I think everyone loves us equally everywhere we go. And I'm hoping that the public will become more familiar with BEAST in 2011. We always say this but we'll work hard to present a new and improved BEAST.
Reporter : Choi Ji-Eun five@
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@, Lee Ji-Hye seven@
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Source : 10.asiae.co.kr/Articl... ( English Korean ), HanCinema
