Thus far we've had Pre-Revolutionary French court, Merry Murderesses, Dancing with the J-Pop Stars, and Traditional kimono + Aerial Hoops. I rewatched the concert again last night as a chaser after work, just to give myself a laid-back sense of context, and I have to say: this is really rather impressive. Lush, imaginative, and fantastically presented. The behind-the-scenes footage isn't actually all that intrusive if watched on its own (I took the time to clip it all around and watch it in one sitting. To see the audience shots they took during several shows of concert-goers actually crying during the opening strains of Evolution, one realizes what a powerhouse, what an inspiration and a true idol Ayumi Hamasaki is. And she gives everything 110%. The documentaries prove this.

The first time I watched the finale of this concert, I panned it. but what was I expecting? I watched it again with a less jaded attitude and, perhaps, a lighter stress load, and LOVED it. So, here we go. The Empress and her Court. This last leg of the review will see me going off on a few tangents I've been meaning to touch on for some time. Happy reading...



10. kiss o' kill



Here it is, everyone. What I consider the best performance of the concert. It is everything that defines Ayumi. It is dramatic, it is vocally stunning, it is wildly theatrical, it is unexpected and visually stunning, and it even has a ridiculous costume. Which has become par for the course for Ayumi, let's face it. This is her only fashion "don't" for the whole concert, though, which I consider a PLUS.



She arrives via pneumatic tube AGAIN, and thought that made me snort a little, it sort of fits the song. I adore kiss o' kill, and I was beside myself to see it included in the setlist for "Tour of Secret". You've gotta be kidding me, I thought, because in my mind I couldn't even dream up a staging that would do this song justice. Well, Ayumi does it. Still, what's up with that dress? Barbarella-meets-Galdiator-meets-Hajime Sorayama??? I would've loved a straight-up Sorayama tribute, but the ridiculous "skirt" just kills it, as do the puffy shoulders. Ayumi, you should have worn Linda Evangelista's chrome outfit from George Michael's 'Too Funky' video. Wait. I might have died of joy. Nevermind, this will do.





She lays down the vocal law to open the track, and it's astonishing. Any doubts I had about the strength of her voice during this tour are laid to rest during this performance, which is nothing less than a showcase for her amazing abilities.





And she knows it, too. This really is a stronger, fiercer, in-control Ayumi. She was already a superstar for Dome Tour 2001, but you could still see the stage fright. This is the most confident I have ever seen her, and I love it. I hate to be making a comparison that's been made endless times over, but I see shades of Madonna here.



Red lights illuminate the catwalk, giving off a foreboding feeling that is all-too in-key with the song...



My screencaps cannot do it justice, so I will attempt to explain the incredible staging, here. Her male dance corps appears via pneumatic tube as well, wearing black capes and face maks, and Ayumi is beset. Her acting is first rate as she dodges them, dances away, sprints down the catwalk in a break for her safety...but they are upon her. I get a feeling from these costumes as I did from the PV of 1LOVE, or maybe I just get a secret society/"Eyes Wide Shut" feeling. Either way, it's sort of chilling. She manages to look genuinely scared out of her mind. And the song is perfect for it.





And throughout it all, she's singing a very challenging song. Not a bit of it is lip-synched.



Onstage the dancing continues with the song, but the storyline is still playing out...





Ayumi is captured and cloaked by her aggressors! Let me just say, the defiantly sober way in which she sings the "cloaked" portion of the song gave me goosebumps.





I want to embed a video so badly. This performance will just blow your mind.







The masked marauders swarm, and Ayumi is masked and lifted into the air, sacrificial-style, to be carried down the catwalk. What will she do!??!

...

...

...

Wait for it...

...

...







That wasn't Ayumi.

I've timed it. The amazing transition from cloaked-Ayumi-singing to Ayumi-suspended-on-a-cross-above-the-stage took less than one minute. That is theater magic, that is Ayumi at her most spectacular.







I don't know what to make of the crucifix imagery for this particular song, but I don't really care.



Screw it, I'm breaking my own rule. Here's an embedded video from Dailymotion. Watch it while you can. It is amazing:



"That, my good man, is showmanship."

The Good: My God, this performance is incredible. Magic tricks always give me a bit of thrill, even if I'm sort of expecting them. The way they played this was brilliant. The acting is superb, the dancing is great. And the singing? Spot on.
The Bad: That costume, dear GOD that costume.
Best Performance of this Song So Far: This wins at Ayumi.

11. not yet

As if to really TELL us "we're not done yet", the next interlude segment is set to the frustratingly truncated sounds of not yet, which, like many of the interludes on GUILTY, is far too short for being as awesome as it is.



Suddenly, we're running through trees ("the trees are huge!") as if to be told "we're not out of the woods yet..."



But it's all fine, because a kaleidoscopic forest Goddess Ayumi is there to see us through!

Really, this all plays out on video a LOT better than it looks here. The kaleidoscope effect really works with the song.













Guess why this is my favorite screencap.



And then...Goddess Ayumi tells us to all sit back, and relax...

...and let SURREAL handle the rest.

The Good: The imagery really works with the song.
The Bad: There's a little TOO much going on. The director got a little cut-happy with the DVD, and it sort of gives me a seizure.
Best Performance of this Song So Far: N/A

12. SURREAL

A few words about SURREAL. Actually, a few words about Ayumi and her band.

I don't know what all the hate is about over at AHS. Princess and Peco trying to "steal the show" from Ayumi? They ARE part of the show. Ayumi has had the same band for years and years, and it's not like there's any upstaging being done. It's not that you're a "better" or "worse" fan if you love Team Ayu (it's called Team Ayu for a reason) or hate them, but you sure are a shitty music fan in general if you think the back-up singers or the musicians are bringing an artist down. I personally have immense respect for Ayumi in that she lets her band become a part of the show. How often is Yoshio showcased? since 2001 he's gotten solos where deserved; he's been her right-hand man. Princess and Peco rock the house, and they are star-caliber singers. I was freakin' ecstatic when they accompanied her in the spotlight for her performance of My Name's WOMEN in 2005. ECSTATIC. They deserved it. Peco is her fucking choreographer, for chrissake. If you hate, you're hating on most of what makes an Ayumi concert an Ayumi concert. Which brings us to SURREAL, which has come to be the traditional "let's dress this down and rock out with the band" song. Only, for Tour of Secret, Ayumi takes it to the next level. And I have never been so impressed. Yoshio, Enrique, Princess, and Peco really get their props here.



This dress? Much better. SURREAL? One of my favorite Ayumi songs EVER.











I'm sorry...I just love them. I love the fact that Ayumi has a dynamic with her guitarist. And that he's such a great guitarist really helps.



Shred that shit, Yoshio.







Onto the catwalk with the band! This isn't anything new...







But this IS. The "raised platform" thing is such an...honor...in an Ayumi concert. I am so glad that everyone got out there, up there. It's impossible for me to think of Ayumi without any of these four. I really can't. They've been with her for so long, as have her core dancers. It's TEAM AYU, mofos.









Okay, fine, I have a tiny little crush on Yoshio. A TINY LITTLE ONE. But I find him most attractive when he and Ayumi are very obviously flirting with one another.





Moments like this are why I can't stand the Princess/Peco haters on AHS. These three gals are amazing together, and they are like family. Even Ayumi has stated as much - that her band is like her family. They are not trying to upstage her (although Princess does still look absolutely gorgeous), neither of them are expecting solo record deals any time soon. Would you? If they were offered one, they were offered one a long time ago, but decided to stay on as part of Team Ayu. More's the better.

The Good: Lord in heaven, I love SURREAL. The band. Team Ayu. The raw MUSIC of this performance. Dressed-down (relatively) Ayumi. Yoshio. THE TEAMWORK AND CAMARADARIE AND OH GOD I'M GETTING NAKAMA VAPORS. *has a lie-down*
The Bad: I honestly can't find a nit-pick with this performance.
Best Performance of this Song So Far: Tricky. I still want to say Arena Tour 2003~2004, but that was a medley with Evolution, which made it a totally different creature. As a performance of SURREAL, on its own, in its now-traditional context (the band spotlight), this is...bar none, the best.

FINALE TIME!

13. AUDIENCE



I won't lie, I groaned. I've seen this carnivále/Vegas style before, and it was called Stadium Tour 2002. OH WELL. Let's see what she does with it, I thought.

Well, it's approximately 500x better than Stadium Tour 2002, I can say that.



AUDIENCE, a love letter from Ayumi to her fans ( Spread your arms wide / Let's clap our hands and walk together / When you start running / come here and we'll begin together / You are my pride) is a perfect complement to the expected Boys & girls finale, and it works with this song, which is fine. Still...I just don't really like this song live. There just doesn't seem like much to DO. I guess it makes me jealous, to hear those lyrics and imagine what it must be like to be in the arena and hear Ayumi singing that to you. On DVD, it's not as great. I'll just say it like that.



There aren't many screencaps that don't look like this, for AUDIENCE.





Look at that stage. That is EPIC. The documentaries show the break-down/set-up process in time-lapse, and it is just impossible to imagine. What a shitload of money. No wonder she hasn't broken past Asia. She'd have to charge $200 a head for the cheap seats. I mean, I'D gladly pay it, but she is not The Rolling Stones by any means. Billy Joel and Elton John can get away with world tours because they don't put on insanely lavish theatrical productions, and huge rock bands can get away with it because they have the fanbase.

Woe is me, Ayumi will not be playing New York City.





The chorus line kicks are pretty rad. And I can just hear the "I don't want to be "Mr. Pink"" argument in my head...which is why they made the most masculine of Ayumi's dancers Mr. Pink, I guess...



POSE-U!



HAPPY!!!

The Good: What a great song for the audience! Chorus line kicks. Ayumi still having the energy to SING it!
The Bad: I dunnow, I've just never been blown away by this song.
Best Performance of this Song So Far: Arena Tour 2006. Nothing quite beats Ayumi stripping to reveal a golden corset and white vinyl boots. Plus, her energy was through the roof on that one.

14. Boys & Girls



Frank Sinatra had My Way, Lynnyrd Skynnyrd had Free Bird, Billy Joel has Piano Man (I've...I've mentioned Billy Joel twice in a Pink Wota article. I feel somehow validated). Ayumi has Boys & Girls. Since 2002 it has been the standard for her finales, with 2006 being the only exception (which led to fan pouting, which led to it coming back as the finale this time around. It's just NOT an Ayumi finale without this song!!)

Of course, 2005 set the bar, with effing fountains. Haven't seen the 2005 finale performance of Boys & Girls? Well, I already broke the "no embedded videos" rule once in this review, why not twice?



...so, I mean, really, how can you top that? It made the #1 spot in my "Top Live Ayumi Performances" countdown, and deservedly so.

This performance of Boys & Girls is by no means mediocre, and the staging is made to blow your mind (GIANT GRADUATED LIGHT UP HEARTS!!!), but there are no fountains. Pity.









Seriously, look at how tiny she is. The set is GINORMOUS.



Classic pose!!! For those of you not in the know, Ayumi will always pull out this pose during the second chorus of Boys & Girls - she will also let the audience sing most of the song. It's just tradition, like turkey on Thanksgiving or gifts and relatives you haven't seen in 10 years at Christmastime. But this tradition is one that everyone can enjoy.







Yeah, this kicks Stadium Tour 2002's ass.





Here comes the confetti!!!





Good job, audience, thank you for singing most of that for me! Okay, everyone, back behind the giant heart, it's time to introduce the band!!!



I love the way they handle the band ovations.



Curtain time...



"Whoa-whoa! Whoa-whoa! Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoooooooo-ooooaaa!" ad infinitum. Remarkably, they keep it short this time!!!



She is so happy. ♥__♥





And just when you think it's over...



They're back for a few more "Whoa-whoa!" rounds. What a treat!



This says it all. Ayumi has a good time with her music, no one can deny that.



The curtain for real!

The Good: Great costumes, great synch and choreography, those giant hearts.
The Bad: Finding something to criticize about Boys & Girls is like bitching about your presents at Christmastime. Okay, fine...lack of fountains. That's all.
Best Performance of this Song So Far: Arena Tour 2005, handily.



♥ YOU DID IT, AYU. ♥

You'll excuse me if I don't review the entire encore. It was beautiful and awesome, especially Who..., but it just won't be as fun. Hope you all enjoyed this mega-review!