On the 20th of January CIX performed in the O2 Forum Kentish town in London. The show was a part of the quintet’s first European tour Save me, Kill me, having only previously performed in the city for HallyuPopFest 2022 in London’s Wembley Arena. The London concert was the third stop on the tour with the group having already performed in Warsaw and Tilburg.

BX, Seunghun, Yonghee, Bae Jinyoung and Hyunsuk began the concert with Numb which had fans screaming at the top of their lungs as soon as they heard the long-awaited sound of the opening of a can. This was quickly followed by What You Wanted; these powerful and energy-filled tracks got the crowd pumping and ready for the evening that lay ahead. 

Being a smaller group gave each of the band members the opportunity to perform a solo track. BX began the set with his performance of Sriracha by Marteen. A pop track that allowed him to bounce around the stage and add particular flair to the lyrics “Got it from yo momma / but that ain’t what she taught ya”. Yonghee was up next with his performance of Lauv’s I’m so tired which he sang whilst fans waved a deer soft toy along to the melody, an animal that has been strongly associated with the singer during the group’s career. Bae Jinyoung followed with his outfit of a black hoodie and chain, a stark contrast to the angelic vocals that he demonstrated with Justin Bieber’s Nothing Like Us.

Seunghun told the audience that he prepared Cake by the Ocean by DNCE, especially for London and that he had been performing Teeth by 5 Seconds of Summer at the other stops. He revealed to fans on the messaging service Universe that he did this because he believed that DNCE were a British group, but before the concert realised that this was not the case. This did not make his performance any less enjoyable with the audience singing all the lyrics with him. Hyunsuk however did perform a British song with his cover of James Bay’s Let It Go, a heartfelt track that had many of the audience swooning over CIX’s youngest member. 

These performances couldn’t have happened without the unsung hero of the night. The crew member who diligently ran off and on the stage at the beginning and end of each track, interchanging each member’s microphone onto the stand. His efforts did not go unappreciated by the audience who by the end were cheering for him too. 

The entertainment didn’t just come from the music but also from the member’s other talents with BX’s showing off his dance moves to Taeyang and Jimin’s viral hit Vibe. He also demonstrated a stronger rap performance that he promised to show more of when returning to London. 

The highlights of the concert were Movie Star the group’s debut track which earnt them, at the time, the second fastest music show win to date only seven days after its release. It is still a huge fan favourite with much of the audience shouting the lyrics almost drowning out the vocals of the group. Along with Jungle and Cinema which were also really well received despite their stark contrast in styles. 

When the group returned to the stage for the encore the audience were delighted by Seughun’s hat, an impressive piece of headgear that was entirely covered in white faux fur. It was apparent that not only were the fans captivated with the item but also the other group members with BX obviously stifling a laugh. 

Finishing with The One a joyous song that the audience and group sang together as members walked around the stage waving goodbye and sending kisses and hearts to the fans. Seughun was once again the focal point for many of the audience, having draped himself in one of the Union Flags that had been signed and handed to him from the audience.

The concert ended with the group coming together to thank and wish goodbye to all of the members of the audience. They slowly made their way across the stage until there was no space left and they sadly had to leave. 

Some fans did voice their disappointment with the setlist, big hits such as Wave and Revival were missed out. However, with the group having only two hours to deliver three years worth of discography, it is understandable that they were unable to perform everything. Overall it was a great night with fans already anticipating the group’s return to the city to see what delights they will perform next time.

After London, the group went on to finish the European segment of the tour in Paris, Cologne and Berlin. They begin the US part in March. In the meantime, UK FIX cannot wait to have CIX back in “amazing London”.

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Written by Claire Campion

_{View of the Arts is a British online publication that chiefly deals with films, music, and art, with an emphasis on the Asian entertainment industry. We are hoping our audience will grow with us as we begin to explore new platforms such as K-pop / K-music, and Asian music in general, and continue to dive into the talented and ever-growing scene of film, music, and arts, worldwide.}