Korean indie bands to perform in UK
Galaxy Express is one of the four Korean indie bands scheduled to perform in the United Kingdom from April 24 to May 4.
By John Redmond
The indie rock band scene here has long been a refreshing alternative to K-pop for many expats looking to explore Korean music.
For fans returning to their homeland, getting the latest info, songs and video clips of these bands is down to social networking sites. Now, for those in the U.K., a handful of Korea’s prominent indie bands are heading to Britain.
A tour entitled Korea Rocks presented by Hyundai Card Music will bring four Korean indie bands to the U.K. for shows from April 24 to May 4.
“While K-pop continues to garner attention around the world, little is known about Korea’s other music scene. Korea Rocks hopes to help change this by showing people that Korea has an indie music scene that … well, to put it in the simplest terms, rocks!” the organizer says in a press release.
Psychedelic garage rock/punk act Galaxy Express, post-hardcore/post-rock act Apollo 18, hard rock/alt-rock act Gate Flowers and psychedelic soul/pop band Goonamguayeoridingstella will hit venues across England and Wales. The four bands offer a diverse range of what Korean indie rock has to offer and promises to give overseas fans a taste of local music.
Galaxy Express formed in 2006 and quickly began turning heads with their infectious blend of tightly wound garage rock, punk, and psychedelic sounds and explosive performances. The Seoul trio’s debut was a double album called “Noise on Fire” that won Best Rock Album at the 2009 Korean Music Awards.
Formed in 2008 in Seoul, Apollo 18 quickly skyrocketed to the top of South Korea’s rock ranks winning the government-sponsored Hello Rookie prize for being the most promising new band in 2009 and Rookie of the Year at the 2010 Korean Music Awards.
Possessing a moniker such as Goonamguayeoridingstella, it should come as little surprise that the Seoul-based act’s music is tough to pigeonhole. Combining elements of rock, psychedelic pop, blues, surf, reggae, and even a touch of dub into groovy sonic concoctions, Goonamguayeoridingstella’s 2007 “We Are Pure” debut was ranked No. 70 on 100Beat.com’s 100 best Korean CDs of the 2000s.
Playing a mix of hard rock and alternative rock, Korean quartet Gate Flowers’ debut eponymous EP netted them the government-sponsored Hello Rookie prize for being the most promising new band in 2010 and both the Rookie of the Year and Best Rock Song trophies at the 2011 Korean Music Awards. In 2011, the group appeared on Top Band ― a Korean televised talent competition for bands.
The Korea Times spoke with members of Galaxy Express about their views on this tour and future plans.
Q: What are your expectations for this tour?
A: Park Jong-hyun (vocals/guitar): We just finished month-long, 26-concert American tour two weeks ago. The timing for this tour is kind of tight because of that, but we're really happy for the opportunity to play as part of Korea Rocks. We think this tour is going to be a lot of fun. We're friends with Apollo 18, Goonam, and Gate Flowers and enjoy all their music. It's going to be awesome to get to experience the U.K. together with all of them.
A: Lee Juh-yun (vocals/bass guitar): I think the lineup for this tour is really strong. None of us have gigged in the U.K. before, so we don't know what kind of reactions to expect. But I think music fans that come to these concerts are going to have a really good time and be surprised by the talents and high skill-level of Korean rock bands.
Q: Did you ever see the band reaching this level?
A: Park: We're still a small band, especially when we go overseas. We've had some success in Korea, but there's still a lot more work for us to do here and abroad. We're hungry to do more. We want to make more music, play more gigs, travel to more countries, play to more people, and experience more things. We’re pushing ourselves now to try and make all of those things happen.
Q: What are your future plans?
A: Lee: Our latest album will be released in Japan at the end of May. In July we’ll be playing at the Peaceful Love Rock Festival in Okinawa, Japan, and at Korea’s Ansan Valley Rock Festival.
The tour dates are April 24, Tunbridge Wells Forum; April 26, The Bank (Focus, Wales); April 27, Yales Cafe Bar (Focus Wales); April 28, London, Barfly; May 1, Manchester, Night & Day Café; May 3, Liverpool, Studio 2; and May 4, Liverpool, Kazimier Gardens.
Korea Rocks will showcase some of the top talent in Korea’s indie music scene during a U.K. tour that will include appearances at the Focus Wales and Liverpool Sound City music festivals and club shows in Kent, London, and Manchester.
Wristbands or tickets will be required for the festival shows at Focus Wales and Liverpool Sound City, but the Korea Rocks club gigs in Kent, London, and Manchester will be free concerts.