Episode 7 of KBS ‘Saturday Rock Festival’ Top Band 2 aired on June 16th and we’ve prepared to offer some opinions on each of the performances. KBS offers VOD to anyone with a KBS account if you want to watch the full episode. Daum does not allow video embeds, but if you follow the links below you’ll get to see the full versions of all performances.
In addition to myself the Top Band 2 commentary panel consists of Lightinthemind of Korean rock is real, Dahee of Dahee’s Plastic Castle, Ranya of K-Underground Sweden and Xtian aka drowningn00b. This week we’re finally a bit more satisfied with the editing, though we would’ve wanted to see more of the reasoning behind some of the scores.
Top Band 2 has now reached stage 3, with the 49 bands that managed to qualify through the Triple Tournaments of the first five episode competing to be one out of 30 bands to make it to stage 4. During stage 3 each band gets 300 seconds to perform while the four judges together with a jury of 20 decide who will qualify by issuing points, more details in the first post on the sliding stages. Roughly half of the bands had performed before the beginning of this episode which started with getting the cliff hanger from the previous episode resolved.
Wiretap In My Ear Score
Scores
Sub-total: 363
Jury: 312
Total: 675
Anna: A high score like this, placing them second, surprises me a great deal when their performance was so mediocre. I know they’re really awesome. I love this band. Did many years ago too. But judging from that performance alone I don’t think the high score is fair.
Lightinthemind: I think the score is not really fair, but considering the band’s years on stage they definitely deserve those points.
Dahee: I’m kind of shocked. There was definitely some bias in the scoring.
Nemesis: “타타타” (Kim Kook Hwan cover)
Anna: They’re playing it safe, but I like it nevertheless. That guitar solo in particular was precisely of the kind that made me a fan of this kind of music to begin with. I’m glad to see they’ve got support in the audience as well, but I still feel like they should go a bit wilder with their outfits. Apparently a band that doesn’t meet the 300 second limit will have to fine 80 points, but with 7 seconds left Nemesis are safe.
Lightinthemind: I like the performance and the guitar solo which was supposed to replace tango? They played well and with the style showing a particular Nemesis. Sometimes I feel desperate with them staying on the melodic side not adding any rough sounds but maybe it is their feature.
Dahee: Classic Nemesis. They did everything that people expected of them – they arranged the song to suit their sound, and they looked pretty for the fangirls. I admit I was a wee bit bored, though. I want something new from them. Shin Dae Chul compliments the guitarist, while Kim Kyung Ho says that they made the same mistake twice, so he lowered his score a bit.
Scores
Shin Dae Chul: 92
You Young Suk: 92
Kim Kyung Ho: 93
Kim Do Kyun: 95
Sub-total: 372
Jury: 293
Total: 665
Anna: The second highest score we’ve seen from the judges so far, but the jury is not quite as impressed. It makes sense though. The judges all had good reason to be impressed with the band’s performance. And when it comes to the music, this is really something for the fans, not the critics.
Lightinthemind: I’m surprised with such a score compared to Wiretap in my Ear. For me these bands are somewhat from the same boat. And I know that fans do support the band. But what’s up with the jury?
Dahee: The judges loved them, but it looks like the jury didn’t like it as much. I want to know the individual scores of each jury member, just out of sheer curiosity.
Tacopy: “한바탕 웃음으로” (Lee Sunhee cover)
Anna: The first part of it I’m just wondering what they’re doing, but once they get going for real it sounds a lot better. Still I had expected a bit more from them. For another band to have put on a performance like this, fine. But Tacopy? They’ve got a ton more experience to their name and a lot to live up to, even if most of the band members are fairly new. Kim Jae Kook attempts to do a mic trick but drops it, Kim Kyung Ho looks amused.
Lightinthemind: I’m disappointed with the performance and the approach to the cover.
Dahee: Tacopy is definitely not for me. They have good energy, but yikes at the mic slip! I agree with Kim Kyung Ho when he says that they focused so much on their stage presence that the quality of their playing went down.
Scores
Shin Dae Chul: 85
You Young Suk: 85
Kim Kyung Ho: 88
Kim Do Kyun: 95
Sub-total: 353
Jury: 289
Total: 642
Anna: Looks like the judges were largely in agreement with me. And the jury too? I’m a bit surprised, actually. I would’ve thought more of the jury would’ve been coerced by the energy of the jumping audience.
Dahee: Not surprising overall, considering their performance.
Behind The Scenes
Anna: Petepan Complex’s Jeon Ji Han brings Ynot? food claiming to be a fan? That’s cute, though I think they’ve been friends for many years already. Super Kidd look jealous. I really like these cuts from behind the scenes! Makes the show feel so much more personal and sweet
Dahee: Jeon Ji Han is definitely quite the character. I love how he shows off the lunchbox his fan gave him, and how he teases Superkidd with the food…and then gives it to them in the end anyway. Awww.
Siberian Husky: “Speed” (Kim Gun Mo cover)
Anna: Oh! This is the Siberian Husky for me! The song being an old favorite mine of course helps, but I’m so happy they’re showing this side of themselves so early in the competition. Great job!
Lightinthemind: Ouch! That is great cover! Smth is so catchy behind that old rock’n’roll feeling! As if it was from a good drama of the 80’s but still modern enough to give a bright smile.
Dahee: YES! This is what I’ve been wanting from them! They came to bring it, and they brought it.
Scores
Shin Dae Chul: 89
You Young Suk: 90
Kim Kyung Ho: 92
Kim Do Kyun: 93
Sub-total: 364
Jury: 289
Total: 653
Anna: I had actually expected them to get a bit more, but it’s a good score.
Dahee: Yeah, I’d also expected a higher score, but it’s still great.
Nevada#51: “Speed” (Kim Gun Mo cover)
Anna: Radically different from Siberian Husky’s version. Unfortunately can’t say I appreciate it much though…
Lightinthemind: If I’m right they were giving an attempt to perform it with a ‘party rock’ (one of their songs) style. And for sure it is Nevada51′s style but they didn’t care slightly about the origin. Being a fan of Nevada doesn’t help me to like this song much though.
Dahee: I can’t stand this AT ALL. Major, major vocal problems. It made me grit my teeth the entire time. I was not a fan of the arrangement, either. So chaotic! Next, please.
Scores
Shin Dae Chul: 85
You Young Suk: 88
Kim Kyung Ho: 92
Kim Do Kyun: 90
Sub-total: 364
Jury: 300
Total: 655
Anna: Not quite sure how the jury was reasoning here.
Lightinthemind: Again bias from the jury and judges’ side? Or how should they explain that? I know they are good in delivering energy but is it enough to be at that place?
Dahee: I…don’t…get…it…
Most Handsome Guy & Beautiful Girl for 21st Century
Daybreak’s Woney Kim names Her Check of Super Kidd. Transfixion agree on the vocalist of Rose Motel, Yuk Joong Wan. hakdong-8gate and Monni’s bassist all agree on Daybreak, bassist Kim Sun Il in particular. Daybreak’s Lee Won Suk instead nominates Jeon Ji Han of Peterpan Complex.
Yery Band’s Han Seung Oh is a fan of the girls in hakdong-8gate. Lee Woo Seung seems to have a crush on Monni’s bassist, and Monni’s Kim Sini points towards her as well before naming Siberian Husky’s vocalist. The members of Transfixion like the drummer of Peterpan Complex.
Anna: The captions have both Lee Woo Seung and Kim Sini noted as members of Daybreak… As for me, I would have to say the vocalist of Crimson Butterfly Ensemble.
Dahee: Yeah, the vocalist of Crimson Butterfly Ensemble is definitely the hottest girl in town.
Jung Band: “포기하지마” (Sung Jin Woo cover)
Anna: Talking about how very young all the other bands are. I had forgotten that they even made it. Will they get to join Tal Band at the very bottom, I wonder?
Anna: They’re putting on a decent enough hard rock performance. The vocalist doesn’t sound as good as he’s done before though. I would assume this audience of 2000 young people is very different from any audience they’ve played for previously. Now that I see clips of the two after each other, the vocalist of Jung Band actually reminds me a bit of You Young Suk. Only You Young Suk has had the good taste not to wear ear rings.
Lightinthemind: I don’t like this. They transformed old 90’s kpop into old 80’s rock and that is booring. Seeing them doing this I immediately remember the times of the latest Soviet Union when the iron curtain fell and the country was flooded at once with homemade bands doing covers of Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and others without really understanding what exactly they need to understand rock or just because attempt to show themselves.
Dahee: What I like about Jung Band is how comfortable I feel while watching them. There’s a warmth and a confidence there that I really dig. I enjoyed this performance. Who cares if they’re a cover band, or if it’s old style rock? The very fact that they’re stubbornly sticking to this kind of music in this day and age makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.
Scores
Shin Dae Chul: 85
You Young Suk: 88
Kim Kyung Ho: 91
Kim Do Kyun: 88
Sub-total: 352
Jury: 279
Total: 631
Anna: Surprisingly high scores! They’re number 16 and being the 31st band to play, this means Tal Band is officially out. With nineteen bands left to play this means any band getting more than 642 points total is guaranteed to move on to the next stage.
Lightinthemind: Why so high? For what?
Dahee: Woot woot!!
Tal Band Eliminated
Anna: This was very expected though I still feel like they got a lower score than they really deserved. The vocalist seems to be taking it well. Swingz are next in line.
Dahee: Poor cute ahjusshi. I like how he expresses hope that Top Band will introduce a great band to the mainstream music scene. What a sweetie.
The Lake: “늑대와 함께 춤을” (Lim Chang Jung cover)
Anna: All the members sing? I didn’t notice first time.
Dahee: I’m unimpressed. I see nothing really outstanding here. I was kind of getting into it with the sweet opening, but I became bored and a little annoyed as the song progressed. It feels shaky overall, which may be due to the weak vocals.
Scores
Anna: 571 points total put them at the same position as YaYa and La Piata. I had thought they’d definitely get more. I wonder whether it was the judges or the jury that were the harshest? My guess would be the judges, but then the jury has punished unknown bands before.
Lightinthemind: They are not bad, so why so low scores? From now on I should confess that I can’t understand anybody giving any points: neither jury nor judges.
Dahee: They’re not awful, but there’s nothing outstanding about them, either. I can understand this score.
Swingz Eliminated
Anna: They remain cute and in good spirit in spite of the early elimination. Not that they wouldn’t have seen it coming too. There’s something very charming about them. Hope to see more of them in the future.
Dahee: They’re adorable, like they leapt straight out of the pages of a perky shoujo manga. I’m sure we’ll see them around again sometime.
Ironic Hue: “유리창엔 비” (The Sunshine Village cover)
Anna: Very nice! Ironic Hue seemed so uncomfortable in their original video audition, but they’ve already become so much stronger even than what they showed during their first album activities. Beautiful!
Lightinthemind: They are adding good singing skills and that is not doing any harm to the performance which is getting more easy for the audience ears and maybe closer to judges.
Dahee: So pretty! It’s so nice to watch them improve and blossom like this. More please!
Scores
Anna: 17th place and 619 points total. Would really have wanted to see what the judges and jury scored.
Dahee: I’m starting to get really grumpy about the fact that they’re not showing all the judges’ comments.
Remnants of the Fallen Eliminated
Anna: I really, really had wanted to see more of them, but at least they’ve got the Band Incubator final to look forward to now. At least they managed to bring if only very limited attention to Korean death metal.
Lightinthemind: They could have shown them! Really not so many metal bands stepping into such competitions.
Dahee: Why are they the only band that doesn’t get a sad little goodbye montage?
Achtung: “날 떠나지마” (JYP cover)
Anna: I didn’t expect it when I learned of the song choice, but the vocals actually fit it very well. Over all I’m not all that fond of Achtung’s arrangement though. The slight funk feel of it all is really offputting to me.
Lighitnthemind: I refuse to understand this band. Vocals are too high pitched to have that manly charm and the arrangement of the song is just slightly better than boring.
Dahee: Ugh, his voice. So annoying. The arrangement itself isn’t bad. I like this better than anything else they’ve showed so far.
Scores
Shin Dae Chul: 90
You Young Suk: 90
Kim Kyung Ho: 92
Kim Do Kyun: 83
Sub-total: 355
Jury: 309
Total: 664
Anna: The highest score we’ve seen from the jury besides Daybreak! But then I could never see what others did in Achtung so in a way it’s not all that surprising to me. Sixth place
Lightinthemind: Ah… I understood what thought was floating in my head. With this hair, guitar and striped long-sleeve he resembles those stupid sailors of old movies that are always warm hearted and goofy.
Dahee: You Young Suk said that once their performance airs, they’ll probably receive a sponsorship offer from an acoustic guitar company. Anyway, I can kind of see why they got such a high score. And at the same time, I kind of can’t…
RuRuRu Eliminated
Anna: I had really wanted to see more of RuRuRu, but nothing they showed on the show was as charming as what can be found on YouTube. Did they try to offer what they thought the show wanted rather than trusting themselves? Or did I just get their sound wrong first time? Maybe they just weren’t ready for this kind of audience. Another band in good spirit in spite of the early elimination, and a cute cheer to Pia before they leave the set!
Dahee: Awww. This sucks. I’m going to miss their cuteness.
Bands Hidden Skills
One of the girls from hakdong8-gate can sound like she’s brushing her teeth. One of the Monni guys can sound like Park Young Kyu, and Kim Sun Il can sound like Kim Do Kyun. Wiretap In My Ear’s Hwang Ui Joon looks 80% like Oh Dal Soo and Rose Motel’s Kang Jun Woo has a face 90% like the Deep Ray version of Oompa Loompa. Rose Motel’s Yoon Jang Hyun has a 60% resemblance with Yoo Hae Jin and Bae Sang Jae has a 100% resemblance with Jin Chao Chun as Justice Bao. And finally, Rose Motel’s Yuk Joong Wang has a 0% resemblance with Choi Min Soo.
Anna: The brushing teeth sound skill was kinda cute, I guess. The Ooompa Loompa comparison is hilarious!
Lightinthemind: Exactly! Oompa Loompa! How cute and unexpected!!!
Dahee: I had to pause the video to laugh for like five minutes over the Oompa Loompa comparison. Wouldn’t it be brilliant if they did a cover of the Oompa Loompa song??
Transfixion: “환상속의 그대” (Seo Taiji & The Boys cover)
Anna: Looks like Devin Lee is still playing with them. So they’re going with a heavily “Smells Like Teen Spirit” infused version. I would approve if I didn’t already love the guitar solo from “환상속의 그대” so much. It’s heavy and not all that bad, but I’m left feeling like they could’ve done so much more picking a fantastic rock song like this one.
Lightinthemind: I feel lame here cause I can’t understand why take one original song, mix it with an immortal masterpiece and present it under the name of a very different band. I hear Transfixion partially in this outcome, here and there. and if I was listening with closed eyes it wouldn’t be obvious who is on the stage. Sorry one of my favorite bands, but you could have done it in a different way.
Dahee: This was hot. I love the face paint and the way he tore off the name tag to reveal it. And so much energy! I think I could learn to like this band.
Scores
Shin Dae Chul: 89
You Young Suk: 93
Kim Kyung Ho: 93
Kim Do Kyun: 90
Sub-total: 365
Jury: 322
Total: 687
Anna: Highest point from the jury so far! The total score puts them right after Daybreak.
Dahee: No surprise here, although I think it’s pretty obvious that they didn’t do as well as some of the other bands that are ranked lower. That jury is so biased.
Lightinthemind: For me it is surprising score. Really.
YaYa Eliminated
Anna: I wonder how they pick between bands with the same score. We have only seen the total score, not what the judges and jury gave so right now it looks like YaYa is eliminated before La Piata and The Lake because they performed first. At least it’s not alphabetic order, as confirmed by the ranking of other bands sharing a score, even if does sort of look like it
Dahee: Yes, I’m confused about that, too. I wish they’d revealed the rule behind that. Not that there’s really any hope for La Piata or The Lake anyway…
Lightinthemind: I’m so sorry for YaYa, really. Though they are not so simple for understanding but I see really interesting future for them.
Black Dog: “Tell Me Tell Me” (S#arp cover)
Anna: The refrain was more annoying than anything with all that repetition, but that aside they sounded pretty good.
Dahee: Not bad at all. They definitely have potential. But yes, the refrain is super annoying. The vocalist is rocking the guyliner, even if he does kind of look like a little kid who broke into his mom’s makeup collection.
Scores
Anna: 618 points, same as Crimson Butterfly Ensemble and Monni. I would’ve guessed lower, but with this they have every reason to be proud.
Dahee: I’m fine with this. I want to see what else they have up their sleeves for future rounds.
La Piata Eliminated
Anna: What to say. La Piata really should lose that synth for their duo performances.
Dahee: I am sorry to say that I am not sad about this. At all. Does that make me a bad person?
No.1 Korean: “칵테일 사랑” (Marronnier cover)
Anna: Compliments on a perfect song pick! And perfect energy from the first second! They’re really showing that they deserve to be here, in spite of being spared only in the very last minute. So fun and engaging! And they still manage to add another gear?I wanna be in that audience too!!
Lightinthemind: Ah… I’m melting and dancing at once. They are really doing great. And Kwon-sshi is almost everywhere, dancing, jumping, playing trumpet, doing funny faces and more. Why is he Milk Kwon? When I’m looking at the stage he is more like a jumping orange, full of vitamins and energy.
Dahee: Excellent song choice! Great energy and a good arrangement, too. This was really fun. I agree with Shin Dae Chul that they need to show something new for the next round, though.
Scores
Shin Dae Chul: 89
You Young Suk: 88
Kim Kyung Ho: 88
Kim Do Kyun: 88
Sub-total: 353
Jury: 316
Total: 669
Anna: The judges sure were contentious, but why the low score? This was one of the very top performances so far! Good thing at least the jury could recognize what it was watching.
Dahee: I wonder at the low(ish) scores from the judges…
Lightinthemind: Hey! You are doing it wrong, judges! That was really great performance worth watching and listening with pro approach.
The Lake Eliminated
Anna: Since they weren’t in the original top 99 I feel like I don’t know them well enough yet. Could’ve been fun to see more of them for that reason, but they didn’t do enough to really make me want to keep them.
Dahee: Ah, well. Maybe next year.
Frida Kahlo: “헤어진 다음날” (Lee Hyun Woo cover)
Anna: Oh no! Frida Kahlo, you got a second chance and you stick to that old rock sound when we all know you can do so much more? I want to like Frida Kahlo, but right now I like the original version of this song so much more. My face can very much relate to the face Kim Kyung Ho was making.
Dahee: What a disappointing performance. I expect better from Frida Kahlo. I’m annoyed when the judges say their sound isn’t accessible enough, though. And yet at the same time this sound definitely did not win me over…
Scores
Shin Dae Chul: 95
You Young Suk: ?
Kim Kyung Ho: ?
Kim Do Kyun: ?
Sub-total: 345
Jury: 270
Total: 615
Anna: A high score from Shin Dae Chul, but average 83 from the other three judges. I wish we could’ve seen how exactly they scored this. Frida Kahlo should deserve so much more than this, but with that performance it’s difficult to argue for more. On a side note, while the editing has improved immensely for this episode I find myself increasingly annoyed by the wrong names/band affiliations the show keeps displaying.
Dahee: An embarrassingly low score for this veteran band. And yet it’s also deserved. How sad is this?
Lightinthemind: Biased Shin Dae Chul…
Javo Island Eliminated
Anna: And we didn’t even get to see their performance! A consequence of the beyond lousy editing in the prior episodes, no doubt, but still a shame. How will we know if this was a fair elimination or not?
Dahee: I need to find a table…so that I can FLIP IT OVER.
Pia: “나만의 것” (Kim Wan Sun cover)
Anna: Looks like Pia is definitely the fan favorite here. Much cred to them for not going with a Seo Taiji song, instead choosing to challenge themselves a bit more. Performance is much better than their first audition in front of the judges, though vocals could use another bit of work. Still not quite the Pia I used to love, but decent enough. Kim Kyung Ho looks bothered.
Dahee: Yet another disappointing performance from Pia. What is going on?? I expect more from them than this. Wake up, guys!
Lightinthemind: Looks like they lost a bit of spirit after their separation with Seo Taiji and since the release of their last album. Smth is going in the wrong way for them, can’t understand where they are loosing. Not energy, not experience, not approach…
Scores
Shin Dae Chul: 89
You Young Suk: 87
Kim Kyung Ho: 85
Kim Do Kyun: 95
Sub-total: 356
Jury: 274
Total: 630
Anna: The jury seems very unimpressed and the total score is only good enough for position 20. But with only eleven bands left to perform there as good as guaranteed to make it to the next stage.
Dahee: Ouch! Yet another moment of embarrassment for them. Why such a high score, Kim Do Kyun?
hakdong-8gate eliminated
Anna: They were sweet and seemed popular enough with the other bands, but I’m not too sad to see them go. Their music is probably a better fit elsewhere.
Dahee: I hope that the next time we see them, their harmonies will have greatly improved.
Lightinthemind: They are really worth mentioning band. They should go further and improve and study.
Harry Big Button: “난 멈추지 않는다” (Zam cover)
Anna: I love this song!!! I’ve become increasingly fond of Harry Big Button since the start of this show and this is an exceptionally good performance! I enjoy their arrangement at large, though had expected it to proceed a bit differently at times. But then I suppose not being predictable is generally a good thing for a rock band like this.
Dahee: They did fine. They’re also becoming one of my favourites. I wanted the arrangement to be a little harder, but at the same time I appreciate that they decided to tone things down a little this time. So much potential!
Lightinthemind: Even though it’s the same approach as Transfixion had I like it. Western melody with strong vocals though softened for the audience. They are really skillful.
Scores
Shin Dae Chul: 87
You Young Suk: 82
Kim Kyung Ho: 82
Kim Do Kyun: 85
Sub-total: 336
Jury: 285
Total: 621
Anna: Why the low scores, judges? Position 21 is pretty good though considering how many bands have already played. I’ll keep the hope we’ll get to see more of them at the next stage.
Dahee: Wow, apparently the judges did not approve. Maybe Harry Big Button just made the wrong choices when it comes to pleasing them.
Metallatem+ Eliminated
Anna: Since they had their teacher sing I’m almost more surprised they didn’t get eliminated sooner.
Dahee: I had hoped for them to do better on this show, so this is a little sad. Still, I’m sure they’ll only improve from here on out. Just don’t let your teacher sing in future, kids.
Pearl’s Day: “달팽이” (Panic cover)
Anna: She’s got some pipes!! I never noticed that from Pearl’s Day before, mostly just thinking them to be one of many mid-00’s female fronted modern rock bands.
Dahee: Yeah, that vocalist is definitely working it. I’m confused by her outfit, however. And the cover itself is a little too straightforward for too long. But I don’t even like that transition. It’s a disappointing performance overall.
Scores
Anna: 609 points total, putting them dangerously close to elimination already.
Dahee: Ouch! This is pretty embarrassing for them.
Unside Eliminated
Anna: I’m so sad to see Unside go. They really were one of my favorite rookie bands in this competition. A coincidence that it’s be after a band performed the same song they did.
Dahee: Nooooo! Not Unside! So many of my favourites are gone now…*weeps over “Unside jjang!” banner*
Vanilla Unity: “내눈물 모아” (Seo Ji Won cover)
Anna: Very, very nice! The intro and verses are a bit weak, but Vanilla Unity offer an outstanding performance for the refrains. I like the song a lot from before, and I could see myself listening a lot to this version.
Dahee: I’m not a huge fan of this song, but their arrangement seems to understand it and its strengths pretty well. That part with the scream did not work for me, though.
Lightinthemind: I find this cover decent enough. Though smth isn’t tasting as good as I expected.
Vanilla Unity Eliminated
Anna: What? They’re eliminated already? And we don’t even get to see what they scored? Was it that sorta half-failed scream towards the end or was everybody, band and judges alike, just too tired? Considering that AshGray stay at position 30 with their 604 points we can at least assume it was lower than that.
Dahee: What a waste of a Top Choice card…
Lightinthemind: Erhm. What?
DOT: “흐린 기억 저편에서” (Hyun Jin Young cover)
Anna: They stick to their current sound and I still don’t like it much.
Dahee: Man, how much more boring can they get?
DOT Eliminated
Anna: And no scores for them either? Something below 604 points, at least. Though I’m really curious to see how the judges scored them individually, You Young Suk in particular.
Dahee: No surprise here.
After 17 Hours…
Anna: Shin Dae Chul is exhausted after seventeen hours of this and has to walk supported by others to find rest on a stretcher. The producers have sure made everybody work very hard to be able to save a bit of money. Only eight bands remain at this point, assuming that it was cut in chronological order.The bands that have yet to play as well as the audience all seem really tired too where they’re sitting on their blankets, waiting for something to happen. It’s already 2 AM when the show continues.
Dahee: Oh, poor Shin Dae Chul! This is just an inhumane schedule. I really respect him for saying confidently that he’ll continue judging, after just thirty minutes of rest. That’s professionalism.
Quartz: “나만의 것” (Kim Wan Sun cover)
Anna: Covering the same song as Pia, having a similar core sound. I like that they’re sticking with their own “macho sound” though. Looks like they manage to get the audience excited too!
Dahee: The macho thing still bothers me, but I respect that they managed to remain upbeat and energetic even with everyone so exhausted. I like this, and I agree with the judges that they seem to be improving.
Scores
Shin Dae Chul: 85
You Young Suk: 86
Kim Kyung Ho: 85
Kim Do Kyun: 83
Sub-total: 339
Jury: 277
Total: 616
Anna: Not that bad, but it seems the judges and the jury are holding back on their scores a bit more now.
Dahee: I feel like they would’ve gotten a bit of a higher score if they’d performed earlier in the night…
AshGray Eliminated
Anna: No! Not my dear AshGray! They were supposed to go on and finally get all that recognition they deserve! Oh well, at least while they’re with Soundholic they’ll still have to connections to get a bit more fun than many of the other bands out there.
Dahee: *sniffle*
Rose Motel: “Get Up” (Baby V.O.X cover)
Anna: Finally! I think we’ve all been waiting for this! Their fans like them because they’re ugly? That’s certainly different. They make Kim Kyung Ho smile even though he’s been looking super tired for quite a long while already. We haven’t heard Rose Motel have this much of a rock sound before, but they still add a bit of quirkiness to their sound and performance.
Dahee: Oh my god, I love them!! I was grinning like a fool during this entire performance. One thing I really like about them is the emphasis they place on lyrics, and how when you’re watching them, you find yourself focusing on every single word that is sung. It makes the performance that much more entertaining. And that sign they unfurled with their name at the end! So cute!
Scores
Shin Dae Chul: 85
You Young Suk: 96
Kim Kyung Ho: 95
Kim Do Kyun: 95
Sub-total: 371
Jury: 340
Total: 711
Anna: Very high scores from most of the judges! And the jury offers its highest score yet! Daybreak have to give up the leader flag.
Dahee: WOW!! Good for them! They certainly woke everyone up! I wonder at Shin Dae Chul’s score, though…?
Lightinthemind: They are proving the all attention of fans and audience and the rest keeping an eye on them.
Pearl’s Day Eliminated
Anna: I would’ve wanted to see a bit more of them, but it seems they’ve already had a rather decent career appearing on various soundtracks and all. Now that I’m aware they’re still around I’ll try to keep track of anything else they might be involved in.
Dahee: How embarrassing for them, and how sad…
Ranya: Tiny contribution from me. Thought I would be able to come off work in time, but sadly that wasn’t the case. (I even prepared with an USB-stick with the ep…that I forgot at home). But next time folks, next time.
P.S. So sad that I missed La Piata last week. That cooky gang has become the light of my life in a very “I’m so tired right now that I find them amusing, where is the count from the Muppets when you need him” kind of way.