Alive Galaxy Tour

The Alive Galaxy Tour (referred to as the Alive Tour) was the first worldwide concert tour and sixth overall by South Korean boy band Big Bang. It promotes the group's fifth Korean-language EP, Alive (as well as their fourth Japanese-language studio album of the same name), across four continents: Asia, North America, South America and Europe. The group hired choreographer and creative director Laurieann Gibson to direct the show. The tour was officially sponsored by Samsung GALAXY.

Alive Galaxy Tour
Tour by Big Bang
Promotional handbill for the tour
Associated albumAlive
Start dateMarch 2, 2012 (2012-03-02)
End dateJanuary 27, 2013 (2013-01-27)[1]
No. of shows41 in Asia
4 in North America
1 in South America
2 in Europe
48 in total
Box officeUS$73 million[2]
Websitealive.ygbigbang.com
Big Bang concert chronology

In total, an estimated 800,000 fans worldwide attended the tour.[3]

Background and development
Big Bang performing in Singapore

In support of their fifth extended Korean-language EP, Alive and their fourth Japanese-language studio album of the same name, released February 29 and March 28, 2012, respectively, Big Bang's record label YG Entertainment announced that the group intended to hold a world tour in partnership with tour promoter Live Nation, visiting Asia, North America, South America and Europe.[4] Live Nation president Alan Ridgeway stated, "We are very happy that we are working with YG Entertainment and Big Bang to show [our work] to worldwide K-pop fans." A representative for YG Entertainment followed this with, "We are working hard to hold the best concert with the best production team to equal the anticipation of the world fans who are waiting for the first concert they will get to meet Big Bang.[4]

Choreographer and creative director Laurieann Gibson, famed for her work with Lady Gaga, was hired as the tour's director and choreographer.[5] US-based visual contents company Possible Productions was hired to create the Alive tour's custom backdrops.[6] The team described the concept as a "bleak futuristic world [that could only be] saved by Big Bang."[7] Lighting and staging, as well as overall production, was designed by Leroy Bennet.[8] Staging and lighting alone was estimated at USD$1.3 million.[9] Korean electronics brand Samsung was contracted as the tour's official sponsor, who provided electronics for the members and touring staff on the dates.[10] This marks the first time the group has conducted a worldwide concert tour.[11]

Commercial performance
Fan holding a Big Bang stick at a concert

Tickets for the group's world tour, which kicked off in Seoul in March 2012, sold out faster than Live Nation had anticipated.[12] In Singapore, all tickets were sold out shortly after its on sale and a second show was immediately announced to cope with the huge ticket demand from fans. Later in Malaysia, they attracted more than 3,500 fans to queue up at the box office to fight for their tickets. In Taiwan, all 22,000 tickets of their 2 shows were sold out within just a few hours.[13]

Due to strong demand from fans in the United States, two additional concert dates in both Los Angeles and New Jersey, November 2 and November 8, were added.[13][14] There were initially doubts if T.O.P could perform due to an injury, but it was reported that he would continue to perform.[15] In Japan, Big Bang became the first Korean artist to perform three Dome concerts, at the Tokyo Dome, Kyocera Dome, and Fukuoka Dome.[16]

Ticket prices for their concert in Hong Kong were reported to cost as much as $1,680 HKD (more than 200 US Dollars)[17] The concert was held in Lima, Peru on November 14, 2012.[18] The Orange County Register reported that ticket prices ranged from $50 to $300 for the group's Honda Center dates in Los Angeles.[19] In the UK all the tickets for the Wembley Arena show sold out within two hours of tickets going on sale, resulting in a second date being added shortly after.[20] They also managed to set a London concert record for the largest crowd gathered to see a Korean act in the United Kingdom.[21]

The tour listed on Pollstar's year-end list, on the Top 200 North American Tours, Big Bang become the first Korean artist to have made the list, as they ranked at number 155 and earned $5 million from four shows.[22]

Critical reception

The New York Times journalist Jon Caramanica wrote that Big Bang performed more than two dozen songs wearing almost as many outfits, and in unusual setups such as "taking the stage on gilded Segways and lowrider bicycles" during their "short but loud American tour".[23]

Billboard K-Town columnist Jeff Benjamin reported that concertgoers were treated to breakdancing and Taeyang's gymnastics for a few on-stage flips during Big Bang's concert at the Prudential Center in New Jersey, and described the band's concerts in America as "a success for all".[24]

Big Bang performing in Lima

Joseph Lapin from the Californian newspaper OC Weekly attended Big Bang's concert in Los Angeles and reported that the atmosphere during the show was "almost palpable". Lapin concluded, "It was nostalgic, a throwback to old-school hip-hop but with a commercial twist and a foreign reinterpretation...these boys, well, they'll be back, and they know they're going to be superstars".[25]

The Guardian's music journalist Caroline Sullivan praised Big Bang for holding a "fabulous spectacle" at the Wembley Arena in London. She compared Big Bang with other Western music bands, and noted that Big Bang's edges "are crisper, the sound louder, the dancing sharper".[26]

Radio Programas del Perú ranked the tour as the best K-pop concert in South America for 2012, beating out earlier concerts performed by JYJ, U-Kiss and a Music Bank (TV series) concert at Chile.[27]

Set list
First show in Nagoya
  1. "Tonight"
  2. "Hands Up"
  3. "Fantastic Baby"
  4. "How Gee"
  5. "Stupid Liar"
  6. "Knockout" (GD & TOP)
  7. "High High" (GD&TOP)
  8. "Strong Baby" + "What Can I Do" (Seungri)
  9. "Gara Gara Go!" + "Number 1"
  10. "Cafe"
  11. "Bad Boy"
  12. "Blue"
  13. "Love Song"
  14. "Feeling"
  15. "Look Only At Me" + "Wedding Dress" (Taeyang)
  16. "Wings" (Daesung)
  17. "Haru Haru"
  18. "Lies"
  19. "Last Farewell"
Encore
  1. "Let Me Hear Your Voice"
  2. "My Heaven"
Re-Encore
  1. "Bad Boy"
  2. "Fantastic Baby"
Final in Seoul (Day 3)
  1. "Tonight"
  2. "Hands Up"
  3. "Fantastic Baby"
  4. "How Gee"
  5. "Stupid Liar"
  6. "Crayon" (G-Dragon)
  7. "High High" (GD&TOP)
  8. "Strong Baby" + "What Can I Do" (Seungri)
  9. "Gara Gara Go" + "Number 1"
  10. "Cafe"
  11. "Bad Boy"
  12. "Blue"
  13. "Love Song"
  14. "Monster"
  15. "Feeling"
  16. "Look Only At Me" + "Wedding Dress" (Taeyang)
  17. "Wings" (Daesung)
  18. "Haru Haru"
  19. "Lies"
  20. "Last Farewell"
Encore
  1. "Heaven"
Re-Encore
  1. "Feeling"
  2. "Fantastic Baby"
  3. "High High"
  4. "Bad Boy"
  5. "Hands Up"

Tour dates
Date City Country Venue Attendance
Asia
March 2, 2012 Seoul South Korea Olympic Gymnastics Arena 40,000[28]
March 3, 2012
March 4, 2012
May 17, 2012 Nagoya Japan Nippon Gaishi Hall 150,000[29]
May 18, 2012
May 25, 2012 Yokohama Yokohama Arena
May 26, 2012
May 27, 2012
May 31, 2012 Osaka Osaka-jō Hall
June 1, 2012
June 2, 2012
June 3, 2012
June 16, 2012 Saitama Saitama Super Arena
June 17, 2012
June 23, 2012 Fukuoka Marinemesse Fukuoka
June 24, 2012
July 21, 2012 Shanghai China Mercedes-Benz Arena 30,000[29]
July 28, 2012 Guangzhou Guangzhou International Sports Arena
August 4, 2012 Beijing MasterCard Center
September 28, 2012 Singapore Singapore Singapore Indoor Stadium 20,000[30]
September 29, 2012
October 5, 2012 Bangkok Thailand Impact Arena 20,000[31]
October 6, 2012
October 12, 2012 Jakarta Indonesia Mata Elang International Stadium 30,000[32]
October 13, 2012
October 20, 2012 Taipei Taiwan Taipei Arena 20,000[33][34]
October 21, 2012
October 24, 2012 Pasay Philippines Mall of Asia Arena 12,000[35]
October 27, 2012 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Stadium Merdeka 18,000[36]
North America
November 2, 2012 Anaheim United States Honda Center 24,000[37]
November 3, 2012
November 8, 2012 Newark Prudential Center 24,000[38]
November 9, 2012
South America
November 14, 2012 Lima Peru Jockey Club del Perú 10,000[38]
Asia
November 23, 2012 Osaka Japan Osaka Dome 100,000[39]
November 24, 2012
December 5, 2012 Tokyo Tokyo Dome 55,000[40]
December 8, 2012 Hong Kong Hong Kong AsiaWorld-Arena 35,000[41]
December 9, 2012
December 10, 2012
Europe
December 14, 2012 London United Kingdom Wembley Arena 24,000
December 15, 2012
Asia
December 22, 2012 Fukuoka Japan Fukuoka Dome 42,000[42]
January 12, 2013 Osaka Osaka Dome 100,000[43]
January 13, 2013
January 25, 2013 Seoul South Korea Olympic Gymnastics Arena 39,000[44]
January 26, 2013
January 27, 2013
Total 800,000[45][2][46]

Box office data
Venue City Tickets sold / available Gross revenue
Honda Center Anaheim, California 21,914 (86%) $2,639,019[47]
Prudential Center Newark, New Jersey 18,362 (88.5%) $2,330,106[47]
Taipei Arena Taipei, Taiwan 20,000 (100%) $3,622,360[33]

Awards
Awards
Year Organization Award Result Ref.
2012 Mnet Asian Music Awards Guardian Angel Won [48]
2014 World Music Awards World's Best Live Act Won [49]

Personnel
  • Primary artist: Big Bang
  • Show director: Laurieann Gibson
  • Stage design, lighting design: Leroy Bennett
  • Sound: Ken Van Druten
  • Visual plans, projections: Possible Productions
  • Music director, keyboard: Gil Smith II
  • Guitar: Justin Lyons
  • Programmer: Adrian Porter
  • Keys: Dante "Inferno" Jackson
  • Bass: Omar Dominick
  • Drums: Bennie "BrIIghtReD" Rodgers II
  • Dancers: HiTech Dancers and Crazy Girls, featured breakdancers
  • Management: YG Entertainment
  • Tour organizer: Live Nation Korea
  • Tour manager: Shirley Hong
  • Sponsorship: Samsung

TV broadcast
Date Time
(time zone)		 Channel Title
February 24, 2013 11:00 p.m.
(GMT +9)		 TBS1 BIGBANG ALIVE TOUR 2012 IN JAPAN SPECIAL FINAL IN DOME [50]

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