It was a perfect Tuesday night for DREAMers in Melbourne on 10 December 2024, as their favourite Korean Australian artist was back to perform with the Dream Perfect Regime (DPR).
DPR was at Festival Hall Melbourne for “The Dream Reborn World Tour 2024″, which promised great energy, music, and good vibes with DPR IAN, DPR CREAM, and DPR ARTIC.
DPR is an independent creative collective, music label, and production company. They had performed at venues like Coachella, Head In The Clouds, Lollapalooza, and more.
Dreams do come true for their fans, also known as DREAMers, who were spotted in dark, cool, and alluring fits. Fans could either party in the standing pen or be seated at the side sections or balcony behind the standing area.
Got the party started with DPR ARTIC
The two and a half hour show started promptly at 8pm with DPR ARTIC (Kim Yong-woo)’s energetic DJ set. The stage opened with dreamy space vortex backdrop and blue lights.
Fans were then transported to DPR’s world as DPR ARTIC appeared on stage. He took a minute to say hello and then headed to his cool work station right in the middle of the stage.
While he was a man of very few words, he dominated the stage with sick EDM beats.
Decked in a black jacket and sunglasses, DPR ARTIC started with deep, cool beats that mirrored his cool demeanour, followed by EDM-house beats.
He then turned up the music with songs from his 2024 debut album, KINEMA, including “Escape” and “Dream”. DPR ARTIC not only produced this album, but also directed the overall concept.
He got the crowd to put their hands up and groove along. DPR ARTIC’s infectious rave music was accompanied by visuals centred around time and space (and asteroids!), with thrilling blue and green lasers, perfect for DPR ARTIC’s reign on stage.
DPR ARTIC landed his 20-minute set smoothly with his most streamed song, “Do or Die”.
DPR CREAM says ‘Hello World’ with psyche:red
DPR resident producer, DPR CREAM (Kim Hyung-mo), introduced his music colour with songs from his latest album, psyche: red. He got us light on our toes and drunk with “how many drinks?”.
DPR CREAM then took a quick moment to thank fans for coming, and took DREAMers on a “test drive”. The LED backdrop was colourful, and featured vintage and analog vibes which fitted well with DPR CREAM’s unique blend of hip-hop, R&B, and soul.
He then played the keys to “uzuz” as he roamed across the stage confidently, accompanied by a city backdrop. The electro-pop, moody, soul vibes continued with “darling” and “i miss u (too bad)”.
DPR Cream made fans to sing along to “t”, and then got them grooving to “투” (‘two’). The artist and fans definitely got the music down to a T.
Decked in a loose yellow tee, cap, and headphones, he then showed off his producing skills with “puberty 1”, “puberty 2” and “puberty 3”. He shared that puberty was his favourite song from the album.
He ended his set with the final song from his psyche:red album, “savage”, complemented with full-red stage aesthetics.
This being DPR CREAM’s fourth time in Melbourne, and with years of performing on various stages, DPR CREAM comfortably showed off his vocals through the 40-minute set.
The perfect reign of DPR IAN
It was clear who was the main star of the night. As soon as DPR IAN (Christian Yu) appeared through the smoke with “Welcome To The Other Side”, DREAMers cheered loudly, and were excited to watch his theatrical set.
He got the crowd riled up as he shouted “come on, Melbourne!” followed by his guitar solo.
He danced to the chorus as he belted out strong, stable notes to his popular hit song, “Don’t Go Insane”. Fans went crazy when DPR IAN stripped off his black jacket at the song’s climax and flipped the mic effortlessly.
To spice up the stage, a man in green wearing a furry yellow jacket and cowboy hat appeared on stage during “So I Danced”. He even accompanied DPR IAN through a few more songs.
The other dancers also looked absolutely stunning performing alongside DPR IAN to the upbeat and playful track, and for the rest of the show.
The energetic performance continued with “Bad Cold”. The Sydney-born star then took a moment to share his thoughts about Melbourne, and came to the conclusion that Melbourne was appealing enough that he could live there too.
He also transitioned smoothly into the next song with an anecdote about the sandwiches he ate back in school – it was not just with Vegemite spread, but “Peanut Butter & Tears”. Fans sang along and grooved to the live band.
His charming presence also showed through the sensual tune of “Violet Crazy”.
After another dancer solo, DPR IAN returned back on stage as the fallen angel, MITO. His alter-ego was decked in black angel wings, smoky eye make-up, and torn flags. MITO depicted a side of his bipolar disorder, which is a motif of his 2021 album, Moodswings In This Order1.
The other side of DPR IAN: MITO
MITO performed some of DPR IAN’s classic hits including sensual poprock-alternative tracks like “So Beautiful” and “Mood”. “Dope Lovers” was also included in the setlist, which showed off his sultry vocals, falsettos, and beautiful melodies.
His straightforward and sweet personality was apparent as he bantered with fans and read their signboards. In response to one of the signs, DPR IAN dedicated a birthday song with the crowd.
He also got the crowd to respond to ‘hip-hip hooray’ and the iconic Aussie cheer, and sang a snippet to Round the Twist’s jingle, which was one of Australia’s iconic TV series.
The crowd was also enthusiastic enough to sing the Australian national anthem, which left DPR IAN amused.
He then encouraged the crowd to sing along to the next track, “Sometimes I’m”, as the lyrics appeared on screen. DPR IAN remained energetic as he performed to “Ribbon” next, joined by DPR ARTIC and DPR CREAM.
The crowd sang to “Calico” as DPR Ian showed off his grooves, especially during the dance break, with another guitar solo too.
DPR IAN has knack for yapping with DREAMers like old friends. It was cute how he conversed with his fans about his plans to shave his hair, and the crowd strongly reacted against the idea till he had to reply that he will have to reconsider his decision.
One of the reasons that people admire him is the open and honest way that he communicates with his fans.
He also shared his stories and life advice. He talked about growing up as an Asian minority and how he was really into the heavy metal scene with a friend, who was also in the audience that night. What he wanted to convey was that people should not be afraid to be honest and be themselves, as he smoothly transitioned to “Scaredy Cat” and “Avalon”.
The versatility of his setlist allowed him to show off multiple charms.
The next era of DPR IAN
He gave us a sneak preview of his next album with some poignant thoughts about how he produced one of his unreleased track:
“I need to be somebody to you, so I have to be a nobody for you” – DPR IAN
Concert-exclusive track, “I Am Nobody”, will be included in his upcoming album to be released next year.
With a mic stand, DPR IAN then touched a “Nerves” with DREAMers through this classic hit. The live band rendition really brought out the rock, heartache, and emotions of the song, as the crowd sang and enjoyed the moment as requested.
He then had a cheeky moment when he changed his top on stage, before belting out to “Ballroom Extravaganza”. The song was dedicated to DREAMers for getting out of their darkest times.
After hearing words of affection by DPR IAN for his ‘lovers’ and ‘babies’ the whole evening, a burst of confetti shot through the air to signal the end of the show.
But not before an encore as fans shouted for ‘one more song’! The trio performed their final song to “Do or Die (DPR CREAM Remix)”.
Overall, The Dream Reborn World Tour 2024 proved to be an immersive show that focused on an all-rounded production for the eyes and ears.
The vibes of these eclectic geniuses were immaculate. DPR remained on stage for about 10 minutes to sign as many things as they could for DREAMers. If only we could be in this sweet dream forever.
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