The moment I arrived at SM Mall Of Asia Arena last Sunday (4 September), it was a sea of neon green that went as far as the eye could see, bleeding into the mall and nearby restaurants. It was the day of NCT 127’s concert in Manila and the thousands of fans (including famous NCTzen, Filipino singer and actress, Sharon Cuneta) that came from all over the country (and even the region) made sure everyone knew.

This was the first time that the group—which saw Taeyong, Taeil, Johnny, Yuta, Doyoung, Jaehyun, Jungwoo, Mark, and Haechan—was holding a major headlining concert in the Philippines, something the members would later mention was long overdue. 

The excitement was palpable even before the gates opened. As you walked around MOA, all you could hear were fans talking about their favourite members, what song they were most excited to see live, and whether they’d make it to their schools and jobs the next day. 

“It’s my first day of classes tomorrow, I don’t really want to go. I don’t know if I can even wake up,” a green-clad fan told her friend, who was sporting a Doyoung-decorated headband, while in line at a restaurant near the arena. 

Admittedly, I wasn’t all too familiar with NCT 127 when that day began but even I couldn’t help but get excited as the hours counted down. The energy was contagious, from seeing Twitter mutuals meet up for the first time and bond over their biases to walking by the freebies and fanmade projects—which included Iskrambol and ice cream carts—surrounding the arena. I knew I was in for a good time. 

Presented by PULP Live World, the concert was part of the ‘Favourite’ hitmaker’s second world tour, NEO CITY: THE LINK which previously saw stops in Singapore, Seoul, and several cities across Japan. 

There’s power in a good opening and NCT 127 clearly showed theirs. The members appeared behind the screen standing clad in all white as their platform descended down, slowly enough to soak in their all-encompassing aura and to get over the fact that they were actually in front of us. 

The concert began with a forceful performance of ‘Kick It’ followed by ‘Lemonade’ and ‘Simon Says’ which elevated the energy that was present all day to a new high. 

“Are you guys ready to have fun tonight?” asked Taeyong, greeting their Filipino NCTzens (or fondly called Czennies) for the very first time. “Finally, NCT 127 in Manila. The days has come, we’re so happy to meet our Manila Czennies.”

To an outsider, it definitely didn’t feel like their first concert in the Philippines—I even pulled out my phone to do a quick search. With only three songs (out of a 30-song setlist) down, NCT 127 already took over the venue like it had always been theirs, and there was no stop to the outpour of cheers that came from the crowd. PULP Live World's Vernon Go even mentioned on Twitter that the NCT 127 concert was their "loudest K-pop concert" yet.

After the members introduced themselves, their opening ment ended with a warning: “Tonight’s going to be a crazy night.” And that it was. 

For the next two hours or so, we were treated with an assortment of group, unit, and solo stages that highlighted a side of NCT 127 that you could only ever experience live. They were alluring (in more ways than one), mesmerising, and immensely talented. 

From Taeyong’s ability to capture the crowd in an instant, Taeil’s jaw-dropping high notes, Johnny’s innate command of a stage, Yuta’s sharp yet elegant movements, Doyoung’s honey-like vocals, Jaehyun’s seamless transition between rapping and singing, Jungwoo’s enchanting stage presence, Mark’s fast-paced yet stable rap, to Haechan’s overwhelming charms that made its way to every corner of the arena, NCT 127 had so much to offer, both individually and collectively. 

It was an eventful portion of the show: crowd favourites like ‘Love Me Now’ and ‘Highway To Heaven’ were performed, heartfelt offerings like ‘The Rainy Night’, ‘White Night’, and ‘Back 2 U’ were sung, clothes were discarded, walls were climbed, and proclamations of love from all around the venue were declared.

NCT 127 then kicked off the latter half of their show with a party, bringing everyone to their feet with tracks like ‘Paradise’, ‘Cherry Bomb’, ‘Sticker’, and more. 

As they addressed the “Manila, Manila” crowd for the last time, the group expressed their appreciation for the heated welcome to the Philippines. The members shared how happy they were to finally perform to their Filipino fans against all odds, thanking everyone for coming out and waiting for them. 

“NCT 127 exists because of all of you. You are the reason we are able to be on stage,” said Yuta. 

During the days before NCT 127's concert, I spent some time looking through Twitter fancams, watching live performances, and gathering details from friends in an attempt to prepare myself for what was to come. But their time in Manila was an entirely different experience, one that you couldn't recreate. 

While it may have had the same setlist and performances they brought to various cities across the world, this concert was special. The members radiated so much happiness and their energy was on an all-time high, feeding off of the crowd that never stopped cheering and screaming even when their voices were slowly deteriorating (“Grabe, nawala na yung boses ko. Ako ba nag perform?” [Wow, my voice is gone. Did I perform?] a fan joked while leaving the arena). 

I came in not knowing a lot about NCT 127 but by the end of the show, I found a deeper understanding of why they have a fanbase as large and as passionate as they do. They’re all-around performers that always give their entire hearts and souls to the stage and that certainly knew how to live up to their promise of a crazy night.