I tried researching many ways to get into music shows like Inkigayo, Music Bank etc but I realised THE SHOW was the easiest to get to through Trazy, a tour agency website thingy that allows you to go in and watch THE SHOW but at a price of 54 USD per pax.
Okay yes it is pricey but when I count the cost of
- not understanding korean
- having to be part of fan clubs and showing CDs etc
- having to spend time queueing in the open areas subject to the elements, some from as early as the night before
- that I have my mum to take care of and I also don't wanna drain us out
I would much rather pay the price. So we did paid up for the SHOW here.
We headed to Digital Media City Station, which was just one stop from Hongik University using the airport railroad :D
We walked for a bit until we saw this park like area, but realised it was just planted trees.
This was SBS's prism tower
Interestingly from this angle, you won't see the SBS sign... you have to walk to the entrance to see the words 'Prism Tower'
But we came early so we walked on straight to see the main DMC area with this famous statue.
Right next to it was the star street with all the handprints of famous people, including some Korean golfers that my mum recognised!
Quite tiring to keep looking for the stars you recognised.
I enjoyed looking at the architecture here tbh, all the glass buildings of the different broadcasting companies.
So we headed into the Prism Tower, and the interior looks like this!
From here on I have no more pictures but I am gonna write in point form because I'm gonna have so much to say I wanna keep it succinct else you drown in my verbal diarrhoea.
On entering the premises and what to take note
I enjoyed looking at the architecture here tbh, all the glass buildings of the different broadcasting companies.
So we headed into the Prism Tower, and the interior looks like this!
From here on I have no more pictures but I am gonna write in point form because I'm gonna have so much to say I wanna keep it succinct else you drown in my verbal diarrhoea.
On entering the premises and what to take note
- Trazy staff were already waiting for us in this area, reporting time was 5.40pm and then 6pm we started to head in.
- The stage was quite near us. On flat ground was a standing area for fans and all the equipment and MC stage, then about 20 rows of steeply inclined seats. Mum and I sat near the left of the stage, but metres wise I think we were only 15 to 20 metres away from the stage?
- NO PHOTOTAKING OR VIDEOGROPAHY ALLOWED. Enuff said
- You can leave for the toilet if you want but THE STEPS TURN INTO SEATS because the staff of THE SHOW just cram every single person possible to every single space. So no. No toilet break for you until 8pm ok
- Worse still, the security will block you from entering the building again at 8pm, so your nearest toilet is literally the MRT station or an eatery nearby. Please fast from water then
On how live shows operate
- Quite interesting experience watching the cameras and how the artists had to film just ONCE in front of the camera. It was really odd to see ...
- ELRIS, a new girl group, perform halfway then run off the stage while the music continues playing and the screen shows that they are still performing
- My favourite A.C.E performing the full song live
- Nine Muses with one member performing without even bothering to lip-sync. I mean... at least try? :(
- ASTRO, a candidate running for first place, also dancing just half the song before they had to go off stage :(
- APINK only on the small TV at the side, coz they did their songs as a pre-recording. Sobs
- I realised that in front of the seated audience were three large microphones, and I finally realised what it was for when Moo Moos (Mamamoo's fans) were shouting their lungs out for the performance. Same thing for T-ara, they were performing merely to capture the fanchats. Jiyeon was still in her MC outfit while she performed with Q-ri and Hyomin (Eunjeong was gone already by that stage)
- I have no idea if they were singing live or lip-syncing tbh, but I don't care ^^ I'm not paying for a concert
- and I believe the fans need not pay also, just we bodoh tourists don't know what to do and are willing to go through a tour agency to watch it
- BUT I WILL DO IT AGAIN. I got to see so many groups!
On after the live shows
- Mum and I were about to leave when we started noticing hoards of ppl waiting at different spots around the building
- So we kaypoh and went to the other side of the building which was facing the road and lo and behold, we saw T-ara walking out and all the fans calling out to them from a distance
- We stayed on and got to see a lot of the different groups. Unfortunately there are so many new rookies I do not recognise so I just kaypoh here and there
- I was stunned when some of the lesser known groups had just a few fans waiting for them, then these fans would brazenly just go up to them and give them coffee etc and walk them to the car. Can like that one meh?
- I'm glad I stayed on for that extra 45 mins cause I got to see a lot of groups, who all kindly walked to the building entrances to wave at the fans before leaving for their cars.
- More importantly, I spotted A.C.E on the other side of the building and went over to hear them talk to their (small) half circle of fans! :D
I took mostly a long video on my selfie stick coz I didn't even know what I was expecting but here is a picture of Vermuda and then A.C.E :D
Haha really must thank my mum for willingly enduring a late dinner (of hongdae street food, which was amazingly good also wooohoo)
Both of us found this a really enriching experience not coz we say the kpop idols but because we could see how the filming works and it is really interesting to know what goes on behind the cameras :]
Would I go again? Of course, but I would like to find out what other ways I could get in without paying 54 USD.
I saw other tour groups like Seoul Pass selling tickets for 65,000 won which is 65 USD LOL that's more ex man! Idk >< Fans in SK are really fortunate hor. International fans hwaiting!