There was a strange sight at Justin Bieber's first ever concert in Bangkok last Thursday. No, it wasn't of pre-teens losing their minds, screaming and crying at the same time. No, it wasn't the Bieb's faux quiff, his man-child sculptured body and slightly slouched posture.
It was that of young parents lounging around on the floor outside the concert halls, waiting for their young Beliebers to finish screeching and waving glow sticks around while worshipping the 19-year-old pop prince who was discovered on YouTube in 2008.
Most of this Believe World Tour concertgoers were not of age, which wasn't a big surprise as this was, after all, Bieber, who has captured the hearts of teenagers worldwide.
At 6,500 baht a pop, you would get to sit closer to Bieber. There wasn't any standing section, but the fans took it upon themselves to stand on chairs in a bid to see clearer. That, however, became rather problematic since those further back must have had a hard time getting a glimpse of the show. I removed myself to the side stand, as I didn't "believe" enough to stand on a chair with people half my age in the hope of catching a glimpse of his running sweat. The side stand also wasn't exactly a safe place when all decided to jump up and down on the makeshift construction during faster numbers. It was pure frenzy.
That was also how the show which lasted only a little over a hour stayed from the first song, All Around The World, to the last, Baby. He threw in a few only fans would know in between the waves of excitement for hits like Never Say Never, One Time, One Less Lonely Girl and Boyfriend.
Bieber proved to be a consummate performer even though he sometimes came off as too rehearsed or overly sincere, but at the end of the night I bought his caring persona and his projected wide-eyed I-can't-believe-I'm-this-famous innocence. It was rather endearing to watch him mix his professed love for his fans with his supposed street swagger. The whole stance of The Bieb for the time being seems to be that of a boy at the crossroads of becoming a true artist while trying to hold on to that boyish, puppy cute child star. His performance drifted in and out of maturity, but the adoring fans didn't seem to care as long as he was present.
It must still be noted that his vocal delivery sounded a little strange, perhaps through bad mixing or microphone set-up. Make no mistake, the boy can sing, but his tone became too piercing from time to time. Besides singing, he also dances very well, and as young as he is, he managed to keep up the energy level through the entire show. The song selection was nicely sectioned off to create a smooth up-and-down effect. The production, however, was slightly disappointing. Even though catering to the young ones, a bit of sophistication would have given Bieber less digs and insults that he faces on a daily basis. The visuals were quite tacky while the lighting was bland and predictable. Still, the timing was concise which made it less aggravating.
No doubt, Bieber is one talented young adult, and with three albums under his belt, he has come a long way from a fresh-faced Canadian boy whose YouTube vid went viral in the most spectacular way. His show in Bangkok inspired mixed feelings, but also indicates his potential to grow out of his one-man boy band status, and graduate to a full-on artist, musician and performer in the same fashion as Justin Timberlake or Robbie Williams.
Only time will tell, and in the meantime, we can only "believe".
