My SHINee World Ticketing Experience in Japan

Sooo… I promised to post a blog about the SWJ ticketing process… But, to be honest, I really don’t know where to start. I guess I could just dive into it, but first… A disclaimer – Just a little something about me:

I am only a babywol of around 2 y/o. I became a fan during the Bad Love era, and ever since then, I’ve been dreaming of watching their concerts in Japan. I really wanted to watch Onew’s LGO and Key’s G.O.A.T. in the Keyland last 2021, but Japan was still a bit strict with foreigners that time. So, when Key announced that there will be an Osaka leg for his concert, I really grabbed the opportunity.

At this point, I’d like to thank the kind shawols based both in Japan and here in the Philippines, for guiding me throughout the ticketing process. You made my shawol dream come true! 💗

Now to the disclaimer part: I’m still new to Kpop in general, so I’m not claiming to be an expert on this matter. What I’ll be sharing with you are my experiences, and even some of my observations regarding the ticketing process for SWJ – I did manage to watch eight (8) shows during that week, 4 of which, I bought the ticket myself. 😊

Okay, now that we got that out of the way, here goes nothing…

Author's Warning: PLEASE PREPARE YOUR TRANSLATOR. There will be lots to translate when you sign up and once you try to apply for the lottery. 

What you will need

Ticketing in Japan can only be done online. To be able to join, you will need to have two basic things:  

1. An address and contact no. in Japan
2. An account in Ticket Board (Tickebo)

Yes, you read it right – you don’t really need to have an SWJ membership to be able to buy tickets for SHINee concerts in Japan. HOWEVER, I'm not sure if therw's always a General Selling for each concert. I was told that, if the tickets sell out during the fc draw, then there might not be a General Selling anymore (Dunno if this true, but I think it's best to err in the side of caution 😅). 

Also, being an SWJ member comes with its own perks. Here are some that I got:

• Earlier access to the lottery. Usually, they have 3 rounds of lottery (or even more, I’m not sure). The 1st two (2) are specifically for Fanclub members. They only open the lottery for General Selling once these lotteries are done. 
  
  
• FC-only concert goods/events. Depending on the concert set up, there may or may not be events or goods that are limited to fc members only.

During the G.O.A.T. Osaka concert, there was an event wherein shawols can win a signed photocard from Key. He was the one who personally handed it over to the winners. I was also able to buy the FC version of the concert DVD which came with a limited edition concert photocard. 😊

One thing I had to learn the hard way, though, was that purchasing tickets through FC lottery doesn’t guarantee you good seats.😔It’s really random. Now, I’m not so sure if it was because my SWJ membership was still new that time, but during the 4 shows I bought tickets for, I only got an arena seat once. Some people I know who bought tickets through general sales even got better seats than I did. 😢

Okay, so given these things, I’d like to ask you…. Do you still want to proceed with applying for the SWJ membership? If yes, then, have at it. Oh, I forgot to mention – SWJ membership also comes with a subscription of the SWJ magazine, SEEK. 😊

Okay, back to ticketing…

How to create an account in Ticket Board

While trying to sign up back in November, I came across this guide on how to sign up for tickebo. It’s still very much applicable, and you can still use it as a reference.

IMPORTANT: Make sure you are creating the account on the Japanese site (https://ticket.tickebo.jp/pc/) and NOT the English site.

For Filipino Shawols, if you do not have a Japanese address, you can sign up on warehouse services like Tenso, or Buy and Ship PH. Once you sign up, you’ll be given a Japanese address and a contact number you can use to create your account on Tickebo.

How to apply for SWJ membership

The article I’ve linked above also has the link to the SWJ website (https://shineeworld-j.smtown-fc.jp/) and has a step-by-step guide on how to apply for the membership. Initial cost is around JPY6,400 but is already inclusive of the annual fee, processing fee and an SWJ ID card which they will mail to you at the address you used upon signing up.

So, what’s the best way to buy tickets if I want to watch SHINee concerts in Japan?

Well, there are essentially four (4) ways to do this:

1. Sign up for the SWC membership and buy tickets yourself. Which is what I did for the March events. Do note, though, that you can only pay either via convenience store (in Japan) or via credit card/debit card. 
   
   If you pay using your credit card, you can know a day before the announcement if you were able to get a ticket or not since your bank would probably notify you if your payment pushes through. Please make sure that your card has enough balance to pay for your purchase, or else your lottery slot will be forfeited.
   
   
2. Opt for the Global Package (GP). It's gonna be pricey, though. I always find buying GP for SK concerts more justifiable than buying GP for Japan cons. Sometimes, hotels included in the package are located far away from the venue. They do provide shuttle services, though, but it would usually mean you won’t have time to interact with other shawols after the con.
   
   
3. Buy tickets from JShawols. So, when you apply for the lottery, you can usually buy 2 tickets - 1 for the account owner and 1 for distribution. Jshawols usually try to buy 2 tickets per show, then they sell the distribution tix.
   
   This is usually done in good faith, really. Some shawols would ask for at least a 50% dp for the ticket, but there are some who are okay with you paying at the venue. Not all ticket sellers are kind, though, so do this at your own risk (I’ve heard a couple of horror stories during the week-long event in Japan, sadly).
   
   IMPORTANT: Beware of scalpers. Please buy tickets from shawols directly. Also, as much as possible, do not buy “Parent” tickets. Meaning, tickets which are directly under the SWJ member’s name. I’m not sure how strict they are with this, but I’ve heard that they can also check the details that came with the ticket. SWJ members caught letting other people use tickets under their names can have their membership revoked.
   
   
4. Wait for the General selling which usually happens at a much later time (only after the 2 lotteries for FC members are done). It doesn’t come with the perks that are included in the SWJ FC membership, but if you only want to watch the concert, then waiting for the General Ticketing is okay, too. I haven’t tried it personally, though, but as I’ve said… some of my friends bought tickets through general selling and got even better seats than I did…. It really is just a matter of luck.

IMPORTANT: General Sales isn't certain. There may be a chance that they'll open, but if tickets are sold out during the FC round, there may not. (I'm a baby shawol, so I'm not certain about how the Gen Sales work, but this is what some of my JShawol friends said). This is why, for the March events, I really opted to sign up for SWJ membership. 😅

Applying for the lottery

This is just a general reminder when you are already applying for the lottery. Do note that:

• Transaction is gonna be on ticket board. They will only ask you for your SWJ membership ID.
• You can only apply for a maximum of 2 tickets per draw. 
• Once you've submit your application for the draw, you CANNOT change it anymore. So make sure you've decided if you're only applying for 1 or 2 tix, and that the card you'll be using has enough balance to pay for it.
• You can only buy tickets through one (1) channel, if you've already applied for the draw, you cannot apply for the GP already. If you do, you'll lose both your slots for the lottery and the GP.

What would you recommend for the SWC VI?

To be honest, if I were to go to the concert later this year, I would still opt to try for the SWJ fc lottery. Why? Well, they rolled out this “Premium Ticket” scheme this year. I’m not sure if this is new, but it’s the first time I’ve heard of it.

With this Premium Ticket, you will be guaranteed the following:

• Automatic arena seat
• Exclusive Concert goodies
• Priority queue for concert merch

How does it work?

Based on what I read, and what my JShawol friend has kindly explained to me, this basically is an upgraded ticket which you can apply for once you already have your regular ticket.

So, here’s how it’ll go… Application for the regular ticket lottery is from June 26th – July 9th, and the announcement of winners will be on July 15th.

After you get your ticket on July 15th, you’ll need to apply for another draw to try and win the premium ticket. If you applied for 2 regular tickets and got an upgrade, your companion doesn’t need to be an SWJ member. They can still use the premium ticket you’ve won.

So I’ve won tickets to the concert, what’s next?

Once you’ve confirmed that you won tickets to the concert, you can access your ticket via your tickebo account. You will only know which seat you’ve been assigned around three (3) days before the concert date. (It’s a lot of suspense, I know…)

Japan concert venues are big and since seating assignments are totally random, I would suggest that you invest in a good pair of binoculars. Yes, you might get arena seating, but you might also end up seating on the 2nd or the 3rd floor, so it’s best to be prepared.

So, that’s it… That’s all I have for now. I hope this article has been of help to you. If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out to me via Twitter at @aimeeablelife.

Good luck, and happy ticketing!

The "Thing" About The Backstreet Boys

Since this is my first post for this blog, allow me to pay tribute to one of my all-time favorite band, the Backstreet Boys.
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Disclaimer: Opinions written in this blog are strictly mine. I don’t claim to know the boys personally, and what I’ve written here are merely observations from other fans’ testimonies, stories that ran on different mass media, and from the electronic trail they are constantly leaving on social media for the whole world to see. My semi postmodernist mind is screaming that this is capitalism at its finest, but, hey… if it’s for a talented group that I think should be supported? To hell with capitalism!
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Photo by: Arianne Zagala

Last Tuesday, May 5, the Backstreet Boys held their In a World Like This (IAWLT) Philippine-leg concert at the Mall of Asia arena. Of course, I didn’t miss the chance to see them perform live. I grew up listening to their songs—hit after hit after hit, and they really stuck to me even now. 

Please don’t get me wrong. I’m not writing this blog to reminisce, because yeah, there are a lot of those all over the internet already. I decided to write this blog to celebrate who they have become after all these years. So, what is it really that makes them stand out from the rest—stand so far out that a lot of people consider them to be in a whole different league of their own? Where do I even begin?

Discography

For my younger-than-20-years-old readers, let me give you a brief background of who Backstreet Boys is. You know what? On second thought, you can easily get a good discography account of this group on the net. Oh yes, you don’t even have to look so hard since the “trip down memory lane” approach was used by a lot of writers who covered the IAWLT concert last Tuesday. In all fairness to them, though, it was indeed a trip down memory lane—and it was fun, heck, we really partied like it was 1999! Here are some reviews I found online:

5 life lessons from the Backstreet Boys by Joyce Jimenez (Phil Star)

Backstreet’s back and they’re still alright by Nathalie Tomada (Phil Star)

If you missed the concert and you want a blow by blow account of what happened, you can read this:

REVIEW | The boys of a generation: Backstreet’s back, alright! by Tricia Aquino (Interaksyon)

But anyway, back to my topic: What is it that makes the Backstreet Boys the greatest boy band of all time? I don’t think it’s because they stuck to a formulaic way of writing and producing music. And it's definitely not because they played it safe by sticking to being a “boy band” and never maturing in their craft, because they did. 

But more than that, here are some reasons I think Backstreet boys will always remain to be well-loved by the people (aside from their good looks and overly cheesy songs that make you want to fall in love):

1.  Because they treat their music with respect—as an art and as an extension of themselves

Have you noticed how now that they’re working independently on their music, the messages of their lyrics became more personal? Let’s not look too far on the repertoire. In the IAWLT album, there are two songs that stand out in this category—Show ‘Em What You’re Made Of and Madeleine.

Show 'Em What You're Made Of is a song written by Kevin and AJ as an advice for their little ones. It's also the title of their upcoming movie which is a documentary of who the Boys really are. Listening to the song and looking at their ups and downs as a group, one is reminded of how they, themselves, lived through the wisdom that they are now trying to pass to their kids.

The other song, Madeleine, at first glance, seems to be just another feel good, inspiring song. But the inspiration behind it is as deep as it can get. Let AJ tell you all about it.

If you haven’t heard these two songs off of their new album, I’ve posted them below:

Show ‘Em What You’re Made Of

Madeleine

2. Because they are five guys overflowing with talent

But despite the fact that they are individually strong singers, they don’t overpower each other. Their vocal harmony and chemistry as a group is so good—it’s almost too good to be true. But it is true, and that’s the best part! Check out this fan made video that showcases their vocal harmony throughout the years.

And even after all these years, they still pack the same, if not better, vocal power, and together they really sound great.

 

    Video credits: Teta del Rosario via Youtube IAWLT Tour 2015 Manila

3. Because they respect the stage, their craft, and their fans

So much that they refuse to not sing live no matter what state their health is in. Have you seen how packed their schedule has been since they first started this world tour? Here’s a preview:

Photo Credit: www.backstreetboys.com

To get the whole picture, though, you have to check out the rest of the IAWLT tour dates. And, take note… they sing live. Every time. 

How can I be so sure? Well, here’s the thing: remember when I said that they perform live “no matter what state of health they are in?” I don’t know if you noticed this, but Brian’s mid-tone, even his speaking voice, is not as powerful as it used to be.To make the not-so-secret story short, it’s because he was diagnosed with what’s called a vocal tension dysphonia and a neurological issue called dystonia. Let B-Rock tell you, first hand, what this is through this interview with cosmopolitan.

In a nutshell, it makes it very difficult for him to talk, much more to sing—but he still does, anyway. And for that, I respect him very much. I was really happy to hear first hand, during the concert, that his voice is getting better now. Give him a few more months, and I believe B-Rock will be back in full swing! (Yes, I’m a B-Rock girl, if I didn't make that seem ooh-so-obvious already… he-he)

4. Because they love what they’re doing

And people see that in how they give their best in every performance. Let’s admit it, anyone talented or well-connected can go on-stage and get their shot at the lime light. But not everyone does it because it’s what they love to do. Most of the time the reason is that show business is a lucrative source of profit. 

I don’t claim to be an expert on how Hollywood works, but what I observe is that when a band or an artist decides to go solo, that’s when their true voices rise up. And, if anything, I really am glad that the boys decided to do their own thing. This is the reason they can stand on stage, take their final bow, and still promise that the party will go on and on and on.

Photo by: Arianne Zagala

So, yeah, maybe there is a formula to be the best in what you do: respect for your craft + overflowing talent + respect for the stage + respect for the fans = enjoyment of getting to do something you are passionate about. 

In Backstreet Boys' case, I guess we could say that it’s making quality music and performing on stage together, entertaining their millions and millions of fans all over the world. That’s what makes the Backstreet Boys Larger than Life.

As a person who’s very passionate about organizing and directing live events, it would be a dream come true if, one day, I’ll be able to produce a show for these guys. It would be an intimate concert—the kind of set up which focuses only on the beauty of their voices and not much on the theatrics of their usual ones—very much like their "A night out with the Backstreet Boys" concert in 1997. 

Let me close this blog by leaving you with one of my favorite live performances of the Boys featuring their single In a World Like This. It's not perfect, but it showcases everything that I mentioned in this post:

Dear Backstreet boys, don't say you're back, alright? You were Never Gone! :)

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Important: Video credits go to the owners of the clips on YouTube. No copyright infringement intended in the publishing of these videos.
Special thanks to my editor and official photographer: My sister, Arianne Zagala

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Are you a Backstreet Boys fan? What do you think makes them the greatest boy band? Share your thoughts on the comments below. Thank you for reading!