On 9 October 2015, K-pop boy group INFINITE held their second world tour concert “Infinite Effect” at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush venue with a little help from our good friends at Onion Productions. Upon arriving at the venue at around 5:00pm I was shocked to see that people had actually camped out the night before to make sure they had a prime spot by getting to the front row to see their beloved idols. The doors to the event opened at 7:00pm, and on time the crowds went rushing in. It always does surprise me seeing the rush to get to the front, as well as the rudeness of the fans towards the staff who are there for your own safety (please listen to staff when they ask you to not run).
Once inside the venue it finally dawned on me just how full the venue was, in terms of the standing (pit) area. It felt like there was a lot more people there than there should have been, but at the same time it was nice to know that the turn out was a lot better than the last time the group was in the UK – mainly because it was a Friday night, and the event was promoted a long time before the concert. When the lights went out the loudest screams I had ever heard filled the air. The fans were really intense and dedicated to showing the members that they were there to support them throughout the whole concert. There were an array of fans from Spain, France, Italy, Poland, Taiwan, China, Germany, Japan, and Korea – both male and female, which was really nice to see.
The set list was as follows:
1. Before the Dawn
2. Paradise
3. Be Mine
4. Intro + Destiny
5. Tic Toc
6. Steps
7. Love Letter
8. Between You and Me
9. Everyday (Woohyun Solo)
10. Sorry I’m Busy + Pretty (INFINITE H)
11. Kontrol (Sunggyu Solo)
12. Heartthrob + My Girl (INFINITE F)
13. For you
14. Nothing’s Over
15. Entrust
16. Cover Girl
17. Take Care of the Ending
18. Moonlight
19. Back
20. The Chaser
21. Bad
22. Come Back Again
23. Together
Something that was evident in INFINITE’s performance in London this time round was the amount of energy they were emitting. Although they were absolutely amazing last time, their performance for the crowds this time were overzealous, loud, and it truly did look like the group were having as much fun as they could. Even though member Hoya had to sit down throughout the strenuous dance routines of the songs (he had injured his ankle and did not look happy having to sit out on the dancing – he kept apologising for being injured), the other members made sure their dancing was on point, along with their live singing.
Also worthy of a mention was the live band and music makers of the night, who sat at the back of the stage and created live remixes and renditions of the songs fans have grown to love. It seems to be a running theme, that should a group bring a live band to their tours, the performances seem to be more personal and a lot more upbeat than usual. Having been to equal amounts of live bands and pre-recorded instrumental concerts, the live band performances always seem to leave a longer impact.
By the end of the night members Sunggyu, Woohyun, Dongwoo, Hoya, Sungyeol, Sungjong and Myungsoo were completely exhausted. They were literally dripping with sweat (even after changing their clothes around 3-4 times) and were heaving deep breaths. What was really nice to see was the look of adoration for their fans and leaving a feeling of thankfulness when they took one very long and deep bow towards the crowd before saying goodbye. During their talk before leaving the stage, it seems that the UK fans have really grasped the hearts of the members and Woollim Entertainment, as they declared that they would be back again in the not so distant future to meet everyone once again (hopefully they will, because their performances always leave me feeling buzzed and happy).
A big thank you to Jessica and Annabel at Onion Productions, to the members of INFINITE, Woollim Entertainment and the staff and crew who made the concert in London possible. Once again it was a night to remember and was another step towards K-pop being more prominent within the UK. Be sure to check out MCM Buzz’s photos from the concert over on our Facebook Page and keep checking back for more European K-pop news in the future.
