On the 7th of February, KINO finally touched down at The Garage in London for his FREEKINO World Tour, and I’ve got to say, the energy was on another level. If you’ve been following my content lately, you’ll know that EVERYBODY’S GUILTY, BUT NO ONE’S TO BLAME has been one of my absolute favourite albums lately—it’s been on constant repeat since it dropped.
I was buzzing for this show, especially after having KINO on Davide K-pop for an exclusive interview to chat about his new independent chapter with his label, NAKED. We talked a lot about the raw honesty in this record and how he’s used this project to really redefine his sound. He’s clearly making a conscious effort to step away from that classic “good boy” image we might have seen in the past, pushing his creativity into much more daring, unfiltered territory.
I even did a deep-dive podcast episode (video and audio) on the album because there was just so much to unpack—from the darker themes to the experimental production. Going from talking about tracks like “Dirty Boy” and “Club sex, cigarette, punk rock” in a studio setting to actually hearing them shake the floor in London felt like a proper full-circle moment. Seeing him own that stage with such a bold, new identity was exactly what I’d been looking forward to.
The show kicked off with an opening interlude that introduced KINO in a very elegant black suit, holding some papers and a “staff” badge. He then held the papers up in the air before scrumpling them up and throwing them out to the fans! This led straight into the first track, WURK. From the very first moment he stepped on stage, you could see just how strong the storytelling was going to be.
The set continued with MY TURNTABLE IS CONCRETE PT2 and one of my favourites from his latest album, DEVIL ON MY SHOULDER, for which KINO used the iconic megaphone—the signature of this tour. CLUB, SEX, CIGARETTES was up next; I was really looking forward to this track, and KINO delivered an incredible live performance. I couldn’t have been more excited!
KINO then took a moment to chat with the fans and express how happy he was to be back in London after so many years. He mentioned that he kept the promise to return, which he had made the last time he was here.
He continued the set with the iconic MAPSI and Cerberus. The mood changed completely with Tell me what you want, which had a smooth transition into the incredible POSE. This stage had such strong storytelling, and KINO really showcased his amazing dance skills. He took another moment to talk to the fans and confessed that the previous stage was “sexy,” adding how excited he was to perform POSE for the first time in London.
While he was chatting, something very sweet happened: some fans handed him flowers. He continued by opening up about his journey as an artist and how he has learned to love himself, even with all his imperfections. That led to the next song, dedicated to the fans, ANNIE, which was incredibly touching. Skyfall was up next, where he invited everyone to sing along, followed by a sweet performance of Back in Time, asking us to sing the “oh oh oh” chorus together.
He then had an outfit change into a red leather jacket to introduce Dancing On The Road, which lit up the mood again with a fresh, happy vibe. How it was, and Fashion Style followed, and the guitarist closed the song with an iconic solo moment.
KINO then continued with Everglow, asking everyone to put up their light sticks and phone torches—it was such a beautiful sight! Afterwards, he expressed how happy he was to see the energy of the crowd. He even started singing “We Will Rock You” by Queen, jokingly asking if it was a little cliché—saying it felt like eating barbecue in Korea—but he really loved the moment.
He mentioned that this set represented his journey to self-love and revealed he had made a song with Garzón Robie for the next album. Garçon Robin was actually in the audience! KINO then taught the fans how to sing along to Freaky Love, and you could tell he was having so much fun on stage. Solo was up next, and he took a break to thank the NAKED team, the band, and the fans, promising that he would be back soon!
Broke My Heart followed with a more edgy, live version. Call My Name and DIRTY BOY were such a vibe—the perfect closing for the main set of this amazing show!
Obviously, the show didn’t stop there. After a short break, KINO jumped back on stage to perform Shine + Spring Snow, followed by Flake, featuring an extra special appearance from Garzón Robie, who performed the song together with KINO. The night finally closed with an amazing mix of DIRTY BOY.
KINO delivered an incredible show full of storytelling, amazing dance moves, and great energy. He proved he is a 360-degree artist who curates every single detail to ensure the performance is perfect in its own way. My respect for his artistry has increased even more, and I cannot wait to see what he brings next!
Cover Image courtesy of NAKED.
Please stay tuned for photos from the night coming very soon!
DAVIDE K-POP 