The third part of my MM14NYC report! This time we talk about the entrance, the merchandise, and the wait with all the other fans for the show to start. Next part is currently in progress!
Battleground: Entrance and Merchandise
With every appearance of the event staff and now the UF staff showing up, cheers rise from the VIP line. It isn’t long before the event staff ask people to calm down, the need to keep the line in check against the chaos being more than important than the grand expression of excitement. The line settled quickly, like a child getting scolded by their mother, as entry into the venue began.
The VIPs entered, the staff moved the bars around to make a straight path, and we were allowed to follow soon after, reminded to behave, follow the rules, and not to run. They scanned our tickets in and we made our way to the escalator down to the stage below. The excitement hitting us we waited for a moment before the Kagome dressed woman behind us reminded us we could walk down the escalator as it moved. We quickened down the moving stairwell seeing our friend in a line below. Asking why he’s in a line he quickly points out that he’s in the line to get into the venue and the merchandise line was down the way. We turned to travel down that path only with the guidance of our friend, already a sign of the ill organized rush awaiting.
Coming down the line we ran into what looked like a sea of people, having been that Turbos and I were in the front three of the EEGA line, it was a surprise to see the merchandise line (and I use the term line very loosely here) so clogged with VIPs. We looked in confusion at the mass of people crowding around 8 people long booth. We found ourselves attached to the side of this mass, walking forward. I thought maybe they were attempting to emulate the goods booth in Japan, where it is a subset of lines in front of the table, so I stood hoping we had a place where we were. I watched as our friends were entering into the staging area to the side of as Turbos allowed a VIP in front of him because she was there first, but soon we were at the table.
As we got close Turbos noted that the price for the CDs had gone up to 28 dollars, which surprised us a little since they had stated it as 25 pre-event. While it was concerning we couldn’t do anything about it. Turbos made his claim for goods (Again if you haven’t read his review you need to do it! http://www.jicchan.com/?p=1410) being shifted to another area to get his CD confirming he was indeed not a VIP member. Since VIPs couldn’t get CDs due to already getting one for free they checked to make sure we were general admission by checking us for arm bands. Turbos mentioned they moved him to another table to get his CD and I watched as he reiterated his want for goods and the clerk there hesitated. Eventually he gave in, and soon after was my turn. I made the same sort of claim as Turbos requesting a CD, as well as a Shirt and a Sayu colored towel. I originally wasn’t planning to buy goods, but between Oda’s attempt at English and the thought that I could use a towel to catch my sweat, I ended up just buying a set of goods. Given my goods, the handshake armband, and ticket number 502, I gave my exact change. With goods securely tucked into my vest, and the towel around my neck, I walked briskly into the venue to join my friends on the floor.
The Grounds
Into the room I immediately run into Turbos walking in the other direction, he needed to get himself a drink, but quickly points out the direction where our friends are down the stairs. Walking there I find my spot a row or behind my friends, and about 3-4 rows behind Crazyman who is basically front-row. Turbos rejoins with Redbull in hand, chugging his drink, free as part of the Living Social deal. We talk a bit as we see more people coming in, distributing themselves amongst the floor and the seats in the raised level.
Some time passes as we’re standing in the crowded floor. We’re cramped in bit by bit as more people join us. Not fair from a bulk of the Hello!Party crew, we exchange positive words and speculate on how everything’s going to happen. In front of me is nice pair of girls who are eagerly awaiting the concert, and right next to me is a guy loaded with several glowsticks beyond the minimum requirement. Turbos had stepped out again to get rid of his can, returning and ending up slightly behind me but to my side. As excited as everyone is, there’s still an hour left before show time, and here we stand waiting, cramped together.
For some people I’m sure this must have felt like a relief after the cold of the outside world but for me it was bearing near torture. As it stands I’m not a fan of hot and humid, and yet once again I’m left into that situation. More so I’ve never been the best at standing for long periods of time, so my legs after this long trek of standing and sitting just begged for some rest. Thankfully the girls in front of me, and the people around me were nice enough not to back into or run over me as I kneeled down on the ground. We made jokes again about just everyone slowly sitting down together so we could all relax for a moment, or perhaps people taking turns letting other people sit on them as they kneel on all fours to act as a seat. Even then, it seemed the community as a whole didn’t want to move.
We talked a bit more as things happened, and I mentioned once again about how Crazyman and I joked about the “What is Love” line. It was suggested that I try to do it again, since he was visible from my current position. As much as I wanted to conserve my energy and voice for the concert, I leaned back as I shouted “WHAT DO YOU WANT!” and the area once again erupted into “IS IT NECESSARY!?” I laughed a bit as it seemed everyone wanted to keep their crowd spirit up.
As time went on the crowd would temporarily join into the songs being played over the speakers, singing parts of the songs or doing chants as the songs played, everyone did what they could to keep morale high as we continued to wait. Slowly cameras began appearing, their light panels shining towards the crowd and we erupted into cheers and waves, our glowsticks all shining in full force. Staff appeared on stage to place things down erupting the crowd into a “STAFFU” chant. I’m sure a lot of people will claim they started it, and they probably did too, but in our part of the crowd we erupted into “O-MI-ZU” as the staff with the water bottles showed up to place the water on stage for the girls. The balconies with their staff began taking pictures of the crowd, to which the crowd responded by showing their spirits all the more.
We passed the 4 o’clock hour, the crowd began to shuffle a bit. We weren’t sure of what was happening. Waiting as time passed, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, the crowd was getting more restless waiting. No one could know what kind of issue caused the delay but we waited hoping for it to start soon, and eventually the lights began, the music ramped up, and we began to cheer. After hours of waiting, the show had begun.
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Stay tuned, the next part is the actual show and handshake! And then we’ll have a summary/afterthoughts portion that’s more like what Turbos did for his review (cause I TOTALLY would been done way faster if went with that the first time)! Please come back for that (lol)!
Also feel free to comment on each part where relevant to let me know what you like or if you cared about any particular thing you learned!