Backstreet Boys: Never Gone World Tour in Singapore

The only regret I had yesterday was being unable to skip school and run after the Backstreet Boys like the paparazzi, which was a HUGE pity. Pity pity pity…

Considering the last time they came to Singapore for a concert was in 1996, this Never Gone World Tour Concert was a great gift to the people in Singapore. Finally, we could bring out the placards and posters again. The ability to be able to hear the Boys sing live for the first time in my life will be something I’ll never forget for as long as I live, because the Boys have the power to capture anyone, including my mum. Thanks for the tickets and your company.

The concert was held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in order to cater to the needs of close to 5000 people, who have filled up the $160 seats and clumped up along the balcony seats. There were Singaporeans, Americans, Britons, Japanese, Malaysians, Chinese, Malays, Tamils, Caucasians… It was a concert which brought people together for a single reason- to watch a phenomenon.

One girl, probably around 15, was gushing with her friends over the autograph she got from one of the Boys. I wanted to go up to her and hug her and say “Great job!” for being such a perfect fan. The Boys need such fans, and that’s why we’re here.

I witnessed another gathering, just besides me. A lady around 60 was watching the concert with her 11-year-old granddaughter and the girl’s father. The 3 were cheering, regardless of age and maturity, throughout the concert. All for a single phenomenon.

The lights dimmed, and for the first time in my life, I saw the Backstreet Boys singing and dancing in front of me. I saw Brian, Nick, AJ, Howie and Kevin bring their music all the way, all 13 years of it, to our gathering. I was so overwhelmed emotionally, I didn’t know what to do except to sing along. Then I was taken over by the Backstreet Spirit.

They did their old hits, like I Want It That Way, As Long As You Love Me, All I Have To Give, Drowning, More Than That, Quit Playing Games With My Heart, I’ll Never Break Your Heart, Backstreet’s Back,… I could go on. Of course, they did their newer songs like Weird World, Incomplete, I Just Want You To Know, Crawling Back To You, Never Gone… I surrendered to the music, heart and soul.

Thanks for coming down to Singapore, because we still love you all these years, and yes, we still sing to your songs.

Thanks to Nick for the guitar parts, you did it well, in fact you should do it often. I loved the way you played around with the drums and the way you spoke to the crowd and the “Move it move it” line has stick itself permanently in my head. But please, do stop smoking for your own sake, if not for the fans. We want a healthy Kaos.

To Kevin, you were mesmerizing. My mum said you looked good. Thanks for the piano pieces, you blew us away with that. Hope Kristin’s fine.

To Howie, I couldn’t stop looking at your puppy eyes the entire night. You’ll still my sweet D.

To AJ, thanks for quit messing around with your body. You should teach Nick a thing or two. You did a great job with your parts. I’ll get you a beanie if you come down to Singapore again.

To Brian, send our regards to Mrs. Littrell and Baby Baylee, he’ll grow into a fine young man. Thanks for coming all the way down to Singapore. You still rock our world. I loved your quirky voice. Haha.

I know it’s hard for the Boys to sing ALL their songs during the 2-hour concert, but 10 years of waiting should earn us enough brownie points for a few more songs? I wanted an unplugged session like you guys did for the Backstreet’s Back album, I wished for solos, I prayed that you all could grab an instrument and play a few songs. Alright, perhaps I’m too greedy.

I didn’t mind the simple dressing of jeans and T-shirt, because that made you guys so real and raw. Thanks for the Hat thingy, I’ve been anticipating that, as well as the The One dance routine. I’ve seen you guys do that so many times on vid, I could teach you guys too. Haha.
Alright.

Thanks for the music. Thanks for the love.

Backstreet Boys Never Gone World Tour: Coming to town tomorrow!

I'm so breathless nowadays, I actually forgot to take my antibiotics for the past cow days. Alright, I was sick last Monday, and I was supposed to finish my course of antibiotics by last Friday... oh well.

Anyway, wanna wish the Boys all the best for their Never Gone concert tomorrow at the Indoor Stadium. It will be my first time watching them, so do do a good job because you guys know there are people in Singapore who really love you (like me) and it's time you repay us ever since 1996. Cheers, you guys rock the house down tomorrow, because you have fans like us.

Had the tendency to do a great leap over the school gates and rush for the airport when the DJ announced over the radio this morning that the Boys will be touching down at 3 in the afternoon, but I'm literally locked in so there's not much i could do except wait til tomorrow, when I'll get to see them at the stadium. Anticipation...

Drag queens rule, fever drools

It’s viral fever, again. Every time I catch something like this, I’d feel like dying, because I seldom fall sick (the last time I had a fever was probably half a year again). I believe in karma, though, so I strongly think that I was being punished this time… Feeling guilty isn’t the best way to repent, I guess.

Had a real interesting encounter I just had to share. I was on my way to school just the day before, two drag queens boarded the bus. The first thing one of them said was, ‘Let me find a seat first, my legs are very painful…’ in this very mawkish manner. Then the both of them came and sat on the seats just across me. I took some time to scrutinize their very 60’s dressing, from the fish net stockings to the fake lashes and the gravity-defying hair-do. I haven’t seen such a sight before, but I quit staring, in case one of these muscular ‘women’ came to me and beat the hell out of me.

The day I found myself flying

Delusion was what I used to hide the truth from myself, what I thought my world was made up to be. So I hid myself in this small cage and locked myself up, refusing to budge from this small space I had. I was happy; I wasn’t exposed to the cruel truths of this world, I was safe and dry.
Finally, the cage became too small for me, but I had no intention to get out of that shelter. I was reliant on whatever was in the cage for the past few years. My intuition was to spread my wings and fly, but the inner voice said, “No.” It spoke of the evils of the world, the fear of corruption to my innocence. I couldn’t run from myself.

Something poked me from outside the cage. It was the first form of pain I experienced, the catalyst which freed me. It said to me, “no doubt is the world ugly, but that’s only one side of the story. The other side’s for you to find out, lest you wish to imprison yourself forever in this cage.”

I was reborn, from the moment I flexed my wings to the moment I felt the wind against my face. It was stinging my face, but it soothed as well. I finally found the other side of the world.