THE KOREAN pop music industry launches some 50 new groups at any given year and with fickle fans expectedly enamored by the excitement that fresh talent brings, established bands can easily be pushed to the sidelines.
BEAST performing one of its hits during the fan meet; playing games, posing for photos, giving high fives and accepting a birthday cake. -- BABUT Z. BACENA
It was a phase that even well-known groups such as Super Junior, Big Bang, and 2NE1 went through. But while there may be periods when they were off the K-pop radar, a talented group will not fade away by mere inactivity or a slight controversy.
The six-member Beast was launched in 2009 and has four studio albums and nine extended plays under its belt. Beast may not be as prolific in terms of output as others, but if pitted against its contemporaries performance-wise, Yang Yoseob, Lee Gikwang, Son Dongwoon, Yoon Doojoon, Yong Junhyung, and Jang Hyunseung can certainly hold their own.
But opposite younger groups that regularly release new songs, competition can be tough. Consistently keeping the fans interested is key.
While Beast is arguably one of the best among its peers, the fact that the group waited so long to return to Manila (six years since its first visit) and the lack of new material seems to have affected its drawing power.
Smart Araneta Coliseum was far from full last Saturday (March 19) but the boys -- as well as the production team -- dished out a show befitting a comeback, despite an obvious handicap.
Hyunseung, one of Beast’s vocalists, was a no-show during the fan meeting. This is not the first time -- he has been absent from the group’s activities, including a concert in Macau early this month. One-half of the Troublemaker duo, a sub-unit of K-pop groups Beast and girl group, 4Minute, Hyunseung is reportedly going through some “personal issues.”
The other Beast members must be credited for trying to fill the void left by Hyunseung. However, without one of their vocalists, it was difficult to get that same solid vocal symphony that Beast is known for. Dongwoon and Doojoon alternately took on Hyunseung’s part in songs, but as K-pop members are only usually trained for their own particular song sections, there were instances when the alternate either missed a cue, ended up mouthing the words for substantial compliance, or, in some numbers, was altogether flat.
It was more of a mini-concert than a fan meet with Beast singing 11 songs, opening with “Good Luck,” and “Yey,” from the latest album, Ordinary, released in July. As the fan meet was anchored on the album, two other cuts made it to the repertoire: “Gotta Go To Work” and “Suite Room.”
Obviously not used to missing a member, Doojoon, as the leader, tried to lead the group to a more cohesive performance. The absence of Hyunseung, likewise a noted dancer, was also felt on the dance floor.
Beast opted to take it slow for most of the night, singing smash ballads “Midnight,” “12:30,” and “On Rainy Days,” from the Midnight Beast, Time, and Fiction and Fact albums, respectively. Yoseob, the main vocalist, was a revelation in this string of ballads and impeccably sang his parts. They picked up the tempo with “I Thing I Love You,” “Beautiful Night,” “Encore,” and rounded up with the “How to Love.”
As it was a fan meeting, the boys had up-close encounters with their Filipinos followers. They played two games, stacking paper cups in tandem with five selected “Beauties,” as their fans are known. Yoseob won in the members’ round while Doojoon’s partner won in the fans’ round. They also had a round of “kick for gifts,” where the idols kicked a small soccer ball towards a numbers board and behind each number was prize. The group gave away gifts including signed albums and a special edition teddy bear. In return, fans surprised Gikwang with an advance birthday celebration, complete with candle blowing.
After the show, select ticket holders were treated to three “perks” -- a high-touch session, photo opportunities, and distribution of signed photos by the members themselves.
The staging of fan meetings have become more elaborate and sophisticated, with more and more being held in the Philippines in recent years. For those fans who are willing to spend a lot, these meetings produced by the likes of All Access Productions, offer the best of both worlds -- the same group performance as a concert but with fan service opportunities.
For Beast and its Pinoy fans, the reunion may have been a bit late but it was for them an unforgettable experience. As Doojoon posted on his Instagram account after the event, he was moved by a banner that said seeing Beast is like a dream come true. Despite the challenge, Beast and their Beauties proved their resiliency.
cr: Business world Online
