*My P.O.V.*

//Sept. 15, 2023//

They announced it.
It's happening!
Wake up! They posted it!
It's official!!!
We got tour dates, baby!!!

My phone notification was going off and those were mostly the snippets of the messages I'm seeing.

I didn't want to believe it. For the past several weeks, local music entertainment pages kept on teasing bands coming. While I was happy that they were able to bring more artists here, the announcements were never them...not Fall Out Boy...not yet at least. The anticipation for these announcements always kills me and today...it's definitely happening.

I finally opened my socials and there it was - the official announcement that they're going to Manila again! It has been almost 10 years and finally THEY'RE COMING BACK.

I couldn't erase the smile on my face, the excited thump in my heart, and the super giddy feeling I have. I'm sure I teared up while I shared the announcement around.

I'm gonna see them. After spending all these long years just imagining it, writing stuff to fill my desire to see them live. 

It's finally happening.

I'm officially going to see them

And I can't fucking wait for this moment to happen. ~ I guess let's start counting down till December 9!

//Sept. 23 2023//

I. GOT. TICKETS.

At this point, I'm actually still asking myself if this is really happening...

I pushed through our shitty ticketing system and got the ticket I've been longing to buy all!

I did want to buy standing tickets - though I wasn't lucky enough to grab one so I stuck with the Patron seated section. It was the closest section I can grab and I ran with it.

With a ticket secured, I continued to count down till the big night!!

//October - November 2023//

Before the ticket selling, I and two others was invited to be the admins of our local FOB fandom group and right then and there, I knew I could do something more for this concert.

And thus, I spearheaded the Stardust Project for Manila. This project had been implement to almost all their shows in the US and UK tour and I definitely will not allow our show to be left behind.

With my co-admins beside me. We started planning.

We posted it to the group to hype it up.

One co-admin redesigned and translated the Pink Seashell design to fit the Manila Show and drew chibis of the boys to put on our nametags.

Another took on the responsibility of talking to US admins on discord and actually running our local group with me.

And I made sure we remain on track - I created a Google Forms link to get volunteers (by the end there were 41 of us!), I gave out instructions on printing and cutting the seashells, I designed and created lanyards for our nametags, and planned up to the logistics for the concert day on how we are spreading the cutouts.

Everybody was so active and cooperative...I honestly couldn't have asked for a better group to work with!

Working on this Fan Project just amped up my anticipation for the concert more.

Our target was around 12,000 seashells and we reached it!!!!

I've personally cut around 3,200 Pink Seashells which definitely gave me Carpal Tunnel (of Love). But eh, I'd do everything for these bois.

//Concert Day - December 9, 2023//

To say that I am emotional is a criminal understatement.

I've been a fan of this band for almost 10 years at this point. I've always wished to see them live which drove me to create this account, create hundreds of this silly (and cringey) imagines and stories. All those moments I have imagined, this was the night that I was truly Y/N.

And I'm so fucking here for it.

I met so many new people, made so many new friends, and even reconnected with the internet friends I had since 20 fucking 15!!!! We be wildin' and jamming!!!

The concert was FUCKING amazing and we WERE so goddamn loud.

I know artists often say "this is the loudest crowd" to every city but fucking hell, we can't hear Patrick over the crowd sometimes and it's definitely not a microphone issue.

This video snippet of 'Phoenix' will tell you how loud we were. This was posted by one of their crew and even them were blown away.

https://youtu.be/aJoZk_AeVjY

I was enjoying so much.

Love from the other side was the perfect opening to a lively crowd!!

We outsung Patrick during Phoenix.

Sugar made the colisuem literally rumble.

Disloyal (my most favorite song of theirs) ENDED ME. I was bawling here.

I was singing and screaming my lungs out.

I was on Cloud 9 during this concert and finally - Fake Out comes in.

This was it... The project I headed, the project that my co-admins, our wonderful volunteer organizers, and I have worked hard for for MONTHS!!

Before the concert started, I was so confident that we did so well. We were giving out these Seashells left and right!! We were making sure everyone got them.

But now, why am I nervous.....

And finally...it started and it was magical that even a major news outlet specifically called it out and made an article about it.

I was definitely crying while looking at this. (view from my seat)

View from others!!!

I couldn't upload the short vids here!! So if you want to see them - look at my Twitter  (at Fall_Out_Angel_) But even with these pics and videos, it doesn't give it justice. You have to be there to witness this moment!!

https://youtu.be/BttYSdKzi2A

PETE, by the end of the song, just indulged looking at the lights and said WOW. THIS LOOKS...FUCKING AMAZING. SO GOOD.

And that was it. THAT SENT ME OVER THE EDGE MORE.

I cried more that moment, he acknowledged it...I was sure they loved it. We FILLED THE ARENA WITH PINK!!! And I can't believe that I headed that with so many amazing people!

This will the closest acknowledgement I'm getting from them and it was more than enough and plus, the people around that appreciated all the organizers' hard work is just so heartwarming and wholesome.

I was so so tired this day - starting early with meeting every organizer and running around entrances all day to make sure everyone has their seashell, but I swear, I'd do it all again for this band in a heart beat.

This is 100% one of the best fucking night of my life and I definitely made the most out of it. 💗

// 💗

Hi. It's been a fucking while.

Thank you for reading and coming along this journey. I could have said more, I could have shared more, but we'll be here for a long ass time if I did.

Just trust me when I say that this is one of the best night of my life!!

I hope y'all are well...I missed you all!!