AlphaBAT’s First in Malaysia!
A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J… Do you know your alphabets well enough? That is because we have a rookie Korean group in town called, AlphaBat and the stage names of their members run in alphabetical order too! We were there for their very first press conference and showcase in Malaysia so read on to find out!
AlphaBat press conference was held at the Neway Karaoke Box, One Utama, Damansara to introduce members of AlphaBat to fellow media. The boys were all wearing white and also sporting yellow ribbon for the Yellow Ribbon Campaign. Here are the interesting questions we gathered from the press conference held on 24th April.
Q: How do you feel being in Malaysia for the first time?
A : This is the first overseas showcase after our debut, so we are really excited to see the fans waiting for us at the airport and we are really looking forward to the activities here.
Q: Have you tried or have any expectations for Malaysian food?
A : We heard from our friends that Satay is very delicious, so we would like to try (it). Also, we would like to try rice on banana leaf (i.e. Nasi Lemak) because it is very famous in Malaysia.
Q: Why is there no “A” in AlphaBat? (referring to the members’ stage names)
A: Because A stands for Alpha. Alpha is for our fans. Just for you. Only you.:p
Q: We have beautiful destinations within Malaysia. Any places you would like to go?
A: Before we visited Malaysia, we did some research and we found Kota Kinabalu so we would like to go there. And KLCC? We would like to go there. Because we heard one building was built by Korea and another by Japan.
Q: Do you know any of the famous artists, singers, or bands in Malaysia?
A: We don’t really know about Malaysian artists but we do know about actress, Michelle Yeoh and shoe designer, Jimmy Choo. Gamma and Jeta were models before; hence, they are interested in shoe design.
Q: Who is the most handsome member in Alphabat?
A: It’s me! It’s me! It’s me! *almost everyone raise their hands* (lol)
Q: Alphabat is also here to find its 10th member, what is your expectation towards the 10th member that you may find?
A: Each members of Alphabat has strong characteristics so we hope the 10th member in Malaysia has great skill in singing, dancing, performances, etc. We also hope that the 10th member will represent Malaysia.
Q: Do you worry about the cultural shock?
A: We have no worries as we are are open-minded people.
Q: Alphabat’s members’ names are arranged according to the alphabetical order as well as their ages. Is it necessary then to find a new member that is younger than Jeta and he would be the K of Alphabat?
A: Korea and Malaysia have different cultures. In Korea the age is particularly important but in Malaysia we are all like brothers. So, we do not mind the age. We just want to find a good guy and one that can get along with us.
Q: Will the 10th member will be with Alphabat permanently or just temporarily?
A: When Alphabat comes to Malaysia, he will definitely perform with us. If he is able to perform with us in Korea, then he will. In future, we may even consider finding members until the alphabet ‘Z’ from different countries.
Q: Last one, do the members still call I:OTA as YODA?
A: (by I:OTA) Ah, that is a wrong fact. The truth is, I am a handsome person.
On 28th April, the boys were also in Summit USJ for the showcase while the search for AlphaBat’s 10th member continued.
The auditions were held first, presumably for the AlphaBat members to have a little more rest. There were 10 candidates for the day and each of them were on-stage dancing, singing, rapping and doing their best to impress the judges. Among them were Alex, who serenaded the crowd with Kim Bum Soo’s ‘Bogoshipda’; Faiz, who did well in his version of Super Junior Yesung’s Paper Gray, crowd favourite Isaac who looked the part and had a well-prepared medley which included EXO’s latest choreography from ‘Overdose’; another Alex from Sabah who performed a very unique fusion dance as well as shy Kwang Ying, who shocked audiences when he started voguing.
Finally, it was time for the the 9 guys from AlphaBAT to hit the stage and they opened with a nostalgic cover of DBSK’s Love in the Ice. We thought I:OTA’s rap brought something different to the song while the harmonies were equally lovely especially when D:ELTA hits the high notes. Check out the video below that was released:
After that, the members performed their own song, Always, which is a sweet ballad dedicated especially to their fans. Then, it was time for some lucky Alphas to interact with the guys personally. The courting begin as fans were trying to outdo one another with their signs and screams, hoping to be chosen by the members for a game of ‘passing the rubberband with the straw’.
Group 1: With E:PSILON, I:OTA and J:ETA (and their respective fans)
Group 2: With C:ODE, F:IE and G:AMMA (and their respective fans)
Group 3: With B:ETA, D:ELTA and H:ETA (and their respective fans)
In the end, everyone returned as winners as each fan got a hand-made soap from the members. Of course, the winning group went home with AlphaBAT’s album too.
The playful boys then followed up with a cover of INFINITE’s Nothing’s Over and BEAST’s Fiction. They must have done well as everyone was itching to get up on their feet! Check out the video below that was released for their cover of Nothing’s Over:
Finally, after all the covers are out of the way, AlphaBAT went back to performing their own songs, AB City and Tantara.
Before the autograph session begin, the members from Group 3, B:ETA, D:ELTA and H:ETA who are all born in May, were surprised with a cake as fans sung ‘Happy Birthday’ in Korean and English !
With that, the showcase ended on a really good mood. Of course, the excitement wasn’t over as the members then got ready for their group photos and signing session. That said, the members put on a great show (and amazing fan-service too) and we can’t wait to see them in action again!
Special thanks to New Pro-Star Sdn Bhd for the invite!
