01 May 2019 “Dreamcatcher’s 2 years of ‘nightmare’ end… 7 dream-like moments”
Dreamcatcher’s 2 years of ‘nightmare’ end… 7 dream-like moments
[Joynews24 reporter Jeong Byeong-geun] A nightmare that has spanned over two years has come to a close. It was a huge undertaking, writing a story unique to Dreamcatcher. The team solidified its color with its signature metal sound and performances overflowing with energy, while gaining accomplishments, including its two world tours which began with the tour of 5 Latin American countries. For Dreamcatcher, the nightmare was a lucky dream which allowed them to take a stride forward.
Dreamcatcher debuted with ‘Chase Me’ on January 2017. The powerful choreography and intense metal sounds stood out, but the unique fantasy storyline about ‘nightmares’ was also different. After that, they completed the grand epic of the nightmare through ‘GOOD NIGHT’, ‘Fly High’, ‘YOU AND I’, ‘What’, and their latest track, ‘PIRI’.
Dreamcatcher had an interview with Joynews24 [photography=reporter Jeong So-hee]
The seven members of Dreamcatcher each portrayed a different common nightmare(‘Chase Me’), and struggled in a chase against the nightmare hunter(‘GOOD NIGHT’). Why, then, had the girls become nightmares? After answering that question in ‘Prequel'(Fly High), they told an alluring story about the murky divide between reality and dream, as well as how inside and outside seemed to be two and one at the same time(YOU AND I).
Then they expanded the story by pointing to the stress of modern life, caused by the uncertain reality the youths of today face and the things that torment them, as the cause of the nightmare. They concluded the story, expressing the emotions of modern life, the need to escape the solitude and anxiety of being left behind, through the sound of the flute which was their SOS call(PIRI).
The journey was long, making all the members feel “like it isn’t over yet”. They also grew fond of the story, saying “it would be good if we could base a different story on the ‘nightmare'”.
Through that journey, they now have 7 lead tracks, and well over 20 tracks if you count their b-side numbers. This means they can fill their concerts purely with their own songs. The fact that they were able to hold around 30 concerts throughout their tours, which includes the Latin American tour, two world tours, as well as their current Asian tour, was made possible not only by their popularity but also by the number of their songs.
Response to Dreamcatcher first came from overseas. They held concerts overseas even before they held concerts domestically. It was because their metal sound, so distinct from other girl groups, and their unique concept felt somewhat unfamiliar to domestic audiences. Still, they are capturing the eyes and ears of an increasingly large audience. The members also said that “people are becoming more accustomed and more accepting”.
Their domestic concerts, held March last year and April this year, clearly demonstrates this change. The second concert was held in a larger venue for two days, and all seats were sold out. They also feel the love of fans as they travel in and out of the country. The members thanked fans as “a 100 or so fans wait for us in the airport and greet us every time we return to the country”.
Dreamcatcher members also numbered off the most memorable moments since their debut. We put 7 of them in chronological order.
Dreamcatcher Gahyeon
#1 The day we first wrote and read a letter to fans (July 2017 debut 200 days fanmeet)
JiU: We were always receiving letters from fans, and then we wrote a letter to fans for the first time. For our 200 days fanmeet, we wrote letters to our fans and read them out loud on stage. All seven of us wrote letters but because of the time, only three of us read them on stage. So we later scanned the handwritten letters and uploaded them to the fan cafe. While reading the letters on stage, the touching emotions that we felt as we wrote them came back to us and we all cried.
Gahyeon: I told myself that I wasn’t going to cry and then burst into tears on the first sentence.
Yoohyeon: Our maknae Gahyeon became a crybaby after that. Her crying as soon as she opened her letter after saying she won’t cry was funny and helped other members to cry a bit less.
Dreamcatcher Handong
#2 Arriving at the airport for the 4 city tour in far away Brazil (December 2017)
SuA: Brazil is so far away from Korea. The transit, the wait, we flew over 30 hours to get there. I was worried if there really would be anyone who would come to see us in such a far away place. But then, dozens of fans greeted at us right at the airport. I forgot how tired I was and smiled.
Siyeon: Also, the fans dancing in front of the concert venue, us being able to hear their voices in the waiting room as they sang our songs, I don’t have the words to express how I felt. There weren’t any official goods back then, but there was a couple wearing couple t-shirts with our name on them. Someone also made t-shirts with our name on them and gave them to us through our agency. Their passion was so hot.
Handong: Even before we got on stage, when the music began to play, they began shouting for us. Their throats probably hurt but they cheered for us like that all throughout the show. I was so moved that tears rolled down my face.
Dreamcatcher SuA
#3 Our first concert in Korea (March 2018)
Dami: We began holding shows overseas before we did so domestically. Having held our first show in Korea, the best part was that we didn’t need a translator. (Laugh) It was so nice. Overseas, we would say one sentence and wait for it to be translated. In Korea, it was great that we could tell jokes freely and communicate easily with the fans.
SuA: Our family can’t come to our overseas shows because it’s far. It was nice that our parents could come to our domestic show. Parents of every member came, and we got to make eye contact with them. It was touching.
Dreamcatcher Dami
#4 when the members sang the track that Dami had written the lyrics of(May 2018 ‘YOU AND I’ B-side track ‘Scar’)
Dami: I’d done rap making and had written parts of our lyrics before but ‘Scar’ was a song that I wrote the whole lyrics on my own. It was a special feeling, having a song with lyrics that I’d written make it into an album and then hearing the members sing the song with the words I had written. It was also touching to see ‘lyrics by Dami’ on the album.
Members: It was special for us to sing, too. We actually all tried to write the lyrics but Dami unnie’s got chosen.
Dreamcatcher JiU
#5 The surprise fan song stage at ‘Music Bank’ (June 2018 ‘YOU AND I’ and the fan song ‘Full Moon’)
JiU: It was during our ‘YOU AND I’ promotions. It had been over half a year since the surprise release of our fan song, ‘Full Moon’. Then we got a chance to perform two songs, ‘YOU AND I’ and ‘Full Moon’, on the last week of the promotion. Being able to perform a fan song on stage was a special moment for both us and the fans. That was the first time we sang two songs on a music show.”
Dreamcatcher Yoohyeon
#6 When a foreigner recognized us and said hello to us in LA (August 2018)
Yoohyeon: It was when we were in LA for KCON. We were doing a photoshoot for our photobook, and a foreigner approached us and talked to us. They had been across the street staring at us. I wondered why they were doing that until they finally crossed the street and told us that they were a fan, and that they were going to KCON too. It was surprising and pleasing.
Dreamcatcher Siyeon
#7 When we first got to use the underground waiting room in M Countdown, and when we got to use a waiting room by ourselves
(‘M Countdown’ has a large studio group waiting room on the first floor. A group waiting room and a few solitary waiting rooms are on B1.)
Siyeon: We first went to the underground waiting room during the ‘Fly High’ promotion. We went back to using the first floor and began consistently using the underground waiting room from ‘YOU AND I’ and onwards. In the underground waiting room, it’s easier to use the bathroom, the lights are different, there’s a big mirror, and it’s directly connected to the stage via elevator, so it was great. I was so thankful.
Gahyeon: It felt strange to be in the place(underground waiting room) that we’d only heard about. When we first used the underground waiting room, our manager let us off on B1. We went to the first floor wondering why and was surprised when our name wasn’t on the waiting room there. We went back down after being told what was happening.
Handong: We got to use the underground solitary waiting room for the first time during the ‘PIRI’ promotion. Again, of course, we went to the group waiting room and was flustered that our name wasn’t there.(Laugh) Turns out, they’d given us a waiting room with a bathroom attached.
Dreamcatcher
Dreamcatcher recently wrapped up their domestic ‘PIRI’ promotion and promoted in Japan. From May, they plan to continue their Asian tour. After the Asian tour, Dreamcatcher hopes to release a new album domestically in the second half of the year. Now that they’ve concluded the ‘nightmare’ story, anticipation is high as to what kind of story and stages Dreamcatcher will show us.
Dreamcatcher members said “we are confident that we have a uniquely defined energy and color. Even as members, when we see each other, we are so cool. It’s as though all seven of us are centers. We’ll put a lot of effort into the next album to come back with a story, music, and stage that are interesting, so please look forward to the new Dreamcatcher”.
/Reporter Jeong Byeong-geun kafka@joynews24.com
Photography: Jeong So-hee
ss082@joynews24.com
original article: joynews24
please do not take translation without credit