EXO perform onstage during the MelOn Music Awards at Olympic Gymnasium on November 14, 2013 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo : Getty Images/Chung Sung-Jun)
The Chinese fans of EXO were left disappointed and furious as they departed the Shanghai Gymnasium late on a Sunday night, March 27. A concert that promised so much for them was spoiled by an insipid and disastrous performance.
The world famous Chinese-South Korean boy band performed only five out of the 10 songs presented in the promotional poster for the said event, which made them stay on the stage for only 30-minute. Thus, igniting a media firestorm with frustrated fans asking for their money back.
The organizers of the much-awaited EXO concert guaranteed that the boy band will hold a three-hour concert on March 27, from 7:30pm to 10:30 pm (Chinese standard time). They also consoled fans that all EXO members will be present at the said concert, performing a total of ten songs and would highlight interactive activities with the Chinese fans.
Much to the delight of the fans, ticket fees drastically surged as high price of 4,000-10,000 yuan (approximately $600-1,500.00). However, the actual concert was far different from what had been expected.
In fact, one of the EXO member Zhang Yixing, also known as Lay, did not show up, and the much-awaited concert eventually ended an hour earlier before 9:00 pm CST. Due to their disappointment, the Chinese fans shouted "Refund! Refund!" after the curtain closed.
"We felt cheated. There wasn't even an interpreter on stage," said Chris Zou, a Chinese EXO fan who was at the show, THE ECNS reported.
Fans moreover expressed their disappointment over the supposed "interaction" between the South Korean boyband and said that the organizers failed to materialize what the promotional posters' have promised.
The host of the said concert, on the other hand, appealed to the concertgoers and claimed that they themselves were the victims. They also clarified that they did not sign a direct contract with SM Entertainment and revealed that there was a third party instead.
"But they (didn't follow) the contract. They did not even show up for the show and we were not able to reach the agency as well. We just advertised as we were told by them," it added.
According to the Culture Administration, the registered organizer of the controversial EXO concert was Shanghai Xinyuhou Culture and Sports Information Co. However, the company said that it was a co-organized event with Beijing Haisong International Century Culture Media Co.
To appease the Chinese angry fans, Haisong Chief Executive Gong Tinghai, issued a conciliatory sentiment on his Weibo account on March 29. Tinghai also provided details about the refund offer, where accordingly, monies can be collected, on presentation of a valid receipt, between 10am and 6pm from March 31 until April 14, China.org.cn reported.
Amid the clamor, K-Pop boy band EXO has yet to comment on the said issue. Watch EXO performing "Overdose" in a music video below:
