A KPop Demon Hunters tribute act left parents fuming this week following angry complaints over the quality of the performances and its appropriateness for children
A KPop Demon Hunters tribute act left kids in tears (Image: Supplied)
A KPop Demon Hunters tribute act left kids in tears this week following complaints from their angry parents. Hoping to enjoy a night out after the success of the Netflix phenomenon, a mum and her daughter, six, attended the KPop Forever Tribute Show at SSE Arena Belfast on Thursday night expecting a family-friendly performance.
After shelling out £105 for two tickets for the show, the mum from Northern Ireland explained she was treating her daughter as a Christmas gift, adding that the event promised “no other KPop act show will come close to this”. However, she has now claimed the evening was nothing more than a “cash grab” full of ‘sexualised dancing’ and ‘raunchy performances’, which reportedly left several children in tears.
This KPop Demon Hunters tribute act left parents fuming(Image: Supplied)
One woman claimed the sold-out show was nothing more than a ‘cash grab'(Image: Supplied)
READ MORE: Louis Walsh lashes out over Britain’s Got Talent and claims ITV show is ‘done’READ MORE: KSI booed by Britain’s Got Talent audience as he breaks unofficial rule
“Thousands of children were dressed up like the characters,” she said. “There was KPop merchandise flying out the door, even though it was expensive. We knew we weren’t going to see the characters themselves, but we expected the performers to sing the songs and dress like them. We thought it would be a proper tribute show – but it wasn’t,” she told Belfast Live.
Claiming the show left several kids crying, she continued: “My six-year-old said straight away, ‘You’ve brought me to the wrong concert. She started crying and said she wanted to leave. Within 10 minutes, a lot of other children were crying too.”
The mum also expressed worries about the performers’ costumes and dance routines, claiming: “The clothing they were wearing was not appropriate for children of that age – they were half-naked. Some of the dance moves were sexualised. There was no attempt to look like a KPop tribute act aimed at kids.”
Claiming the show, which was flogging a load of merchandise, including glow sticks and hoodies, was nothing more than a “cash grab”, she concluded: “It was absolutely a cash grab. The venue was sold out – there wasn’t an empty seat – but people were leaving early.”
People who attended the gig took to social media on Thursday night to air their frustration, with one parent telling BBC News NI that the event was “just horrendous”.
However, others defended the show, with Belfast woman Michaela Hutchison saying she and her daughter had a “great night” and she was surprised to see the online criticism.
Aiken Promotions and the SSE Arena said that while “the majority of customers enjoyed the show, we understand that this was not what some expected”.
Their statement added that they were “content” that the show delivered “an arena-standard tribute to the entire KPop genre”.
In statements on Thursday night, Aiken Promotions and the SSE Arena said they were “aware of some feedback received following the KPop Forever tribute show”.
“The show played in Belfast tonight as part of a world tour, and the content, design and choreography has been built to represent the full KPop genre, featuring songs from BTS, Blackpink and Katseye, as well as eight hits from Demon Hunters including ‘Golden’, ‘Takedown’ and ‘Soda Pop’,” the statements said.
In a later statement on Friday, Aiken Promotions said they took “all customer feedback seriously”.
The Mirror has contacted Aiken Promotions for further comment.
* Join The Mirror’s WhatsApp Community or follow us on Google News , Flipboard , Apple News, TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads – or visit The Mirror homepage.