Singer-songwriter releases song commemorating victims of Itaewon Halloween disaster

Rob Nichols, right, a British singer-songwriter living in Seoul, performs the song "I Just Want To Go Out Tonight" about the Itaewon disaster that happened days earlier, at Hair of the Dog in central Seoul's Haebangchon, Nov. 3, 2022. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

Rob Nichols, a British resident of Korea living in Yongsan District, has released his latest song, "I Just Want To Go Out Tonight," a tribute to the 159 lives that were ended in last year's crowd disaster in the district's Itaewon area.

The singer-songwriter uploaded the song to YouTube on Oct. 29, the first anniversary of the tragic event.

He wrote the song last year, in the week immediately after the disaster when people were hurting the most.

"It's a very simple song and it came all in one go really," Nichols told The Korea Times. "It didn't take long to write."

The acoustic song describes the perspective and experiences of someone who went to Itaewon on that tragic night.

"All these kids wanted to do was go out and have fun," he said. "I used that as the basis of the song and I tried to put myself in the shoes of the kids on the night," said Nichols.

He released the song without any particular strategy. "I just wanted to share the song, I don't know why," he said. "I was angry about what had happened. This is the second time something like this has happened while I've been in Korea — the Sewol obviously being the other."

Nichols, who is a member of the local folk/alt-country band Honey Jam Sam, said the song is likely to appear on an upcoming album.

"I’ve been hesitant to do it live because of how it might be received," he admitted. "I’ve played it a few times live though."

Visit @tobiasquinn9554 on YouTube to hear the song.