Jan. 10th & 12th Taiji-Newsletter

Hi, yĄŻall!
According to Seoul Entertainment, Taejon concert drew more audiences with paid tickets than in any other concert in Taejon area. Despite its good transportation conditions, Taejon is said to be culturally under-developed. But, we all had a really nice time, didnĄŻt we? I think the performer on the stage and the audiences got together in one spirit and energy.

There was an accident that surprised all staffs and singers. Something was wrong with the lighting system that operates automatically with the lighting engineer in control of its timing. 30% of the system didnĄŻt work. ThatĄŻs why the concert last night began about half an hour late. At the moment Taiji was about to tell the president of Seoul Entertainment to give back 30% of the ticket price to the audiences, the lighting system got fixed miraculously. It was a blood-harrowing experience to Taiji and all staffs.  

Taiji is now in a ski resort with Yangoon and Kim Jongseo to relax from the overloaded tensions and get refreshed. I hope he can enjoy himself with all those stressful troubles off his shoulders.

Next news is about the public airing of the concert still under discussion. It is true that Taiji is demanding 300 million Won as the production cost of the live concert. He had paid for all those pre-telerecorded stages for Music Camp. But it is not the same with this live concert. He is not demanding that MBC pay for the total production cost of the concert. 300 million Won is just for the edited record tape of the live concert and the value of the stage. You know, the broadcasting stations and journalists have bigger power in leading the public opinion than we have. They could slander Taiji by saying that he is demanding too much and too commercialistic. Taiji is doing this to keep his proper rights as a musician. His consistent policy is not to give up on the basic rights with pride in his confrontation with the huge power of TV.

If he wanted to make money, it would be a better way of gaining profits to make a videotape of the concert. Taiji decided on the public airing to show the public unfamiliar with the live performance that there could be such kind of music and stage as played live and performed in style. I hope those on the side of the broadcasting station could open their mind with a broader vision of what is really valuable.

See you again on Jan. 14. Bye!

(Trans. By Dream of Balhae)