Thursday, 22 October 2015

Meet Me in the Pit: A VIP Fan Account of Big Bang's Sydney MADE Concert

This past Saturday, I had the luck and privilege to attend the Big Bang MADE tour in Sydney as a VIP. Whilst there were some minor hiccups in the beginning stages (pretty much expected of any concert) the event itself was a night to remember.




Hokay so a couple of quick notes to address before getting into it:
  •  This is a bit of a dilemma between “none of anyone’s business how I got my ticket” vs “wanting to show my gratitude to the source of my ticket” and gratitude wins out in this case. I want to make a note here to say I was offered a VIP ticket from a good friend who was unable to make the concert due to personal circumstances. The ticket was a gift and I am extremely appreciative. So to the person (hopefully) reading this, thank you… again
  • I’m sharing a few of my own photos, SLRs weren’t allowed and these are simple quality iPhone pics (obviously not professional). You’re welcome to use them just please credit under the name InfinitelySY if you do
  • I’m not a professional in any aspect of kpop and this is imply a personal blog with my own viewpoints
  • I’m basing this off memory so certain songs may be in the wrong order
  • If you don’t like basic white girl selfies then consider this your trigger warning

To begin with the lines were organised into VIP and General from early in the day. Check in time was 1 so my friend and I arrived right on 1 (not really fussed about being front row of the stage). Some twitter rumours went around saying there were people there who had been lining up the night before but I ain’t about that life.

The first problem of the day came with the check in time being delayed and then the extremely long wait for sound check. Originally sound check was meant to start at 2:30, however GDragon was off being an edgy hipster and posting instagram photos from the museum of contemporary art (seriously I was sitting in the line at 3pm looking at my phone like “the fuck you doing m8”)

A photo posted by G-DRAGON (@xxxibgdrgn) on



Sound check was delayed until 4:30 however it didn’t end up starting til 5:30… hope those likes on your mirror selfies were worth it GD.

Second issue was the gift bag. VIP’s were promised a bunch of stuff and a laminated pass to somewhat ease the blow of forking out $500 for a ticket. However the only thing we received on the day was a bag (and as an FYI that bag was for sale in the merch area for $40). Frankly I can understand certain fans being pissed at this but I was actually super happy. The bag is quite small however it unzips and becomes useful as a big travel bag. Obviously people have a right to be mad over not getting what they paid for but I’m a practical human and honestly would rather have a bag I know I’m going to get some decent usage out of in every day life than (for example) a collection of minor souvenirs that are going to sit on a shelf and do nothing. However on the plus side for everyone Award has since issued an apology and will be sending out laminates.


Statement from Award's Facebook


Third problem I had was the line up process going in. They confiscated all water bottles when going into the venue despite being originally told sealed water was ok. When I asked if water was sold inside they said yes but only after the sound check. This was a problem due to the poorly worded explanation of the way things were organised. When I spoke to staff it was implied if you left the sound check you would lose your place (ie say you scored a top spot front row centre stage) and would then have to be stuck somewhere else. It was also implied General Admission and VIPs were in the same area. So due to lack of communication the idea was essentially “if you leave after the sound check to get a drink you lose your place to someone in GA, so enjoy going 6 hours without water or the bathroom unless you want to pay $500 to get stuck behind people who paid $350”

I’ll stress now that this wasn’t actually what it was like, however the issue here is poor communication.

When let into the venue VIP’s were taken to our section of the stage which was basically our own pit. The layout of the arena had a major stage, two bridges on the side (more on those later) and then a second stage at the front which created a decent size enclosed space. Rather than rushing to be at the front of the main stage my friend and I decided to stick to the back. The logic behind this being that we still had a really great view from where we were and whenever Big Bang crossed the bridge we suddenly would become the front row.




My position compared to the stage

Another thing I will say about the VIP section is the amount of space was genuinely shocking (in a good way). Typically any concert I’ve been to before has been jam packed with people pushed together like sardines in a can. Surprisingly the VIP area had plenty of room to move around which enabled fans to be able to dance along to songs (without smacking the person next to them). It was also useful in the sense that whenever Big Bang themselves moved around (between the primary stage, bridges on the sides, second stage at the front) fans were able to follow them in a respectful manner without shoving or any aggression. And that in itself was a major highlight for me. Whilst my friend and I preferred to stay in our section at the back and chill, even when Big Bang came over to our side we were never really smooshed. Sure it got a tad crowded, but then people would disperse again whenever the members moved along. And as a whole everyone in the section was really chill with each other (not pushing or shoving to get closer to oppa)

After GD got his shit together and managed to show up to the venue the sound check started. TOP apparently had a fever so he missed this part (taking bets he was probably hungover or something) however Taeyang, Seungri, GD and Daesung all took part, dressed in casual clothing. The sound check was short but pretty cool, like our own mini concert. There wasn’t much in terms of one on one fan interaction but we got the typical “SYDNEY HOW YOU DOIN!?” speeches along with 3 songs.

Once this ended we were free to leave our section and had identifying wrist bands to be let back in. So I left to go get my damn water that I had been dying for (note to self; sour frozen cokes will make you thirsty as hell) and I also picked up a light stick from the EXTREMELY AND PAIFULLY LONG LINE FOR MERCH because I wanted a souvenir, other fans had one and why the hell not.


My spontaneous light up plastic stick purchase, featuring streamers caught through the concert that I kept



Back inside again the concert was scheduled to start at 8 but didn’t begin til 8:30 ish. They filled the time playing all the music videos from their MADE album and other releases on the big screen. A highlight of this was when they were showing Fantastic Baby around 8:20 with the stadium full of people all ready to go. With the way people were singing along you would have thought Big Bang were already on stage. The crowd was seriously hyped and the energy this created meant the atmosphere was pumped right as soon as the show started.

Finally things got under way with a well shot VCR which opened up to the opening performance of Bang Bang Bang





Those who know me will likely know I haven’t been that interested in the M-A-D-E singles. I mean I liked some songs but found a few of them disjointed to listen to, particularly Bang Bang Bang where I personally found the trap breaks were out of place and killed the momentum.

Seeing this song performed live totally changed my opinion on it.

Something tells me when GD was writing the material he had a grand stage in mind. Bang Bang Bang is an arena song if I’ve ever seen one, and the lighting, special effects and production add so much depth to the performance, which fills any gap I felt when simply listening on an ipod. For example the trap break slowing the pace down that I originally didn’t like worked with a large-scale audience because the crowd’s energy was enough to keep the momentum of the song going and also make you feel a part of it as well.

Also there were fucking fire canons man.




TOP during one of the opening performances 

The Tonight album is probably my favourite Big Bang release so I was ecstatic when Tonight was the next song to be played. And I can’t even make this shit up when I say there was also an added solo where Gdragon played an electric guitar that shot lasers


Next was Stupid Liar and this is where those bridges I mentioned before come into play. It’s difficult to describe but the floor was made of glass and they moved. So I basically had Big Bang directly above me at certain times




The two bridges on each side then joined in the middle to create SUPER BRIDGE! *triumphant trumpet noise*


Photo of the bridge moving

I had a pretty great view from where I was which lead to some pretty sweet shots on my iPhone.



GDragon as your mother who tells you off but you deep down know it's cause they love you








After Stupid Liar came the introductions and first off their English is amazing, basically for the entire show the members all spoke English, which is really rare for a Kpop concert (for obvious reasons). And what they lacked in correct grammar they sure as hell made up for in enthusiasm… looking at you Seungri.

Secondly Daesung is the funniest idol I’ve ever seen in my life.


 My new religious icon


As a basic transcript of some of his shenanigans throughout the night (not in chronological order)

Daesung: I can’t see you (*gestures at fringe covering face*) so I need to hear you
Fans: *cheer*
Daesung: Do you want to see my eyes?
Fans: *scream*
Daesung: Do you want to see my big eyes?
Fans: *scream*
Daesung: Do you want to see my BIG ... *gestures at crotch* … EYES?
Fans: *combination of screaming and laughing our asses off*

And then he lifted up his fringe and started making ridiculous facial expressions.

He also started making weird shrieking noises and the fans would scream back at him. Then he would be like “no… youre doing it wrong”

This turned into a hybrid of a screaming match/mixed “singing lesson” with Seungri chiming in to say that Daesung was a “great vocal teacher”

Once intros were finished TOP’s solo VCR played which was basically him shouting at himself in a mirror and a heavy sequence, which helped transition the mood from comedic to more serious, before the boys returned on stage with Loser




Loser was performed on this rotating mirror contraption and then followed by Blue keeping with the slow tempo. For Blue Award had earlier arranged for little mini lights to be handed out to the crowd. So this turned the sea of yellow light sticks into a blue ocean (*inb4 shot by ELFs*)







However as a side note this was later ruined when idiots on higher balconies started throwing them over the edge and hitting people in the crowd below. So there were no lights on the next show Sunday.






My personal highlight of the night came next with an acoustic version of Haru Haru. Towards the end the instruments faded away, Big Bang went silent and the stadium was filled with a sell out crowd singing the Korean lyrics word for word to the members.





Honestly it was a really touching moment to be a part of. Because individually you feel like “oh my voice doesn’t matter, it would sound the same if I weren’t singing” but then you realise everyone else is in the same position and it’s the way we all come together as a crowd of individual voices to form this one chorus that sings to Big Bang… and they can hear it cause they’re right in front of us, that makes it so special.

There was another talk segment then followed by If You, which had TOP actually singing, and then Bad Boy.




After Bad Boy was Seungri’s seizure inducing VCR (hell of a lot of flashing lights from a psychotic photography scene) before the solos.

Whilst the majority of solos during the night were of their more recent material Seungri took things back to their origins with Strong Baby (from their 2008 Remember album).

Daesung then performed Wings from their 2012 Alive mini. Gotta say there was a lost chance at strapping a harness on and having him fly around the arena with a song name like Wings. But oh well that’s what you miss out on when you don’t hire me to plan concerts.

As much as I would have preferred a classic such as Wedding Dress or a bop like Ringalinga it was no surprise that Taeyang performed Eyes Nose Lips, which saw him getting lost in smoke at some points.




TOP continued the trend of their newer material perfuming DoomDada. Whilst I weep at my lost chance of seeing Turn It Up live in my lifetime, the suit TOP was wearing that looked like something GD brought back from the contemporary art museum made up for it.






There was then a clever transition of TOP and GD together performing Zutter, which then lead to GD and Taeyang’s duo of Good Boy, and then finally left GD on stage solo for Crooked




Then came the final talk segment of the night which saw king of comedy and religious icon Daesung show his twirling skills

Used with permission from @jisoo_trash
Along with bopping to Billie Jean and throwing in a bonus 2PM reference.

Their final speeches were the typical “thank you/love you/see you again” and for the first time that night TOP also spoke in Korean. It was pretty hard to hear over the screaming of fans but the essential gist was talking about how long we had been waiting and how thankful he was to the fans.

The final song for the main set list was Fantastic Baby, which I was kind of surprised about as I picked that for more of an encore. But either way it was great. If I thought fans were pumped up singing along before the show started it was nothing to the grand finale. Unfortunately I don’t have any footage for this part because I was too busy enjoying the performance to bring my camera out. An absolute highlight was when Big Bang crossed the bride, putting me in the front row with the members less than a meter away. At one stage GDragon was right in front of me and turned around, we made eye contact singing along to the “Boom Shaka laka” part and both of us were smiling.

I don’t mean that in some “omg oppa noticed me and we’re in love” way but more like “we both noticed each other for a brief moment and recognised how much fun the other was having, nice.”

Once the performance ended Big Bang left the stage to enormous cheers, before the lights went dim, as the crowd demanded an encore. After being kept in the dark for a few moments the final VCR began to play before the members returned for their final stage of We Like To Party




The feel good song served as a celebratory finale complete with giant inflatable balls in the GA crowd that everyone joined in on passing around, along with tonnes of confetti blasting out of canons all across the stage.






All the members came to the front once more to throw out toys and souvenirs to fans. A lucky Japanese fan received a jacket from Seungri and on the left side GD slow danced with a Kangaroo before attempting to throw it to the fans on the seated balcony across. I say “attempt” because it took the guy 3 goes before finally getting it up there.




As another highlight, when walking across from that section to the centre of the stage, GD came back to my area where he had been before during Fantastic Baby, and sat down right across from where I was standing. He then proceeded to do a range of fanservice to the VIP section before re-joining the rest of Big Bang to finish the song along with a mini performance of Bae Bae, before they took their final bow of the night.


GD walking across to the area of the stage near me


A video posted by Butternut Creambatch (@infinitelysy) on


Big Bang’s MADE tour is not only a success in the sense of a near sell out for all 3 shows, but also as an accumulation for the effort of Kpop fans over the last 4 years. After lacklustre sales from Kpop Fest in 2011 (I blame not brining infinite ¯\_(ツ)_/¯) Kpop has had a very slow and painful climb for relevancy in Australia. From small and mid tier groups we’ve worked our way up artist by artist to show that the market for big time concerts exists here.  We’ve gone from barely enough sales to break even with the likes of Junsu and 4Minute, to the smash success of the BTS concert earlier this year, to now having stadiums jam packed with fans singing Korean lyrics word for word to arguably the biggest currently active Kpop group.


It seems very fitting for this tour to be titled MADE when at the end of the day it was all of us who made this happen.
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