London OGS - My thrilling, exciting, terrifying and amazing experience
I've literally just got back home after Infinite's OGS in London last night and I want to share my experience with you! :3 It was an amazing night altogether but there were some pretty awful parts that put a downer on it.
I'd heard rumours about the NYC concert getting really rough but I hadn't expected it to be like that in London, but it got really bad. I turned up to queue at 2am and I was #10 of the standard entry people, which was pretty awesome. Then I had 18 hour of waiting until the concert started. The first 9 or so hours flew by as I made friends with the people that were #7, #8 and #9 and their friends that joined us later.
After around noon, the time started to go so slowly and I started to get really nervous because the queue for early entry tickets was getting massive, I predict at least 200 to 300 people paid the extra £90 for early entry (they got a merchandise bag as well). Me and two other friends were interviewed on camera by the video team and we had to sign a consent form saying it could be aired online or on TV, I'm a little embarrassed since it was soooo awkward! But I'm holding my "Sungyeol-ah Yeol-ah Yeol <3" banner and I stated my love for Sungyeol when they asked who our favorite was, so I hope that he sees it!
Anyway, the doors opened for early entry at 7pm and then standard started to flow in at 7.30pm is. I was #10 so I was straight in and I was around 6 rows back, which was pretty good. We stayed a little to the left because the center was going to be the roughest area, but it didn't help too much. At this point I was already worried because the theatre is literally a theatre, well known here in Britain as a stand-up comedy venue. The stage was very low and there was no catwalk stage. The venue actually slopes at the back so the bottom is below the stage but the back is quite far above it, but I was too worried about getting fanservice to appreciate that at the time.
Anyway at 8pm the music video started for Destiny and I started to feel the push. When the curtain pulled apart and we saw them there the push got worse, but it wasn't too bad since I wasn't right in the center. I could only see little bits of the performance through the gaps. It was the same for Tic Toc, Paradise and Wings.
On their first talking interlude, I got a smile and eye contact with Sungyeol (MY ULTIMATE BIAS) because I was the only person near the front holding a Sungyeol banner. Then they started to sing again and it just got insane, by Going To You I had been pushed in the middle by the swaying crowd and I couldn't see anything. All I could hear around me was people saying "Help!" and "Stop pushing!" and people being pulled over the barriers by security guards. By this point i'd been pushed to like the 3rd or 4th row. I could barely see any of Sungyeol and Sungjong's stage and Infinite H's stage as well, and my Yeol and Jong banner got ripped out of my hands.
Here's where it get's terrifying.
When the "Inconvenient Truth" MV came on, the crowd was pushing from all directions and I lost my footing and fell down. I was stepped on by a few people while I was yelling for help and clawing, the crowd was closing in on me and I could barely breathe. Someone saw me and got everyone to make a barrier around me and pull me up, which was awesome (if any of you read this, thank you so much!).
I got up but I was hyperventilating and couldnt breathe and I knew I was going to faint. I could deal with the pushing but the fear of being trampled to death had given me a full on panic attack, I was helped to the front and helped over the barrier by the guards and the people in front of me. I was trying to get over before Infinite came back on stage because I didn't want them to have to see me being pulled over, it isn't fair on them. They were already looking worried, at one point I thought that Jongie was crying. They seemed to be avoiding looking at the pit and Yeol had a distant worried look on his face. Even Woohyun's smile looked strained.
I got over just as the boys started singing "In The Summer". The second I put my feet down I collapsed and had to be pulled up. I turned to look at Infinite and Sungjong was looking at me with a pained look on his face and so I gave him a smile and was walked off to get oxygen and water.
I spoke to the medic woman and she said that they had put extra staff on because they had read about New York, but that this was still worse than she'd expected, she then said "But they are really cute." Haha!
I missed the In The Summer and I Like You Medley, L's solo stage and like half of Woohyun's solo.
After like 10 minutes of crying and deep breathing, I went back out but this time I stood to the back where the floor slopes upwards. I could literally see everything with no banners or phones or heads in the way. I felt bad about not getting fanservice but honestly I enjoyed the concert a lot more from the back where I could dance and cheer and see everything without having to tiptoe to look between people's heads. My friends said that they got fansevice from Gyu, Namu, Dongwoo and Hoya but Sungyeol didn't seem to be doing much. They also said that they could barely see so I got the better end of the deal in the end. I was still shaken so I didn't properly pay attention all the way through, but I was able to watch my favorite songs: The Chaser, Before the Dawn, Cover Girl, Sunggyu's solo stage, Man In Love, She's Back and Hysterie, so that was awesome. The crowd had stopped pushing as much by this point so it wasn't bad, but I stayed away from it at the back where I repeat that the view was amazing!
I can't remember some of it because I was so dazed, but they were honestly amazing and I don't feel like I wasted time or money; I met some awesome friends on my 18 hour wait and since I have no kpop friends at home it's awesome speaking to people who respect and like what I like. My only regret is not going straight to the back, since I missed a few parts that I was so looking forward to.
The boys are so gorgeous in real life. Sungjong has never been attractive to me but last night I realised how beautiful he is! Myungsoo is like... impossibly attractive but Yeollie just blew me away, he has a new hairstyle where he has lines shaved into the side of his head and it's so attractive, and his hair is getting longer again. Sunggyu smiled so much and WOW, so cute! Hoya is shorter than I thought, as is Dongwoo but they are both gorgeous... Woohyun is so greasy! I never believed it until now, but wow... so much greasy Nam :3
The vocals were amazing, Sunggyu especially blew me away and the dancing was so in sync, I always knew that but seeing it in real life is something new.
THE ENGRISH WAS SO CUTE! Dongwoo and Hoya and (I think) Sunggyu spoke completely in English, but the others did their rehearsed lines in English and then spoke in Korean with a translator that a load of people screamed over. Dongwoo's english is so precious!
COUPLE MOMENTS! I saw so much Wooyeol! Woohyun and Sungyeol basically stuck to each other all the time (I so think they're real!). Myungsoo and Sungyeol did their heart after Nothing's Over and also kept laughing at each other, and when Myungsoo was on the big screen, Sungyeol turned to stare! When Sungjong was talking at one point, Sungyeol walked over and put his microphone upside down over Sungjong's head and everyone was laughing and poor maknae looked so annoyed. Sunggyu and Sungyeol kept whispering to each other with smiles on their faces, and everyone kept trying to Sungyeol's hair, the part where it's shaved! He looked so pissed off. Woogyu had a few moments as well, but I basically spent most of the time staring at Yeollie and sometimes Woohyun (but mostly Yeollie).
When we were getting ready to leave we saw their cars leave and Hoya had his head out of the top of one and was smiling and waving so much!
The experience was altogether amazing and I would definitely see them again, but I'd consider seated unless it was a catwalk style stage or the venue was similar, in which case I'd go to the sloped part at the back because the view is better and who cares about fanservice when you can barely breathe or see anything. I just wish I'd known that before because the fainting/trampled thing did kind of ruin the night for me, even though I know I did enjoy myself.
I really feel sorry for people that paid double to be at the front but had to leave s soon because of the crowds pushing. I especially feel sorry for Infinite - having to watch their fans be pulled out in tears must hurt them so much!
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