My excitement upon arriving
in Bangkok quickly turned into dread when I found out that the Queen mother
(reigning Thailand King’s mother) had passed. This plunges the entire country
into immediate mourning mode, with very strict protocols. I noticed even
mannequins in malls had to be in white and black outfits ! All decorations
(Halloween) had to be taken down as well.
I was beyond relieved when the organizer announced that the show will go
on, albeit some changes. Audience were urged to wear black and white attire as
a mark of respect , no fireworks display, no excessive lightings and of course,
the gals had to exercise some restrain on their flashy and revealing outfits.
Blackpink’s MVs were also played in monochrome mode. Attendees also observed a one-minute moment
of silence for the Queen before the concert commenced. Despite this, I still see some foreigners
dressed inappropriately (many were even more sexy than Lisa and Jennie
!!). One disturbing observation and the
reason it’s getting so freaking hard to get tickets for popular k-pop acts are
the presence of influencers and wannabe KOLs. They either want to do
live-stream (although forbidden) and are more interested in posing photos of
themselves in loud/alluring clothes…or filming themselves singing at the
concert. And you see them constantly checking their phones to monitor how many
“likes” attained after posting and editing their photos. Speaking from the
perspective of an avid concert goer and someone who refuses to engage ticketing
service or buy from scalpers, the current unhealthy trend is frustrating and
infuriating ! Having said that, I am thankful that the Thai organizer (Thai
Ticket Major) has taken proactive measures to counter this nagging
issue….unlike the lazy local Malaysian organizer. I was surprised but glad that I am being
asked random questions about Blackpink and the concert before I could move on
to purchase the tickets. This move
greatly mitigate the damage brought upon by bots (which scalpers and ticketing
service utilized to grab tickets in mass). Also, purchasers are required to
show their ID/passport during physical ticket collection (another good effort
to hinder scalpers’ illicit activities).
It's my first rodeo at Rajamangala stadium, having attended most of my previous concerts at Thailand’s Impact Arena. No doubt the stadium is enormous but still, the tiered seats offers a decent view of the stage. In fact, it is so much better than Malaysia’s Bukit Jalil outdoor stadium, I must say. Like many outdoor concert this time of the year, I came equipped with raincoat and thank God, it didn’t rain. The problem with this venue it’s in the suburbs and hotels within walking distance are scarce and of so-so quality ( I am probably more picky of accommodation as I grow older). As in most cases (except HK), I tend to select accommodation near the concert hall as traffic can be a huge nightmare after the show. From my observation, most fans opt for motorcycles as their means of transport to get home/hotel. Cars are more challenging due to the bottleneck after the concert. The tour also serves as a tremendous boost to Thailand’s tourism as Blackpink’s concerts drew 600K international tourists that particular week. Bangkok’s tourism has taken a hit lately due to the many kidnapping cases involving China’s mafia operating in Cambodia’s scam compounds.
“Kill This Love” is the opening number for the Deadline tour. I noticed that many fans were not too enthusiastic (probably due to the sudden passing of the King’s mother ? I’m not sure). This was followed by other familiar hits like “Ddu Ddu Ddu”, “Playing With Fire”, “Pink Venom”, “How You Like That” and “Shut Down” accompanied by their signature dance moves. Their chemistry is still intact and it’s evident that their star power is still shining brightly. Playing to home ground, naturally, Lisa received the most applause. Lisa wore a glittering silver body hugging costume with Thailand flag on her back and has significantly toned down some controversial dance moves. Jennie, who has often been critized for her perceived lazy dance moves, were very energetic, especially during her solo performance of runaway hit, “Like Jennie”. Jisoo, my favourite member, lit up the stage with “Hugs and Kisses” and “Earthquake”. What stood out is the way the girls sparkles during their individual showcase. The years apart has mould them into strong and successful solo singers. They also attempted to speak Thai while introducing themselves. As for Rosie who also serves as the main spokesperson during the concert, she gave a moving rendition of “3 AM” and “Toxic Till the End”. Of course, I don’t think the crowd would let her leave the stage without singing “APT”. For the various stops, there are clips of Rosie enjoying local delicacies. In Thailand, Rosie was filmed eating Phat Thai, drinking Cha Tra Mue tea and mango sticky rice ! Audience reacted with loud cheers and it was kinda hilarious watching members of the audience being featured in dance challenges during Blackpink’s clothes change break. During the encore session, Blackpink delights the crowd with their electro funk new song, “Jump”. Despite the emergence of newer girl groups such as Baby Monster and Aespa, Blackpink has proven that they are still the reigning and most popular K-pop idol female group.
Blackpink song rundown – Deadline concert
(3rd day).
Act
1 : Kill this love, Pink Venom, How You Like That, Playing With Fire and Shut
Down.
Act
2 (Jisoo & Lisa) : Jisoo : Hugs and Kisses and Earthquake
Lisa : Thunder
and Fuck Up The World
Act
3 : Pretty Savage, Don’t Know What To Do, Whistle , Stay and Lovesick Girls
Act
4 (Jennie and Rosie) : Jennie : Like Jennie, ExtraL and Starlight
Rose : 3 AM, Toxic Till The End and APT
Act
5 : Boombayah, Ddu du Ddu Du, As If It’s Your Last and Forever Young
Encore
: Jump, Tally, Lalisa and Fuck the World.
