Seoul Adventure: Watching SBS MTV The Show Live as a Studio Audience

While on the BIGSTAR trail, I headed down to SBS to try to get into the audience for MTV The Show.

The SBS studio is at Digital Media City (D.M.C.) and you can get there by going out of Exit 9 and walk straight. You’ll cross one major T-junction and you’ll be able to see the SBS Prism Tower.

SBS Prism Tower
SBS Prism Tower

As usual, regular ticket applications are insane and really difficult to get and the best bet is to always try to go into the show with a fan club.

I joined the queue for BIGSTAR and since I met the various criteria they had set, I was given as #9 in the queue to enter the show. While I got #9, it wasn’t a guarantee to enter the live show because there were numerous fandoms there and the various fan managers had to discuss to see how many to let in from each fandom. From the point of being numbered, it was about an hour’s wait to know if we get to go into the show or not.

As it turned out, 10 fans from the BIGSTAR queue were allowed in!! I was really happy but at the same time, the happiness was short-lived as I realised that Haifa (who is a new friend, an OnlyOne and also a fellow ELF) didn’t make the first cut into the show. I felt really bad as she was the one who told me all the times and locations of the various BIGSTAR filming/appearances and I wouldn’t have been able to see BIGSTAR if it weren’t for her.

Still, the fans who didn’t managed to get in were told to wait as they might let them in if there was enough seats available. So as I went in, I was really hoping that the other fans were able to get in somehow.

SBS MTV The Show (live)
SBS MTV The Show (live)

NOTE: Once again, photos are NOT allowed during the live shows but as usual, I was being naughty and I sneaked a photo because I wanted a 인증샷 (proof shot) to enhance my blog post. ^^

I was standing in the 3rd row from the performance stage. There was a stage at the side where the hosts of the shows would stand with their guests (if any).

I must say that the live show was a really confusing experience. There was no producer to cue any audience applause or anything like that. Also, the artists who have already pre-recorded their performance would also come up on stage to perform half a song… which is extremely confusing for us in the audience because we couldn’t tell who is live on broadcast and who has pre-recorded. We only know a performance was pre-recorded when they walk off the stage mid-song.

Also, many times, there was nothing going on on stage but we could hear the audio of some videos being played… but the problem was, we couldn’t really tell what kind of video it was. It was because the audio wasn’t entirely audible and not because I couldn’t really understand Korean that I didn’t know what was going on. Even the Korean fans in the audience had no idea what was going on.

So all that said, I now understand why no one cheers/claps at the beginning of the performances on the live shows… because we didn’t know we are on-air. Hahahahaha.

Also, I realised that people only cheered for the artists they’re there to see. I think it’s a Korean thing where they don’t cheer for the other artists. And it’s been said that the Korean fans will not be very happy with you if you cheer for other artists especially if you entered with a particular fandom; which was an extremely weird concept to me because we’re just used to cheering for everyone for the sake of making some noise and show basic support. Oh well, when in Rome, do as Romans do I guess. My nose and throat was giving me problems still so I barely cheered for BIGSTAR let alone any other artists.

Still, it’s always good to watch BIGSTAR perform live (and I was standing smack in the middle so I had a really good view)! Check out their performance of their latest song “달빛소나타 (Shine A Moonlight)” here:

http://player.sbs.co.kr/SBSPlayer.jsp?cid=22000143538&type=CLIP&mode=SHARE&custom_params=cooper=SBS

That said, Seventeen, Monsta X and Jessie caught my eye and ear as well. Check them out!

Seventeen
http://player.sbs.co.kr/SBSPlayer.jsp?cid=22000143531&type=CLIP&mode=SHARE&custom_params=cooper=SBS

Monsta X
http://player.sbs.co.kr/SBSPlayer.jsp?cid=22000143534&type=CLIP&mode=SHARE&custom_params=cooper=SBS

Jessi
http://player.sbs.co.kr/SBSPlayer.jsp?cid=22000143540&type=CLIP&mode=SHARE&custom_params=cooper=SBS

After the live broadcast ended, we did what ever other fan did, hahaha, go and stand at the carpark exit and wait for the vans to drive out from the carpark. Hahahaha.

I managed to see VIXX’s Hongbin, BIGSTAR, half of Seventeen and a few other girl groups leaving. In fact, Zest-Z walked out form the main entrance. LOL.

SBS MTV The Show - Zest Z
SBS MTV The Show – Zest Z

I heard that Zhoumi left really early so I didn’t get to see him. I would have loved to see Zhoumi and wave to him at least or something you know, show him some kind of love. Oh well.

It was an interesting experience overall and it was really fun to hang around after the show with all the new friends I’ve made; and that’s what stalking has always been about, the fun with the people you’re hanging out with while being in suspense over whose van is driving out next and the bragging rights for who you managed to spot and what happened then.

4 thoughts on “Seoul Adventure: Watching SBS MTV The Show Live as a Studio Audience

  1. hi
    this article is very useful! I’m planning on going to The Show too but cant really find much info about it. Thank you for sharing your experience!
    By the way, what time did you go? Does it need to be early in the morning or a few hours before the show starts?
    and the fanclub queue, is it easy to find? are the idols’ group name written clearly and big enough?

    wish I could be as lucky as you were!

    1. Entry to The Show is 7pm KST and the fan club check in time is usually 6 pm KST. The last time, I went at around 3~4 pm KST. It’s best to apply via the fan café first coz nowadays, they’re not big on accepting people who didn’t pre-register on the fan café.

      The fan club queue can be quite difficult to find before the check-in time. You really should ask the fans who are they there to see… most people only take their albums and fan items out at the check-in time.

      The hardest part is spotting the fan manager. The BIGSTAR fan manager held a “Brave” paper bag. And I was lucky that the other fans I as with had seen the fan manager before so they pointed the person out to me.

      Check out my other experience for the M! Countdown one: http://jovenatheart.com/wordpress/2016/07/02/watching-m-countdown-live-as-a-studio-audience/ <– this one is recent and it's a more "standard" way of applying for the live show. BIGSTAR/Brave is exceptionally lax as I found out recently.

      I hope this helps. 🙂 Coz that's why I even posted my experience in the first place.

      Good luck!

      1. So basically we can just show up there with the currently promoting album, am i right? I mean i have no idea of how they pre-register I’m going to both The Show and M countdown. Are they pretty much the same? I’ve found lots say MCD is based on first come first serve, so theres no pre-registration? What time is good for MCD? I read some and they said like the first train, before 6am
        and does it take long, i mean the whole process, from waiting in the queue to getting out from the studio?
        By the way, I’m going to see NCT127, so I guess it could be quite difficult since it’s SM. Feeling hopeless but yeah lol

      2. oh NCT. LOL. Yeah… good luck.

        need to show up with at least the current album and digital download. they now prioritise digital downloads (melon) over physical album. so far, in my experience with BIGSTAR and MAP6, they allow iTunes downloads for foreigners. Can’t confirm for the other fandoms. I’ve seen other fandoms bring slogan towels, official light stick, etc… it really depends on the company and the criteria is different with each comeback. need to check on the Daum Fan café for the details.

        the very early ones are usually pre-recording. One of my MAP6 one was at 8 am KST and then I gave up. LOL. live shows are usually in evening/night (except mucore and inkigayo which are on weekends). check-in time is ~6.00 pm KST and it’s usually 9+ pm KST when you get out of the studio.

        if you didn’t pre-register, you might want to go earlier to check out the situation. also, chances are, you won’t get a chance to eat so consider to bring some food to eat while waiting in the queue before you enter the studio. you can’t eat inside.

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