Stray Kids: K-Pop Titans Offer Jaw-Dropping London Spectacle
Thursday, 18 July 2024
Written by Jon Stickler
Photos: Jennifer McCord
News broke at the start of the year that Stray Kids were returning to London for the first time since 2019, sending their massive fanbase — known as Stays — into a heightened state of anticipation as their headline performance as the closing act for BST Hyde Park’s 2024 season loomed large. And, make no mistake, the K-pop titans delivered on that promise in truly jaw-dropping style.
As the sun dipped over the city’s largest green space the capacity crowd, some of whom had been picnicking on the grass since early afternoon, waited patiently for a more exciting alternative to a football match happening some 600 miles away.
Having built an international following since forming in 2017, the eight-strong Stray Kids waste no time in getting things going. Band leader Bang Chan greets the rapturous crowd with “Did you guys miss us?” before the group — dressed head to toe in sandy-coloured outfits — launch into a breathless all-killer-no-filler set that’s just short of two hours. Judging by the response of deafening screams, and they really are deafening, it’s clear that when Bang Chan once said, “Stray Kids World Domination", he definitely wasn't kidding.
Alongside him, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin and I.N. burst onto multiple purpose built platforms from behind a huge Stray Kids banner to launch into S-Class. They work the crowd masterfully. Instead of being swallowed up by the sea of Stays, they seize their attention by covering the enormous Great Oak Stage with wave after wave of flawless, high-energy choreography accompanying the more rock-oriented songs in their discography.
Freeze, Super Bowl, Topline, Thunderous, Item and Domino are as big and bombastic as they come, complete with huge, vibrant backing visuals. The group seamlessly zip between high-flying dance moves without missing a vocal beat. Their live band, too, are faultless in providing the thunderous backing music for each song, at one point briefly filling the air with Led Zeppelin’s unmistakable Kashmir riff. One for the dads, there.
Throughout the set, members peel off from the precision dance formations to create smaller, personal interactions with the crowd, waving to individuals and throwing up hand-heart gestures to fans brandishing signs and light sticks. Pairing break-neck dance moves at one moment with bullet-time rapping the next, the group appear to be enjoying the whole spectacle as much as their fans, showing plenty of comradery and hugging throughout the performance. At one point, Lee Know even jumps on I.N’s back for a piggyback charge down the stage’s catwalk.
Appearing everywhere at once, and then, like lightning, taking shape for a dance routine, the group run through fan favourites Social Path, Maniac, and God’s Menu against a backdrop of flames, while all benefitting from the amped-up sound. Genre-splicing crowd-pleasers in the form of Charmer, Lalalala and Victory Song follow, before fireworks are launched into the sky during Miroh, all executed to fluid dance breaks led by Hyunjin.
With energy still in the tank, somehow, Bang Chan asks the crowd, “You guys want one more song?” Pausing to check they wouldn’t break curfew times, the group rip through a three-song encore comprising a reprise of Topline, Megaverse and Haven, parting with hope to return to the UK soon. With their new record, ‘Ate’, about to land, they’ve already begun rolling out dates for their dominATE World Tour, so another appearance could come sooner than you think. If so, get ready. Stray Kids are meant to be experienced, not simply listened to.
Stray Kids Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Sat October 19 2024 - MELBOURNE Marvel Stadium
Sat October 26 2024 - SYDNEY Allianz Stadium
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