[TWITTER/ TRANSLATION]
CNBLUE’s twitter ( @CNBLUE_4 ) : 안녕하세요 용화예요! 지구 반대편에서도 우리를 응원해주시는분이 있다는게 엄청 신기하네요~~ 또 한번 꼭 와서 공연하고 싶네요^^ㅋㅋㅋ 캬캬 여러분!!! 얼마남지 않은 콘서트! 기대해주세요!!!ㅋㅋ 감기 조심하시구요! 뱌뱌
“Hello, I’m YongHwa! It’s really interesting to have people from the other side of the globe cheering for us~~ I’d love to come one more time and have a concert^^ kekeke kya kya Everybody!!! Upcoming concert! Please look forward to it!!! keke Also be careful not to catch a cold! Byabya”
Via Tumblr
JHです
I’m JH
ジョンヒョンです！
I’m Jonghyun!
One of the most popular girl groups in Asia, Girls’ Generation, will perform at the “2013 K-Pop Fantasy Concert” in the Philippines’ capital of Manila.
“Girl’s Generations’ attendance at the concert scheduled for Jan. 19, 2013, has been finalized and confirmed,” DM school, a co-organizer of the concert, said on Monday.
Several famous K-pop singers, including ones from S.M. Entertainment, are expected to perform at the concert jointly organized by KMH and dance academy DM School.
(lhj137@heraldcorp.com)
The K-POP group with true ability, U-KISS, has attracted the most attention in 2012 and gathered around 25,000 for their first Japan nation-wide tour, “U-KISS 1st JAPAN LIVE TOUR 2012”, which was brought to a close with a big success on March 25th at Zepp Tokyo.
The minute that the members, dressed in their white suits, entered the stage, the whole hall got very excited at the same time. From the start of the live, the fans were very enthusiastic with the uptempo numbers, it started with their 2nd single “Forbidden Love” that they released last month on the 29th, their big hit “Neverland” that released last September in Korea, the Japanese versions of “Bingeul Bingeul” and “Shut Up!!”, which are their popular songs from their Korean activities and others. To have fun with the fans, during “Show Me Your Smile”, the members showed a comical dance that they thought of themselves.
In the middle of the show, they entered the stage wearing monotone clothes to match the concepts of the songs, and showed their unit’s parts one by one. Both Kevin & Hoon’s vocals were showcased in “Take me away”, AJ & Kiseop’s fascinating number “Obsession”, the impressive “Orion” which was based on the vocal team Soohyun・Kevin・Hoon・Kiseop’s beautiful harmonies, the highlight “Eeny,Meeny,Miny,Moe” which was based on the rap team Eli・AJ・Dongho’s trio, they continued with their first song they sang in Japanese, “0330”, which was fully charming.
Approaching the end of the live, they entered the stage in a rock styled black leather and red pants, they did the powerful “Man Man Ha Ni” with their representative “Kangnam (manly)
Dance”, the members showed what kind of singing skill they have with “Someday”, then their beautiful ballad number “A Shared Dream” the title song from their 1st Japanese album, after softly listening to this was the U-KISS styled “Every Day”, and they brought it to a finish with their Japanese debut single “Tick Tack”, an uptempo number.
For the encore, they re-entered the stage wearing their remade tour t-shirts. They enthusiastically sang “Believe” for everyone in Japan that experienced the earthquake disaster. Overcome with emotion, the members tears came out, and also had to shorten the song. Also, in the audience were member Hoon’s parents and brother, who came running from Korea as a surprise, the MC segment was wrapped in a kind atmosphere when they were introduced on the stage. The last was their bright pop number, “Lifetime”, and became one with the fans before ended the live.
Bringing the nation-wide Zepp tour to an end, leader Soohyun commented, “We, U-KISS performed our first nation-wide tour, it became lives with very happy and fun memories with the many people who came. Thank you. We’re thankful to the many staff who lent us their strength to carry out these lives. And above everything, we’re thankful to all the fans who always give us their support. Thanks to everyone, we’re able to have additional lives, and we’re also thankful for that. We’re doing great effort, without forgetting our initial goal, we’ll do our best in order to be recognized as a J-POP artist. I love you.”
In July, hoping to receive the same great success as this tour, there will be 15 lives in 9 cities, they have also decided to scale up by changing the venues to a hall (Hall can hold more people than Zepp)
, and are working to have their (fanclub)
membership exceed 35,000 people.
■ SET LIST
2012.3.25 sun
@Zepp Tokyo
M1. Forbidden Love
M2. Neverland
M3. Bingeul Bingeul
M4. Shut Up!!
M5. Show Me Your Smile
M6. Take me away
M7. Obsession
M8. Orion
M9. Eeny,Meeny,Miny,Moe
M10. 0330
M11. Man Man Ha Ni
M12. Someday
M13. A Shared Dream
M14. Every Day
M15. Tick Tack
EC1. Believe
EC2. Lifetime
■ Live Information
U-KISS 1st JAPAN LIVE TOUR IN JULY 2012 DATES
July 7th (Saturday) @ Hiroshima ALSOK Hall
[TWO SHOWS] @ 2:30PM & 6:30PM
Capacity: 1,730
July 8th (Sunday) @ Osaka International Convention Center Main Hall, Grand Cube Osaka
[TWO SHOWS] @ 2:30PM & 6:30PM
Capacity: 2,754
July 14th (Saturday) @ Sendai Sun Plaza
[TWO SHOWS] @ 2:00PM & 6:00PM
Capacity: 2,054~2,710
July 16th (Monday) @ Nagoya’s Chukyo University Center for Culture & Arts, Aurora Hall
[TWO SHOWS] @ 2:30PM & 6:30PM
Capacity: 2,291
July 18th (Wednesday) @ Fukuoka Sun Palace
[ONE SHOW] @ 6:30PM
Capacity: 2,316
July 20th (Friday) @ Nagasaki Civic Auditorium
[ONE SHOW] @ 6:30PM
Capacity: 1,922
July 25th (Wednesday) @ Sapporo Citizens Hall
[TWO SHOWS] @ 2:30PM & 6:30PM
Capacity: 1,500
July 27th (Friday) @ Niigata TERRSA
[ONE SHOW] @ 6:00PM
Capacity: 1,510
July 28th (Saturday) @ Tokyo NHK Hall
[ONE SHOW] @ 6:00PM
Capacity: 3,800.
July 29th (Saturday) @ Tokyo NHK Hall
[ONE SHOW] at 1:00PM
Capacity: 3,800.
TICKET PRICE: 7000 YEN
ALL CAPACITY SEAT NUMBERS ARE APPROXIMATE.
■ U-KISS Official Website http://u-kiss.jp/
credits; asian-hana.com + candleshu@tumblr + UKISS_JapanENG@twitter + robotix@rocketboxx.net
U.S. pop diva Lady Gaga has decided to kick off her 2012-13 world tour at Olympic Stadium in Seoul because she wants to interact with enthusiastic Korean fans, a tour promoter in Seoul said.
The world star unveiled the schedule of her tour via her Twitter on Wednesday, surprising her fans in Seoul with the announcement that it will kick off here on April 27.
An official of Live Nation Korea told The Korea Herald that Gaga will hold her Seoul concert at the Olympic Stadium, one of the biggest sports venues in Korea.
Live Nation is one of the largest entertainment companies in the world and is the international tour promoter for Lady Gaga’s worldwide concerts.
 |
| Lady Gaga. (Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald) |
When asked why she chose Seoul as the first city of her upcoming world tour in Asia Pacific instead of Japan, Asia’s largest music market, the official said, “Lady Gaga said she just loves Korea.“
“She is looking forward to meeting her Korean fans who showed enormous passion and enthusiasm during her last showcase in Seoul (in 2009),” said the official who asked not to be identified.
The pop star believes that the Korean audience will interact with her shocking performance better than any others, he added.
The singer reportedly will visit Seoul a month prior to the concert to rehearse and hold the first press conference here. Live Nation Korea, however, said both plans are “not confirmed yet.”
Live Nation expects to draw at least 35,000 people to the April concert.
World pop star Michael Jackson performed for 65,000 Koreans at the venue in 1996.
Starting in Seoul, Gaga will then take her pop hits and eccentric costumes to Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, New Zealand and perform six shows around Australia.
The 25-year-old pop artist is expected to hold 110 shows this year including the initial 11 concerts in Asia.
“Just saw first photos of the stage being built. Just peed all the way down to my Chanel shoes!!” Gaga wrote on Twitter last month.
All the stage settings are being built in the United States and will be transported here, Live Nation Korea said.
The pop superstar has already revealed the concept of her stage setting, a medieval castle, to her massive fanbase on Twitter ― just under 19 million followers.
Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, became famous with the hits songs “Bad Romance” and “Poker Face.”
By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldm.com)
Credit: The Korea Herald
K-pop stars including Girls’ Generation, 2PM and BEAST captivated an audience of about 10,000 at a joint show at Bercy Stadium, one of the biggest concert venues in Paris.
Eight K-pop stars, who also included boyband SHINee and girl groups 4 Minute and SISTAR, performed on “Music Bank in Paris,” a music show produced and distributed by Korea Broadcasting System.
It was the second concert by K-pop stars in the French capital — SM Town concert featuring musicians from SM Entertainment took the place at the Zenith of Paris in June last year.
Despite the cold weather in Paris, K-pop fans from all over Europe including Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom came to Paris to meet their Korean stars, according to reports.
Starting with U-KISS, the show lasted three hours, according to reports.
Girls’ Generation, which made its TV debut in the United States last week, highlighted the show with “The Boys.”
The group also appeared on a popular French talk show on Thursday, ahead of its first album release in Europe early next week.
The Music Bank show featuring K-pop stars in Paris will air on Feb. 18 in 72 countries through KBS World, an international broadcasting service provided by KBS.
By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldm.com)
Credit: The Korea Herald
 Boyband Shinhwa performs during the 10th-year anniversary concert at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Bangi-dong, southeastern Seoul, in this March 29, 2008 file photo. / Courtesy of Shinhwa Company/Topclass Entertainmen |
Boy band remains hot ticket 14 years after debut
By Kwaak Je-yup
As the years go by, even the hottest teen idols often disappear into oblivion and make room for the younger generation to bask in the limelight. But one group in Korea has managed to stay relevant and even wildly popular ― 14 years after their debut.
Shinhwa, the longest-running boy band in the country, sold out its two-night concert series “THE RETURN” 40 minutes after tickets went on sale at 8 p.m. Monday, the group’s management announced the morning after.
The performances are scheduled for March 24 and 25 at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena at the Olympic Park, Bangi-dong, at the southeastern edge of Seoul.
“We are grateful to our fans. Thanks to them, we can ensure Shinhwa’s comeback after four years will be celebrated in style,” said Eric Mun, leader of the band in a statement. “We are working on a great performance for the fans who have stuck with us for so long.”
As a concert venue, the arena is the largest in the country, with a typical capacity of around 15,000. While the organizers led by CJ E&M opted for less at 10,000 tickets per night, selling out in such a short period is still no mean feat ― especially with the overabundance of pop concerts in recent months.
Arguably the most influential and popular boy band at the turn of the millennium, Shinhwa can continue to bank on future success, as the key demographic for their concerts are still in their 20s. According to statistics from Interpark, the sole distributor for the two-night affair, 73.6 percent of all ticket buyers were aged 20 to 29, with those in their 30s trailing far behind at 12.2 percent. The 40-somethings bought 10.2 percent of the tickets, while the rest, 4.1 percent, were snapped up by teenagers.
Member of Shinhwa
Women far outnumbered men at roughly nine to one.
Steeply priced at 66,000 to 143,000 won, “THE RETURN” tickets are already being illegally traded online, fetching even higher prices. CJ E&M and Shinhwa Company, which oversee the six members’ activities, said they are investigating this practice. More tickets may become available if those conducting unauthorized resales are caught and forced to return them.
Since 2003, Mun, Lee Min-woo, Kim Dong-wan, Shin Hye-sung, Jun Jin and Andy Lee, have pursued solo careers ranging from theater to film and television on top of music. Mired in a legal battle with their original management agency and industry stalwart SM Entertainment over trademark rights of the group’s name, Shinwha had no choice but to explore other options at the time.
The court ruled in the group’s favor the following year, and the members signed with Good Entertainment. In 2007, the members started their own management firms to shape their own paths with mixed success. Their chart performances as solo acts have yet to match those recorded as the original ensemble.
The six members perform together periodically, with organization and finances overseen by Shinhwa Company. Mun and Lee Min-woo are co-chairmen.
The group has undergone a forced and elongated hiatus, as members were required to do their national service. Last time they performed with the entire line-up was four years ago, for a 10-year anniversary concert. The end of March was chosen for this year, in order to see Lee Min-woo’s discharged from the Army. He is the last of the six to fulfill his military obligation.
Their 10th as-yet-untitled album was supposed to be pushed at the same time, but the release date has not been fixed.
“The members are working on an album project, but no date has been set,” said a spokeswoman of Mun’s agency Top Class Entertainment. “Details are still to be ironed out.”
Shinhwa made their debut in 1998 and counts dozens of hits, including “T.O.P. (Twinkling of Paradise),” “Only One,” “Perfect Man,” “Brand News,” “Once in a Lifetime.”
They are often cited as one of the pioneers of the Korean wave, or hallyu, with a wide fan base across North and Southeast Asia and have recorded sales in the millions.
Credit: The Korea Times
SH: Keke does this have a feel of Paris to it ?? ㅎㅎ yfrog.com/odt27gyj
DH: @ukissSH Are you at the Arc de Triomphe right now?ㅋㅋ
Credit: kpoptranslates + @ChoiFTW
Aww…I am glad he finally found someone to draw him one.
Does anyone draw any caricatures around the Eiffel Tower??ㅎ Or will they not be there because of the cold weather?ㅜㅜㅋ
먼곳을달려 도착한곳에 다들톼군준비를하고계신 케리커쳐아저씨들이있었다ㅎ 춥다고일찍퇴근하신데서 마지막 케리커쳐를 부탁드렸다ㅎ 냐가너무너무사랑하는 그림이됐다..ㅎㅎㅎ I love Paris 궁금하죠? 메롱ㅋㅋ pic.twitter.com/moN0f5oW
After driving a long way I finally found some caricature artists who were all preparing to go homeㅎ I asked for the last caricature because they were about to go home due to the cold weatherㅎ And now I really really love this painting..ㅎㅎㅎ I love Paris you’re curious right? merongㅋㅋ pic.twitter.com/moN0f5oW
날너뮤이쁘게그려주신 케리커쳐아저씨!!ㅎ 너무좋타아아ㅜㅎ 아름다운밤이예요~^^ pic.twitter.com/EboFUM9L
The caricature artist who drew me so well!!ㅎ I like it sooo muchㅜㅎ It’s a beautiful night~^^ pic.twitter.com/EboFUM9L
Credit: kpoptranslates
・May 17 & 18 – Aichi Prefecture (Nippon Gaishi Hall)
・May 26 & 27 – Yokohama (Yokohama Arena)
・June 1 & 2 – Osaka (Osaka-jo Hall)
・June 16 & 17 – Saitama (Saitama Arena)
・June 23 & 34 – Fukuoka (Marine Messe)
Official Fanclub Ticket Sale: February 24 – March 5
More info will be announced in the fanclub page soon.
On Sale: March 28, 2012
・Type A： Limited Edition【CD + 2DVD PHOTO BOOK】 7,140 Yen
・Type B：【CD + DVD①】3,990 Yen
・Type C：【CD + DVD②】3,780 Yen
・Type D：【CD】2,940 Yen
・Type E： HMV Lawson Limited Edition Pack【CD 2DVD PHOTO BOOK, Original BIGBANG face towel, Original logo take-out bag】 9,800 Yen
For Type A to D:
– CD (with total of 9 songs, subject to change)
– DVD①: Documentary Footage (Approximately 60 minutes / Subject to change)
– DVD②: Title TBA 1 (Music Video), Title TBA 2 (Music Video), Making-of Footage (Approximately 30 minutes / Subject to change)
For Type E:
– CD (with total of 9 songs, subject to change)
– DVD①: Documentary Footage (Approximately 45 minutes / Subject to change)
– DVD②: Title TBA MUSIC VIDEO (Total of 3 songs / Subject to change, Approximately 15 minutes)
Source: YGBIGBANG Japan, HMV via bigbangupdates
Reupload: http://keksprinzessin.wordpress.com/2012/02/04/news-big-show-2012-in-japan-tour-dates-alive-album-japanese-release-details-announced/
Asian Entertainment 