Backstreet's Back Alright!

If there's anything a person should do before he/she dies, attending a concert would be one of them. Speaking from a first-timer concert goer's point of view, of course and judging by the Backstreet Boys concert which I attended with jie. At least that was what we came up with while driving home all busted with our voices and adrenaline drained. And we were glad we actually made it for and to the concert despite of everything else. Frankly though, seeing that it was our first time attending a concert, we really didn't know what to expect - from the right shoes to the right time to the right gear to bring to the concert, we really weren't sure so we just followed what our instincts told us. And based on my instincts, we arrived 4 hours earlier before the actual stated time of the concert. Not surprising either, there were already a small crowd building up when we arrived.

My instincts would've been perfect if it actually came with a weather forecast. Only, it didn't and while queuing in line to be the first few to get in, a heavy downpour (lightning, thunder, strong winds, the whole package) came and left me drenched and soaked in both perspiration and rain water. Which was pretty disgusting considering my underwear was soaked as well, leaving me, literally dripping from head to toe. Jie was lucky cause she went to buy some food while I stood in line. So much for instincts. Being me, I pulled out from the crowd in the middle of the downpour, thinking that it would be pointless either ways to stick around with a crowd which wasn't that big yet, and instead, run for shelter. Besides, I had my camera in the bag and I couldn't risk it getting wet any further with the bag already half soaked.

But thanks to the rain, I got to meet VJ Alvey from Channel V at the front of the hotel and even got a picture with him.


Back to the concert, it was just plain amazing. Yes, even though I had to go barefooted because of the rain prior, causing my shoes to be uncomfortable, resulting in me taking them off and go barefooted instead and thank God, all my toes are still intact at the end of the concert! Also, having considered that I pulled out of the growing crowd during the downpour and continued queuing after, jie and I still managed to stand a good distance from the stage where the boys were still visible and not a distance the zoom of my camera couldn't compensate with. At one point though, during entering, the crowd got a little impatient due to the incompetent management of crowd flow and a little riot almost broke out. "Don't push", "We came first", "Let us in" were the only resounding phrases heard amongst other angry shouts and grumble of people cramped and confined in a small area while drenched in rainwater and sweat.



In spite of that, the concert was still sensational. The energy was there, the response were good and the boys were great! There was so much hype even before the boys came out, making the crowd look as if they were just insanely screaming at big black curtains covering the backstage. For that, you could really feel the dedication and love from the fans. A true fan couldn't even contain their joy when the boys finally hit the stage 45 minutes later than the stated time. At least, I couldn't when I was screaming and jumping along with the crowd when the Backstreet Boys made their opening in matching kick-boxing outfits. They connected really well with the crowd and you can definitely feel their love as well. They made it feel personal for everybody out there because you can just tell they handpicked the songs they performed that night. I mean, c'mon, their signature hits like As Long as You Love Me and I Want It That Way? They sure melted a lot of girls' heart that night. Me on the other hand, was just moved to tears by nostalgia.


Backstreet's Back from matrianklw on Vimeo.


Everyone from matrianklw on Vimeo.


Any Other Way from matrianklw on Vimeo.


You Can Let Go from matrianklw on Vimeo.


Unmistakable from matrianklw on Vimeo.


I Want It That Way from matrianklw on Vimeo.



Show Me The Meaning from matrianklw on Vimeo.

Oh, and I shouldn't mention my horrendous singing along to the music as I was partially shouting, straining my voice, while jumping along to the other rhythmic numbers. But then again, who cares? I wasn't the only one singing out of tune and the focus was on the Backstreet Boys whose voices easily drowns mine in the crowd. Though, I did feel a sense of togetherness when BSB sang along to the music. It was just fantastic and beautiful. Besides, I was more careful towards the camera than my singing. Which I should mention that I wasn't focusing on even taking still pictures, instead, I wanted videos and given that mine isn't a video camera, all I got was clips in minutes and seconds which was much to my satisfaction already since those videos don't come in mini size. I did, however, max up two cards that I have and even had to delete a few on the spot to make way for other performances. And do pardon me for the shaky videos as I couldn't really refrain from moving along with the awesome crowd but look on the bright side, my camera zoom did quite a good job. And below is a wallpaper I created from one of th best shots, I got that night!


Oh, and did I mention that I got that pair of tickets for free? Absolutely no charge! Thanks to The Star, we didn't even spend a dime. Not bad for the experience, huh? It was all worth it - the rain, the crowd, the 6 hours on foot and definitely the Backstreet Boys! Which is the first reason I'm still here in KL to begin with.

Life's good!

P/S: I know there's an awful lot of videos posted, but if you're a fan of BSB, you should definitely want to check them out. Just be patient with the loading. Plus, it won't take that long. It's just a few minutes long.