Those who drove pass Jalan Maharajalela and Jalan Hang Tuah on Saturday (1st October) could not have been prepared for the traffic jam that took place outside Stadium Merdeka. They must also have been taken aback by the throngs of people who trudged along the roadside pavements.
The question, “Why are all these people here?“, must have crossed their minds.
Well, the crowd was made up of VIPs (as BIGBANG fans are lovingly known as) and they were there for their favourite K-Pop group, BIGBANG, who were in Kuala Lumpur for their “2016 BIGBANG MADE [V.I.P] TOUR” fan meeting. And yes, they’re immensely popular, so much so that gathering a 10,000-strong crowd was not a problem. They’re not known as the “Kings of K-Pop” for nothing, after all 😉
Hours before the concert started, droves of VIPs were already crowding the venue – with some trying to get their hands on the official merchandise, some trying to save themselves good seats, and there were some who just wanted to interact with other VIPs and share their love for BIGBANG.
Fans were in a festive mood too, screaming their lungs out whenever BIGBANG’s music videos were played on the huge screens that flanked the stage. We thought the cheers couldn’t get any louder, but oh boy, how wrong we were.
When the members of BIGBANG (sans T.O.P, who had other schedules to attend to) erupted on stage with a thunderous “Aku cintamu“, the roars that came from fans were deafening.
The boys did not waste any time, delving straight into the games segment. They entertained fans by playing a few games, which required them to fiddle around with ping pong balls, flip plastic bottles, and guess objects while blindfolded.
G-Dragon and Seungri (Nyongtory!) were put in the same group, which left Taeyang and Daesung in the other. While the leader looked a little downcast and sick during the show, Seungri made up for it by being his boisterous and cheerful self. The maknae spent so much time shouting and jumping around that we were surprised that he still had energy to perform!
Another trait of Seungri that made us laugh was his overflowing overconfidence. Before the match started, he exclaimed loudly, “I’m gonna show you guys easy! This game is easy!” However, when he lost the game to Daesung, Taeyang playfully chided, “Seungri, you said it’s easy, what was that?”
That short but witty interaction definitely lit up the faces of VIPs.
After a short break, G-Dragon, Seungri, Daesung, and Taeyang emerged onstage again to perform their hit songs “Loser”, “Bang Bang Bang”, “If You”, and “Bad Boy”. Although T.O.P was not present, the members of BIGBANG took over his parts and performed ad libs whenever they saw fit. This sent fans into a frenzy.
This was followed by their solo stages, and VIPs were treated to a festival when Seungri appeared on stage with his single, “Strong Baby”. Fans of the other members were not disappointed too, as each member had the chance to shine during their solos. Most notable was Daesung, who took on his trot song, “Look At Me Gwisoon”, instead of his usual number, “Wings”. As a K-Pop fan, it was truly refreshing to see an idol perform a song of another genre, rather than the usual pop tracks and ballads.
The 4 members then took over the stage again and treated VIPs to a live rendition of “Sober”, “Bae Bae”, and “We Like 2 Party”. We swear, Daesung looked like such a happy kid while performing that we couldn’t help but sway to the music. Not forgetting Taeyang and Seungri, who ran around the stage trying to give everyone a night they wouldn’t forget.
While we were presented with a great show by the boys, we couldn’t help but notice that G-Dragon looking under the weather and it kinda reminded us of his incident in “BIGBANG10 The Movie – MADE“. We really hoped he was okay and enjoyed the show because we definitely did!
However, no matter how tired he was, G-Dragon did not forget to express his gratitude to fans. He thanked fans again and again for waiting for them, and it felt like he was on the verge of tears while talking to us. Aww, don’t cry, G-Dragon!
Taeyang then dropped a surprise, as he revealed that their new album is almost done, and that it’s gonna be released soon! But well, we’re gonna take it with a pinch of salt, as they’ve been postponing the release since last year.
After G-Dragon’s emotional speech and Taeyang’s revelation, it was now Seungri’s turn to rile up the crowd. “VIPs so beautiful!” and “Where are my VIP ladies?!” were just some of his random sentences, and they indeed elicited the response the wanted. He also promised VIPs that they’ll be coming back to Malaysia soon, though we don’t know for what occasion. Guess we’ll just have to hold him to his word! Daesung also tried his best in expressing his thoughts in English, and thanked fans for all that they’ve done for BIGBANG.
They took the stage for one last time, performing “Fantastic Baby”, before saying their final goodbyes to VIPs.
We have to admit, the euphoria and nostalgia felt during their performance was not like anything we’ve felt. Mixed feelings fleeted past, as we were overjoyed that BIGBANG was right in front of us, but felt sad as we thought of their impending conscription. The bittersweet feeling was amplified by T.O.P’s absence, as we realised that it would be years again ’til we get the chance to see them perform as 5.
No matter what, we’ll be looking forward to seeing you again, BIGBANG!
The full track list for the night is as follows:
- Loser
- Bang Bang Bang
- If You
- Bad Boy
- Strong Baby – Seungri Solo
- Look At Me Gwisoon – Daesung Solo
- Eyes Nose Lips – Taeyang Solo
- Crooked – G-Dragon Solo
- Good Boy – GDYB
- Sober
Encore
- Bae Bae
- We Like 2 Party
- Fantastic Baby
Also, special thanks to our friends from IME Productions who gave us this opportunity to witness our favourite idol group in action.
For more info, visit IME Productions’ Facebook page.
