JYP Entertainment’s latest K-band, Xdinary Heroes, held their first international tour since their debut in 2021. The group successfully performed at Le Bataclan in Paris, France, on November, 11th.
Bands are slowly becoming a more and more prominent of the Korea music stage. As such, it was not necessarily a surprise to see Xdinary Heroes take off to mee the group’s international fans. More unusual though was the fact that their first-ever internation tour started in Europe. However, it has proven itself to be a very clever choice considering how many fans showed up in Paris.
To start the perfomance, the members took place on stage with Jun Han and Gun-il at the back of the stage. Meanwhile Jungsu, Gaon, Jooyeon and O.de were at the front.
The concert started with “Freddy” followed by the music “Come Into my head”, “KNOCK DOWN”, “Checkmate” and “Test Me”. An energetic sequence during which the members get no break but display impressive stage presence. Jooyeon and Jungsu climb on the small steps located at the edge of the stage to get closer to fans.
The members then officially introduce themselves in front of the French Villains. They remind fans that this World Tour started in Seoul, and say that they are happy to finally be in the French capital. The members interact with fans a lot during this ment, psuch as O.de targetting fans with his fingers. Jooyeon playfully says that he’s “so happy that he feels like he must play an instrument. It’s the charm of having an instrument”. With this simple sentence, the youngest member proves that for him, his bass isn’t an accessory but a mean to express his own feelings.
Xdinary Heroes members explain that the name of their tour, “Break a Break”, means that they want to have no limits on this tour. And to reach that goal, Villains and their noise were very important. They also ask the fans to get rid of their negative energy and to just enjoy the show.
It seems the fans took at as their signal to become even louder than before, chanting the famous riff from “Seven Nation Army” that fans in Europe often use as a fanchant. Xdinary Heroes are quick to follow and start playing along with it. The members make sure to enjoy meeting international fans, and say that they can see each and every fan and meet their eyes. Jungsu, who confesses that he was a bit nervous prior to the concert, says he has no regrets.
Following the ment, the group continues to perform their music. The keep interacting with their fans in the audience. Later, during “Dear H.” the audience creates a flash wave accompanied by the boys swinging their arms from right to left.
When a fan shows signs of feeling unwell, Jooyeon stops the show and make everyone take one step back. The audience obeys and applauds, making the members look happy with the fans’ behavior.
Xdinary Heroes work a lot on their music to reflect their personality in everything they do. On stage, they appear confident, playful and innovative. While bands from entertainment companies often walk closer to the pop-rock line, Xdinary Heroes music and performances is a more traditionnal rock genre. It also shines when they tackle songs that aren’t their own. During the concert, the band performs covers of “Wannabe” from Itzy, a girl group from the same company. They also sing “The Great Escape” by Boys Like Girls.
As the concert progresses, the boys let loose on stage as much as the Villains do. Jun Han comes down to the front of the stage, joining the other members while Gun-Il keeps playing the drums. The leader of the group keeps hitting the drum, giving the tempo of the performances like he leads the group.
After a break, Xdinary finally returns for an encore composed of five songs. Each member of the group expresses their gratitude to their fans who came to support them. The members even each take turns at speaking a sentence in French. Gaon probably has the most sentimental line of them all, saying “You are my light, my stars and my strength to live”. The group finishes the concert with their first release “Happy Death Day”. Unlike the song that says “it’s a worst day”, this probably felt like one of European Villains’ best days.
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Article and photo : Léa & Celine
