“Finally, NCT 127 in Manila!” NCT 127 enthusiastically proclaims that “the day has come”. The time has finally come for NCT 127, the second sub-unit of Korean boy band NCT (Neo Culture Technology), to rock the SM MOA Arena in their first ever Philippine concert — NEO CITY: MANILA- THE LINK.
The entire SM MOA Arena was awash in a glowing lime green sea last Sunday, September 4. Anticipation was thick in the air with the crowd’s already high energy even before the group came out. Everyone was vibing to the pre-show setlist, cheering and singing along to their favorite NCT 127 bops. NCT 127 also gives the crowd a taste of their upcoming release, 2Baddies with a projected teaser video.
The show hadn’t even started yet, and you could already feel the strong beats of the songs and loud cheers of the crowd deep down in the depths of your soul.
“Ilabas na ‘yan!” (Let them out!) was the chant of the audience as the lights began to pulse, mimicking the increasing heart rates of all that were present. As the lights went down, the screams went up. It was no wonder that this concert was sold out what with the high level of showmanship that NCT 127 had in store for their fans that night.
Before the show started, concert producers PULP Live World showed a promotional video that left you with goosebumps. After the prolonged absence of live shows due to the pandemic, PULP declares that “We are back!” They remind us that “hope springs eternal” and invite us to “build more memories together,” and what a memory this night has now become for so many Filipino NCTzens (NCT fans, also lovingly referred to as Czennies).
NCT 127’s own intro video asks us what we see when we close our eyes? Whether we see light or darkness, the group encouraged us to feel the warmth. “Warmth? I was surrounded by something warm.” Was it from the heat of their fire dance moves or the hot passion that the performers had mixing with that of the heated-up fans? Well, we were soon about to find out.
MOA Arena began heating up even more as the screens dramatically parted, revealing the entire group sporting some power poses and varying styles of white suits. They kept perfectly still as the platform they stood on lowered them down on stage, submerging them even more into the already loud screams of the crowd which were growing even louder, if you can believe it or not.
It seems that NCT 127 know exactly how to make an entrance, and they know exactly how to start their shows too. The concert was kicked off with an explosive opening performance of Kick It. The laser light show, mini fireworks, and synchronized Neobongs (official NCT 127 light sticks) blinking lime green and Lipstick red, only added to the overall energy of the entire performance. The first 4 performances were high energy favorites which got the crowd hyped up with songs like Lemonade, Simon Says, and Elevator.
In a break between sets, NCT 127 was panting deeply into their mics, rightly so after their high intensity opening performances. While the members may have sounded tired, their energy was just as high as the crowds – possibly feeding off each other – as they greeted the audience.
In case the audience was still in disbelief in seeing and hearing the Doyoung, Haechan, Jaehyun, Johnny, Jungwoo, Mark, Taeil, Taeyong, and Yuta perform in front of them, now they were even talking to them! Pinches will hurt because no, they aren’t dreaming!
The group described the surprise that they felt when they heard the crowd’s amazing voice and high level of energy. Most members thanked the crowd for the warm welcome and for their patience. They repeatedly acknowledged how long fans have been waiting to see them live, especially to see them live in the Philippines, and they hoped they could make their patience worth it by making this the best show. “We’ve only got one show in Manila, so let’s make it count!”
“Tonight is gonna be a crazy night, so get ready okay?” they warned fans, also reminding them that the concert has just begun and promising that they have “prepared songs that will make you breathless. Please look forward to it.”
Before continuing, they also took the time to check in on the fans, asking if they were doing okay. They reminded the fans that safety should always come first, telling them not to push too much and make sure to catch their breath in between sets.
After this heartwarming interaction, it was back to business. NCT 127 delivered numerous solo, unit, and group stages. After their up-tempo opening performances, the group also revealed their more sensitive side with some slower and sultry performances that one might not have expected to see on the Lord’s Day (at one point, there was literally a bed onstage). Here we heard classics like Highway to Heaven, Love Sign, The Rainy Night, and Back 2 U.
After that emotional rollercoaster, the group took another talk break to explain what the name of their concert, “The Link”, means to them. They explained that the link is a connection between their eyes to the group’s shared dream. They see it as an expression of NCT’s world and how they have been expanding into new fields. They also think that it reflects the spaces between them and the fans, and that now we are all connected to the dream and are experiencing it together as one. “Mark this day that we connect with the Manila Czennies” they yelled across the entire arena.
They then proceeded to turn the party back up with bangers like Sticker and Cherry Bomb. NCT 127 crafted the perfect mix of upbeat and emotional (just like the crowd that night) song and dance performances. They made sure to use every inch of the stage to perform and interact with the NCTzens.
But like all good things, this night had to come to an end. As the screens reunited to close off the stage, people were left wanting more. The fans just couldn’t get enough and a chant of “isa pa!” (one more!) rang through the entire arena for a while. And that is exactly what they got. NCT 127 came back out to perform Dreams Come True, making the dream of “isa pa” come true and reminding us that life is beautiful (and so was this encore).
With their final goodbye’s some members expressed how they felt like they would probably still hear the yells of the crowd even after the show. NCT 127 promised that this night would only be the first of many spent together in the Philippines. Before they left, they also reminded the audience to drink some warm water for their throats when they got home.
On their official NCT 127 Twitter account, Johnny even wrote a tweet thanking fans for the “amazing night” and promising that “We’ll be back soon 😎”.
Thank you Manilaaa for giving us such an amazing night! Cant believe it was our first time having our concert here! We’ll be back soon😎 -JOHNNY#NCT127 #NEOCITY #MANILA#NEOCITY_THE_LINK#NCT127_NEOCITY_THE_LINK#NEOCITY_THE_LINK_MANILA pic.twitter.com/yXHUSv4gaI
— NCT 127 (@NCTsmtown_127) September 4, 2022
Fans left the arena tired but happy knowing that they were able to start the new week right, also looking forward for what’s to come. That night NCT 127 proved that individually they were amazing, but as a unit, they are unstoppable. Now that the link has been made, it cannot be severed, let’s see what the future has in store for NCT 127 in the Philippines.
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