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London has been blessed with lots of K-Pop concerts in the past few months, but no other brand new rookie group has ever made the earth shake as much as they did. KQ Fellaz 2, now xikers, stopped over in London to begin the European leg of their "TRICKY HOUSE: FIRST ENCOUNTER" tour – only a few months after their debut performance in London during "KOREA ON STAGE IN LONDON" in November 2023. The group only debuted officially in March 2023, yet they filled up a medium sized London venue, and made people queue up all the way around the corner.
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The group also recognized this, commenting during the talk session that they could hear their fans cheering during their rehearsal earlier that day – but first things first. The potential of the group is big and the expectations are high – particularly because of who their ‘sunbaenims’ are. Yet, they did not disappoint. Entering the stage with attitude and energy, the whole arena was shaking when 'TRICKY HOUSE', the group’s most famous song, came on. Points to note: they can dance, they can sing live brilliantly and the “not one, not two but three” rappers could make the crowd cheer at command at any given moment. The gig was one of the loudest ones I have been to in the venue, despite the very young age of the members and their career so far.
xikers' discography is not extensive but they surely made the most out of every song. Performing 'Doorbell Ringing', 'Oh my Gosh' and 'Koong' back to back, the group could show their energy through theatrical movements, interesting formations, constant flow of energy and flawless synchronization. While the reviews after "KOREA ON STAGE IN LONDON" were a bit mixed, the boy group really made up for it in their independent show and proved that they are not only able to pull of a stunning show, but also make everyone cheer and sing along to their songs.
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The middle of the set was devoted to some covers – BTS’ 'Dynamite', SEVENTEEN’s 'Super', ATEEZ’s 'BOUNCY (K-HOT CHILLI PEPPERS)' (performed twice of course as the crowd roared) – and then some unit dance covers. The highlight of these was 'Die For You' by The Weeknd, with a hot and heavy dance routine that raised the temperature in the venue quite a bit. The crowd’s attention was focused on the stage, as the members showcased their talent in dancing and performing intricate and multi-faceted choreographies, proving that they are already on the right track to rise and differentiate themselves among other rookies.
Despite their intense performance, the members made sure to interact with their audience as much as they could in between. After thanking their staff and the crowd for cheering them on and welcoming them so warmly in London, they concluded their set with the rest of their discography – 'Skater', 'DO or DIE', 'Sunny Side' (egg pun very much intended here) and of course, 'HOME BOY' and fan favourite 'ROCKSTAR'. The set did not end there – the whole arena, including the two balcony levels, stood up to sing 'ROCKSTAR' a second time, quoting the lyrics line by line. Honestly, it was a wholesome moment for the fans and by the looks of it, it impressed the members very much too.
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With a promise to return again and lots of cheering, shaking the arena again, the show came to an end. It was definitely a perfomance that surpassed expectations and solidified xikers on the radar as one of the uprising groups that could score very high going forward. xikers have a couple more shows to complete in Europe, so we hope they can include London and other cities in their next tour too.
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