LIVE REPORT ~ Miyavi: December 25 2007
C.C. Lemon Hall, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
It is Christmas Day in Tokyo, and though it is cold, the dolled up and stylish fans of Miyavi are happily anticipating seeing their idol. Outside C.C. Lemon Hall, Miyavi cosplayers are congregating with each other and Santa-themed outfits are not unusual. Typically, foreigners don’t blend in, but the home fans and I are sharing something special tonight. Somehow, I don’t feel alienated.
I expected the lights to dim and perhaps the kanji for Miyavi`s name to appear in the background. Well, that all did happen, but it happened extremely suddenly. There was no time to anticipate and wonder. Immediately, we all stood up as a sheer curtain fell with Miyavi`s name illuminated in the background. The KAVKI BOIZ were there, with a curt and stylish intro from the KAVKI BOIZ`s resident beatboxing legend, TYKO! A single name erupted waves of screams from the audience, but no face to put to that name. All heads turned to a side door that led into the concert hall. A parasol held over him and flower petals being sprinkled on and around him, Miyavi snaked through the audience and onto the stage.
The first song of the evening was Selfish Love with a KAVKI BOIZ twist. The energy was flowing into the crowd easily with this wicked tune. This was also the introduction of what would be a vibrant and furiously entertaining display of solid lighting techniques! Each song had its own theme. The devilishly quirky sex appeal of Selfish Love dipped into a purple theme, with a stylish ending featuring Miyavi dancing completely in rhythm to the fading beats of Selfish Love. DJ Hanger especially deserves praise for pumping out some killer bass mixing on those last few notes--which had the entire audience in awe of the sheer amount of style with which Miyavi and the KAVKI BOIZ performed. I wondered, could it get any more stylish than that?
Miyavi dipped in and out of a unique guitar solo that stretched from the highest highs and lowest lows, with his fingers doing an impressive figure of sonic speed playing. Each time he stopped it would be to the sound of "MIYAVI!!!!" which only prompted him further and enticed the giddy audience more with each climbing moment.
KABUKI BOIZ featured a colorful array of Kabuki faces lighting up the screen, and suitably so, given the song’s title. The KAVKI BOIZ are very funny, very entertaining to watch--though it is very hard to drag one`s eyes away from Miyavi, whose crazy guitar skills never fail to strike awe and boot the impressive--the variant of the KAVKI BOIZ is wide-ranged and unique, so much that it seems a great chunk of NEO VISUALIZM stems from the combined efforts of the KAVKI BOIZ: painter, tapdancer, DJ, drummer, bassist, beatboxer, rapper. It is extraordinary to see these talents mingle and mix with each other, and yet, really manage to blend and balance each other out. There was even a break during the show (no Miyavi present) where the KAVKI BOIZ really let their talents shine, particularly TYKO with an outstanding beatboxing mime of him walking through a locked door. Eventually he asked the audience to chant the name "MIYAVI!!!" It was the signal that the master of ceremonies was making an appearance again.
There were energy breakers and soft melodic pieces; a variety of genres such as hip hop, rock, blue-grass, alternative were touched upon, as well. Among the highlights, Kimi ni Negai wo was a heart stopper, with a spectrum of planets and stars in the background, making the performance a somewhat other-wordly experience, as if Miyavi gathered the audience in his arms and took us with him to his starry outer world.
One of the biggest highlights was hearing Hi no Hikari sae Todokanai Basho, Miyavi's latest single with SUGIZO. "I'm going to introduce a special guest for this song..." Miyavi informed us. The special guest however was not SUGIZO. Surprising as it was, the special guest was... Miyavi! Two screens dropped down, one featuring the Miyavi playing on stage, and the other featuring a Miyavi of a different era with simpler clothes reminiscent of Miyaviuta-Dokuso. Amazingly, the two Miyavis sung and played in PERFECT SYNC with one another. It was enough to crumble the hearts and eyes of the captivated audience.
Old favorites were played, such as Girls be Ambitious, and I think I stand for everyone when I say smiling was contagious when the first few chords of Girls Be Ambitious were played. Indeed, hearing such songs that seem as if they debuted forever ago, is a smile-inducer. To add to that, Miyavi asked the audience to pull out their bon bons. These bon bons are frilly pink pom poms, and almost all the fans had some on hand. A wave of Para Para movements coupled Girls Be Ambitious. The entire concert hall was a mass of synchronised pink frilly pom pom movements.
Following Girls Be Ambitious, there was a lull, but an encore was indeed coming. The beautiful melody, Ashita, Tenki ni Naare was performed first. The performance was all Miyavi, soft and gorgeous, with white beams of light raining down upon the audience. Aishiteru kara Hajimeyou was the last song of the evening. It was a bittersweet chorus, as the side performers and the KAVKI BOIZ left the stage one by one to the sounds of applause and thank yous, the lone one sitting, strumming his guitar and singing "I love you, I love you" was Miyavi... till the screen slowly descended, shielding Miyavi from sight. Cheers and cries ascended from the audience.
It could have ended there, but there were more surprising announcements made. NEO VIZUALISM would have a DVD release, and probably the biggest announcement of the evening, another tour... a WORLD tour, with stops in Los Angeles, Taiwan, Germany, among many others... and... Tokyo. Of course, this being a Tokyo live, the last one got a huge thunderous applause.
The visualizm was over for now. This was the type of live event that anyone, not only JRock fans, can enjoy, because everyone can certainly find at least one thing that truly rings out at them. As a live performance, it was a kaleidoscope - a unique blend of color and sound, a vast palette full of genres and styles. Miyavi's performances, aside from being infinitely stellar, are always consistently entertaining. As a fan, I was pleased, and as a person, I was awe-struck by the high caliber of entertainment on display. How fitting on the 25th that this one was the star on top of the Christmas tree. The final ornament to the Neo Visualizm tour so to speak, this Christmas live topped them all.
set list
Selfish love
Kabuki Boiz
Coin Lockers Baby
Ossan Ossan Ore Nanbo
Jibun Kakumei
Jingle bell
MAMAGOTO (ex: erase and delete)
Kimi ni Negai wo
Sakihokoru hana no you ni -Neo Visualism-
Are you ready to ROCK?
Hi no Hikari sae Todokanai Basho de feat. SUGIZO
Rock no Gyakushuu-Super Star no Jouken-
Shouri no V-ROCK!!
Girls, be ambitious
-ENCORE-
Ashita, Tenki ni Naare
Aishiteru kara Hajimeyou
set list compiled by Katya
report by Sarah
links
Miyavi Official Website
Miyavi Official MySpace
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