 |
| The three-member rock and roll/blues band Billy Carter. / Courtesy of Billy Carter |
By Jon Dunbar
The three-piece rock and roll/blues band Billy Carter begins a six-city tour of Korea this weekend.
Starting with Daegu and Daejeon, they'll also swing by Gwangju, Jeonju, Busan and Seoul the following weekends, playing shows across Korea each Friday and Saturday to support small local music scenes and share a stage with the indie bands there.
"Each city has its own atmosphere," said Billy Carter's lead vocalist Kim Goyang, who also plays keyboard for Seoul ska-punk band Skasucks. "Whenever I play outside of Seoul, I could feel the people really enjoy and appreciate gigs. That's really cheering and thankful."
Billy Carter began when Kim started playing acoustic blues in 2011 with Kim Jina, former frontwoman of punk band Kickscotch. They spent a year in the U.K., touring extensively. Back in Korea in 2014 they started afresh, adding Lee Hyun-joon on drums, forming today's incarnation of the band. Their latest release, "Here I Am," passes their rock and blues influences through a psychedelic kaleidoscope.
With their off-the-rails physical performances, they've become a staple in Seoul's music scene, making the top six in the 2015 K-Rookies battle of the bands and earning three nominations at the 2016 Korean Music Awards (KMAs).
"Hongdae nowadays is huge and has lots of gigs every weekend," Kim said, "but still I hope there are more scenes all over the country with their own character of each city."
The tour starts this Friday at 8 p.m. at Daegu's Club Heavy, performing with local indie band March Kings. Saturday at 7 p.m., they're in Daejeon's Budgie Live Hall with local punk legends Burning Hepburn and Smoking Goose.
The following week, they hit the Jeolla region with Jeonju rock duo 57, first hitting Gwangju's Club Nevermind on Jan. 20, then Jeonju Creative Support Center with local band Nonifi on Jan. 21.
"It's the first time for us to perform in Gwangju," Kim said. "So excited!"
Next month they have two shows in Busan, first in Basement with local rock group Say Sue Me on Feb. 3 then at Realize with punk band Stoned and rock duo B9 on Feb. 4.
The weekend tour ends Saturday, Feb. 11 with a homecoming concert at Hongdae's Club FF, with Seoul bands Diealright, …Whatever That Means, Wasted Johnny's and National Pigeon Unity.
"Billy Carter is not a big or famous band but still I want to try more on making gigs outside of Seoul," Kim said, "even if it costs a lot."
For more information visit facebook.com/blyctr for more.
![[ANALYSIS] China's ban on Micron tests Washington-Seoul alliance](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/1785a57b07ae45a7b7db49fdf4acd720.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] Long-awaited extension of Korean Pavilion at Venice Biennale to be pushed forward](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/d8d5090875824ce08a90bb2c5a8f8c05.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
