With over a year since their last visit, JiU, SuA, Siyeon, Handong, Yoohyeon, Dami and Gahyeon returned to London to spice up our evenings with a setlist that represented their adored rock sound well. The girls of Dreamcatcher landed on stage in matching grunge fits that complemented the city’s charm, emblazoned with skulls and paired with red tartan. Even Siyeon, who often takes up the nickname “Wolf”, turned an eye injury into a fashion statement with a cute eyepatch (which might be a testament to how metal these girls truly are), the words “Rock you” printed in bold on its pattern. Their fashion complemented their glorious performances, and fans who saw them last time were been delighted with a fresh setlist that didn't forget some of the old favourites.
The girls went straight in with “OOTD”, with Siyeon quite literally kicking off the performance with a swift leg move. Their first song ended with a stylish dance routine, raising the anticipation for their next piece: “Black or White”. Fittingly, the performance was set up with a monochrome illusion background that hypnotised the audience as they danced in front. After a quick break to re-introduce themselves (to an audience who, judging from their cheers, most definitely knew who they were), the girls whipped out red scarves during “YOU AND I”, enhancing the performance with something more dynamic than simple dancing, while rapper Dami danced with a pole.
You don’t need to spend more than thirty seconds at a Dreamcatcher gig to understand how loved this girl group is. During pauses between songs, every comment from the members was met with cheering, and the girls were evidently happy to be reunited with a familiar crowd. They even bantered with fans amongst the buzz of the evening, remarking “She is God” in response to a few heavenly acapella snippets from the group’s leader JiU.
The alluring seven spent the rest of the night raising the Troxy’s roof with music that should only be performed under gothic chandeliers and spooky trees: if those happen to be amongst your favourite things, you’re in for a treat. The vocalists mesmerised the audience with mellifluous voices against a powerful guitar melody in many songs, which was done beautifully in “The curse of the spider”. The girls also made sure not to forget about performing several of their hits, including “BOCA”, “Deja Vu”, and “Scream” – the heavy symphonic rock sound of which fans on the floor surely felt in their gut.
Whether more mainstream or completely unique, all musicians are appreciated in their own right; but Dreamcatcher are arguably genre of their own. A side of K-Pop only touched by themselves, it is a wonder that no one else has dared to go all in on the heavily rock infused style as of yet. It’s a blessing to the girls however, as their distinctive sound is what sets them apart from others in the K-Pop scene. In a world of sandy beaches, Dreamcatcher are a spooky forest.
