[Concert Review] DPR’s ‘The Dream Reborn World Tour 2024’ hits Europe
DPR Ian, DPR CREAM, and DPR ARTIC started off the European leg of their World Tour with a bang as they lit up the OVO Arena Wembley in London.
The DPR Tour Team with the London crowd. Image: DPREALITY Instagram (DPREALITY (@dpr_reality) • Instagram photos and videos).
DPR (Dream Perfect Regime) were welcomed back to Europe by their Dreamers for an unforgettable night in the OVO Arena Wembley in London. DPR are an artist-driven, independent collective who manage and create everything from visuals to sound in-house.
This particular DPR world tour features three of the collective’s artists: DPR ARTIC, DPR CREAM, and co-founder of the collective DPR Ian. Their London concert, which took place on Sunday 27th October, was an explosive, high energy extravaganza of pure creativity from start to finish.
DPR ARTIC (Kim Yongwoo) was the first to take to the stage on the night, bursting into the arena with an overwhelming air of cool that felt impossible to look away from.
He opened his time on stage with a pumping DJ set, before launching into songs from his 2024 debut album, KINEMA. He performed “POST”, “Escape”, and “Dream” from the album, then finished his set off with his most popular track “Do or Die (feat. DPR Ian)”.
DPR ARTIC. Image: Helena Sim for Cherry Chu Magazine.
Next, it was time for DPR CREAM (Kim Hyung-mo) to hype the crowd up even more. Performing the majority of his recent 2024 album, psyche: red, DPR Cream took the audience on a colourful journey as he performed and connected intimately with fans. His set included his songs “test drive”, “uzuz”, “darling”, “i miss u (too bad)”, “puberty (1, 2 & 3)”, and “savage”.
Both DPR artists got the audience buzzing from their incredible performances, accompanied by brilliant light and video shows that highlighted their artistic magnetism throughout the entirety of both sets. The production value of this whole concert was second-to-none, creating an intense audio and visual experience for fans at every moment.
When DPR Ian (Christian Yu) finally took centre stage, the crowd went wild. He opened in his usual otherworldly style with “Welcome To The Other Side”, before rocketing straight into his current popular hit, “Don’t Go Insane”. He then sprang straight into his other playful tracks “So I Danced” and “Bad Cold”.
Yu then took a moment to connect with the audience, telling anecdotes from his childhood, before smoothly transitioning into “Peanut Butter & Tears”. He finished up this section with his mellow track, “Violet Crazy”. Like the other DPR artists, he had amazing lighting and video art which elevated his intense performance even further, creating the perfect atmosphere for each track.
DPR Ian. Image: Helena Sim for Cherry Chu Magazine.
Following a short break and outfit change, he re-entered for the iconic winged moment of the tour (if you know you know). After wowing fans with this theatrical moment, he performed his solo debut song “So Beautiful” to resounding cheers. Next, he hammered through his dreamy tracks “Mood”, “Dope Lovers”, and crowd favourite “Merry Go”.
Next, it was time for him to surprise fans with the tour debut of “Winterfall” from his outstanding 2022 album, Moodswings In To Order. At this moment in the concert, he created a truly magical and ethereal atmosphere. Through the perfect combination of beautiful lighting, a live snow fall, and Yu’s heartfelt performance, it was definitely an unforgettable moment from the show.
After this emotional moment, the next section started off strong with an explosive rendition of “1 Shot” — another fan favourite that featured a powerful performance from DPR Ian and his dancers. He then jumped into a selection of hits from various albums, including “Calico”, “Scaredy Cat”, “Avalon”, “Sometimes I’m”, and “Nerves”.
All too soon, the concert drew to a close. Yu took a genuine moment with the crowd, highlighting how important his fans are in his life and how they constantly inspire him to keep going.
The candid and personable way he talks with his fans is a key reason why he is appreciated and admired by so many. He has an incredible way of making people feel seen and connecting closely with his dedicated fanbase. The relationship between Yu and his Dreamers truly shines through in the admiration with which he gazes out over the crowd.
Full DPR Tour Team. Image: Helena Sim for Cherry Chu Magazine.
He finished up the night by performing his all-important and expressive favourite, “Ballroom Extravaganza”. After this, he welcomed DPR CREAM and DPR ARTIC back to the stage, and the trio performed an encore stage of “Do or Die (DPR CREAM Remix)”.
Yu thanked the band, the dancers, and the fans for coming out to the show. The full team gathered on stage to celebrate the last few moments of the concert alongside the audience.
There is something truly special about the way that DPR puts on a show. Not only do they consider the soundscape and audio experience for the crowd, they also focus so strongly on the video and lighting aspect of the show, crafting an immersive atmosphere throughout every moment.
As a collective, the overflowing creativity and eclectic genius within this group of artists is immensely inspiring and a joy to behold live.
Edited by Ciara Carson.
