#IFNTECT_SG: The Best 2 Days Of My Life
I knew that I had to get my hands on INFINITE’s concert tickets once they announced their second world tour, ”INFINITE EFFECT”. As a relatively new Inspirit (INFINITE’s fan), I had missed the chance to see them two years ago, when they visited Singapore as part of their first world tour, “One Great Step.” The desire to attend their concert intensified further when the details for their Singapore stop was officially announced, especially because the concert was to be held at a smaller venue as compared to the previous time, thus propelling my friends and I to go for priority booking (at an extra cost of about 20 dollars), all in the hopes of getting to see our beloved idols in a closer proximity — and see them we did.
Press Conference
INFINITE has always been known for their outstanding fan service and constant gratitude towards their fans, but this was clearly highlighted to Singaporean Inspirits when they decided to have a public press conference in a mall, rather than a quiet one with only media representatives present. Needless to say, it became more of a crazy fan meet rather than a press conference as 1,500 teenage girls huddled together to get a glimpse of the dashing INFINITE members. Although the press conference only started at 7:30 p.m., most fans had been camping at the venue since early that morning despite the hot weather and the subsequent rain. I joined the crowd slightly later than the rest but still enjoyed a good long wait of about four hours. It was well worth it though, that was for sure. INFINITE had only arrived in Singapore that morning but they were all dolled up to perfection in their black suits and there was no sign of tiredness on their faces as they interacted with the fans. They came very promptly as well, which showed their love and consideration for their fans, who had been waiting for them for a long time. L even looked shocked at the number of fans who were gathered there for them.
video credits @PINGGVAELE
It was my first time seeing them live, and though I was constantly being blocked by the flailing arms of the fangirls in front of me, it felt amazing to see them with my own eyes and to be in the same venue as them. When they started to speak, I literally couldn’t breathe because of how surreal the situation was. Watching their interaction with the fans and with each other felt like I was watching a fancam or a video of them at an event or a concert, but the reality was that I was present with them, and this realisation made my heart pound even more rapidly than usual.
It was a tiring 30 minutes, having to squeeze with tons of other fans in a suffocating atmosphere, constantly screaming and cheering while desperately trying to balance my camera, tip-toeing for the entirety of the press conference in order to get a better view; but it was all worth it to listen to their adorable answers to the reporters present and to sense their sincere gratitude and love for their fans. Maybe the reason why INFINITE remains so dearly loved by their fans five years after their debut is because of how charming all the members are, not just in terms of looks but also the way they speak. Take for example, this question which came up at the press conference.
Reporter: What is the biggest challenge that INFINITE is facing?
Hoya: The biggest challenge that I’ve had is that I haven’t been able to see my Singapore fans for the past two years.
How could anyone not fall for them? Though I had never seen INFINITE in real life before, I had attended “Running Man” fan meets before and I was used to such crowds. I also knew the best way to get a good video of the INFINITE members, and that was to rush to gather around their exit route before the press conference ended. While I wasn’t the first to think of that idea, I did make it there before most of the other fans did, and that enabled me to stand at a distance of less than five meters away from the members as they exited the venue. It was a precious experience, and it thoroughly hyped me up for the concert that was to take place the following night.
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Concert
It was the 13th of November, also known as the day I had been waiting for for the past five to six months! Though I was exhausted from the previous night’s fervor, I was also very excited to finally attend the concert. Once again, the concert started right on time with a thrilling trailer that ended with the appearance of the seven INFINITE members. Though the concert venue was small and the capacity of the place was limited to 3,000 people, the deafening screams of the fans more than made up for the lack of numbers. The energy was very high, both for INFINITE and for the fans as the group started off with three of their hit releases, “Before The Dawn,” “Paradise,” and “Be Mine.” Unfortunately, Hoya (main dancer and rapper) was injured so he could not participate in most of the dances during this concert and had to remain seated at the side of the stage. Despite his absence, the rest of the members managed to fill up the stage and still performed their dances with much synchronicity and precision.
My favourite moments during this concert were probably when the members gave speeches because they were all so sincere and their true personalities really shone through. For one thing, they all made an effort to speak as much as they could in English, and some of them (L and Hoya) were actually pretty proficient in the language. From photos of the press conference the day before, I could tell that the members were all pretty tired, especially since they had hectic schedules and another concert lined up in Jakarta after Singapore. However, this did not show during their performances and speeches because they gave their all and brought a lot of energy to their stages. Dongwoo in particular was seriously high throughout the concert and his wacky actions made fans laugh out loud several times in the night. The best line of the night probably came from L though, and he repeated the same line two more times at the end of the concert and on his Instagram post: “I’m your darling L!”
After the energetic performances came some slow ones as the members performed their newest ballads “Standing Face to Face” and “Love Letter.” These two songs were the ones that I looked forward to the most, partly because I am a huge ballad fan and partly because I wanted to hear their voices live. The performances sent chills down my spine because of how good they sounded in real life, if it was possible they sounded even better than on their album. To watch their emotions, to hear the strength of the voices, to hear their high and skilful notes, no words could express how overwhelmed and blissful I felt in that moment. This is a phrase that I’ve been repeating a lot but INFINITE’s love for their fans really shined through their rendition of “Love Letter,” and I’m thankful that I got a chance to experience it.
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The special stages put up by INFINITE H, Woohyun, INFINITE F and Sunggyu were fantastic as well. I especially loved the subunit performances because they went around doing fan service and interacting with the fans. Though they nearly got mobbed in the process, the members bravely stuck it out and continued throwing adorable stuffed plushies to their fans. They even gave sweet reminders for fans to stay safe even while rushing to catch the presents they handed out. This fanservice continued through other performances of songs from their latest mini-album “Reality” and they even performed their newest unreleased song, “For You” with a great choreography. I can’t wait for this song to be released!
The concert “ended” with a bang with their latest title tracks “Back” and “Bad,” and the reason why I’m using these inverted commas is because they obviously had an encore prepared for the fans. After about five minutes of fans alternatively chanting “Encore, encore” and “돌아와“(Korean for comeback), the members reappeared in fresh outfits and performed their debut song, “Come Back Again.” It was a nice throwback to their earliest days and started the members off on a sentimental note for their final speeches. I’ll be honest, I started tearing up during these speeches, not just because they were touching but because I couldn’t believe that the concert was ending so quickly. It had already gone on for around two hours and there was hardly a moment when the members were not on stage, but it was so fast-paced that I thought the concert had just begun. It might be a delusion but I had the impression that the members felt the same way. During their speeches, it was evident that they felt sad about leaving Singapore so soon after they had arrived, especially in the case of Woohyun and Dongwoo, who came close to tears as they spoke and sang their final song, “Together.”
I knew from watching concert videos that INFINITE would definitely perform this song at the end, but nothing prepared me for the emotional rollercoaster that I would feel as I heard them sing. A simple and heartfelt song written by Woohyun after the first world tour, I fell in love with it the first time I heard it, but it’s definitely different when you hear it live. Woohyun’s extra high note at the climax of the song gave me goosebumps and it was so beautiful, the way the members sounded when they sang in harmony. The song carried the concert to an emotional high, and that’s when it truly ended with white confetti falling from the ceiling. Together, they took a deep bow as they thanked the fans who had gone to the concert and the amazing band who had played for them the entire night. As I was furiously snapping photos, tears were also running down my cheeks because of this show of unity. The reason why I love INFINITE so much is because of the strong friendship between the members, and this bow reinforced my belief in them. No matter what may face them in the future, I know that they will always have each other along with the support of all their fans, including me of course.
All in all, as my first K-pop concert, INFINITE EFFECT really set the bar for me and I can’t wait for them to come back already. These two days that INFINITE was in Singapore were really two of the best days in my life, and they really reminded me of why I became an Inspirit in the first place. Even as INFINITE continues their world tour till next year, I hope that they will continue to receive the support of all their Inspirits and that they will continue to achieve great success.
Have you ever attended an INFINITE concert? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.