When I went to HK last month I already knew about LOE HK, but I didn't think I'd be able to watch because my flight home was a few weeks shy of the concert. But then my mom was pushing me to watch, so at the time it looked like I'd be able to go, but we weren't really sure how often I could do the whole HK-Macau thing so I decided that I prolly wouldn't be able to watch in the end.
And then, a few hours before our flight, my mom and I were being all HUHU I'LL MISS YOU and my mom was like, "Why don't you come back after two weeks huhu" and I was all "r u srs" and it looked like she was. And so I go, "Wait maybe that means I'll be able to see the concert!" and she's all "YOU'RE RIGHT YOU CAN USE THAT AS AN EXCUSE FOR IMMIGRATIONS" (just in case, 'cause you never know with immigrations -- for the record I went through immigrations smoothly without any complication whatsoever) and literally 30 minutes before we had to leave the hotel, I was booked for LOE HK.
That being said, because I booked so late (online ticket selling began in April and I only got to book on the first of June because everything was so tentative), I ended up getting one of the further seats, BUT THAT'S OKAY BECAUSE THE CONCERT WAS SO. MUCH. FUN.
When I got to the concert venue there were already some BABYZ on the ground floor, and when I got to the actual floor where the concert hall was, there were so many BABYZ I could cry. Loljk, but I felt really ~*~at one~*~ with the K-pop community. It made me smile -- really it did -- seeing girls with banners and stickers and whatnot. It was like being at an anime convention, with everyone sharing things to fangirl over, except this was much more concentrated into one fanbase. Geekery at its finest.
It was my first K-pop concert, and I didn't think I'd be able to see B.A.P live so soon, considering I only became a K-pop convert in late April. When I was lined up for the entrance (which was actually not needed because we had booked seats, WHICH IS REALLY CONVENIENT BECAUSE CHAIRS AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO FIGHT TO GET IN FRONT AND SO LINING UP IS REALLY USELESS???) and just taking everything in, I realized I was really part of this world now. I had always seen K-pop from the outside, and since I never expand my music collection unless I get a recommendation (this was exactly how I ended up getting into the fandom), I never really gave it a shot. Then suddenly just two months down the road of getting into everything, I was already watching a K-pop concert. It's crazy.
Sap aside, I went alone since I don't really have any local friends in HK. It wasn't bad and it wasn't really awkward... lol that's a lie 'cause when am I NOT awkward? It wasn't that awkward or anything, prolly because I've already grown accustomed to not talking to anyone unless required because of the language barrier, so being alone again at another concert felt pretty normal.
The story behind this photo:
Ina: Can I take your picture?
Girl: *takes my phone and hands me her poster thinking I wanted a picture with it*
Ina: Nonono I want a picture OF YOU!
Girl: WHY?!
Ina: Because I think your stickers are funny!
And so she complies. Kamsahamnida, DaeJae shipper.
Even if my seat was towards the back, it was elevated so I could still see clearly. In fact I could see without a problem, much more than my other two concerts, even if I was close to the stage during those two concerts. I guess the only problem I had with my seat was that I wasn't close to the stage, but maybe that's because I'm used to being up front during concerts. There was a screen projecting the concert anyway so s'no biggie.
Besides this concert having seats, which I think is really convenient because we get to sit down while waiting (my legs were dead during the Stars concert), it was airconditioned (but after cheering and jumping around it gets kinda humid anyway) and it started on time. Well, not on the dot, but maybe around 10-15 minutes late? Not bad.
Some girl next to me was by herself too. Her name was Chin Xiao Tung, I believe? I probably got the spelling wrong, but it sounded like that. She admitted her English wasn't very good -- she was at... level 4 English? Idk, but she held up 4 fingers when she was referring to her English skills. I also found out that we had the same bias, and that's always a nice similarity, right? LOL
As the concert hall slowly filled, I noticed there were some people who looked like they were in their 30s or 40s, and I even spotted a little girl and her mom looking for their seats.
So anyway, B.A.P opened with Warrior, which got everybody standing, and by the time it was Zelo's rap, some girls two rows in front of me were standing on their seats, which prompted me to do the same, and thank goodness I had my stompers on (I think I partially bought them for concert purposes kekeke) because I still got to see the concert really well! Many times I have struggled because of my height...
After Warrior was No Mercy, which got me uber pumped and excited because it's one of my favorite songs!!! I've forgotten the sequence of songs already but some chick behind me started sobbing when I Remember came on, which was early on in the concert. It was pretty awkward with the crying, but in my head I was like, "iz coo iz coo no judgement I'd prolly do the same if they sang It's All Lies/What My Heart Tells Me To Do (I'd prolly just cry in silence tho and not actual wailing)" but they didn't so it didn't happen. I never listened to I Remember much, but I bet if I did (I probably will from now on) I'd end up a sobbing mess like that girl, too.
I thought I would cry though. I mean during the Stars concert, when they performed Your Ex-Lover Is Dead I teared up (I only stopped myself from crying because of my makeup LOL) because it was my favorite song, but when B.A.P started singing Punch I just enjoyed myself way too much to even get my eyes watery. I seriously did try to make myself cry, but I couldn't because everything was way too much fun and Punch is my favorite song and I was just singing (screaming) and jumping along.
I couldn't understand what was being said during the member introductions though, 'cause they were all speaking in Korean and the text was in Chinese, but I went along screaming, "NE!" whenever cued anyway.
Towards the middle of the concert, the screens suddenly showed war scenes and stuff and I was like, "IS POWER NEXT" but then suddenly the screen showed kids at war and stuff (it was awkward because the screams and cheers abruptly fell silent) and there was text saying that we should help them and all that. I think it was nice that B.A.P still thinks of the less fortunate and that they included this in their concert. Then there were gun sounds and I realized it was One Shot that was next, not Power. Ah, the MV that started it all...
THOSE DUETS THOUGH. DAEJAE VOICES JONGLO DANCING BANGHIM SEXINESS AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA also Baby Jello looks so grown up now ; ~ ; ("Why are you only 16..." mumbled Ina as her bias' introduction went on.)
Then later on towards the end, Jongup goes, "This is gonna be our last song," which was Goodbye, and I was like WAT srsly 'cause it felt like the concert was a little short, and towards the end of Goodbye my disappointment was growing and I thought ending everything with this would be a little underwhelming so I figured an encore was definitely gonna happen.
And it did, first with Coma then possibly Dancing In The Rain? I can't remember if the latter happened after encore or before it, but anyway I was hoping that B.A.P would at least close with Stop It. They did perform that, though it was the second to the last song. They closed with Crash.
After the concert, I checked back to Twitter again (free wifi in the area, boo-yah!) and Camille thought I'd get rings from the merch stand (pre-concert I tweeted the stuff I got) and I was all RINGS I SEE NO RINGS so I ran back to merch and there weren't any rings but then I noticed they were selling posters and I thought it'd be a shame if I didn't have this in my
Besides the poster, I also got this tee! The silver parts reflect under strong light, hence the ~*~glow~*~
Oh yeah, and this Matoki thing that I used for the concert. I'm excited to display this in my room.
I also got a bag tag, stickers (on its opposite side is another set in black), and the pouch that contained the shirt. Also while in line for the entrance, some girl was handing out cards for fanclubs (fancafes?) and she gave me a Jongup and BYG one! I actually saw some other groups with different 'business cards', and I secretly wanted to ask for some but was too shy lol.
Overall it was the best fun I have ever had at a concert. I got to sing along to everything (granted, my singing probably sounded like unattractive shrieks of "akjshdskjgl;dsgkhsjkfalfjdg") okay except maybe I Remember, but for the most part it was pretty much everything. I didn't get to sing to everything during the TBS/Stars concert because I didn't familiarize myself with everything, but for B.A.P I pretty much knew all the songs. Maybe that's also because B.A.P only debuted last year?
Still though, this counts as the third concert in my lifetime, and already it was a foreign one. (My third would've been Bloc Party, but it didn't happen because of reasons.) Being alone didn't hinder me from dancing (flailing) and cheering and screaming and jumping around, though I did wonder what it'd be like to watch with Camille. And then I started wondering what fun it would be to see EXO live with Janelle and Beau...
Never in my life have I been able to see a certain group live that I fangirl'd hard over ('fangirl hard' may or may not be synonymous to 'read fanfiction about'); P!ATD and MCR both came to Manila, but I didn't get to see them because of money and schedules, and now they've both disbanded (not entirely for the former, but you get it.) I never got to see FFTL live either and their main vox has already frolicked into dubstepland, and while FOB's having a concert in Manila, my fangirling for them has died down and was never really in par with that of P!ATD and MCR. B.A.P was the first.
I'm just really glad I got to see them huhuhu. Even if I was far away, experiencing their performances live was just so incredible and thrilling and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I didn't bother bringing my camera because I wouldn't be able to fully indulge the concert, but I did take a couple of videos via iPhone. I've already posted one hahaha. My arms and throat are now sore, but I have no regrets.
I woke up today feeling very sad because I realized LOE was over, but when I got home last night I was just bouncing from wall to wall on cloud 9. It's still so surreal and thinking about it still makes me smile.
I don't think I've ever really chronicled it here, but I got into K-pop some time in April, when Camille sent me two music videos of two Korean groups because I asked for some 'hip-hop' recommendations. One of those videos was B.A.P's One Shot, and after identifying this one member that caught my eye ("Who's that cute one with the grapes and who's doing the wormy-wormy thing on the floor?" lol they were actually the same person), I was hooked. It all happened instantaneously and literally overnight, and that same night I was already reading fanfiction HAHAHAHA. With that said, B.A.P was the first Korean group I have ever, truly become a hardcore fan of, and it just feels so right that the first Korean concert I went to was theirs. I am so, so happy.
Not really sure how to close this post, so here is a picture of the boys. ILU B.A.P I HOPE I GET TO SEE YOU GUYS AGAIN AAAAAAA
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