YFC – Zepp Tokyo 9/14
Sep. 15th, 2011 01:57 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pyroyaleObviously, SPOILERS for the Japanese tour.
I’m going to assume that everybody reading this knows what happened at the European shows, either due to attending, watching the Nico Nico broadcast or reading reviews.
Like last year, the announcements before the show were done by the band instead of the YFC secretary. The first one was YOU and the second was Jon. YOU always sounds like he’s having such a blast doing them.
Jon’s was a lot of fun. He spoke in really randomly mixed English and Japanese, and ended every sentence with ASSHOLE, even if it didn’t fit what he was saying. “Kiai insert… ASSHOLE” Yeah.
The show started only 15 minutes late, which is remarkably on time for the first night of a Japanese tour involving GACKT.
Set list
THE END OF THE DAY
NINE SPIRAL
SPEED MASTER
LAST KISS
EPISODE.0
MIND FOREST
MUSOU GIRL
VANILLA
EVER
JESUS
YOU ARE THE REASON
ALL MY LOVE
ENCORE
?????
The verses in SPEED MASTER were half English. The chorus lines were Japanese, but the verses switched between the two languages. They had the big smoke machines at the front of the stage too.
MIND FOREST was the YFC, English version. Last year, they stuck with the Japanese version in Japan.
Musou Girl sounded very different, vocally. It was obviously mimed and the effects on the vocals had been ramped up to 11. It was so synthesised, that from where I was standing, I struggled to make out what was being sung. I’m 99.9% certain though, that the song was mainly Japanese.
The dance routines for Musou Girl and Vanilla were exactly the same, but seemed a little different. I don’t know if they’d rehearsed it more or if they’d just decided to not go as crazy, but there was less arm flailing going on, especially from GACKT. It was more controlled and it probably looked better, but was far less fun.
EVER was switched in for JUSTIFIED. Again, EVER had some English in both verses and chorus lines. It had a different ending too, to allow GACKT and Jon to do the same jump from the vocalists stage that they do for JUSTIFIED. The same audience call and response that happens after JUSTIFIED happened here.
The second verse of JESUS was entirely in English. The song sounded like it had been downtuned, maybe? It would explain why it sounded lacklustre at a-nation too, if it had been downtuned.
No UNCONTROL for the encore. Instead it was another new song that like a lot of the YFC stuff, has a very poppy and catchy vocal but surprisingly heavy music underneath it. Even Musou Girl is heavier than you’d expect when you get past the synth and samples on it. It was really catchy, and ended with GACKT and Jon leading the crowd in a chorus of “ohh-ohh-ohh” vocals.
I was surprised that the vast, vast majority of the Japanese fans seemed to have no idea about the set list or the new songs. I thought that maybe they’d do some research or watch Nico Nico, but they seemed to not have a clue. It was kinda funny during YOU ARE THE REASON. GACKT and Jon did their beautiful acapella introduction and the crowd were expecting a lovely ballad. Then the song kicked in and they had no idea what to do and just stood there for the first verse and chorus before getting into the song.
Jon was really good throughout. I noticed how much confidence he had by the end of the European tour compared to the first shows I saw, and thankfully that’s carried through to Japan. It probably helped that the crowd just went crazy for everything.
Both GACKT and Jon were on fine form, individually and together. GACKT’s voice was in better condition that it was towards the end of Europe (to be expected!) and it was obvious. The sound mix was a lot better too so he was easily heard and sounded amazing.
GACKT’s hair is darker. It was hard to tell exactly what shade underneath the predominantly red lighting, but it seemed to have an auburn tone to it? It was only a few shades lighter than Jon’s. And, his abs are coming back after being kinda AWOL in Europe (XD)
I loved YOU’s hair. He had it braided, kinda like Chacha, but with a chunk of hair left as a fringe, and it all loose in the back. He also had the same zombie eye make up U:ZO usually has. He looked gorgeous, I thought! The rest of the band was pretty much styled as normal.
I’ve probably forgotten a lot of things, so if there are any questions just ask. I’m now going to bed as I have to be up in four hours…. Damn you, GACKT.
I’m going to assume that everybody reading this knows what happened at the European shows, either due to attending, watching the Nico Nico broadcast or reading reviews.
Like last year, the announcements before the show were done by the band instead of the YFC secretary. The first one was YOU and the second was Jon. YOU always sounds like he’s having such a blast doing them.
Jon’s was a lot of fun. He spoke in really randomly mixed English and Japanese, and ended every sentence with ASSHOLE, even if it didn’t fit what he was saying. “Kiai insert… ASSHOLE” Yeah.
The show started only 15 minutes late, which is remarkably on time for the first night of a Japanese tour involving GACKT.
Set list
THE END OF THE DAY
NINE SPIRAL
SPEED MASTER
LAST KISS
EPISODE.0
MIND FOREST
MUSOU GIRL
VANILLA
EVER
JESUS
YOU ARE THE REASON
ALL MY LOVE
ENCORE
?????
The verses in SPEED MASTER were half English. The chorus lines were Japanese, but the verses switched between the two languages. They had the big smoke machines at the front of the stage too.
MIND FOREST was the YFC, English version. Last year, they stuck with the Japanese version in Japan.
Musou Girl sounded very different, vocally. It was obviously mimed and the effects on the vocals had been ramped up to 11. It was so synthesised, that from where I was standing, I struggled to make out what was being sung. I’m 99.9% certain though, that the song was mainly Japanese.
The dance routines for Musou Girl and Vanilla were exactly the same, but seemed a little different. I don’t know if they’d rehearsed it more or if they’d just decided to not go as crazy, but there was less arm flailing going on, especially from GACKT. It was more controlled and it probably looked better, but was far less fun.
EVER was switched in for JUSTIFIED. Again, EVER had some English in both verses and chorus lines. It had a different ending too, to allow GACKT and Jon to do the same jump from the vocalists stage that they do for JUSTIFIED. The same audience call and response that happens after JUSTIFIED happened here.
The second verse of JESUS was entirely in English. The song sounded like it had been downtuned, maybe? It would explain why it sounded lacklustre at a-nation too, if it had been downtuned.
No UNCONTROL for the encore. Instead it was another new song that like a lot of the YFC stuff, has a very poppy and catchy vocal but surprisingly heavy music underneath it. Even Musou Girl is heavier than you’d expect when you get past the synth and samples on it. It was really catchy, and ended with GACKT and Jon leading the crowd in a chorus of “ohh-ohh-ohh” vocals.
I was surprised that the vast, vast majority of the Japanese fans seemed to have no idea about the set list or the new songs. I thought that maybe they’d do some research or watch Nico Nico, but they seemed to not have a clue. It was kinda funny during YOU ARE THE REASON. GACKT and Jon did their beautiful acapella introduction and the crowd were expecting a lovely ballad. Then the song kicked in and they had no idea what to do and just stood there for the first verse and chorus before getting into the song.
Jon was really good throughout. I noticed how much confidence he had by the end of the European tour compared to the first shows I saw, and thankfully that’s carried through to Japan. It probably helped that the crowd just went crazy for everything.
Both GACKT and Jon were on fine form, individually and together. GACKT’s voice was in better condition that it was towards the end of Europe (to be expected!) and it was obvious. The sound mix was a lot better too so he was easily heard and sounded amazing.
GACKT’s hair is darker. It was hard to tell exactly what shade underneath the predominantly red lighting, but it seemed to have an auburn tone to it? It was only a few shades lighter than Jon’s. And, his abs are coming back after being kinda AWOL in Europe (XD)
I loved YOU’s hair. He had it braided, kinda like Chacha, but with a chunk of hair left as a fringe, and it all loose in the back. He also had the same zombie eye make up U:ZO usually has. He looked gorgeous, I thought! The rest of the band was pretty much styled as normal.
I’ve probably forgotten a lot of things, so if there are any questions just ask. I’m now going to bed as I have to be up in four hours…. Damn you, GACKT.
