ONE DIRECTION IN SINGAPORE: CONCERT PHOTOS AND TIPS

I watched One Direction's concert last Wednesday and it was awesome! I almost can't believe it's over coz I've been waiting for March 11, 2015 since I bought On The Road Again tour tickets last June 11, 2014 - yep, the first day of Singapore ticket sales and also 9 full months ago. IT WAS SUPER WORTH IT! The standing pen was soooo much cheaper here than in Manila and oh my god, I can't believe I was *this* close to the boys! Excuse me as I fangirl and sing my lungs out. Hahaha!

I got to watch it with 2 of my favorite girls too - my cousins and luvs, Ingrid and Nadine (who I was also with during Bieber, heehee). Outside the stadium, there were "lifeguards" with mega phones calling us "Directioners" while announcing instructions. It was the "oh shit, I'm a Directioner" moment. Nothing wrong with that but, I am 26. I don't know how long I still have to get away with watching boy bands - wait, I'm still getting away with it, right?! Please say yes, coz I already bought a shirt, haha!

Before I bombard you with photos of the night I danced to the best song ever, I'm gonna share some of the things I did and wish I did for the show that will hopefully make the next concert experience (yours and mine) so much better.

1) Be smart about the tickets. Sometimes going to a neighbouring country will come out cheaper, fare and concert tickets included. I paid SGD 168 (PHP 5,352) for my ticket, whereas if I were in Manila, it would cost me PHP 17,950 (SGD 563) - an amount I'm not willing to part with. It's also best to outsmart the public by applying some basic psych (which I was too excited to have thought of upon purchase). Standing Pen A and Standing Pen B are in exactly the same area but it's divided into left and right. Standing Pen B sounds more inferior due to it being labelled B, so it's no surprise that A was more packed than B. Should've gotten B!!!

2) Plan your arrival (and departure). If you want to be in the front front front row of a freestanding concert, you have to camp early. How early? What time do you think is early? Go earlier than that. If you don't have the luxury, fret not, as venues are normally designed in such a way that minimises blind spots. You'll still see them, don't worry! Arrive 30 minutes after gates open to avoid the dizzying snake queue to enter the venue. (Not sure if this applicable to venues other than Sports Hub though). Allot ample time for traffic and finding your entrance. When you arrive, think of your departure too. Examples include topping up your EZ link, arranging meeting points, making dinner reservations (if applicable).

3) Come to your seat/section ready for the hours ahead. Upon entering the venue, rather than making a beeline to your seats, make a slight detour. Check out the snacks, grab drinks, buy water (this is really essential for open air concerts! 2 strangers asked a sip of my water that night), go to the toilet, etc. Not only will it save you from walking back and forth, it will also save you your spot later on if it's free standing or free seating. Don't worry, the concert will likely start late anyway. It's gonna suck more to leave in the middle and not find your friends in the crowd.

4) Set your camera beforehand. Make sure you have enough memory, I ended up wasting time deleting photos during the concert. Another thing I forgot to do was pre-set my camera. Although I was able to take some decent pictures, I'm certain utilising my camera's manual function (increasing shutter speed, aghhh) would've captured more of 1D.

5) And lastly, don't spend most of your night watching the concert from the lens of your camera. I missed some moments because I was focusing too much on getting my shot. There will always be pictures but seeing your favorite artist in the flesh isn't an everyday thing. Putting my phone and my camera down allowed me to fully absorb the music and the energy (and their gorgeous faces, haha!).

That said, I did snap some nice photos, hehe! Are you ready to see it??? It's all under the cut ;)

Louis asking Liam three words to describe Singapore

Liam: Singapore you rock!

Is it obvious who my favorite is? ;) Hahaha! 3 days later, I'm still having a major hangover! Thank God for this OTRA Spotify playlist, I've been listening non-stop! Here's to more music, concerts, cute boys, cousin bonding, and awaited events finally happening this 2015.

xx