J-pop extravaganza is off, but some bands are ready to risk it in Bangkok
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The Bangkok bombing is predictably having repercussions in every business sector, and the field of entertainment has felt the blast as well, with foreign acts understandably leery about risking an appearance here, given that the fans' welfare might be in
G-yu Creative, organiser of the Japan Expo Thailand that was scheduled for this coming weekend, carefully assessed the situation before deciding that a postponement was in order. No new date is being offered as yet for the massive gig starring dozens of J-pop and J-rock stars, including girl band AKB48, SuG, Dempagumi.inc, Hanazono Naomichi, defspiral and Faint*Star.
Let’s hope they find a safe date soon, because the show is being touted as the biggest J-Pop event in Asia. It’s the second edition touring the region, pulling in tens of thousands of fans, and most of them quite young. Those kids are the reason the organiser is worried. In spite of the disappointment shared by Thai fans and Japanese expatriates and a huge loss of revenue, audience security comes first.
Stay tuned for updates here or on Facebook and at www.JapanExpoThailand.com.
On the other hand, we do have two big concerts coming up on Saturday in Muang Thong Thani. Maybe American alternative-rock band Imagine Dragons, who’ll be hammering down the walls at Impact Arena, are the fearless types – maybe they’re just more reckless.
The same goes for South Korean boy band 2PM, who have a meet-and-greet lined up for the fans in the adjacent Thunder Dome that same day.
As of the moment this column went to press (and online), those shows were still ready to roll. Concert promoter Four One One Entertainment was quite sure about the 2PM gig as of yesterday.
Nichkhun “Buck” Horvetkul, the Thai guy in 2PM, is conscientiously keeping fans up to date with the plans via Twitter, having expressed concern after the bombing last Monday. “Hope everyone is safe,” he tweeted.
Thai or otherwise, the lads in 2PM are utterly familiar with Bangkok as regular visitors, both on and off duty.
It’s BEC-Tero Entertainment that is, with the help of Live Nation (no relation to us), bringing in Imagine Dragons at a cost of many millions of baht. This is their Thai debut and part of the four-member band’s “Smoke + Mirrors” Asian tour. They’ve already been to Seoul, Hong Kong, Singapore and Manila and will be heading next to Melbourne, Australia, for the finale.
