Ayumi Hamasaki Sekai - Avril Lavigne Concert: The Best Damn Thing Malaysia 2008 report

Yup that's right! I've been to the concert! Spent RM338 (USD 90~USD 100) but damn worth it!

Despite the useless protest lead by PAS Youth, the youth part of the radical Islamic political party. The Malaysian Government decided to make it happen.

I arrived at the concert venue, the Stadium Merdeka (Literally Stadium of Independence) in Kuala Lumpur from my place at approximately 2.30pm. Not much people were there, except some food stalls preparing to make a killing.

I just walked to the ticket booth and purchase the RM338 "Red Zone" ticket without any questions being asked. Then I just walked around, chatting with any random people and took some pictures.

I brought a pair of binoculars, water bottle and an extra shirt with me. The sun in the afternoon was scorching hot and my mistake for not bringing an umbrella with me.

Then I walked all around the stadium's outer skirts, and lucky for me, I found two spots for surveying the dancers doing last-minute-rehearsals.

By 4pm, the place started to crawling with fans from all over the Malaysia. Oversea fans flocked to there too.

By 5pm, everyone settled to their respective entrances. This was the hardest hour because of the scorching heat (38 degree Celcius, 100.4 degree Farenheit). Met some Malaysia Fan Club members. Chatted with some of them.

Discussed the protest move with the people about the local opposition party, PAS which is a radical Islamic political party, claiming that Avril was deemed too "sexy" (omg, what about Ayumi then?) to be holding a rock concert in Malaysia, which is not suitable for the Muslim youths (WTF?????)

They say they've been sending flyers that asked the muslim youths not to enter the concert. I didn't see any of them, but if they were here, they would have to be skinned alive by the 15,000 strong audiences, regardless who they are.

So I said to the fans waiting around together with me, "Bring it on! If they are here, then they wish they should have go to hell instead." Everyone agreed loudly.

One fan club member said mockingly, "Remember guys! The authorities said no jumping, no yelling, no screaming, no...."

"No fxxking." I said.

Everyone laughed.

"If we don't do that, there's no Avril Lavigne!" another said.

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The entrance "No.4" which will net the audience a side view of the stadium. Trust me, it is going to be a waste because Avril will looked like a peanut. I got it before when I was there watching Linkin' Park. That's why I won't settle for anything except the front row.

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Taken at the entrance for my ticket. It's lucky that the rest of the audiences arrived around 6pm. I was able to get the front place during the concert.

Finally the gates opened at approximately 7.15pm and we rushed to the place.

We stood in the opening, and was relieved to see that we weren't too far away. It was a right decision after all to stick to the center, but what's more lucky was that I was at the slight right side off the axis of the view, because the security guards would be blocking my view.

However the worst have come. It started to rain! The crew passed us some plastic ponchos and we quickly put them on, we squeezed around each other and stood until 9.10pm when Avril finally appeared with the dancers!

Ah I can vere forget the mixture of the sweat and the rainwater's smell emitted by all of us. We stood so close and we totally forgot ourselves.

There weren't any surprises tho. Avril did her job professionally. The sounds and lights were great. After a few hot rock numbers we cooled down to see Avril playing a piano for "When you're Gone" in the unplugged segment, and even drums.

But Avril did play with us around a little bit, by raising up her hand, we roared with our cheers, and then she quickly put her fingers on her lips, we hold our voices..... we did a few times and it was quite fun.

The concert followed setlist of this:

Setlist

"Girlfriend"
"I Can Do Better"
"Complicated"
"My Happy Ending"
"I'm With You"
"I Always Get What I Want"
"When You're Gone"
"Innocence"
"Don't Tell Me"
"Hot"
"Losing Grip"
"Bad Reputation"
"Everything Back But You"
"Runaway"
"Hey Mickey"
"The Best Damn Thing"
"I Don't Have to Try"
"He Wasn't"

Encore

"Girlfriend (Dr. Luke Remix)"
"Sk8er Boi"

There was no "Keep Holding On" if I'm not wrong.

As free gifts I got a big poster and songlist book. I bought a T-shirt for RM25.... the original ones were like RM90/RM100.....

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My ****** cameraphone went out of power and I was only able to shoot a very small part of the opening. Caught no Avril. Sorry.

Love her nervous/sheepish grin. And seriously, she's got a great butt. But not until that kind of sexy like those stupid people claimed...... kinda pink of health feeling she gave to me.

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For the encore, There was no "Keep Holding On". Too bad.\

Will be posting up the poster's pic tonight. I forgot to get more for you guys..... I could have make another small lucky draw and then post to you guys~! Argh.... stupid me.

The concert ended at 10.45pm...... argh it was kinda too short for us! But nonetheless it helluva great performance from Avril Lavigne.

I would give it a 8/10 for the performance.