22 November 2014, Singapore – The trio from Royal Pirates spent a fun-filled afternoon on 20th November 2014 with lucky fans in Singapore over an exclusive Google Hangout session, where the trio received and answered questions from the fans. The witty replies and humor of the trio had resonated very well with the local fans in Singapore and laughter had filled the room many times throughout the entire session.
Of the three members of Royal Pirates, Bassist/Guitarist James was born and grew up in America, where he stayed until the age of about 23. The other two members, vocalist Moon and drummer Soo Yoon were born in Korea and subsequently moved to the States where they stayed for a long period of time.
Having spent a good amount of time in the States, Royal Pirates definitely has a good conduct of the English language. The members revealed that they used to write their songs in English, but Moon and Soo Yoon are now writing in Korean more often so as to better convey the essence of their songs. James, however, still writes in English, because he “only knows about 300 Korean words”.
With regards to the cultural differences between Korea and the States, Soo Yoon felt that what was different was that “there are a lot of public baths, like public saunas, and you see everything of everyone!” He quipped that it was his “first time” seeing James “in his best form”. Moon added that the definition of “skinny” was very different in both places, which is why there are no public baths in America.
Adding on, James recounted that he was actually very smart during college days, often topping the class and was even appointed the teaching assistant. He then carried on, “But in Korea, when I see myself on TV shows, I look really dumb.”
They also shared that they enjoy the kind of bonds forged in Korea, and there was a strong sense of brotherhood which was rare in the States. They also acknowledged that the notion of respect for seniors was very strong in Korea and they had to spend some time adjusting to it. James exclaimed, “I haven’t bowed so much in so long!” and added on jokingly that Soo Yoon could not bow properly because he has back problems.
About the habits of other members, Soo Yoon revealed that James sleeps and wakes up really early, and James responded, “Soo Yoon sleeps late and wakes up late! You’ll see him playing his guitar and singing at 4a.m.” Soo Yoon then quipped that he would be singing so that James can go to sleep.
Recalling their experience in Singapore when they came for Men’s Fashion Week a few years ago, they shared that it was the first time they performed overseas and it was a very memorable experience for them. They described Singapore as a clean place with nice weather, and that it was “a mix of America and Asia”. The trio also shared that during that trip, they weren’t allowed into the casino because they were wearing sandals.
About what they would like to experience during their next trip to Singapore, they quipped, “visit the casino!” They then asked fans to recommend what they could do in Singapore and fans recommended the Universal Studios Singapore. This led to a discussion about theme parks and rides, and Moon described the Viking as a very weird ride and played out the motion of the ride with his hand. Soo Yoon exclaimed in response, “But we’re Royal Pirates! We’re supposed to like it!”
In the final message to fans, Royal Pirates said, “We’d love to see you guys soon. I don’t know when but we’ll try our best. Men’s Fashion Week was one of the most pivotal landmark in our lives, we played in a brand new culture with new people and it was there in Singapore and we really regret that we weren’t able to go. But you can bet that next time we go there, it’s going to be worth your time. It’s going to be the best concert and you better be there. We really wanted to meet you guys. Just make sure you come the next time. We don’t have a plan yet to go, but we have plans to plan the event. We will be there, some day, and we are expecting you there and it’s going to be a great time. It’s going to be the best show. We hope you can come. We’ll have new songs, better songs for you guys. That’s all we can do right now, make good music for you, better music. And actually we are going to Thailand in December, it’s not too far, please come, some of you can, maybe. We’re going to do our best. See you soon, and you got to be there.”
KAvenyou would like to thank Universal Music Singapore for the invite to Google Hangout with Royal Pirates!
Check out Universal Music Singapore Regional Facebook for more photos and coverage!
Article by: Lauren @ KAvenyou.com
Photography by: Universal Music Singapore
