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YFC Sapporo 08/19
Yet another YFC live and yet another report.
Are you getting bored of these yet?
As I said yesterday, Jessica and I had planned to go to the Darts stand and spend monies.
We found it easily enough and the poor guy working the stand looked pretty bored. He hadn't restocked since Sendai seemingly so apart from the expensive silver jewellery (I so want this 84,000yen necklace) the only gemstone bracelets he had were the normal six gems and the silver six gem in size medium.
I wanted the You bracelet (but as he didn't have that in Osaka or Sendai I didn't expect to see it) or the silver onyx or silver six gem in size small.
As he didn't have *anything* I wanted I saved my money and didn't buy anything. Jessica got the silver six gem in size M and after finding out we were English, he became all chatty and started telling us about his time on the European tour and where he visited in London, where his hotel was... he's pretty adorable really, when he's bored and isn't busy.
My number sucked today (#1724) but after a bit of manouvering, I managed to get myself to right behind the barrier behind the first part of the crowd. So, a little better than yesterday.
It was surprisingly rough there. I think I was surrounded by people who would much rather have been down in the pit so they decided to recreate the pit there and that was fine by me! I love it when people around me are getting into it.
Again, I lucked out and had lots of short people around me and in front of me. From where I was stood I could see all of GACKT, even down to his shoes because everyone was that much shorter. I spent most of the live on my toes too, just to make myself that little bit taller.
I think everyone stood around me hated me for that. Whenever GACKT came over to my side of the stage (Chacha's side again) his eyes would scan the crowd and they *always* seemed to fix on me. I thought that I was imagining it because maybe I was a little too far out but he was either staring right into my eyes on purpose, or he just decided to fix on that little bit of space without knowing I was there.
The Japanese girl stood next to me certainly thought he was staring at me as she kept giving me death glares whenever he did it and tried to push me out of the way so she could get into his line of sight.
GACKT tattoo watch - same placement as the last show. YFC kanji logo above his right nipple, chicken logo below his right collarbone and the YFC lettering on his left hip bone. You had two on his right bicep, one was definitely the chicken and I think the second was the YFC logo...
It was a strange show. GACKT, although he again sounded mainly fantastic, was struggling a little in places. He dropped the occasional word in LU:NA (mainly the "wasurenai kara" parts which are the most awkward part of the song) for the crowd to sing.
JUSTIFIED was a bit of a mess. He either missed his queue, lost his place or lost his voice as he kinda mumbled his way through the first two lines then gave up completely and mouthed the words to the audience before joining back in halfway through the first verse. He sounded fine and on time when he came back in though.
It's nice to see him actually fuck up like that because usually, he never misses a word or note. It's good to see that he is actually human and prone to making mistakes just like the rest of us!
As the show went on though, he became visibly weaker and weaker. After JESUS had finished, he remained on his platform for a couple of minutes, bent over and breathing really heavily. Usually he's off the platform and at the drum riser for a drink of water as soon as the lights go down.
Whenever he's at the drum riser, he's always stood with his back to the audience as he drinks (I think he sometimes puts in eye drops or uses an inhaler too... it's hard to tell in the dark with his back to me but he certainly motions as if he's using both). After JESUS there's a little break while he gives himself and his voice preparation time for the FLOWER acapella.
This time, he spent the ENTIRE break on his knees in front of the drum riser. I've NEVER seen him on his knees in-between songs or during this break so it was pretty obvious from that how much he was struggling.
He managed to get through FLOWER pretty well though. He always drops to his knees during the second chorus line but he seemed to hold off on that longer than normal and dropped to the ground later than he would usually do. It took him longer to get back up again for the band headbanging that happens during the instrumental. At the very end of the song, You and Chacha always drop to their knees while GACKT remains standing, back straight and finger pointing to the sky. He's usually really unsteady by this point and staggers around a bit but he kept pretty still. It surprised me after how bad he had been before the song.
Uncontrol was business as usual until the end. He was staggering so badly he had to take three or four steps back before he could find his balance. I really thought he was either going to collapse or step off the platform and fall on his ass. After regaining his balance he stood hunched over for what felt like forever and it was easy to see how he was struggling to catch his breath. His entire body was shaking with the force of his rapid breaths.
After he'd done his usual routine of getting the crowd to cheer and promise to be good little samurai, he walked off stage very slowly and very cautiously. He always dawdles a little, but this seemed to be more a case of him making sure he *could* get off stage than any show boating for the crowd. From where I was stood, I could see the side of the stage and I could see that there were two staff members there waiting for him - one an older, bigger Japanese staff member and the other was Noaki, the guy from the recent blog entries and the guy Jessica and I were introduced to at the last show.
As soon as GACKT reached the two of them, the bigger guy grabbed him around the waist to support him and just pulled him off stage.
He was not in a good state at all by the end of the show.
I met up with Jessica after the show and briefly with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
amaiakuyume before Jessica and I decided to see the band off again. I caught the eye of the Darts guy while I was waiting for Jessica and he seemed to recognise me. We also got another smile and wave from Chris, the American staff member when we walked past him but we didn't stop and chat as he was busy.
There were more people waiting tonight. It probably totalled 200 at it's highest.
They'd moved the vans this time so that they were closer to the stage exit and further from the crowd. You couldn't really see anyone that well as the equipment trucks were in the way so our only real view of JOB was of Chacha who was smiling and waving from the open window of the van as it drove past.
After many false starts and entertainment from the Zepp staff who were randomly hugging each other, waving to people in the hotel next door, practising their dart throws and just generally being adorable, GACKT surfaced about an hour later. He came a little closer than JOB did, but nowhere near as close as the night before. He waved to some fans in the hotel next door who were watching him from their window and then got in the van. We'd again been told to remain silent and everyone pretty much followed orders, other than this one Japanese fan who decided to shout "aishiteru yo!" at GACKT. She promptly had 199 other fans all shushing her, much to the amusement of the Zepp and YFC staff. GACKT waved at us when he drove past and was wearing a white fedora this time.
I don't know how GACKT is going to make it through this week.
8/19 - YFC in Sapporo
8/20 - YFC in Sapporo
8/21 - nothing (but realistically, probably travel to Niigata and more rehearsals)
8/22 - Kenshin festival
8/23 - YFC in Tokyo
8/24 - YFC in Tokyo
And of course, YFC again on 8/28 and 8/29. The days inbetween will probably be rehearsal days for those.
The man really is insane. Someone needs to drag his ass to bed and keep him there for at least a week.
I fly back home to Okayama-ken tomorrow. My holiday and GACKTstalking following is pretty much finished now other than a short trip to Tokyo next Sunday for the Bikini live. I've had such an awesome time with lefcadio and have met so many amazing people from LJ, the Dears Mansion and just random people we've picked up along the way.
GACKT has the most awesome and friendly people as fans. He really, really does.
Are you getting bored of these yet?
As I said yesterday, Jessica and I had planned to go to the Darts stand and spend monies.
We found it easily enough and the poor guy working the stand looked pretty bored. He hadn't restocked since Sendai seemingly so apart from the expensive silver jewellery (I so want this 84,000yen necklace) the only gemstone bracelets he had were the normal six gems and the silver six gem in size medium.
I wanted the You bracelet (but as he didn't have that in Osaka or Sendai I didn't expect to see it) or the silver onyx or silver six gem in size small.
As he didn't have *anything* I wanted I saved my money and didn't buy anything. Jessica got the silver six gem in size M and after finding out we were English, he became all chatty and started telling us about his time on the European tour and where he visited in London, where his hotel was... he's pretty adorable really, when he's bored and isn't busy.
My number sucked today (#1724) but after a bit of manouvering, I managed to get myself to right behind the barrier behind the first part of the crowd. So, a little better than yesterday.
It was surprisingly rough there. I think I was surrounded by people who would much rather have been down in the pit so they decided to recreate the pit there and that was fine by me! I love it when people around me are getting into it.
Again, I lucked out and had lots of short people around me and in front of me. From where I was stood I could see all of GACKT, even down to his shoes because everyone was that much shorter. I spent most of the live on my toes too, just to make myself that little bit taller.
I think everyone stood around me hated me for that. Whenever GACKT came over to my side of the stage (Chacha's side again) his eyes would scan the crowd and they *always* seemed to fix on me. I thought that I was imagining it because maybe I was a little too far out but he was either staring right into my eyes on purpose, or he just decided to fix on that little bit of space without knowing I was there.
The Japanese girl stood next to me certainly thought he was staring at me as she kept giving me death glares whenever he did it and tried to push me out of the way so she could get into his line of sight.
GACKT tattoo watch - same placement as the last show. YFC kanji logo above his right nipple, chicken logo below his right collarbone and the YFC lettering on his left hip bone. You had two on his right bicep, one was definitely the chicken and I think the second was the YFC logo...
It was a strange show. GACKT, although he again sounded mainly fantastic, was struggling a little in places. He dropped the occasional word in LU:NA (mainly the "wasurenai kara" parts which are the most awkward part of the song) for the crowd to sing.
JUSTIFIED was a bit of a mess. He either missed his queue, lost his place or lost his voice as he kinda mumbled his way through the first two lines then gave up completely and mouthed the words to the audience before joining back in halfway through the first verse. He sounded fine and on time when he came back in though.
It's nice to see him actually fuck up like that because usually, he never misses a word or note. It's good to see that he is actually human and prone to making mistakes just like the rest of us!
As the show went on though, he became visibly weaker and weaker. After JESUS had finished, he remained on his platform for a couple of minutes, bent over and breathing really heavily. Usually he's off the platform and at the drum riser for a drink of water as soon as the lights go down.
Whenever he's at the drum riser, he's always stood with his back to the audience as he drinks (I think he sometimes puts in eye drops or uses an inhaler too... it's hard to tell in the dark with his back to me but he certainly motions as if he's using both). After JESUS there's a little break while he gives himself and his voice preparation time for the FLOWER acapella.
This time, he spent the ENTIRE break on his knees in front of the drum riser. I've NEVER seen him on his knees in-between songs or during this break so it was pretty obvious from that how much he was struggling.
He managed to get through FLOWER pretty well though. He always drops to his knees during the second chorus line but he seemed to hold off on that longer than normal and dropped to the ground later than he would usually do. It took him longer to get back up again for the band headbanging that happens during the instrumental. At the very end of the song, You and Chacha always drop to their knees while GACKT remains standing, back straight and finger pointing to the sky. He's usually really unsteady by this point and staggers around a bit but he kept pretty still. It surprised me after how bad he had been before the song.
Uncontrol was business as usual until the end. He was staggering so badly he had to take three or four steps back before he could find his balance. I really thought he was either going to collapse or step off the platform and fall on his ass. After regaining his balance he stood hunched over for what felt like forever and it was easy to see how he was struggling to catch his breath. His entire body was shaking with the force of his rapid breaths.
After he'd done his usual routine of getting the crowd to cheer and promise to be good little samurai, he walked off stage very slowly and very cautiously. He always dawdles a little, but this seemed to be more a case of him making sure he *could* get off stage than any show boating for the crowd. From where I was stood, I could see the side of the stage and I could see that there were two staff members there waiting for him - one an older, bigger Japanese staff member and the other was Noaki, the guy from the recent blog entries and the guy Jessica and I were introduced to at the last show.
As soon as GACKT reached the two of them, the bigger guy grabbed him around the waist to support him and just pulled him off stage.
He was not in a good state at all by the end of the show.
I met up with Jessica after the show and briefly with
amaiakuyume before Jessica and I decided to see the band off again. I caught the eye of the Darts guy while I was waiting for Jessica and he seemed to recognise me. We also got another smile and wave from Chris, the American staff member when we walked past him but we didn't stop and chat as he was busy.There were more people waiting tonight. It probably totalled 200 at it's highest.
They'd moved the vans this time so that they were closer to the stage exit and further from the crowd. You couldn't really see anyone that well as the equipment trucks were in the way so our only real view of JOB was of Chacha who was smiling and waving from the open window of the van as it drove past.
After many false starts and entertainment from the Zepp staff who were randomly hugging each other, waving to people in the hotel next door, practising their dart throws and just generally being adorable, GACKT surfaced about an hour later. He came a little closer than JOB did, but nowhere near as close as the night before. He waved to some fans in the hotel next door who were watching him from their window and then got in the van. We'd again been told to remain silent and everyone pretty much followed orders, other than this one Japanese fan who decided to shout "aishiteru yo!" at GACKT. She promptly had 199 other fans all shushing her, much to the amusement of the Zepp and YFC staff. GACKT waved at us when he drove past and was wearing a white fedora this time.
I don't know how GACKT is going to make it through this week.
8/19 - YFC in Sapporo
8/20 - YFC in Sapporo
8/21 - nothing (but realistically, probably travel to Niigata and more rehearsals)
8/22 - Kenshin festival
8/23 - YFC in Tokyo
8/24 - YFC in Tokyo
And of course, YFC again on 8/28 and 8/29. The days inbetween will probably be rehearsal days for those.
The man really is insane. Someone needs to drag his ass to bed and keep him there for at least a week.
I fly back home to Okayama-ken tomorrow. My holiday and GACKT
lefcadio and have met so many amazing people from LJ, the Dears Mansion and just random people we've picked up along the way. GACKT has the most awesome and friendly people as fans. He really, really does.
no subject
the man is such a phenomenon, but it is troubling (at least to me) to note that the drama around his ability to make it through the concert is at least as prominent as its artistic or communal moments. it's certainly compelling, and arouses all sorts of protective panic; i am sure that is part of why he lets you (and us) see him struggle, but...just...mmfff.
interesting times.
no subject
I could theorise for hours about why he makes such a point of showing us how much he struggles.
no subject
no subject
and i could listen to you for hours. please! i would be so interested to hear from someone who has seen him so often, and given this some thought.
i've been thinking about your blog, during the course of the day, and had two thoughts:
. does it seem to you that he appears to be trying to accustom/acclimate himself to the fatigue? he keeps throwing himself at it, hoping to get stronger with each onslaught, which maybe could work but could also result in the exact opposite: exhausted collapse. the show isn't that long, not as long as it takes to run a marathon or complete a triathalon for example; it's just very intense and demanding for him. he no doubt suffers from dehydration, (but then why don't the other band members pass out too?) what do you think?
. his physical struggles are a real, central motif for him. he explicitly wants every drop of peoples' reactions to him during or regarding these.
maybe you've thought this through better. i'd love to know what you think.
no subject
At the Sendai shows he was pretty strong throughout and when it came to the end of the live, after Uncontrol, he'd launch into his usual "otoko! onna!" chants with as much force as he possibly could until he was staggering around. With the Sapporo shows, the weaker ones, he didn't put quite as much force behind it.
I think he feels like he *has* to exhaust himself and give us everything otherwise he hasn't given us enough.
I've seen JOB pretty shaky too. Especially You, there was footage of him being carried around backstage on the RRII documentary. Chacha is a freak though, he never stops!
You have to remember that marathon and triathlon athletes don't have to sing at the same time. Athletes and JOB can regulate their breathing and make sure they're taking enough oxygen in - GACKT can't. He has to regulate his breathing around his singing and when he's holding those long notes or hitting the awkward melodies it's weakening him more. He's running a marathon while singing every night!
I do think it's just a combination of dehydration and not taking enough air in . That's why he can recover from it reasonably quickly and carry on.
I also think it's this samurai spirit of his showing itself. Lives are a battle, the enemy is fatigue, tiredness and his "weak" body. He has to battle through and win. His body may appear to be made of glass sometimes, but his determination is pure iron and it makes for an interesting combination!
(Woah, long comment is long)
no subject
"I think he's been doing this so long now that the way he measures a good gig is by how close to collapse he was."
like in Munich? i watched those clips and read everything around that and wondered if that wasn't the case. some people seek serious extremes. i'm a little older than some ppl here, and have accumulated a few random adventures. once had a lover who desired to be choked to near unconsciousness in order to release. see where i'm going here?
i also agree with this:
"I think he feels like he *has* to exhaust himself and give us everything otherwise he hasn't given us enough."
no phoning it in for G. it's scary and touching at the same time.
"His body may appear to be made of glass sometimes, but his determination is pure iron and it makes for an interesting combination!"
to me, who has never seen him live, he appears very much like a driven dancer, giving each performance his all, knowing there is a finite number of such performances a human body can give before it wears out and fails. each one is, therefore, extremely precious, with the addition of that inherent drama.
i just wish he were a little easier on himself.
thanks for your clear, logical reply. not long at all. i could listen to you all day.
no subject
He's also said before that he used to chase death. There are many stories in Jihaku about that, especially where cars are concerned! He doesn't do that anymore but the danger and threat of injury probably still appeals so he gets his thrills from pushing himself too far on stage instead.
You're right, he doesn't do anything by halves and he says he'll keep pushing himself until he physically can't do it anymore. That's his end. He's also a huge drama queen so I bet the idea of going out on top appeals to him more than staying safe and fading away.
I wish he'd be easier on himself too but I guess that if he started doing that he wouldn't be GACKT anymore. The crazy work ethic is part of the package.