Sunday, 30 October 2022

1st Overseas Event Post CoVID: Japan Thailand Iconic Music Festival 2022

ICONIC Music outdoor stage

After a long absence, finally a blogpost! Why now? Because FINALLY! COVID restrictions has been lifted for most countries! You know what that means? Its the annual "pilgrimage" to Thailand for an idol event!


Usually I'll be here for Japan Expo Thailand. However the same company behind that has curated another event called the Japan Thailand Iconic Music Festival! Yeap, its a new event! Held at a new location too!

ICONSIAM is a relatively new mall. Located across the Chao Phraya river, it started opening in 2018. Its kinda out of the way from the city centre but its very accessible. There's 2 main methods to get across, by the BTS train service or via their free shuttle ferry. ICONSIAM is actually massive! Very big and am impressed with their basement food court. In fact it is smack near the entrance to the outdoor stage.

Arriving to venue via boat!

We have arrived!

Indoor stage

Prior to event, organizers sets some rules like registering your attendance and showing a negative ART test result. Inclusive are other in house rules like no bringing of large cameras, tripods, selfie sticks, standing chairs, etc (include photo). However having such experience attending these events in the past, it'll end up being loosely enforced. In fact, theres alot of feedback from locals regarding the ART test since event will be held in big open outdoor area. Not only that, the indoor stage is not even barricaded and anyone is free to go in and out whenever they liked it. Yes, true to my gut feeling, people were bringing in big cameras and the likes and noone bothers.


My all smudgy ART test kit

People were rumor mongering about likely guests for the events. Names like "My Dear Darling", JAMS Collection and Aibeck were floating around and some like Kirafore and "Nijicon (LOLOLOL!!)" gave me chuckle. Alot of these groups had the own live schedule up and most of them clashed. However ever since I quit my actual day job, I am itching for some wholesome awesome activity and a vacation is badly needed. Thus when event was announced and "READY TO KISS" were one of confirmed guests, it is a MUST GO!

Groups confirmed were the following:

1) READY TO KISS
2) SAY-LA
3) HOT DOG CAT
4) FESTIVE
5) MiiS
6) Rincent
7) 2o Love to Sweet Bullet
8) Kyushu Wing Girls
9) BANZAI JAPAN
10) Sherbet
11) Fruits Zipper
12) Chicken Blow the Idol
13) Sensei aspiration


Yes I know, half of them sounds damn weird for an idol group but hey beggars cant be choosers!

ICONIC Music full lineup Poster, taken from Gyu Creative FB


Amazingly alot of the usual overseas wotas that I know personally did not attend this especially the ones from Malaysia and my favourite Thai abang. Regardless, people like the my ever irritating wota friend FC is here, and some of the IGET groups wotas were present too. Yeapp, it'll be fun definitely!

After pre-registering and furnishing your ART result, you'll be given a temporary tattoo as a pass for re-entry. That will be followed by mandatory bag checks, pretty much standard procedure for events elsewhere including my country. You can opt not sticking your tattoo, just show it to them and you're in.


Yeay, temporary entry tatoo get!


The outdoor stage is impressive! However, as guests included boy groups too, the venue's crowded with fangirls and they are even more dedicated than your normal idoru wotas. Literally cant beat them when it comes to being first at the stage. Outdoor stage is reminiscent of those outdoor stages in Japan. Kinda have the TIF Smile Garden / Ship Stage feel with this. 

Rain or shine, these fangirls are very dedicated.


With that, day 1 starts and 1st group watched is sensei aspiration. The poster showed its a 3-girl line up but only saw 2. Didnt dig in to know reason why but did a search on the group after event. Shocked to know one of them visited Singapore before heading to Thailand!


 

Next was 2o Love to Sweet Bullet and that group went Thailand couple of times too. And finally the 3rd act: Ready To Kiss!


I miss listening their overture live. Current variation is this one.


Live done, and straight to the buppan area! Was amazed even though 2 years has passed, Ready To Kiss members still remembered me even I gained alot of weight. Yes! I got another chance meeting Ayuko again! She graduated way back in 2019, last seen her was in an event in Japan. Pleasantly surprised she came back to Ready To Kiss! Its feels like I didnt miss her at all!  They are some although I didnt cheki with nor talk with them, also remember me. Like Mio, when she suddenly say Hisashiburi for her Hajimete Cheki haha!

Ayuko Best Member!

 
Hiromin is my next favourite member and got tricked by her.

"Do you like Hiromin?"
"Yes"
"Do you like Hiromin's gravure"
"Huh? Yes"
"AH! HENTAI!"

Ahhh... damn....

Dang Hiromin!


Of course due to COVID and the suspension of LIVE events, that long absence in between means theres a drastic change in some group's lineup. Loads graduated and some new members joined. Based from my last visit, mainstays were Hiromin, Miho, Mio. As for Ayuko, errr, I consider her new as she did graduate first before re-joining.

Initially 2 tickets will net you a RTK 2shot sign. Somehow, maybe the crowd turnout was bad thus they changed to 1 ticket instead. Ughhhhh, and I used 6 tickets already! wasted 3 2-shots.

My last true cheki pre-COVID taken with an idol was Izumin thus its a must in my 2shot checklist. Izumin mentioned hisashiburi and oboette. Alright off to a good start. After telling her my name, she kept teasing me nakitty throughout. To the point the manager remembered me and teased me in the same way too. During her group shot, Izumin again teased by smacking my arms and ass. Ouch!

Ready To Kiss, SAY-LA and Hot Dog Cat has free group shots. Of course utilizing them but I didn't get a Hot Dog Cat one, mainly because I was watching other performances instead.

Group shot with SAY-LA with the irresistable Izumin beside and Sana above

Ready To Kiss group shot.


Another group gaining traction is FRUITS ZIPPER. This group is famous for their tiktok song. Cheki tickets cost 500Baht. However its not signed and you have a 10secs talk time with the member. As opposed to 300Baht 2shot of IGET groups with a longer talk time, I just didnt find this worth it. If you really want to have a sign cheki, they held another event in MBK's Animate shop. There 800Baht will nail you an autograph of your personal item together with the limited talk time. Went for both Yui Sakurai (Because FC keep pestering) and Noel Hayase. Noel is a mixed blood, and her english is very fluent.

Noel cheki get!


I am amazed on how many replies I received in DMs regarding FRUITS ZIPPER asking me to queue for this and that member, didnt know this relatively new group is quite famous. All I know "that song" gives me an earworm... and queue for Yui Sakurai is very very long.



Other idols I went for cheki were FESTIVE's Yagi Hinata and Chicken Blow The Idol's Assa. Huge bulk were for Ready To Kiss and SAY-LA. Thank goodness I got surplus I-GET tickets, no need to break the bank for them. Although I did ask FC for loan when queuing up for Noel (didnt bring surplus cash on day 3).

Ended the day with watching FESTIVE at the outdoor stage. My body is too old and fat, opt sitting at the "VIP area" and watching the wotas go wild. As always, they ended with Oidemase, the long version one.

Calm before the storm, Wotas awaiting FESTIVE arrival


To see how enthusiastic the crowd are, just look at the Magical Parade video I recorded.




In all, Japan Thailand Iconic Music Festival is still a good event. Though it will be more awesome if they can add more groups (especially ones I specifically follow). RTK and SAY-LA are likely to attend next year's Japan Expo Thailand 2023 too. Most likely, I am unable to attend due to lack of income as I am eyeing travel to Japan instead.


Cheki Acquired:

Ayuko (Ready to Kiss) 4x
Hiromin (Ready to Kiss) 4x
Miho (Ready to Kiss) 2x
Mio (Ready to Kiss)
Izumin (SAY-LA) 2x
Sana (SAY-LA) 2x
Yagi Hinata (FESTIVE)
Assa (Chicken Blow the Idol)
Yui Sakurai (Fruits Zipper)
Noel Hayase (Fruits Zipper)
Miwa (Maidreamin)



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