JYJ in Berlin

November 6th will be remembered by European kpop fans as the day JYJ played their second, after Barcelona, European concert. Their performance in Berlin was the last on their World Tour, during which they played in Asia, USA and Canada, also marking the end of their music activity in 2011.

Berlin's Tempodrom houses 3000 people and all tickets available for this day were sold out. A large crowd had gathered before the venue long before its doors were opened, and some of the most devoted fans had already been waiting at the gates since Saturday. It was hard not to notice that Asian fans were prevalent amongst the crowd, although there were also many fans from other European countries and a few who came with their parents. Judging from the flags carried by the fans, people from France, Greece, Poland, Korea, Japan, and undoubtedly many others, came to Berlin to see JYJ. Everyone seemed to have come prepared though – I don't think there was anyone in Tempodrom that evening without something shiny in their hands. And if anyone did miss out on buying a proper concert kit, fan club members were distributing glow sticks to anyone without them, with specific instructions that the red one was to be used throughout the concert while the white one only during In Heaven. Tempodrom was quickly filled with excited fans who could not truly believe that they were about to see JYJ.

The stage had an additional raised part with stairs on both sides; there were three screens, one in the central part of the stage and two on both its sides. And when the sign 'JYJ' appeared on the screens, fans began to scream with joy. Lights went out and the music video of In Heaven was shown, with fans screaming almost every time Junsu appeared in it. Once In Heaven was over, a short intro of the tour was presented, smoke filled the stage and fire burst from its front part. Fans' screams got even louder when Jaejoong, Yuchun and Junsu finally appeared on stage. The member dressed in white suits and accompanied by a group of dancers started to sing and dance to Empty. The group didn't have problems with warming up the already hyper-excited fans who screamed 'Let it go!' with the chorus. Once the song was over JYJ stood in the font part of the stage and shouted 'Hello Berlin!' greeted by deafening shouts. Two translators joined the band and a question and answer part of the concert, which was to appear a few times more later this evening, began.

Junsu: We are very happy to be here and we hope you will have a good time! [in German] Danke! [Thank you]

Jaejoong: Hello! I hope we will keep this fever till the end of the show! Danke!

Yuchun: I have never been to Germany and I am very happy to be here. It's cold outside but with your energy we will definitely not feel the cold here. Danke!

After the introduction one of the translators presented a brief history of JYJ: their beginning, cooperation with Kanye West, the latest album and tour. They proceeded with questions to the band.

Why is JYJ here?

Junsu: We are here for you! It may be cold outside but your reaction is so warm.

How do you feel being here in Germany?

Junsu: For me, Berlin is very beautiful.

Yuchun: We went out with our staff the other day. German girls are so tall! … and sexy (laugh).

Jaejoong: I thought exactly the same thing. Why are the girls here so tall? What do they think of short guys?
I think a guy should be taller than the girl, right?
Then I'll have to start wearing higher heels (laugh). Danke!

Fans screamed after every sentence uttered by the members and were very pleased with their replies.

Jaejoong: How about playing another song? It will be Pierrot.

Fans responded with cheers and Pierrot began. Dancers dressed in white outfits with masks on their faces danced as if they were the title's puppets controlled by outside forces. JYJ encouraged fans to dancing and singing along with them. Ayyy Girl was next; standing in the centre point of the stage Yuchun took off his tie and threw it away and ordered the crowd to stand up. Soon the entire Tempodrom was dancing away with the band which encouraged fans to make waves. Though the song is a little slower-paced, it served as a good introduction into the next track - BE MY GIRL. Halfway through the song the pace was changed and the remix version was heard. The party atmosphere immediately filled Tempodrom and the crowd started jumping with the band. During the chorus JYJ stood in one line with the dancers and presented their choreography encouraging fans to dance with them, which they indeed did, though not without problems. and Junsu walked from left side of the stage to the right charming fans with their smiles, while Jaejoong earned himself a roll of screams when he spontaneously dance with one of the dancers.

After such an energetic part of the concert a short break that followed was more than welcome; the band left the stage and a footage of JYJ's European tour preparations was shown: the dancing and song rehearsals, stage arrangement discussions, etc.

Once the film was over, members presented their solo songs. Yuchun was the first to appear on stage – he came with three female dancers and sang the song I Love You from the group's The Beginning album, teasing fans with sexy dances with the three ladies. Jaejoong was next – he sang the song I'll Protect You which was used for the 'Protect the Boss' drama he played in. It's a lovely ballad everyone waved their red glow sticks to. Jaejoong's singing isn't something anyone should question, and all those who doubted his talent will remain silent for ever after this performance. Junsu also took this opportunity to show off his vocal abilities when he sang the song You're So Beautiful which was featured on the soundtrack to 'Scent of a Woman' drama. This warm song attracted the attention of the whole crowd which sang the words 'you're so beautiful, you're so wonderful' in the chorus together with Junsu.


Another Q&A session followed.


What would you like fans to take home with them after this show?

Yuchun: (amused) Junsu's butt (laugh). (almost immediately) I'm sorry (bow).

Jaejoong: (not knowing what to say) Well, what can I say… Junsu's butt (laugh). We really wanted to show you our songs and dance, but if you want to take something home with you,… then it'd be Junsu's butt.

Junsu: Right… my butt. We want you to feel our passion.

You've been in Germany a few days now. Do you know any German words?

(members pointing to one another)

Junsu: Ich liebe dich. [Trans: I love you]. Alles Klar? [Everything ok?] Danke.

Yuchun: I think that you have to be careful with that… Was ghets! [How is it going?]

Jaejoong: I feel under pressure (laugh). (jokingly to fans) It's not funny! … Berlin, wo seit ihr? [Berlin, where are you?]

Can you tell us something about your future plans?

Junsu: This will unfortunately be our last music activity this year. We are happy that we can spend this time with you. We will take this energy from tonight and with it we’ll prepare for next year.

Fans sighed after these words – they protested loudly and stomped their feet, which clearly surprised JYJ.

You said that you were in a bar before? What did you have?

Yuchun: We had beer in the bar and sausages in the hotel.

Did you like German food?

Jaejoong: I also had the sausages. I drank beer, tequila and B52… there was some fried food as well. It was really good.

Yuchun: Lecker! [Trans: delicious]

Jajoong: I think I put on weight after it. (laugh) Danke.

Junsu: German bananas are really tasty. And hamburgers (laugh).
Wait, what was the next song again? Oh yes, the next song is from Yuchun's drama.

Found you was next; the crowd waved their glow sticks and sang 'saranghaeyo' from the chorus. Bubbles burst from the sides of the stage and the atmosphere reflected the romantic and cute song. Once this song was over, the band took a break and another footage was shown on screens.

This time it was a footage of the trios adventures in Europe. The film was divided into two parts: first Barcelona and then Berlin. Fans could see the members sightseeing the cities, relaxing, going shopping and signing CDs of those fans who bumped into them.

JYJ returned in new, black military jackets and presented the energetic I.D.S.. Apart from the amazing dancing parts, fans could yet again see that the band sounds exactly the same as on their CDs and admire the ease with which they performed their dancing moves and manage to sing flawlessly to it. It got even more lively when BE THE ONE was played – the whole Tempodrom sang the title words in the chorus together with the band. Fallen Leaves was actually the first ballad sang together by the band and also one of the very few slower songs this evening. The live performance is truly impressive and quite possibly everyone got goosebumps.

There was another break after Fallen Leaves and another footage to see. 'All about JYJ' is a series of short behind-the-scenes films presenting the members' everyday lives, music video shooting, photo sessions, etc and can be watched online. What Tempodrom could see was just a selection of moments amongst which was a footage of Jaejoong riding on a quad, Junsu playing a football match and a visibly painful fall of Yuchun while going down a slope on a snowboard.

JYJ returned wearing new outfits and sang yet another party track - MISSION. The song immediately raised the heat, but it was clear that the song was played form a recording. It would have probably escaped my notice had it not been for the ear microphones which notoriously slid off the members' heads, yet they still managed to sing flawlessly and evenly. But I guess there is nothing to be angry about, since the setlist so far was an extremely dynamic one, and MISSION itself is not one of the easiest songs to dance to.

To everyone's surprise JYJ left the stage after the song and fearing it may have been the end of the convert, fans began to call the band back. Luckily JYJ had to remove the malfunctioning mikes and returned on stage with two translators for the last Q&A session.

Jaejoong: Are you having a good time!? You know, this amazing song that we have just showed you was written by Junsu. The last chorus is a really difficult one, and I have no idea why Junsu put it in it (laugh). But I think it was ok.

As you probably know, JYJ are not only dancers and singers but also actors. They all have starred in various productions: Jaejoong in Protect the Boss, Yuchun in Miss Ripley and Sungkyunkwan Scandal, and Junsu in the musical Mozart. How do you feel as actors?

Yuchun: (to fans) Do you watch Korean dramas In Germany? On your computers? [Fans screamed 'yes'] Ah, that's right.
I’m still a rookie actor and I learn a lot from other actors and directors. It is a very exciting job. I will work hard to become even better at it.

Jaejoong: Learning new things is always exciting. But from now on I want to focus on music.

Junsu: I really wanted to come to Germany. The composer of the Mozart musical is a German guy, Sylvester Levay who is like a father to me. That's why I am really happy I can play in his country. Sadly, he doesn't live in Berlin, so I could not meet him.

There was a sympathetic sigh from the crowd which became even louder when the next thing was said.

Jaejoong: Unfortunately the time goes fast. This is all that we have prepared for you tonight.

Jaejoong had barely managed to finish the sentence when the crowd started protesting loudly, stomping their feet and screaming 'hajima' [Trans: No, don't stop] in unison.

Jaejoong: We are really sorry, but that is all we have for you tonight. Unfortunately the concert has come to an end. Please let up say goodbye to you with this last song.

The relentless 'hajima' continued, but the fans eventually gave up as this 2-hour long concert was indeed coming to an end. JYJ sang the song all have been waiting for - In Heaven. Fans immediately took out the white glow sticks and the red glow of the concert room was changed into white. It was truly an amazing view and I'm sure it touched JYJ who sang the song beautifully. The fans sang the chorus together with the band, even though it was in Korean.

Once this lovely song was over JYJ left the stage and the fans almost immediately began to scream 'JYJ'!. One of the most amazing things the fans did on that night happened exactly in this moment – the 'JYJ!' chant was turned into 'saranghae!' which fans screamed in unison showing the trio their love.

JYJ returned for the encore wearing white tour t-shirts and sang two songs: Get Out and again Empty. Jaejoong, Junsu and Yuchun changed place, walked to every corner of the stage and interacted with fans who jumped, sang the words of both songs and just had a wonderful time. Towards the end of Empty there was a short dance battle between the dancers and at the end Junsu came out and showed off some of his impressive moves. The stage was showered with silver confetti which stuck to JYJ's sweaty faces.

Once the songs were over, JYJ held hands with the dancers and bow together to the fans. They each screamed 'Thank you!' to their microphones and left the stage amongst screams of their fans.

The 'JYJ!' chanting began again but it was clear that there would be no second encore. Fans did not give up fast, but had to when the lights were lit and security asked everyone to leave.

Tempodrom was filled with fans for while after the concert was over; many shared their impressions with friends or Korean media who were present there. And there truly were a lot of things to be remembered after this show - JYJ known mostly for their ballads, opted for an energetic show this evening and kept building the tension, changing the pace and balancing slower songs with faster ones. Despite language barriers and different culture they managed to communicate with their fans and clearly had a good time with them. The fans were amazing – they sang the songs, they communicated with the band in their own ways and showed the band much love. After this concert I'm sure many European fans felt a pang of jealousy that Korean and Japanese fans can participate in such fantastic performances so often. I hope that after this successful European tour JYJ return to Europe for their next tour. Hopefully soon.

Setlist:
Empty
Pierrot
Ayyy Girl
Be My Girl (Remix)
I Love You [Yuchun solo]
I’ll Protect You [Jaejoong solo]
You’re so Beautiful [Junsu solo]
Found you
I.D.S
BE THE ONE
Fallen Leaves
MISSION
In Heaven

Encore
Get Out
Empty