Blurring and redefining the lines between K-Pop and K-Hip-Hop, all while maintaining their signature sound and identity, Epik High have gone from strength to strength since their debut, 21 years ago.
Returning to our shores for the Aussie leg of The Pump Tour, proudly presented by BoxLive, this was Epik High’s biggest Australian tour to date. After visiting Brisbane and Perth for the very first time in their careers, Melbourne was up next!
Performing in Melbourne on Thursday August 15th at Ciel the Venue, this tour marked the third time Epik High had played in our city. The group initially visited in 2019 and then again in 2022 where they played at the iconic Forum Melbourne. Epik High’s The Pump Tour Melbourne show was my second time seeing them live, and I’m convinced that they just keep getting better and better.
Fans were lined up outside the venue as early as 7am to make sure that they got the best spot at the barrier. With some ticket holders flying in from interstate and even region towns to attend, collectively, Melbourne patrons were a healthy mix of long-time fans and those who, at the time, had never seen Epik High live before.
After VIP fans speedily trickled into the Ciel, it wasn’t long before the lights dimmed and the giant screen at the back of the stage flickered on a Batman inspired introduction, complete with Epik High’s very own Bat-Signal. Soon enough, Tablo, Mithra Jin, and DJ Tukutz emerged from the darkness, summoning cheers from the once quiet room.
Kickstarting with new anthem ‘ANTI-HERO’, Epik High energised the crowd with their presence. Track after track, Epik High consistently delivered each song with passion, excitement and a genuine love for both their music and their fans. After all, their legacy would be nothing without their fans’ support. Epik High even acknowledged this and shared how grateful they were, stating, “Melbourne, I love you”.
It didn’t matter whether new or old songs were played, each Epik High song was well received with ecstatic cheers, it felt like we were all at one big celebration, and their setlist was seamless. Classics were showcased including ‘Fly’, ‘Love Love Love’ and ‘One’, as well as tracks from their 2024 release PUMP, which the tour is named after, consisting of the cool ‘K-DRAMA’, ‘LATE CHECKOUT’ and new fan favourite ‘GROUP CHAT FREESTYLE’.
Epik High were extremely interactive and energetic, making full use of every inch of the Ciel stage, whether it be frequenting the centre stage stairs to get up close and personal with fans in the front row, having them film with one hand instead of two to get into the spirit and join in on the fun, taking phones to film selfie videos with fans during ‘Screen Time’, jumping around on the stage, Tukutz breakdancing, Mithra unleashing super fast raps, or Tablo doing a water bottle splash marathon from one side of the stage to the other. Epik High exuded a non-stop high energy for the entirety of their set which was infectious.
When Epik High weren’t dishing out hits and interacting with the crowd, they were chatty and playful with each other, even pretending to hate each other and play fight for a snippet of the show. The K-Hip-Hop group affectionately shared that they were happy to be in Melbourne, their activities on their day off which consisted of Mithra shopping, going out for breakfast and wanting to move to Melbourne, to Tukutz sharing he enjoyed his hotel room and was either sleeping in or swimming. The topic then diverged into comments about Tablo’s coin pants, and Melbourne being on Tablo and Mithra’s lists of their top 5 favourite cities.
While there were many funny moments during the night, one that stood out was when Tablo had a phone that he placed in his pocket briefly before placing it on Tukutz’s DJ deck on stage, and he was filming the whole time. I had thought it was his own phone but after 10 minutes, he admitted in between songs to the Melbourne audience that it was actually a fan’s phone which he then gave back, shamelessly stating aloud that it was at 13 minutes by the time the video recording had ended.
Despite not being on sale at the concert, there were many fans equipped with their Epik High Park Kyu Bong lightsticks which, for those who have never seen one, is shaped like a giant Mickey Mouse hand that is pointing its middle finger up, so called ‘flippin’ the bird’. For some, this may be offensive, but for the rest of us, it’s hilarious and may quite possibly be the best lightstick ever. So, seeing all the Park Kyu Bong lightsticks bouncing up and down in the air and lighting up the intimate Melbourne venue whenever Epik High would hype up the crowd, was both amusing and surprisingly wholesome.
Times flies when you’re having fun and before we knew it, the concert was coming to an end. But not before Epik High performed my favourite, their classic anthem ‘Don’t Hate Me’ and had the entire venue at multiple points throughout the night jumping up and down with joy to their music. However, the moment that resonated with me the most was after Epik High left the stage. A fan named Sam came up to me and blissfully shared a selfie on his phone that he had with Tablo, chuffed and stating in both disbelief and pure joy that he had waited 10 years for this photo.
Epik High are a talented, hardworking, special K-Hip-Hop group that are a ball of fun and are hard not to love. After all, no ordinary K-Hip-Hop group has a lightstick (a funny one at that), let alone a massive and impressive discography that has stood the test of time and ultimately speaks for itself. Despite having seen them once before, this 2024 Melbourne concert felt fresh and different, with Epik High making an effort to ensure every Epik High experience is unique for their fans. Considering Melbourne is now a confirmed and beloved destination of Epik High’s to visit, hopefully the prominent Korean group will come back sooner than later. All I know is, when that time comes – I’ll be there.
Epik High performed at Ciel the Venue in Melbourne on Thursday August 15th as part their 2024 The Pump Tour, proudly presented by BoxLive. They also performed in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney during the tour which has since concluded.
For more information, visit:
https://epikhigh.com
https://www.instagram.com/blobyblo
https://www.instagram.com/realmithrajin
https://www.instagram.com/realtukutz
https://the-boxlive.com.au
https://www.instagram.com/boxliveau
Photography by Grant Alexander.
