July 1st  NKHall

     I had  seat tickets on the second floor together with Ono-chan who became Kazuya's fan  after he named himself Lovinson.   In JR train to Maihama we saw Tokyo-bay under the cloudy sky.  She said, "  it was ten years since I'd been to concert, then I was single and lived in Osaka.  How exciting! "  To tell the truth I was worried and thought; " What if he sang poorly like he did in Sendai (June 17th)?  She even bought ABH album with DVD and best collection of TYM.......".   In the bus to NK Hall ,she said," woo I don't know why I'm coming tense up ".  Me, too, came tense up and prayed ; " Please ,Kazuya, take heart!  I don't want her make disappointed."

     When we arrived at NK Hall , the sunshine came back.  Tokyo is such a city, we saw young girls in green ( from  Hokkaido) T-shirt or russet (from Sendai) T-shirts,  OYAJI in PDT, a copy cat of Kyuukon -Lovin and a decent lady on wheelchair.  We passed in front of flower stand from Yoko Ono and Miwa-san.  Our seats were in the third row, Emma's side, on the second floor.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　☆

２０ＧＯ

　　"　Ｙeah, today's set list is the one we can listen to HATE!!   Will he able to hit the right note ? .......  OK, fine.  His voice sounds a little bit backward, but nice beginning!  "  Almost half of the audience around me stood up.  Already a  girl next to me was covering her eyes with her towel.  Yes, this was what this song to be.  Good balance between vocal and instruments.  Maybe because of adequate SE that is 3X3 larger than a small live house, they could figure out the best answer how to attune Yoshii's condition with support members' sound. 

YOKUBO

     Ono-chan cried out, " he's tough!!!!!".  I thought in mind ," there is more to come, baby."  Yet I came to feel like dive to the arena floor and dance.  What I made me feel so was the collated sound as a band.  I expected the song would be better than in Sendai, for it was at the bottom,  but I never imagined these men had reached the groove like this.  I think he took off his jacket ,but I failed catching that moment.

TALI

    Bigger shout from the audience.  As TALI made a smash hit there must be quite a few audience who started listening him from thins song.  They made a little change to ♪ only I believe is you ♪ part which was successful.  First three songs were like exchanging job punches between the audience and the band and the result was even.

SIDE BY SIDE

     All members were emanating masculine shimmer.  I felt suffocated.  Red lighting effectively escorted us to the underground bar. - " a needle"-" galaxy" -"sharp-edged", a shower of swords of words.  The chances were against the audience that had already been on defense.

WANTED & SHEEP

    5 guys looked like the 7th cavalry.  He was Custer Lovinson.  ♪laying spread -eagled on the desert ♪ 　Stars /sheep/ sperm shaped lighting.  The swat team of twin guitars were knocking down Indians by one shot each.  　Those shot smeared with blood had scarce eyesight too recognize birds that were awaiting the moment when they would pick the bodies.  The floor would turn into the Wounded Knee in any minutes.  I was over thrilled with sadistic joy as the spectators

RAINBOW

    Very beginning, perhaps  " すぐに消えてしまう･fading too soon", part got doubled in the length of  2 beats, maybe because of the mechanic mistake of echoing.  I saw his stunned face gazing at his left side below the stage.  I couldn't make sure what lay beyond his gaze, for I instantly looked at the SE booth to see what's going on.  Next moment he turned his back against the spot he had gazed at, he continued singing as if nothing had happened.  His back looked valiant like Sgt.Saunders, who gave whole troop priority to one injured soldier.  So cool.Yoshii!  

  " ♪He is another rainbow's prey♪" 　Ａｆｔｅｒ　preemptive shot of drum rainbow colored lighting launched all-out attack.  When the light hit the ceiling or seat it shaped the images of butterflies of flowers.  The temperature on the floor was high enough to ignite.  The seated audience were warmed up enough to boil.  Everyone was ready to appreciate the catalysis of CALL ME after HATE

HATE

  I'm so glad to listen to this song today.  I really wished either "Blown Up Children" or this song would be performed on the same stage.  Otherwise "♪bell/money (鐘･金）of the peace♪"couldn't be properly be featured, for I think this part is very symbolic so as to tell his cynical intelligence.  This song rather matches to screen theme music, owing to its dramatic structure and sound.  I'm anxiously waiting for the day when he would debut as a screen music director.  The sad thing is this, now in this country, only few  welcome such a type of serious movie with messages of compassion towards weak and deprived people.  I feel lonely.

CALL ME

   Emma's intro part sounded sentimental and slow enough.  This is the way how to start this song, to give a vocalist enough time to warm his emotion.  " What does 'humanism' really mean ? "  This song should be performed in front of large audience.  It is the song itself that required Kazuya to sing at the hall of this size, I believe.  From fans' point of view this song is the precious song that dragged him out of his internal dungeon.  We owe so much to this song.

  "♪Just like weeds♪"　　No body action that was seen in Sendai where he gestured  a growing plant. It's needless here.  For the audience were ready to listen and see what was coming next.

  The light got narrowed and shone up Yoshii only.  This is the moment a star in the dark heaven has chosen him.  " ♪If you want, if you need me...........   for you...  for you♪"　Ａｆｔｅｒ　picking sound of　guitar,  the stage went black out, so we couldn't see his facial expression.  But it was easily Ｉｎｄｅｒｓｔｏｏｄ,  he must have looked satisfactory;  two thumbs up  no five., being proud of himself.  How I envious of Emma who only could see Kazuya's heart-content face.

Black Cock's Horse

  He forgot the lyrics, he may be too relieved to have sucessfully finished  Call Me. Never mind ,Kazuya.  Other OYAJIs were so supportive that they could cooperate you in heating up the mood of audience !  I was very happy to see his profile in that angle shouting " I am alone when I die !!".  

Muddy Water

   He introduced members.  This was a little controversial.  When he introduce Akkun (drummer), he said ," we are going to marry".  In Emma's turn he said, " we were married as musician ".  TYM fans must have been shocked. ( This MC was a kind a of rhetoric  to escort us to the next number, the song of hello & good-bye.  Sounds good?)

  I was determined to guess the timing of "-BA-", but ..... He started dusting in his shoulders and then trying catch something in the air , and said,  "for some reason my hair recently come off ...... well because of KEMUKE (毛抜けホール)　hall ".  The audience bursted out , just then  "- BA-!"  He did it again!

Just a little day

    The stage as big as this has enough space for back chorus girls.  But he didn't chose so.  He knew the audience could sing chorus part, for he could seize  the  whole audience heart by this time of the show.  

    There was no explanatory gesture.  He just sang which was his only weapon.  With his acoustic guitar he looked as if he were mere boy, Kazuya-kun, who came to Tokyo from his native town for the first time.  He sang " ♪I got old in the blink of eye  ♪”　　Well, Kazuya,  most of all came here knew you had survived hard days that ordinary people could never even imagine and so many times you said hello and good byes to your precious friends.  We knew what made you now, 38 years old matured man.  Thoush I joined in late I am blessed to be here to draw a huge picture together with you.

Phoenix

   That's why we are ovwejoyed that the phonix decided to fly again.  

This song is the best to be sang in the opening,  and he had to trade poetic beauty of 20 GO to be profoundly enjoyed by the listeners.  But he chose this order.  There was TV camera in the hall that day, and this order could give adequate hint why he named himself Yoshii Lovinson.  If he had chosen this song as the opening number ,it might cause unpleasant first impression on those who never knew him.  They might think ;  'I am phoenix' ? Oh, what a big figure!"   His one of his trait  of self-dramatization is double-edged sward.   He is a very smart commander in chief.

Californian Rider

   Oh, only few R&R songs left.  I wish I could be on the arena.  But I shouldn't grumble, for I could see the spectacular battle between professional musicians and the audience.  And I even saw his left-hand throw.

Naturally

  " ♪Until I become what I am now ♪”、he sang.  Yes , we know your journey.   " ♪ clumsy and upright ♪"、yes you are.   And we know you have friends who encourage you by saying " never mind other's noisy words .  These are  made up of jealous in half ".  I think I properly appreciate each line of this song.   Maybe  young audience take these lines as the message meant for them from their senior, Yoshii- Senpai(先輩）。　

    Yes, he is such a singer that takes care of and answer to every different expectation of his fans.

FINAL COUNTDOWN

   Finally this all dancing & shouting & jumping song!  Tomorrow I will be on arena.  What a fantastic view of audience soaked with wild sound and search light.   (sour grapes (-_-;)

Encore numbers.   He changed to white T-shirts.

Still Alive

  I doubted if this song was originally sang and played by himself.  The heart-rendering miserable middle aged man who wanted to talk to a bird had disappeared.  The song was reborn as a band music song.  Mr, Kusakabe's play was outstanding.  He proved Japanese soul music needed the encounter with heavy metal rock .  Poor Emma, you looked like a side dish comparing to Kusakabe- san in this song limited.

For Me Now

   Now Emma, it's your turn!   " bite a bar of chocolate together", " let's go to the shining park" ,etc,

so many strange lines.  You are the only one who plays on his left side.  " Give me something" part needs you him beside. ( but if all the numbers were like this song , there would be no over 35, I guess.)

MC: "I'll go to  BUDOKAN !!"    Wow, Lovin returned!   You've just finished singing " I am still Lovinson" .  You liar!

TOBUYONI

     Where the catalysis of this song came from?   Everyone knows "♪ the past won't　disappear♪", and the scar wouldn't  be healed without  gradual steps.  But this song brings us a sense of emancipation just like we are looking at a ship ashore in the dazzling daylight and refreshing breeze.   Maybe because American sound?   Solo part played by Emma which was flexible and buoyant ?  The hall perfectly matched the scale of this band?   I knew  that these were not main reason after the 2nd day.

               　　　　　　　　　　　　☆

    Far beyond my expectation the stage was sophisticated.   All songs are equally good,  the pigment of sound got well tuned so as to match the scale of the hall.   The first day in Tokyo was a big sucess.

I know someone won't agree with me.  Yee told me; " there was no excitement comparing to Hessey's live last December.  Everything was within my assumption."   But I think this was all uo to the taste of music of each person.  The tastes aside, take 2 albums and 4 singles, tecnique of support mememers, and Yoshii's age into consideration, today's show was very close to perfect, I think.  

    Well , my head let me write like above, but right after the show  I was too happy to remeber the tiem table of train to go home .  With great help of 2 glasses of beer "Congratulations ,Kazuya" repeated in my brain, I was like Keith of TA-LA-RI-LU-RAN ☆j☆

　  ( Thank you, Ono-chan, for pushing  me into the last train!     L )