The 2017 Korea-Japan Super Rock Great Meeting in Seoul is held at the Jangchung Gymnasium in Seoul on July 1. From left: Korean band Eve, Japanese singer Miyavi, Japanese group SPYAIR, Korean band FT Island and Japanese band Comodo Dragon.
By Kim Eun-young and Kim Young Shin
Seoul | July 1, 2017
Photo = B’Forest Korea
A concert that brought together rock fans from Korea and Japan was held at the Jangchung Gymnasium in Seoul on July 1.
The Korean bands FT Island and Eve, and Japanese pop groups SPYAIR, Comodo Dragon and Miyavi, all performed together at the 2017 Korea-Japan Super Rock Great Meeting in Seoul, to bond Korea and Japan through rock 'n' roll.
The vocalist of the Japanese rock band SPYAIR, IKE (left), and the Korean band FT Island’s vocalist Lee Hong Gi sing FT Island’s song 'Orange Days' together at the 2017 Korea-Japan Super Rock Great Meeting in Seoul concert held at the Jangchung Gymnasium in Seoul on July 1.
The concert reached its climax when the Korean group FT Island and the Japanese group SPYAIR performed together. Their collaborative performance united the 2,500-strong audience.
“The power of music is that it brings reconciliation and friendship,” said FT Island singer Lee Hong Gi.
“I've dreamed of a collaboration with Korean artists because I have fond memories of Korea from shooting a music video here,” said SPYAIR vocalist IKE. “I hope that music would bring the two countries together.”
The audience had a similar response.
Hamada Misaki, a Japanese fan of FT Island visiting for the performance, said, “I had a vague fear of Korea from the images I get from Japanese media, such as the news, but the Korean fans I met here were so kind that I changed my mind.”
The political and diplomatic issues between the two countries were nowhere to be seen among the artists and the fans as they all indulged in the joy of rock that continued for five hours.
eykim86@korea.kr
Japanese rock band SPYAIR is made up of (from left) KENTA the drummer, MOMIKEN the bassist, IKE the vocalist and UZ on guitar.
Korea.net sat down with SPYAIR, a group that has held concerts in Korea each year since 2011.
What's so special about performing in Korea?
We've performed in many countries, but Korea is certainly a place with the best reaction.
The audience sings along in one big voice, which makes us very happy and also makes us realize that we are, indeed, a rock band.
How does Korea feel to Spyair?
UZ: I always had a good experience in Korea. Even though we have different languages, all of the crowd has memorized the lyrics to sing along with us. As an artist, this gives me the utmost of joy, and Korea is a place that really guarantees such a great feeling.
IKE: Because there’s a shared stage between Korean and Japanese artists, Korea is a special place to me. I want to serve as a bridge that connects Korea and Japan through rock 'n' roll.
MOMIKEN: We continuously perform live in Korea, ever since our debut. Korea is like a second home to us.
KENTA: We’ve been coming to Korea for many years now. As the landscape in this country changes, we and our fans all grew up together. For me, Korea is a place of growth.
*SPYAIR is a Japanese rock band with four members: IKE (vocalist), KENTA (drummer), MOMIKEN (bassist) and UZ (guitarist). They are known for the song “Genjo Destruction,” part of the soundtrack for the TV show “Gin Tama" (銀魂).
What's so special about performing in Korea?
We've performed in many countries, but Korea is certainly a place with the best reaction.
The audience sings along in one big voice, which makes us very happy and also makes us realize that we are, indeed, a rock band.
How does Korea feel to Spyair?
UZ: I always had a good experience in Korea. Even though we have different languages, all of the crowd has memorized the lyrics to sing along with us. As an artist, this gives me the utmost of joy, and Korea is a place that really guarantees such a great feeling.
IKE: Because there’s a shared stage between Korean and Japanese artists, Korea is a special place to me. I want to serve as a bridge that connects Korea and Japan through rock 'n' roll.
MOMIKEN: We continuously perform live in Korea, ever since our debut. Korea is like a second home to us.
KENTA: We’ve been coming to Korea for many years now. As the landscape in this country changes, we and our fans all grew up together. For me, Korea is a place of growth.
*SPYAIR is a Japanese rock band with four members: IKE (vocalist), KENTA (drummer), MOMIKEN (bassist) and UZ (guitarist). They are known for the song “Genjo Destruction,” part of the soundtrack for the TV show “Gin Tama" (銀魂).
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