JP/Jerry Adiguna

Jakarta is the haven of Korean pop (K-pop) fans in the country. Dozens of concerts featuring Korean boy bands like Big Bang, 2PM, Super Junior and EXO, as well as girl bands like SNSD and 2NE1, have been held in the capital city. When going to watch a concert, there are some things that newbie fans should bring. Here are five must-bring items to the K-pop concerts:

Concert goodies

Fans who do not want to feel left out at K-pop concerts should bring concert goodies like light sticks, posters or T-shirts featuring the bands.

If you have no time to buy any of them before the concert, you can always rely on impromptu vendors who are usually stationed around the concert venues to sell those items.

Novi Nurjayanti Pohan, a K-pop merchandise vendor who sometimes opens a makeshift stall at venues, said that light sticks (each band has its own light stick design) were the most popular things to have during concerts, following by T-shirts, fans, jackets and hats.

'€œThe prices range from Rp 85,000 [US$7] to Rp 200,000,'€ she said, adding that most of the items were imported. She said the sales of these items could double in the days before a concert of a particular band.

Those who do not have extra money can also hope that the sponsors of the concerts will distribute goodies for free. Although they are not as fancy as the sold ones, they will be enough to enliven the performance.

Furthermore, do not forget to memorize the fan-chant.

Rain coats

There is always a chance of rain in Jakarta, even in the dry season or when the organizer has hired a pawang hujan (rain mover).

Instead of bringing an umbrella, fashionable and light raincoats are the better option because coats can leave both your hands free.

Using umbrellas will also be troublesome as people who stand behind them will constantly yell at you because you are blocking their view.

Stools

It might sound silly and extravagant, but it turns out that stools, folding or otherwise, can be incredibly useful.

They can serve two purposes: first, to sit on when you get tired of waiting in line for hours to get a perfect spot at the venue and, second, to give you a height booster.

Unlike at other music concerts, going to a K-Pop concert also means enjoying the beautiful faces of the band members. Hence, position is also important. Those who cannot afford the best position because of expensive ticket prices, or because they are on the shorter side, can step on a stool to have a better view.

Water

Every concert-goer knows that bringing bottled water is a big no-no. Body guards will thoroughly rummage your bag to find any water bottle.

However, some regular goers find that when you are lucky you can smuggle water inside and avoid paying for pricey bottles from official water sellers.

Deti Mega Purnamasari, a 25-year-old K-pop fan, said she once went to a concert straight from work carrying the bag containing her water tumbler. She said the guards somehow missed her tumbler, which was located in the middle of the bag and covered by her jacket.

Deti tried her luck again to the recent concert of boy band EXO. '€œI was reluctant to buy bottled water inside the venue because the price was expensive, so I tried again,'€ she said.

Phones with good cameras

Bringing professional cameras into most music concerts is still not allowed. In order to get better pictures of the moment, it is advisable to bring a mobile phone with an adequate camera pixel-size and, of course, don'€™t forget to bring your good manners, too.

It is allowed to bring tablets, but the bigger size can actually block the views of other audience members.

Good manners are important, too. Many concert goers often complain about others who record the concert for almost its entirety or take pictures too many times, blocking the view of the audience behind them with their hands and gadgets. '€” JP

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