#'very good line that is not the mic drop fandom is treating it as' basically

[astralleywright]

"you could've hurt fearne!" very quickly becoming the new "well imogen, i wish my family didn't have to die for their brighter tomorrow"

[disposedserenity]

BTS in Singapore #LoveYourselfSG

I don’t know who would even wanna read about a concert that happened A MONTH AGO. But if you are still keen, hey ho.

*I’m gonna recount the entire day in great detail, so please feel free to skip any details if you don’t care about it.*

disclaimer: all pics & videos are not mine unless stated, credit goes to bts/bighit/fansites/fans

For reference, I was at yellow 1 (left side of the extended stage)

On the night before the concert, it still felt unreal. I was surprisingly calm and I was even watching 聲林之王 with glenn (who stayed over) 😂 I thought I wouldn’t be able to sleep but I ended up falling asleep at around 3 am.

19 January, 6.00am: My eyes opened and I was sooooo effing tired LOL. I swear I was in a daze all the way till the actual concert. We got ready and proceeded to leave the house at 8 am. Once I arrived at the stadium, there were fans everywhere. The group of us (carol, mingyou, glenn and I) decided to grab a cup of tea/coffee to wake ourselves up and I don’t know how, but it was already past 9 am by the time we bought our drinks. Glenn and I went to collect the various fansupport items (a cool thing about kpop concerts is the amount of free stuff given out by fans) and we went to find glenn’s roommate who had been queuing for merch since 6am.

At 10.30 am, glenn and I went to register for soundcheck. The place we were at (outdoor area outside astons) had various dance cover groups, which was actually a pretty good form of entertainment to pass the time. After we were done with registration, glenn had to pick up an item she had ordered from a fansite, which we had a hell of a difficult time trying to find because the stadium is so freaking big. We had to speed walk to queue for soundcheck right after, as we were already late (queueing started at 12.30pm and it was almost 1pm)

SOUNDCHECK:

That was basically my reaction when BTS walked out.

Even though they were in casual clothes and had no makeup on, (Jhope even tweeted about it!!!), in my mind they looked like this as they were walking over to us HAHAHA:

They performed three songs in total: mic drop, dna and run. I went in assuming they would each be rehearsing their solos, so I wasn’t expecting those three songs to be chosen. But, it makes total sense because these are the more hype songs. My memory is slowly fading so I’ll let drake illustrate how I felt during the soundcheck.

When they all stood in one line right in front of me:

When I heard the opening note of mic drop:

KIM NAMJOON, KIM SEOKJIN, MIN YOONGI, JUNG HOSEOK, PARK JIMIN, KIM TAEHYUNG, JEON JUNGKOOK, BTS!!!!!!!

**when I heard the whistling in DNA**

*run plays* me: YAAAAAAAAS BICTH

me realising midway that bts is real and I’m actually seeing them like wtaf-

armys after the soundcheck:

I don’t know how I ever got so lucky winning soundcheck passes, but I wanna thank all the lords and the universe for awarding BOTH glenn and I this opportunity. Soundcheck is truly such an intimate experience because you get to experience bts in all their natural glory. Even though this was just a rehearsal, it felt like a mini concert and I even told glenn that I’d be fine if I didn’t go for their concert and I can die happy lmaoooo.

Brief soundcheck tidbits (you can read the rest here):

1) Jin looks THE best without makeup, he has such good skin and I swear this man is really really handsome in person. I’ll admit I never bought into the worldwide handsome hype before, but I’m a convert now.

2) Jin kept looking at glenn and I several times and he was FULL ON staring. It wasn’t even a brief glance, it was as if I owed him money and he was waiting for me to return it to him (yes jin i owe u my money and life). I kept wondering if I was delusional (aren’t we all, tbh). To be fair, I think jin was also looking at the barricades behind us and/or staring into space, but this man definitely looked me straight in the eye. How did I survive? I didn’t, I’m typing from my grave

3) hobi glows in person, and he’s really not called the sun for nothing. He was the first one to walk out on stage and he had the biggest smile plastered on his face the entire time. Sunshine radiates from this man with every move he makes. Alongside joon, he was the one speaking the most and leading the members.

Ok, so storytime. There were supposed to be 1000 soundcheck winners but when we entered, there was NO way that there were 1000 of us. Our area had probably around 100 - 150 people max and the same goes for the other side. During the concert ment time,  jungkook mentioned that there were only 200++ fans at soundcheck. The moment he said that, glenn and I turned to each other and went “HUH?” and we clowned him because we thought he couldn’t math... (sorry jk bro for doubting you oops). As it turns out, about 800 soundcheck passes were cancelled because they were obtained through special means and connections. AND, the reason they looked really tired/sad at soundcheck was because they were expecting 1000 fans and they probably thought they couldn’t even fill up that amount. :( fuck you scalpers, fuck you snakes staff, but I’m glad bighit decided to cancel all those tickets because those fools dont deserve it and also more space for us soundcheck winners muahahaha.

Before I delve into the concert experience, I need to vent about my stupidity and anger at myself. **CAUTION: RANT AHEAD** So, the standing ticket holders were let in to the venue from 4 pm onwards, and we happily found a spot to settle in and chill. (it was definitely NOT chill in our pit, but that’s another story) At around 6.30pm, everyone decided to stand up officially. Fast forward 15 minutes, I went into full panic mode because I needed to pee. Usually, I’ll just hold it in but my stomach was feeling quite queasy (I’ve been having a lot of stomach issues since november). I also didn’t wanna watch the entire concert with the constant urge to pee because that’s so fun, right? It just SO happened that mingyou and carol were talking about going to the back to watch the concert so I said fuck it, I’ll just go to the toilet and stand at the back too. Went to the toilet to pee and ta-da, ONLY TWO FREAKING DROPS OF PEE CAME OUT. I was so pissed at myself (my body really) because it made me leave my front spot for nothing. But, what’s done was done. I told myself that hey, at least you can finally breathe now (while internally cursing). **RANT OVER**

CONCERT:

Even though I’ve watched so many fancams from their concert, NOTHING will ever beat the experience of watching it in person. I got GOOSEBUMPS when the first note of idol played and they all rose from the platform. Till this day, I STILL get goosebumps rewatching any idol fancams because of that exact moment.

me watching the IDOL opening stage for the 94919994th time:

I was watching IDOL from the back with carol and mingyou, and I was truly thankful that I had the space to dance and go wild. But, that feeling lasted briefly because I realised I was so damn far from the stage. BTS was performing most of their choreographed songs at the purple main stage so even if I was at my original spot, I still wouldn’t be able to see them. The huge led screens existed for that very reason, but my stubborn ass was adamant on watching them on the stage instead of seeing them through a screen.

me deciding to squeeze my way back in again:

After IDOL, it was time for their intro ment (introducing themselves, saying a few comments the usual stuff). Immediately after, they performed save me/I’m fine. I don’t know why my idiotic ass thought this was a good time to squeeze my way in when I should have been FOCUSED on my boys. I was basically half watching them, half saying sorry excuse me to strangers. *bows head deeply and slaps self*

Ok moving on.... I really freaking love how they created the transition from save me to I’m fine. The part where tae gets up into a bridge position was b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l. For some reason, he looked particularly breathtaking doing this move at this very concert. The beauty of live performances, indeed.

Personally, tae stood out in save me/I’m fine the most.

Magic Shop was next, which surprised me because I forgot that it was so early in the setlist. Hence, I was NOT ready for the incoming wave of emotions.

“so show me, I’ll show you” will forever remain one of the most iconic lines in the fandom 😭😭😭 I think I would have cried if this song was played towards the end of the concert. 

As per tradition, a subunit vcr is played before each members solos. So the order goes hopekook, minjoon, tae and yoonjin (yoonjin was too!! much!! to handle because it was 2 separate screens and I didn’t know where to look at???)

Jungkook: Euphoria

(aiyooo look at them cheeks *pinch*)

I love how this has now become our official fanchant (for context). Euphoria is one of my fave intros after seesaw and my ears were in for a treat that night. (It was also at this point I decided to just stay in my current spot instead of trying to find glenn). Jungkook sounds amazing live and this made me realise that wow, he really deserves the main vocalist title.

As most fans would have known, Jungkook was so exhausted at the seoul music awards, which was a mere few days before the concert. Naturally, I was worried that kook would push himself too much in sg. I could tell he was definitely a little worn out, but he still gave it his all (bcos its jungkook) and delivered an impressive performance. I’m truly happy I’ve witnessed euphoria live 😍

J-Hope: Just Dance

JUNG HO SEOK, YOU GOOD??? J-hope showed me what the term bias wrecker really meant that night. I think EVERYONE left the stadium that night rethinking their bias list (if you didn’t, you’re lying). His stage presence and charisma is out of this world. Everyone knows he’s a good dancer, but seeing him executing those moves in person is REALLY something else. 

my face during the entire performance

when he walked over to the extended stage, I was like

WHO IS HE? HE’S J-HOOOOOOOOPE! LOUDER!

I Need U + Run

I honestly don’t remember much from this except for THE vmon moment because they were kinda all over the place. They started at the main stage, then came over to the extended stage and were just dancing their hearts out freely. The members were all splashing water (Idk how they do it so nicely, I’ll probably just hit someone’s head with the bottle) and there was a water cannon. The water cannon was SOOOO strong, I and the people around me were caught off guard (rip my hair & makeup). Bighit probably knew mosh pit fans were sweaty as hell so they wanted us to take a bath. How nice of them.

I loooooveee the outfits they wore here. I’m not a fan of all white ensembles but on bts, I’ll make an exception. They look like ethereal angels who've descended down to earth for one day to grace us with their presence. I’M HERE FOR IT.

look at all da sparkles (and jimin’s messy hair uwu)

Jimin: Serendipity

Till this day, jimin remains my favourite performer in bts. Whenever I watch a bts performance, my eyes automatically go straight to jimin. As a contemp dancer trained in ballet, you can see how that has shaped his performances. Fluidity is the term I would use to describe his style, because he moves like he’s gliding through water. I often find myself rewatching his fancams the most because he has so much adaptibility, its crazy. He knows when to go hard and when to reel it back in. Jimin has such pretty dance lines as well. He stands out because he really pays attention to the little details (the turn of a foot, the hand placement, arch of a back)

Out of all the solos, serendipity is really the prettiest. The combination of jimin’s glitter shirt + pastel hair + bubbles really was a feast for the eyes 😍

See what I mean? Jimin looks so picturesque even in motion.

Trivia: Love

As glenn pointed out, Joon looks so much softer in person (he’s a real life koya 😭). In person, his features are much softer and ‘rounder’. While he may have soft features (how many times can I use the word soft), his stage presence is a huge contrast. I’ve often noticed that out of everyone, joon is the most focused member during performances. While the others will interact with fans/try to incorporate some kind of fan service, rm concentrates solely on carrying out what he’s supposed to do. I can respect that.

Ugh!!! This man!!! Honestly, I was a little worried joon wouldn’t get the hype and cheers he rightfully deserves but Singapore impressed me. Well done, my fellow countrymen (and foreign fans). There was a girl beside me who screamed super loud and kept yelling “KIM NAMJOON!!!!!” so I was like HELLLL YEAH OKAY FINALLY SOMEONE AS HYPED AS ME LEGGO. Jungkook making a heart at the end with namjoon was so cute uwu. Everyone collectively lost their shit when joon slid his jacket off over one shoulder. King of giving the people what they want, I see you.

**another thing to note is how he always looks SOOO happy performing love. You can see the genuine happiness radiating off this man. It makes me happy too 🤗

DNA

The main talking point of this performance was that jimin fell. I actually missed it, because I could only see their side view and jimin was blocked from my pov. By the time I looked at the screen, jimin was already on the floor (still smiling bcos he’s jimin) and I was like oh nooooooo. Apparently after that, they coordinated among themselves mid song to tell each other not to do the ending choreo. A PLUS TEAMWORK, RIGHT THERE! tae even went to wipe the floor after the performance, bless his precious soul.

sidenote: I love love their dna outfits, especially the jackets!! They had different ones for the america and europe concerts, but I do love the asia tour ones just a little more.

Medley

The other highlight of the concert happened here because I was reunited with glenn!!!!!!! I found her just when they launched into fire and we were like OOOOOMMMMGGGG YAS. I actually gave up on ever finding her, but I suddenly saw her blouse from the corner of my eye (THANK YOU GLENN FOR WEARING A PINK DAISY TOP). During the medley, everyone kept following wherever the boys went because the boys were on the moving stage. I felt like I was at a wave pool getting pushed without even moving. They were right at the back at the small diamond stage, so I couldn’t really see much. I had no choice but to watch from the screen. 

funny moments: tae doing pubg dances LOOOL , rm’s legendary hip thrust (you’re welcome)

Airplane Pt. 2

I.. actually forgot that this song was on the setlist. It felt really anti climatic and I wish they would have arranged this to be after DNA or something. 

*airplane pt 2 comes on me:

Jokes aside, I do love this song. It was even one of my top songs in 2018 according to spotify.

V: Singularity

For the first and only time during the concert, this made me speechless. Normally, I’d be cheering and singing along to all of the songs. BUT man oh man, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from tae. While jimin is my favourite performer to watch, I believe that tae is the most expressive performer in bts. Whenever I watch him, I realise that wow that’s really a celebrity right there. Its easy to dress up and put on a show, but not everyone can really perform. What separates a regular person from a star is the x factor, and taehyung is the perfect embodiment of that.

Look

at

that

duality

Fake Love

First off, how did I not notice jhope was wearing leather gloves???? Fake love is still that bitch, no matter what anyone says. It gave us goth bangtan and that’s all I could ever ask for.

I wasn’t expecting them to perform the rock version, and I LOVE IT. I’ve probably watched all of their fake love performances, but seeing it live just solidified it as my fave title track from the love yourself series. Funny anecdote: jungkook didn’t lift his shirt up like he usually does and I swear the people around me were disappointed. They didn’t outrightly say anything, but I could feel the sadness 😂

Suga: Seesaw

ALRIGHT, SHE DROPPED THE CHEESECAKE TIME. Seesaw is my fave solo so you bet your sweet ass this bitch was excited AF!

Singapore did good for the seesaw fanchants, I’m so proud of us *wipes away tear* yoongi definitely noticed our efforts and smiled so freaking wide when he heard us (he absolutely has THE cutest gummy smile).

I remember the entire fandom (me included) got shookt to the core when yoongi first debuted the seesaw performance. We were like ‘suga dancing??’ Seesaw as a song itself was already a pretty unconventional fit for yoongi. We were all used to his hard hitting rap songs (agust d says hi) so we were really surprised. But, you can see how much fun yoongi always has whenever he’s performing seesaw and I’m thankful that he reversed our expectations with this song.

Jin: Epiphany

THIS MAN, yes I am suing. His name is Kim Seok Jin. How dare he make me feel all of the feels when I specifically told him not to? Hearing 50,000 people singing “I’m the one I should love in this world” together was truly a historical moment (just hear how it sounds from OUTSIDE the stadium). Seeing Jin channel all of his emotions into this song was heartbreaking, yet cathartic at the same itme. I would have full on ugly cried but all the screaming probably killed the mood.

the gaze of a man who knows the power he holds, ugh I stan

Epiphany is such a perfect song, 10/10. I don’t know what else to say because nothing I ever say will compare to the experience of actually watching it live. I love you, jin (no hetero)

The Truth Untold

v, jimin, jungkook, jin are the nation’s vocalists thank you for coming to my ted talk

I could barely hear tae at the start because of his mic, which was a shame :( Aside from that, everyone sounded really great. TTU is a song that can strain your voice if not done properly. There were definitely some concerts where some of them struggled to reach the high notes or the correct key. One thing’s for sure though - Jin has CONSISTENTLY been singing in perfect pitch and ALWAYS delivers a fantastic performance. Jin’s singing is so stable, it deserves more recognition. I love tae’s ad lib here and how he made everyone lose their marbles after.

Outro: Tear

HANDS DOWN, FAVE PERFORMANCE OF THE NIGHT!!!!! I walked out of the concert still thinking about tear, because it was THAT powerful. I’m glad glenn was beside me for this because she’s the only other tear enthusiast I know (TEAM SENN ✊🏼). BTS individually have amazing stage charisma, but put the three rappers together and you get AN UNDENIABLE FORCE. I’ll always stan rap line till the day I die. The three of them have such different rapping styles, yet nothing sounds out of place when they work together.

yoongi in headbands is so hot, no one fight me on this

Mic Drop

Second fave performance of the night! (okay I might be slightly biased, since it was right after tear) Even though this was nearing the end of the concert, I was actually way more energetic than I was at the start. It was like I was saving all my energy stores for this very moment. When joon mentioned it was their last song, I was like NOOOOOOOOO WAIT WHAT YOU CAN’T LEAVE YET. Then, I remembered that there was an encore segment and the world was all right again.

I see you stylists with the second white ensemble of the night, and I raise you one. Mic drop is the song that can get anyone hyped up anywhere. I feel like this is the song that you can play at clubs / festivals and it wont feel out of place. Fun story: the dj at dpr live’s show played mic drop and everyone was lowkey jamming to it (also shout out to all the armys there)

Please watch jhope’s fancam!!! I’ve always felt that mic drop is one of the few songs that allows him to really shine as a dancer. As a hip hop dancer, he doesn’t get many opportunities to showcase it because he has to ‘tone down’ for bts choreos. If you have the time, do check out all of his hopeonthestreet videos to really see dancer hoseok in his element!

mandatory iconic yoongi mic drop

Encore Stage (So What & Anpanman)

All of the cutest and funniest interactions took place right here!!! Before the concert, I was going back and forth between getting purple or yellow tickets but I definitely do NOT regret getting yellow tickets! The extended stage is where you can see their goofy selves come out to play.

joon + jimin’s cheeks: an untold love story

p.s. joon was casually applying lip balm before this moment, lol

me whenever minjoon minjoons

this is peak joon at his final form

jimin got to start anpanman this time!!

cosmo and wanda (I mean vmin) being the absolute cutest

chaotic duo taejin back at it again

vmon was being very very cute during anpanman & so what!! There were so many vmon moments throughout the concert, THANK YOU UNIVERSE for blessing me with the most underrated ship.

noteworthy moments during the encore stage:

-sope freaking looked at glenn and I, and we almost combusted right there. Both of them came over to our side at one point, and stepped down onto this black box platform just below (no wonder they felt so close). Almost everyone else were on their phones, so naturally they noticed us because we were the only two crazy bitches cheering by ourselves. I MADE EYE CONTACT AND THAT’S ALL THAT MATTERS. suga smiled so hard when he saw us going all out, and that’s when I knew: I was yoongi’s bitch for life. jhope was looking at us with a sort of approval *stands at attention* YES SIR ARMY REPORTING FOR DUTY

-jungkook came over to our side of the stage and was just in right front of me. I took this time to really look at his face (HAHA) because I felt like I didn’t see him enough during the concert. He was doing body rolls (looked a little something like this) and everyone around me was busy trying to get his attention. Upon closer ‘inspection’ of jungkook, I have concluded that he is a 5 year old trapped in a 20 year old ripped body. His body proportions are reeeealllyy crazily good - with his tiny waist and long legs (and veiny arms). I can see why people lose their mind over him, but he’ll always remain an adorable bunny to me.

-I got blessed by yoongi’s holy water during so what. I didn’t think I was gonna be close enough to get the water but I GUESS NOT! I’ve never been happier getting splashed with water in my life. I swear, yoongi was so cute bouncing around and just smiling the whole time (I can’t stop talking about yoongi, SO SUE ME)

this is what jungkook looks like in person, can you believe? Fansite pictures are always heavily edited (especially jungkook’s for some reason) so sometimes they can come across as quite ‘fake looking’ when you look at images. Lemme tell you, they look a thousand times better in person. The melanin, the glow, the messy hair, their natural skin - can we get a hallelujah

Final Ment

Their final ment before we parted ways :((( I do enjoy hearing them speak even if its in korean, because you get to listen to their thoughts and feelings. I also really appreciate their attempt in speaking english, because it shows that they care. They might have memorised what to say, but effort goes a long way!

- tae saying we are part of his story, memory and scenery 😭😭😭 who knew it would be a teaser for his song! that sly kid. give it a listen over here, you won’t regret it.

- jungkook saying that the fans at soundcheck (*raises hands* YES IT ME) cheered crazily good. yasss thank you kook for acknowledging us and trust me, you could have just ten armys and we’ll still cheer like 10,000 people!

yoongi was being so freaking cute and for what?? that little pout before he launched into his speech.... HERE TAKE MY HEART

the best part was yoongi correcting the translator (not good night, GREAT night) man’s fluent in english but never shows it off, I approve of this slytherin move. yoongi even mentioned that he thought there was a day 2 concert. live nation, what are you doing??? I was so looking forward to a day 2 concert too. Is minstradamus predicting a 2 day concert in Singapore in the future??  👀

jin is a sagittarius in every sense of the word. the way he waited for his close up before slowly removing his shades.....I’m honestly not surprised anymore. I’m too used to having so many sagittarius in my life LOL. he even attempted to speak singlish not once, but twice. I sincerely applaud the effort, though my greedy self wished every member tried too (I’m still waiting for jimin to say ‘ zuo mo ni jiang bad de’)

speaking of jimin, he sang promise!! for the first time!! live!! singapore was truly blessed :)))))

thank you God for spending a little more time on this fine specimen, jung hoseok. hoseok is fine, but with his forehead exposed? FINE FINE. *cue me singing I’m fine* everyone was chanting “J Hope! J Hope! J Hope!’ even before he spoke and he was like oooooh, me? while pointing at himself like pls hobi ITS ALL FOR YOU BBY.

yes, you have stolen my heart jung hoseok

I can’t believe this man even bothered to count the days and meals for his speech..... (I like how bts pretends music bank didnt exist LMAO) this man can honestly sell you a trash bag with how eloquent he is. english is his second/third language yet he can construct better sentences in english than I ever will. in Jeon Jungkook’s words “Kim Namjoon, you dangerous man”

Answer: Love Myself (aka THE END CRIES)

At last, the final song dawned upon us. This is it, the moment reality hits you. That we’re all gonna return to our sad little lives after the concert. I was expecting myself to cry, but I actually felt... at peace? Hearing them sing “I should love myself” also served as a final reminder that that is also the title of their world tour, and the key message to take away from the love yourself series. At the end of the day, bts are also 7 young men in their 20s struggling alongside the rest of us. They have their own battles to fight too, but at least we’re all in this together. BTS may be there to provide us with happiness and love, but we must never forget to look inward first. 💜

Welcome, first time experiencing singapore’s humidity?

Singapore air’s just that powerful huh

I got chills, they’re multiplying!

Ngl, Singapore really impressed me. Every member’s solo got the same deserving amount of screams and we even got seesaw’s part down! (yoongi was really happy huhu) I don’t think they nor us fans expected such an enthusiastic response, but I hope this lifted their spirits up. Touring non stop for months is no easy feat, and I hope our passion made them less weary for one night. I still feel extremely blessed that I got to see them so quickly after I became a full-fledged fan. Hope to see you boys real soon! 😁😁😁

p.s. I recommend reading glenn’s experience here, because it is MUCH more detailed and well articulated

p.p.s link to jimin fancams, link to j-hope fancams, link to rm tear fancam

To end off, here are some random/cute pics for your enjoyment ~

me shaking off all the sweat, filth and water out of my hair after the concert

grandpa over flowers

hello glenn, this is for you

LOOK at jungkook’s forearms.... he can literally kill us all

The cameraman was WHIPPED for tae that night, it kept focusing on tae for a good chunk of time (I can’t blame him/her, we were all in awe too)

Singapore is officially J-hope land now. Can he run for president next?

Thank you for giving me a night I will never forget 190119 will forever be etched in my memory 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

[irisouy]

So today I want to give my opinion on my latest obsession: BTS. No, I am not speaking about “Behind The Scenes”, but about a music group/band called BTS (Bangtan Boys). For those who do not know them (who doesn’t at this point?) they are a 7-member k-pop group, who are breaking all records. I usually do not give my opinion on music, since my blog is mostly a “The 100”–related blog, but I felt that this time I could make an exception, because I have been enjoying this group very much during “The 100” hell-hiatus and felt like sharing my impressions.

So how did I come across discovering this group? Well… lately I have been into k-dramas. Almost two years ago I discovered the world of Korean dramas, and really fell in love with it. It made me stop watching most American series (well except for The 100, duh), and I have been doing a lot of binge-watching of really good Korean series. Of course, while watching them I often hear really nice songs in the background or as OST, and out of curiosity I went on YouTube to listen to those tracks in full version. That’s how I discovered k-Pop: it was first VIXX, then GOT7, then EXO and WINNER. Of course, I watched other k-pop boy-bands, but those are the ones that I liked most. And then, one day, after watching a clip from one of the groups I have just mentioned, the automatic lecture feature in YouTube put on “NOT TODAY” of BTS and I got hypnotized by the crazy dancing. Don’t get me wrong, other groups are very good dancers, but BTS choreographies and attitude really impressed me big time. And when I watched “FIRE” next, I was hooked.

Before I move on let me clarify some things about me: first of all, I do not consider myself as an ARMY member. Again for those who are not familiar, “ARMY” is the name of the BTS fandom and I believe it is one of the most active fandoms in social media if it is not the most. Second of all, I am in my mid-thirties, which is kind of old considering the average age of ARMY stans. Also, I was a teenager during the 90’s and I have lived the boys-band era, and let me tell you this: I have never been a fan (to the exception of some random songs). So this is the opinion of a person who is not in the BTS fandom (yet?), who has never really been fond of boy-bands and who is “oldish”.

Let’s get into it! (Beware, I have a lot to say => 5 K words after the cut)

Disclaimer: I am rather new to this so if I say something wrong, educate me, do not send hate please

So as I said, it’s the dancing that got me interested in BTS: the songs I first heard where OK to my standards, very catchy, but I mostly loved watching the dancing, more than listening to the songs. But then, I came across the rest of their songs and I started enjoying it more and more. The more I listened to them, the more I enjoyed it: this kind of music has a way to creep into you.

So what has “sealed the deal” for me?

A great discography

Variety of genres in their discography: not one songs resembles the other. They have Hip-hop, trap and rap tracks, R&B and pop songs, ballads …the variety of genres is impressive, even within the same song! I am not used to see this in other (non-korean) groups/singers: once they start in a genre they stick to it, with very seldom variations. But BTS seems to enjoy exploring genres and they are very good at it.

I mostly like their calmest songs with “Tomorrow” being my absolute favorite, followed by “House of cards” and “Let me know”. But they have so many beautiful songs: “Spring Day”, “Save me”, “Dead leaves”, “Hold me tight”, “Sea”, “Born singer”, “I need U”, “Run”, “Go Go”, “Boy in luv”, “Best of me”, “Baepsae” to name some of my favorites. I even really like their debut songs such as “No more dream”, “N.O.”& “We are bullet-proof”.

This doesn’t mean I do not enjoy their most recent songs like “Blood, sweat and tears”, “DNA” & “Mic Drop”: but for those, I mostly like the video clips more than the songs (sorry, my opinion!). Just like “Fire” and “Not today” are extremely catchy (and I’m in love with the MVs), but it is not the type of songs I listen to on my way to work. Those are the type of songs which are more powerful if you watch the whole performance (singing + dancing).

So my advice: do not just listen to Title tracks only: my favorite BTS songs are not Title tracks, and they are sooooo good.

To top it all, the majority of their songs have meaningful lyrics and tackle sensitive topics. And when you start scratching the surface you discover that their songs and MVs are connected to each other across the years of their existence. That’s when you get into theories, because yes, every detail is important and is part of a mysterious and giant puzzle that will blow your mind.

Top-notch Production

An A-team: I firmly believe that BTS members are among the most talented individuals I have ever encountered, but they are not alone in this. The reason why BTS is rising to the top is also due to the team surrounding them. Watch any BTS MV: the cinematography is beautiful, the costumes are stylish, the color scheme is on point, the choreographies are awesome, and camera angles perfect… you can feel there is a lot of work and thought put together to get this result. And when you watch live performances, you also get the sense that behind BTS, there is a talented team that supports them.

I think that BTS is the only idol group of Big Hit entertainment (for now) and it really shows. You can tell Big Hit puts a lot of effort and care into this group. Every little detail is well thought of and planned. Big Hit entertainment is doing everything they can to showcase the talent they have in their hands. I also appreciate the fact that they are letting each member explore their own artistry outside from the group. The fact that they gave solos to each member in the Wings album was a smart move. It allowed each member to shine on their own, with their own style, while still showcasing the group as a whole. Smart, smart indeed.

I like the fact that they allow some freedom to their artists: they have their say in the production process, they write lyrics, produce songs, and from time to time they let them get songs by themselves and let them explore the music they like. Because they are so different, and they all shine when performing solo, but each on their own way. Just have a listen/look at the mixtapes released for each member of the rap line: whether it is RM’s, Agust D’s or J-Hope’s, each mixtape has a different feel and genre. The members’ tastes and personalities just shine through their music and I like the fact that Big Hit supports them into their musical journey.

 7 talented young men

Well of course what makes BTS so good are its 7 talented members: each one has a very distinct voice, style and personality and whether they are singing, rapping or dancing, the experience is really enjoyable. Note that they are so good, that it took me a loooooong while finding a “bias” (aka favorite member), and even if I have one now, the others are really not far away from him. It’s crazy how easily you can get attached to them.

Let’s do a quick tour of the members, their performances and characteristics. (Again, this is my opinion based on what I have seen, do not get offended that I don’t like your bias as much as you do!).

Let’s start with the rappers: J-Hope, Suga and RM. I am not going to lie, although I enjoy rap, it is not my cup of tea: I’m fine with small doses, but can have trouble listening to pure rap, with nothing else around. However those 3 rappers made me appreciate rapping in ways I did not expect, because they have the attitude, the flow and the talent. If you don’t know them already, I recommend listening to their Cyphers (with subtitles turned on) which are really, really good: I personally really like Cypher pt. 4, but pt.3 is really good too (but this will be different according to each person’s tastes).

The rappers of the group have suffered from mockery from other rappers because they joined BTS, and were hence considered as not being “real rappers”. But let me tell you this: they have proven again and again that they are extremely talented and that they do not need to envy other self-proclaimed “real” rappers.

· J-Hope: real name Jung Hoseok, also known as Hobi, Hoseok. He might be the most underrated rapper as usually RM and Suga get most of the attention. At least, I know he is the last member I paid attention to within the rap-line. Rap-wise I would say that his style is slower than RM’s and Suga, infusing his cheerful personality in every line. I like how he modulates the rhythm of his diction in his rapping, and the fact that he incorporates singing into it, building his own rapping style. What is also impressive is the fact that J-Hope never rapped before joining BTS, he was a dancer. But keep in mind that I am far from being a specialist of rap. The first time I paid attention to J-Hope is with the Wings album: I was impressed with his track “Boys meets Evil” and I also really enjoyed “Hey Mama”. What gets me the most with him is that he is a multi-faceted artist: he knows how to rap, sing (have you heard his singing? soooo nice!) AND he is an amazing dancer. I really do love his dancing: the energy he has when dancing is breathtaking, and this same energy transpires in his solo tracks. And of course I have to talk about his mixtape that just came out in March 2018. Such a sleek and mellow sound: the Hixtape is a very unique trip into his world and a real treat for the ears. No wonder it broke records all over the World! Also, personality-wise J-Hope is a funny, caring and optimistic individual: basically, a real sunshine. What’s not to love?

 · RM: real name Kim Namjoon, aka God of Destruction, formerly known as Rap Monster (or Rap Mon) …he is the first rapper that I noticed because of his low deep voice and chill attitude. He “spits some bars” has some will say but in the best way possible. His rapping skills are sick: he can rap extremely fast (*cough*joke*cough*), or take it slower, but always with attitude. But what is weird is that I like RM the most when he sings…yep, with time I have the impression that he has been singing more and more and I absolutely love it. His part in “Best of me”, “Let me know”, or in “4 o’clock” is really awesome for lack of a better word. RM is the leader of BTS and as such he is in charge of being the spokesperson of the group and the link between Big Hit and the BTS members. He basically is the dad of the group and makes sure that every member gets his share of spotlight.

Besides from being a caring and respected leader, RM is also an excellent song writer and producer: you need to listen to songs like “Spring day”, or “Serendipity” to see the tip of the iceberg of his writing abilities.

Basically, RM is a really smart (IQ of 148), caring, charismatic individual who takes his role in BTS to heart.

 · Suga: real name Min Yoongi, also known as Agust D. At first I didn’t really pay attention to Suga. But he is a quiet force that crept into me slowly and then hit me hard. I really started noticing him with his solo song in the Wings album: “First love”. I first listened to it without reading the lyrics and I was touched by the raw emotion that his performance transpired. Then, when reading the lyrics I got transported by his love of music: music was and will always be his first love. Nice. But of course it didn’t stop there, that was just an appetizer: I then discovered his mix tape under his other stage name “Agust D”. Oh WOW. Do you remember when I said I was not into rap songs that much? Well I am into HIS songs very much. I discovered real gems in this mixtape, my favorites being “Agust D”, “Far way” and my number 1 of all “The last”. His rapping is the most lit thing I have ever heard, the way he modulates the rhythm of his rapping according to the message he wants to deliver and at the core of that there is always RAW emotion. And when you read the lyrics of “The last”, oh my… it’s heart-wrenching. This guy is so freaking talented that he just became my bias wrecker with this mix tape, hands down.

But Suga’s talent does not lie only on his rapping skills; just like RM he writes lyrics, composes and produces songs. And he really is very good at producing: my favorite song of BTS (Tomorrow) was produced by him. He even won an award for his producing skills. I like that he is so passionate about his music.

And I also like his personality: he is more introverted than the others, with a darker humor and can be a real savage. But you can tell he is a tormented soul (even before reading his lyrics!) and inside he is a big softy. So yeah, freaking Suga: an awesome individual, rapper AND producer.

OK, now let’s dive into the vocal line: Jin, V, Jungkook and Jimin. As I said, I am biased because I enjoy singing more than rapping (well most of the time).

· Jin: real name Kim Seok Jin, also known as “Worldwide handsome”. Yes, he IS handsome but he also has such a beautiful, and breathy voice. The “visual” member of the group is also the most underrated singer of BTS. I thank the Wings album every day because it got me into knowing each member and pay attention to them individually. Just like with Suga and J-Hope, it’s Jin’s solo song “Awake” that made me notice him more. He surprised me in a very positive way, and I realized at that moment that may be the fact that I did not pay attention to him was simply because he doesn’t have that many lines in the songs. He truly deserves to get way more spotlight to show his true potential. Luckily he finally got more lines in the Japanese album and has shone in “Don’t leave me”, and “Let go”.

Jin has a very stable voice that relaxes me to no end. I can’t wait to get some Jin-exclusive content: I will be there to support him. I honestly was low-key disappointed that Jungkook got the intro “Euphoria” for “Love yourself: Wonder”: I was expecting an intro by Jin (don’t get me wrong I love Euphoria and Jungkook!).

Personality-wise, even though he is the oldest, I think he might be the least mature of all the members: a true kid with the funniest laugh ever (sounds like windshield). He is sweet and sensitive, but very loud! Especially when food is involved ^^ He spends his time telling dad jokes and blowing flying-kisses. As time goes on, I am liking him more and more even if at first I thought he was kind of “bland” (nonsense I know!). HE IS NOT.

 · V: real name Kim Taehyung, also known as Tae or Tae-Tae. What a soulful voice! His voice is the most distinct to me out of the members of the voice-line: when I started listening to BTS I could tell his voice apart from the others because it is very unique. His voice is like melted chocolate: so beautiful and warm. Once again, I will be referencing the Wings album: in his solo track “Stigma” he hits the high notes without a sweat and keeps his husky voice all the way through. Among my favorites I would also mention 4 o’clock (with RM!) or his cover of Adele’s “Someone like you”. But just listen to any BTS song: you cannot miss his voice. He is the member with the widest vocal range. I absolutely love his part in “Let me know” and “Spring day” to name a few, but the list would be too long. Just one thing though, I like his voice the most when he is in the low range: I appreciate him in Blood Sweat and Tears for example, where he showcases his highest notes, but I don’t know why, I am most invested when he is in the lower ranges. It just does things to my heart I cannot handle (“Crystal Snow”, “Let go”… OMG)

So his voice is amazing, anything else? Hell yeah. He is such a good performer! We often talk about J-Hope, Jimin and Jungkook when discussing dancing skills, but honestly V is not lagging at all. He lives his performances to the fullest: he is very expressive and very good at acting. Besides from that, he is a weird and funny fella and yet another sweetie. He is the biggest troll you will find and a real social butterfly. Tae really makes me laugh so much and his reactions are so unpredictable!

 · Jungkook: real name Jeon Jungkook, also known as Kookie, muscle bunny. Ok this guy is not called the “golden maknae” for nothing (Maknae means the youngest of the group). He is absolutely badass in everything he does: singing, rapping and dancing (and drawing, and sports and photography, editing…and so many areas that it is unfair for the rest of the world). He is also a very handsome kid, so I am not surprised he is the “bias” of many ARMY stans. He is one of the first I noticed because I really liked his attitude in the MVs, and when I heard his voice I melted. There is a reason he is BTS’ main vocalist. Listen to his cover in collaboration with Jimin for “We don’t talk anymore” and you’ll have an idea of how beautiful his voice is. I actually like this version of the song better than the original one. But any other cover he has done is wonderful as well (papercut, or 2U for example) and let’s not forget his solo track “Begin” (yep Wings album again). His voice has a wide range and is extremely stable, even while dancing.  To sum up, Jungkook is a very young artist that has the potential to become a bulldozer in the music industry. He oozes talent from every pore of his skin. This kid is growing fast and thanks to his “hyungs” he is asserting his style and personality.

Personality-wise, he is a walking-meme and a mischievous little bunny: he loves teasing his hyungs so much. But at the same time he still is shy in many situations: but his BTS brothers are there to protect him.

 · Jimin: real name Park Jimin, also known as chim chim or little mochi. Ok, ladies and gentlemen, presenting what k-pop fans call the “bias”. Jimin is my “bias”. He wasn’t at first, but he won me over, clip after clip, performance after performance. I like him because he is made of contrasts: I really love his voice, which can reach the highest flawless angelic notes, but at the same time deliver raspy sounds when singing low notes. I got to admit that Jungkook has a really nice voice which sounded similar to Jimin’s when I first started listening to BTS: it was hard for me telling them apart. But eventually I reached a point that know I can tell them apart 99.9% of the time: I like the fact that Jimin’s voice vibrates and flows when getting into high notes, and gets a little raspy when hitting low notes. I am not sure I can express what I hear with my English skills though (non –native speaker here). I like voices that can stir up my emotions, and his definitely does that. I always ended up liking his parts the most in almost every song, before knowing it was all him. How can I not mention his two solo songs: “Lie” and “Serendipity”? his voice is pure bliss. But I also liked his debuts and growls. Some say that he has not the best voice; I don’t care, I like his voice the most because he has some imperfections. And yes V, Jin and Jungkook can hit really high notes, but none of their voices get me as Jimin’s voice does. You know, personal bias here.

On top of having an amazing voice, this guy is an amazing dancer: both, J-Hope and him are always wonderful to watch. Jimin’s way of dancing is so expressive: everything from body to face lives the songs to the fullest. His background in contemporary dance mixes so well with popping and hip hop style of dancing. He has a good control of his body, and just flows; he is like water. Add to the equation that he seems to be a real cinnamon roll in RL, and you have an artist who is sweet and a badass at the same time. He has a very bright and sweet personality, but once he gets on stage, he becomes this other persona, full of strength and attitude: the contrast is striking and so interesting. I guess I also like the fact that he is also a very sensitive soul, struggling with self-confidence issues and inner-demons. He is a perfectionist and tortured soul hiding behind the sweetest smile.

 Energy, emotional honesty and passion:

OK, so besides their music and talent, there is also a “je ne sais quoi” factor that got me attached to this group in particular. I started watching many videos of them performing live but also many off-stage videos. And let me say this: I really liked what I have seen. OK it might be staged or manipulated, because I don’t really know what is really going on behind the scene, but it felt quite honest. Their energy seems legit, their interactions and care for each other seem genuine, their emotions as well.

Here are the things that I noticed and really liked:

·Real passion for music:

BTS members love music. Some prefer producing songs, other like to sing, others enjoy dancing… but they all have in common a drive to improve and always deliver the best performance in everything they do. Their work transpires passion and positive energy.

·Emotional honesty:

First of all I was surprised by what I call their “emotional honesty” and how they break male western stereotypes. In the countries I have lived (US, France and Spain): men are not allowed to be fragile. When I say they are not allowed, I mean society standards pressure them into always having a strong façade, no matter what. Emotions are kept buried inside because otherwise they would be seen as “feminine” and it is considered as a weakness: any time a man shows his feelings, his vulnerabilities he is being weak. Last time I checked men are human beings, just like women: they go through pain, grief, anger, anxiety etc. The fact that society tries to control the way men express their emotions is as harmful as society trying to dictate women into not being equals to men. So that’s the type of attitude I am used to see with men raised in western societies: “conceal don’t feel”.

But BTS members are not like this at all. I don’t know if in Korea men are more in touch with their emotions (I don’t know this country and its society so I cannot judge), or if BTS members are emotional because they are still young. But anyways, it is so refreshing to see these kids expressing their feelings, inner turmoil and anxieties on-stage or off-stage; they laugh and cry whenever they feel like it. They are honest with their emotions and it shows: I really hope that when getting older, they won’t lose that emotional honesty because to me that is their strength.

This emotional honesty is also present in their songs: many of them have shared their personal struggles in songs. The two songs that stroke me most were “The last” from Agust D (aka Suga) and “Lie” from Jimin: the lyrics are so personal and even dark. It takes a lot of courage to share this type of struggle, but that’s what makes this group so special. They express themselves through music. But even other group songs have deep and meaningful messages showcasing their struggles and inner thoughts. They communicate with theirs fans and the world with their lyrics.

·A strong brotherhood:

The second thing I really enjoyed about those Behind The Scene (he he he BTS;)) moments is their interactions with each other. One can tell that they are all very close to each other and that they are each other’s support. OK I know that this subject is leading me straight into a sensitive subject: “ships”. Yep, I know there is a lot of “shipping” among ARMY stans… I won’t get into that because I hate ship wars (if you know the 100 fandom you can understand what I’m saying…although I do ship, but my motto is ship and let ship). I honestly have no preferences among the relationships of the members (no ships among BTS members), but I can really say that it is a pleasure to watch their interactions, and it puts a smile on my face every single time.

And if their interactions are so pleasant to watch it is mainly due to the first point I raised: their emotional honesty. In every interaction I have watched they all seem so close to each other: not just a mere partnership, no, it seems to be a deep friendship, a brotherhood of sorts. One can tell that together they had to face challenges and suffer from extreme stress: this type of situation has the advantage to solidify relationships with the people you are living this with.

They seem to have healthy relationships: the kind of relationship where you can count on the support of the other person. We have to keep in mind that these are very young men that got into the music industry at a very young age. They got separated from their families, and even if they seem to be holding “their shit together” and being all grown-up, deep down they are still kids at heart that are getting into adulthood. They struggle with inner demons, society pressure and hectic lives.

In the light of last year’s events (suicide of SHINee’s member Jonghyun), I really hope that this group of young men are going to keep the sincerity that I can sense in them: honesty with their emotions, their art, and their relationships. I really wish they won’t get their wings burned by the music industry, and that they will have space to breathe and become their own person.

I said I don’t consider myself as part of the ARMY, but I just wrote the longest meta ever about them… should I create a side blog dedicated to BTS and jump into the fandom? Not sure I can handle two fandoms…

[awed-frog]

hey there, i'm writing an essay about how destiel is real for a friend of mine and I was wondering what you think the most important pieces of meta that i should put in? can you recommend anything?

Hi - wow, that’s some dedication. All I did for my friends was send them some links - and, on one memorable occasion, I spent one entire 30 minutes conversation occasionally glancing at my (female&blinded by heteronormativity) friend’s lips instead of looking at her eyes, and by the end of it she was uncomfortable af and half convinced I was into her, and that’s when I presented her with a list of gifsets like -

- and basically dropped my mic and sashayed out.

(Man, I wish my hair was long enough to be flicked back.)

She changed her mind after that, by the way. And it’s really weird how most behaviours and gestures are used on screen precisely because we understand them as human things we all do on a deep level, and yet we’re suddenly unable to figure out what they mean if they’re not about a man and a woman. Uh.

(That applies to me as well, by the way. We see what we know about, not what is actually there, and that’s just inevitable - but can be unlearned, with some patience and many, many mistakes.)

Anyway, here are a bunch of things - I hope they’re useful.

Because God commanded it, by @k-vichan​ (written during S4, sometimes tagged as ‘shipper zero’)

Queerness, Tropes and Proof of Love: Why Destiel is Canon, by @fozmeadows​

Parallels between Dean and Cain, a video by @codra-foymal​ (aka why S10 makes no sense without Destiel)

I don’t do the whole love and…love: A look into Dean and Cas’ sexualities and how they define love, by @angelswatchingover​

101 reasons to love Dean and Castiel, a video by @ltnivans​ which is exactly what it says on the tin and is gorgeous

Literally 10 minutes of Basically Every Time DEAN and CAS Did The Thing With The Eyes, a video by the very patient @bakasara​, and yeah  

The Destiel Masterpost by @spnthinks​ - an early collection of metas and fics

Also, the entire S8, which was basically a demented Jane Eyre AU, and the entire S11, because, again, that Amara thing didn’t make sense without Destiel subtext, and finally @deanswingsbothways’ drunken rant (spoiler: contains the line “Destiel is not a story we are telling each other. Destiel is a story we are being told.” and bless).

You should also consider pimping your essay a bit, because there are a lot of posts and gifsets about how Destiel is regularly paralleled with canon couples on Supernatural, or follows the same rules as romantic relationships in movies. Here’s a bunch of them: Destiel and Sam/Jess, Destiel vs Dean/Anna, Destiel vs Sam/Amelia, Destiel vs David/Violet, Destiel and Spuffy, Destiel and Clexa, Destiel and Phoebe/Cole, Destiel vs Charlie/Gilda, Destiel vs every other couple on Supernatural, Destiel and Lucifer having fun, Destiel and romantic movies, Destiel and the Doctor, Destiel and Belle/Rumplestiltskin, Destiel and Tangled, Destiel and Saileen, and, of course, the beautiful and despairing trainwreck that was Repo Man.

And finally, there was that one time I went crazy and spent an entire weekend mapping every single love trope they’ve ever used around those two idiots in love, because I was just that fed up and the thing’s there, okay, and the more they say it’s not the more layers of tropes and mirrors and longing glances and narrative parallels they keep slathering on top of this thing, so, whatever and who even knows. At this point, you’re free to say it’ll never go canon because they’re homophobic or assume their audience is homophobic, and you’re free to say it’ll never go canon because of internal narrative reasons (God knows both Dean and Cas are never going to believe they’re actually good enough for each other), but to say there’s nothing there at all - that’s beyond whatever.

Anyway, my post is here, and these were the final conclusions:

As you may have guessed, this is something I’m sort of interested in - I came for the monsters and started to reblog stuff out of spite when I realized I was being treated like a crazy fangirl who sees love everywhere because women (right). If you’re looking for more sugary goodness, I tag stuff as destiel, spn meta (my own opinions), awesome meta (other people’s opinions), love tropes and parallels, and you can also have a look at some excellent meta writers who have eyes and therefore see Destiel and sometimes discuss it - people like @elizabethrobertajones​, @grey2510​, @tinkdw​, @bluestar86​, @mittensmorgul​, @floralmotif​, @k-vichan, @treefrogie84, @thevioletcaptain or @postmodernmulticoloredcloak (and I know I’m forgetting someone - that’s what sleeping four hours does to you, sorry). So, again - I know this post is a bit ‘join our cult’ (which is what you asked for, but still), but really - what I like about this fandom is that we can talk about stuff and we can disagree about stuff and still be friends, but this new idea currently spreading in the real world like wildfire - that not only you can have your own opinions (totally legit), but you can also have your own facts - nope. I hope your friend reads your essay (you’re welcome to share it, by the way) and sees that yes, there’s objectively something going on. If they still don’t, the final test is, “What if Cas were a woman? Would you see it then?” 

(And we all know the answer to that question, don’t we?)

Seriously, good luck.

EDIT - More great meta

Are Dean and Cas in love? a.k.a. The Great Season 7 Rewatch by @flutiebear (“the most competent, thorough and objective meta about deancas and i think it's an obligatory read” - thanks for the suggestion, @deanirae - this is indeed fantastic meta)

5:04 Future!Dean and Cas are Lovers and the Whole Camp Knows It by @lurea (literally made my head explode)

( @destielisgonnabecanon - you’re welcome! Go win that bet! 😁)

[matthewebel]

Booking Convention Concerts (And Not Pissing Off The Staff)

I’ve played fandom convention shows exclusively for the past decade. They’re fun, laid-back, and some of the best parties I’ve ever been a party to. I’ve learned, however, that the planning and execution has to be handled as thoroughly as any other concert. From the booking process to signing autographs after the show, preparation and professionalism will make everyone’s lives easier (read: will get you invited back for next year’s convention). Here’s what I’ve learned in ten years of touring:

In General

Convention staffers are largely volunteers.

“Director of Programming/Events/Music/Dances/Etc.” may sound like an impressive title, but chances are it’s a software engineer who spends her after-hours time making a convention happen instead of playing video games. They do this for the love of the fandom. Treat them like you’re asking for a resource more scarce than gold: their time.

Don’t be a diva.

I mean, this is true whether you’re playing the Grand Ole Opry, a coffee house, or SDCC. We need a healthy amount of ego to survive as performers, but the real professionals are polite, patient, and accommodating with the folks working to make their show better.

To quote Wilm Pierson, VP at Complete Production Systems, Inc.:

It is good not to forget that the stagehands, designers and directors are artists and craftsman as well and want to make the show amazing, so be kind.

Booking

Email early, email often.

Sometimes it seems like convention programming is all thrown together a week before the event. It’s not. Even if I’ve played a convention several times, I ask my contact (usually the Director of Programming) when the best time to reach out for next year’s con will be. Some of them start work a week after the con ends, some begin the process at the six-month mark. No matter what, asking what’s convenient for someone else shows that you care about their sanity.

Be ready to explain your act in 1-3 sentences.

I know, you’ve got a story to tell. You’re amazing in so many ways. So’s every other act vying for limited stage time. Condense your pitch down to a line or two and you’re more likely to get a response. Then back it up with properly made booking materials.

Properly Made Booking Materials

The One-Sheet

A must-have for any booking process is the one-sheet. It’s your resumé/CV as a performer. This gives the programming lead a single page to peruse and pass around to their staff. The essential ingredients are:

A clear, professionally-shot photo, preferably from a live show.

Your act name. (Dear God, I wish I didn’t have to mention this, but I do.)

What you do. Say it in a few words or less. “House/Trance DJ,” “Punk Rock Trio,” “Mos Eisley Belly Dance Troupe,” whatever.

One-column bio. I’m not going to re-hash the bio-writing basics, you can find those all over the indie-musician websites.

Links. Your website and social profiles. Chances are good the convention’s PR staff will copy/paste these links to their website and programming materials.

Your demos. You should have at least a one-song studio demo posted and downloadable online. You’re better off with live concert video and audio so the programming staff can see and hear exactly what you do. Film a live performance in your garage if you have to.

Link to your tech rider. More on the tech rider shortly.

Booking contact info. Put the actual legal name of your act’s booking contact (most likely you if you’re reading this) in the footer along with an email address and phone number. Get a Google Voice number if you’re shy about handing out your info, just make sure you can be texted/called on-site during the convention.

Venues you’ve played previously. (Optional, but recommended.) If you’re a new act, obviously this one’s gonna be tough. But if you’ve played some big shows– even two or three of them –it’s a good idea to list them on the one-sheet.

The Tech Rider

A “rider”is typically something attached to a larger contract, but in this sense it’s simply your technical info. Remember: in order to put you on stage, someone has to plug all your stuff into electricity and audio. “I’m just a solo singer/songwriter” doesn’t cut it. That could mean anything from simple acoustic guitar/vocal to a complicated looping pedal and backing track setup with a mess of inputs and power requirements.

Be very specific about your on-stage needs, and don’t fucking change them. Convention programming has to incorporate setup and teardown into their scheduling. Your set may only be 60 minutes, but if your setup jumps from 15 minutes to 30 because you added a guitarist the day before your show, you’re not making any friends.

Also, “I played this show last year so they know my setup” doesn’t cut it either. Convention staff fluctuates. They also work with lots of acts besides yours, possibly at multiple conventions. Even if you handed them the same tech rider last year, give them the tech rider this year too.

I keep my tech rider as simple as possible. Simple = less headache for the A/V crew = better chances of being invited back. The most important parts are the Stage Plot and Channel List.

Stage Plot(s)

A clear drawing of what the stage will look like during your act. This lets the A/V crew spring into action with minimal on-stage confusion during setup. You might have a few options (as I do) for large, medium, and small stages. Give them all to the A/V crew and let them decide what will work for the real estate they’ve got. The important parts are:

Where everyone will stand on stage

Where your equipment (amps, keyboards, drums, props, tables, stands) will sit

Where the house’s equipment (if any) will sit– things like mic stands, amps, monitors, etc.

Where you need power (how many outlets and, if possible, what kind of current your gear draws)

Where you need audio (and make sure you specify XLR, TRS, phono, etc., even if it’s also covered in your channel list)

Remember that not all stages are the same size. If you need to be exactly ten feet away from your bassist, put it in writing but be ready to adjust your setup if the stage is small.

Channel List

Your exact, unchanging input/output needs. I cannot stress how important this is. The A/V crew has no idea whether you want to mic an amp or go direct. They may have different drum mic capabilities than your garage setup. Again, it’s not a bad idea to have several options for various A/V setups; I’ve played shows with 64-channel digital mixers and 4-channel amp heads. Be prepared for the full gamut of house gear.

For each of your input/output options, be sure to list the following:

What type of physical connection (XLR Male, 1/4″ TRS, RCA stereo, etc.)

Mono or Stereo

A brief description of the input/output type (i.e. “Lead vocal mic”, “Backing tracks line out”, “In-ear monitor feed from house”)

I run all my on-stage outputs through my own mixer and feed the house an 8-channel XLR snake. This tends to make A/V crews very happy since it’s predictable and all the hookups are in one spot.

Also, like I said before, don’t fucking change your input/output scheme after you’ve been booked. It’s really not cool.

Other Requirements

Your estimated setup/strike times will help programming work you into the schedule flow, but you must be flexible. And the shorter the time requirements, the better. You want to be treated like a professional? Act like one. Run setup and strike drills on your own time in your own rehearsal space. Figure out what gear and steps you can eliminate to make the process faster. Be ready to delegate tasks to volunteers (i.e. “coil those cables” or “unplug everything from that amp and take it backstage”).

Your goal is to make your setup and strike processes look like a NASCAR pit crew in action.

The tech rider is where you can easily rule yourself out as a performing guest. Yeah, a green room stocked with beer and caviar might be nice, but you’re not going to get it. At conventions, chances are good you won’t even get a green room at all. Keep your requirements to the bare-ass minimum– it’s better for you in the long run anyway.

Programming Info

Aside from your show, you can probably lead or participate in panels and events. Offer up a menu of options for the programming staff with short descriptions they can drop directly into their con books. Most cons need good programming, and leading a few panels helps raise your visibility with the attendees. I typically host a three-part series on turning your art into a business, something a LOT of attendees appreciate.

You should also have multiple lengths of bio available: The feature-length bio for the convention’s website or con book, the paragraph-length bio for blog posts and panel info, and a tweet-length bio for social media posts and the mini-schedule.

At The Convention

So you’ve gotten the gig, you’re checked into the hotel, and you’ve washed the airplane funk from your body. Now what?

Survey the Battlefield

Get to know the convention space early. An unfamiliar hotel can feel like a rabbit warren, which is the last thing you want to be stuck in when you’re late for your own show. Figure out where attendee-only areas are and always keep your badge displayed. Look at ingress/egress options before the place gets crowded– can you avoid elevator lines by taking the stairs? One year at FWA I descended 18 flights of stairs because the hotel’s elevators were slammed and I had a panel to lead in ten minutes.

I also like to survey the venue I’ll be performing in before things get busy. Check out the stage size, the lighting, access to the backstage area, possible merch table locations, etc. Go shake hands with the A/V crew and thank them in advance for their work. Remember: your show is in their hands. Keep them happy. I typically will chat with them for five or ten minutes while they’re setting up, then GTFO so they can do their jobs.

Confirm Your Timing With A/V

Programming may have worked you into specific time slots, but in the end it’s the A/V crew who control your destiny. Find a time when they’re not too busy (late morning to early afternoon is typical) and go over your schedule timing with them.

In some cases, they may prefer a setup/sound check time that’s hours before your actual show. Take this opportunity. If the convention’s running a digital sound board and lighting controller, they can dial in your mix and monitor levels while everyone else is still getting breakfast and just recall the settings later. You might even be able to leave your gear setup on stage or ready-to-deploy backstage, saving steps when it’s go time.

That being said, remember that the A/V crew needs sleep and food just like everyone else. If there’s late-night programming like dances or movies, they may have been working until 5 A.M. The fact that they’re not back at the mixing board by 9 A.M. doesn’t mean they’re lazy. If half the crew vanishes during your setup time, they may be emptying their bladders and stuffing food into their faces for fifteen minutes before going back to work.

SHOW UP EARLY.

Show up early. No, seriously, catch the last half of the act before yours. Maybe the whole act. Something may have blown up, leaving you with half the available audio inputs. Your backstage gear may have been moved because it was blocking a stage egress point. You never know what you may need to unfuck at the last minute. Or, rarely, a miracle may have occurred and the preceding act may have ended early, allowing you to set up at a leisurely pace. You never know.

Most of all, appearing backstage 30 seconds before your call time stresses the stage manager the fuck out. Eat your dinner at 4pm like a baby boomer and get your ass to the stage long before your call time and you’ll have a happy crew ready to pour their hearts into making you look good.

And that’s why you show up early.

Show.

Up.

Early.

Don’t Expect Anything

As I said earlier, you probably won’t have a green room. Warm up in your hotel room before heading down to the stage. Be prepared to go on without a sound check if the preceding event runs 90 minutes past its time slot (I’m looking at YOU, every fursuit dance competition). Let the convention staff be apologetic and show them nothing but grace. Nothing ever goes according to plan; how you handle unexpected changes is how the staff will remember you. Treat them well and they’ll try to make your show better next year (and, most importantly, there will be a next year).

Originally posted at http://bit.ly/2x28zEa