It has only been less than two years since Royal Pirates debuted on the South Korean music scene back in August 2013, but having been actively posting their cover versions of popular songs on YouTube since 2008, they have gathered quite a huge following. It was no surprise then when almost 800 fans gathered at Bentley Music Auditorium on May 3rd to catch the trio of heartthrobs in action. Royal Pirates gave it their all and showed their passion, cementing their desire to stay for a long time in the music industry.

From the moment Royal Pirates appeared on the stage, fans were already screaming their heads off. "Kami Royal Pirates!" they cutely greeted in Malay as Moon, the so-called Moon-sanova of the group added, "Apa khabar? Anda sangat cantik!" (How are you? You're so beautiful!)

James pumped up the fans even more with "Are you guys ready? Are you guys ready to have fun?" before kicking off the show with "Shout Out," their first digital single, a rock number that kicked up the energy a notch as fans sang along. It was immediately followed up by "Seoul Hillbilly" and true to what Sooyoon had said in the press conference, the song was sure such a fun song to be played in live shows as it gives off a different vibe than the CD version.

They took a break to introduce themselves and said that before coming, they didn't know much about Malaysia and all they know that they have fans in Malaysia and they were very grateful for the warm welcome they have been receiving. They also answered questions from lucky fans and even responded to love declarations from their adoring fans.

They then continued the show with Haru, this time Moon's sweet voice filled the hall, mesmerizing the fans and capturing their hearts with this romantic song. Coupled with Sooyoon's enthusiastic drumming and James' energy on bass, Royal Pirates kept up the momentum even when performing the mid-tempo "On My Mind."

As a treat for their fans in Malaysia, the trio performed "Supernatural," a rock number written by Sooyoon, which definitely showed off their distinctive musical colour. Though it is not a new song, it's a song that they have never released before and was usually performed in live events, which was apt as this song was made to be played live.

With fans having a rocking good time, Moon urged everyone to get up on their feet and just have fun and dance to their next song, "Love Toxic." They showed off excellent showmanship when they hyped up the fans even more with the party-like atmosphere.

The night was made even more special when James was surprised with an early birthday celebration. Although his birthday will be in June, he was still touched as this is the first time he has ever had his birthday celebrated this way, later declaring that May 3rd is his Malaysian birthday!

They continued rocking the night with "Drawing the Line" and though it was nearly the end of the show, they just kept it up with the impressive guitar riffs and drum beats that fans just went crazy watching their live performance. The trio ended the night with "You," where Moon lead the fans into the singing the chorus, saying that they had to do it right cos he's not going to sing that part. Fans took up the challenge, even waving hand banners proclaiming 'Thank You Royal Pirates' as a sign of gratitude for their presence in Malaysia.

Royal Pirates thanked their fans and even won brownie points when they declared "Aku cinta padamu!" (I love you). Though the showcase was short, they still felt grateful for the awesome crowd and the beautiful noises they made, while expressing desire to come back again soon. Thank you for the great night, Royal Pirates!

Thank you to Universal Music Malaysia for the invitation to cover this event.

Writer: Aisyah Roslan | Photo Credit: Nik Tim