Pussycat Dolls On Tour // Doll Domination Tour // Reviews
Reviewed by NiKJAM in our forum
Venue: Mall of Asia Concert Grounds Manila, Philippines, 11th June 2009
I arrived at the venue at 12pm.. I went early to catch the arrival of the Dolls for the soundcheck. But unfortunately, there wasnt a soundcheck. The stage look so huge from the outside. At 3 pm, people started to arrive and fall in line in their respected sections. The VIP section had the shortest line.I met some PCD and they gave me company. At 5 pm, the gates were finally opened. Everybody was running to secure the best place they can stay. It was so funny how everyone stucked themselves up to the barricade and crowded themselves even though there was a lot of space available. We were in the 2nd row almost at the middle.The stage was bland compared to what they had in Europe. At around 7pm, the VIP section was still half empty. I was worried coz if the VIP section wont be full, it will really look bad for the Dolls.. All those extravagant treatment for them will be spoiled if the crowd turn out will be bad. But after half an hour, the section was finally filled up.
At exactly 8pm, the opening started. The Philippine All Stars performed. Their set was about 30 mins long. I was really shouting and clapping when they said they will be performing their last dance! lol! And then everybody started to chant "PCD! PCD!".. But it was at 9pm when the Dolls came out.
The lights were turned off and the medley of PCD songs was heard. The crowd went crazy! Then the disney-like opening video was on the screen. Everybody was screaming each of the Dolls name. I shouted so loud for Jessi. As expected, Nicole got the loudest screams. The Dolls were a bit late coming up the stage. AND THERE WERE NO MOTORBIKES. The crowd went wilder when we finally saw the dolls on stage! I was like in ecstacy when i finally saw them! I dont know what to do. i was confused if i will just shout or take pictures or videos or just watch. Melody had a problem with her mic coz her voice was a bit late with the backing track. It was obvious coz she was looking at it and was shaking her head. But after about 10 seconds, it went good. Takin Over the World was unfamiliar with the crowd. I think we(pcd fans that i met) were the only ones singing along! lol! Nicole still had that dog-like collar on her neck. Kimberly, Ashley and Kimberly were already on their leather rubber shoes(the one they using for bottle pop). I just didnt noticed if it were the ones with their names on.
Beep was the second song and the crowd went super crazy. I was so focused with Nicole i didnt noticed how jessi's part was filled up (im sorry). The dance break gave me goose bumps! It was so good to see it live.It was so hot in the venue, they were already dripping with sweat.. Nicole was funny when she repeated the "we dont give a what".. Then they introduced theirselves one by one. I think they should changed some of their spills coz it was always the same. I thought i was hearing the same as the one in the London DVD. Before Kim introduced herself she gave Jessi a tribute. She said that one of them had an injury and we should send Jessi some PCD love. The girls and i went crazy shouting "We love jessica!" Ashley was so cute with her intro she gave Manila a very sweet kiss! lol! she was so adorable! Melody gave out a whail. Was she she trying to outdo Nic? jk. hehehe... And she also added at the end her "im the baby of the group, so you can me baby doll".. Nicole wasnt so satisfied when she introduced herself. lol. She was like, "i think that wasnt enough for a fellow Pinay" so the crowd screamed again and she was "that's what im talking about".. lol!..
I Dont Need a Man was one of the popular songs with the crowd. Nicole's vibratto whistling (i dunno what to call it) sounded so great live! But she only did that once unlike the usual performances of IDNM where she does it twice. I was shouting all my lungs out for her-NICOLE GAVE ME A SMILE AND A WINK! lol! lol! lol! When Elevator was played, we went mad crazy! I think every PCD fan in the crowd loves that song that it was well acknowledged and sang along. Melody was great! She did her parts very well and there were lots of NicoLody moments where they kept holding each other hands. The end notes of Nicole were great too.. Next was I Hate This Part. The crowd was louder this time. Kimberly's hair was all wet and so was Ashley's.. It was funny that i barely saw Ash's face coz her hair was all over it! lol! The breakdance was super cool. Nicole then got out of the stage to put the corset on and took off her dog collar! lol! I really loved
Buttons. I loved the Dolls energy. I think the cancellation of the Taiwan show help them a lot to regain energy. Especially Melody, she rocked the house down! There were no traces that days before the show that she had knee problems. I was actually surprised by her. I didnt expected that she was that good..
Just at the start of Wait a Minute, Nicole was, 'When i say Hold up..' she wasn't able to finish what she was saying coz the crowd already shouted "Wait A Minute!" back to her! lol! It was easily picked up by others so the chanting was very loud! Even Melody was doing the 'Hold Up..' and everybody answered her back. Melody was hyper that night! She was enjoying the show. MELODY GAVE ME A SMILE AND A VERY NAUGHTY WINK! lolz! It looked so naughty! haha.. After WAM, the stage was cleared some time and since we knew the setlist, the girls and i started to chant, 'Halo! Halo! Halol! .. God, Nicole was great! It was like she was transformed into another dimension. It was so soulful. The ending was great! Halo was very well applauded.
Big Spender was next. I was still surprised not to see the "doll houses". Melody tied her ponytail into knot and put a a cap on. Kimberly and Ashley were just doing those sexy cabaret routine on the floor! on the steps of the stair! lol! Melody was great. I dont know the song Big spender so it was the only one i didnt sang along! lol!.. And when i looked to the girls im with, they were singing it like crazy! lol! I saw the man in our front giving them a weird look coz they know the song! hahaha. Our group was getting some attention from other people from the crowd coz we know all the songs by heart.
Nicole then came out from the stage with a new costume. Whatcha Think About That really grew on me. I was kinda stupid coz i was still expecting to see Nicole in the WYTAT costume. Im kinda sad i wasnt able to see her wearing shorts! lol! Nicole gave out big notes in the ending. And it was so long! I think she really prepared for the Filipino crowd! lol! Next was Bottle Pop, Via (aka Via) brought out her white cartolina with the words "i wanna do the bottle pop dance". We were all pointing out at the paper for the dolls to see it. But sadly, contestants were pre-chosen. Melody was kinda wild! I was shocked with her touch-your-crotch move! lol! it was the first time i saw that! lol! Kimberly and Ashley were also full out! They danced as if it was just the first song. Im not really sure if the splits got loud screams. The VIP section was kinda silent throughout the show. Or maybe, we Filipinos are very used in seeing dancers doing splits(even revised forms of it) that made the Bottle Pop split a common scene.
3 girls were then presented for the Bottle Pop dance. None of the girls dance the Bottle choreo. They made their own dances! It was funny coz the 2nd and 3rd contestant had the same routine! lol! i think they were friends! lol! I didnt liked their dance coz they made it a bit jazz and belly dancing. Melody instructed her partner to do a boobie shaking but the girl refused! Insted, she did her pre choroegraphed dance. Mel was kinda sad that she pouted her lips and shook her head.(but she was still smiling of course) Awww! Poor Mel.. I should have climb the stage up and kicked that girl! lol! Good thing girl no. 2 won.. Before the dolls left the stage, Kim gave the crowd her own short dance routine to Bottle Pop! God, it was great! Her energy was way to the top! The crowd loved it and gave her a very loud scream!
Nicole got her super shiny jacket for Hush Hush. It was the jacket she wore at the 1st part of the Europian leg. It sounded so good that our group started to jump! I thimk the beat of the remixed song was the most danceable of all the songs in the list. Since there were no male dancers, the choreo was changed a bit. The steps were very simple! lol! Mel, Ash and Kim were really into the party atmosphere they were always running to the sides of the stage to share all the love to the crowd! HushHush was one of the best parts of the concert. When the song was about to finish i noticed that Via and i were the only one left jumping! lol! the 4 girls got exhausted maybe. haha..
There was a long introduction before Stickwitu.. Nicole was very emotional.. She was almost into tears. It was a very tearful moment everyone was silent and almost shared tears with Nicole.. She was already thanking everyone for coming to the show and so were the other dolls. And they finally sang Stickwitu.. I think, if the crowd only sang very loud, Nicole could have bursted into tears..
It was kinda odd that the crowd was silent when the dolls left the stage. The dolls kinda hinted that it was the end of the show (of course fans knew it wasnt coz there's still an encore). Or maybe the crowd knows it wasnt the end yet coz they havent performed Jai Ho. Maybe after 30 seconds or so, the crowd finally went into their senses and chanted "Jai Ho! Jai Ho! Jai Ho!" The crowd went crazy and they started to dance while still shouting "Jai Ho"! The girls and i also got the Jai Ho fever and joined the crowd in shouting. But we then realized that Jai wasnot the next song. We then started shouting "Dont Cha! Dont Cha!Dont Cha!' That was a funny moment coz the other groups that were shouting Jai Ho made their scream louder. It was like a battle of what song you like! lol! So i shouted my lungs out, "Dont Cha muna bago Jai Ho tas When I Grow Up! Alam kaya namin yun setlist!?!" The girls im with laughed so hard and so was everybody in the crowd! lol!..
After a minute or two, a slide show of each of the dolls was on the screen. It was Kimberly, Jessica. Ashley, Nicole and Melody.. It was so exhausting to shout the dolls names again and again! lol! it was played more than 10 times before the Dolls finally went out of the stage. Nicole was on her signature white PCD hoodie. One of the girls im with has her own PCD hoodie with all the dolls signature on it, so were we like crazy waving it! I think all the persons at our back were pissed off with us! lol! We were so hyper since the start of the show..
And finally what the crowd was waiting came. It was Jai Ho! It received the loudest scream ever! Everyone was doing the Jai ho dance! It was so cool.. I think Jai ho is the biggest song the Dolls ever had in the Philippines. It was the only song that people dance to exactly how the dolls do it.. Its that up and down arms movement! Young and old went wild. I wonder how the crowd managed to do the Jai Ho dance given the fact that we were so close to each other just like sardines! lol!.. In the middle of the song, Nicole unzipped her hoodie. (thats why i got good pictures of her boobies sweating! lol!) At the end of Jai ho i was surprised that i was already beside the barricade! lol! i didnt noticed i moved that far from my original place! lol! lol!.
Last song was When I Grow Up. Nicole took her jacket off. i wished she throw it to the crowd. hehehe.. I was really amazed how the dolls managed to have that all energy left! The intensity they had at the start was the same all throughout the show. I was kinda stupid waiting for the high kick Nicole does in the original breakdown. I think my brain cells werent functioning that well that time. I was aware that they were doing the remix but i was still waitnig for her high kick and Kims' leg lifting! hahaha... But Kim still did it but sideways and very quick. (It wasnt totally missed coz Kim held her leg up(backwards) at the end of Hush Hush.)
It was an awesome night! It was the best night i ever had! We even shouted encore at the end of the show.. Its a 101 gun salute for each of the Dolls. They gave us an awesome performance. Nicole, Melody, Asley, Kimberly were all in their perfect form for the show. No dull moment. No sad looking faces from them. No one looked tired or haggard.. i love the energy of Nicole especially during breakdances. It was the first time that it did not looked awkward to me.. Melody surprised me a lot. I think i developed more fondness of her. Ashley was really goofy. Kimberly proved to me that she is the best dancer of the group.. Their individuality made the Pussycat Dolls more interesting and the best group ever.
If you are a fan of fabulous stage design and visual treats, you will rate this concert 2.5 of out 5 stars.
If you are a fan of a full blast performance, you will give it 4 out of 5.
But as true PCD fan, I gave it 10 out of 5 stars!
Kudos to the Pussycat Dolls!
1. The splits in Bottle Pop were superb! the dolls were really in synch! i wonder how nicole managed to do it with those leather tights! lol!!... but i wish the dolls could do something like the jump-split or the 360-jump-split! lol!
2. The sound system was great! I thought (since it was on an open field), voices and back-up sounds will sound off or broken.. But jeez, its so full and its not so loud either! And unlike in the other reviews i've read where they said that backing tracks were so loud, it was different in the Manila show!! You can clearly hear Nicole and Melody. [hmmm... it gave me interest in acoustics! maybe its the field i should pursue. maybe, i can work with the dolls someday and gave the fans the "sound" they like! lol!]
3. I never heard any false note from either Nicole or Melody! They were both great! For me, the show wasnt all about visuals. It gave a good kick on audio!