I’m not really one for long accounts and I think I tweeted quite a bit regarding the concerts already, but just wanted to write a short note about Nagoya..
The second night concert was better than the first in terms of performance and overall atmosphere, but there was a lot more fan service in the first concert. In fact, ticket prices went up three times for arena seats after the first night — a couple of friends paid 30000 yen for 18th row seats.
Regarding the second night ..
As has happened, he forgot the second/ third lines of Heat, which was kind of funny — he looked so sheepish and laughed at himself . Especially when it started with a big impact thing ) the concerts so far have started with a video of life going as normal, prior to two planets colliding. He must have still been thinking of 2012 prophecies etc when he dreamt this up! And then everything withers, followed by new life springing from the ground. Then he comes out of this capsule in a little cloud of smoke and comes down the stairs where he starts with Heat, then usually Rize up. He had on a scarf, sleeveless tank top and some kind of cardigan as you can see from murdererq’s photos. The left shoulder kept slipping off…. I guess everyone was secretly hoping it was going to come off completely! :p
Not going to go through song list as I can’t really remember it and anyway has been written a few times. First row seats really were lucky; they were close enough to almost reach out to him. I hear the next venue is even smaller! Wish I could go to that too…. Actually I guess I could have but have to save leave for the rest of his schedule this year
There was a fangirl dressed in playboy bunny type gear with two rabbit ears and white gloves who stood at second row on lower balcony. Apparently she spent the entire night with her arms out shouting Saranghae haha. Some friends of mine were next to her and were really annoyed cos they couldn’t hear what he was saying as she continued to shout while he spoke. Apparently early on HJ saw her and said something like he could see a bunny up on second floor lol. And then was too embarrassed to look her way again (according to friends, anyway!) There was reduced crowd interaction the second night . I wonder if he was just scared off after being grabbed at while he wandered through the crowd the first night. At the last part during the first night he really looked as through he was fighting to get free back to stage. At any rate he did make an effort to look at the poor fans up on 2nd and third floor. During U he wanted everyone to point at presumably the one who was for you presumably ( am guessing here as didn’t really understand a lot). So all the fans pointed their light sticks at him during the U, U, U bits, while he pointed at first the arena in the first bit of the song, the second floor at the second bit etc, trying to make sure even as he did that he covered all areas, which was kind of sweet.
The fanchants as I mentioned were fantastic! For all the songs with fanchants, they came out perfectly, whether his songs or the SS501 songs. It’s been a long time since I heard the “My Girl” “My Guy” response in such unison and with such clarity. In between songs, the crowd started chanting his name, so much so he had to wait before he could speak and looked adorably embarrassed. The name chanting started with the Korean fans, I think, but the crowd took it up. And you know how he likes to hold the mile out to the audience, hoping they’ll sing? Usually it works only to a small degree, and only for his well known songs like Lucky Guy where the hey hey hey but is easy to sing. But this time the crowd actually responded during Your Story. And not just a few words, either. A significant portion of the song. He looked visibly moved to me at the end of the song.. I guess the fans really should try to learn his songs when they go to his concerts– I never realised how much it meant to him till that day. I gathered from friends and tweets later on that he had promised a little present if they could but fulfill part of his desire, and depending on how loud the crowd was. So that’s why he danced all of Please I’m sure he’d meant to dance it anyway after the first night :p — but maybe not all of it?
One of the bits I liked about the concerts were the big balloons that came floating down during Kiss kiss. After a while with enough bounces they burst into little balloons.. Great way of making a large part of the audience hold balloons! In sad i didn’t get to play volley ball with them In Nagoya on the first night some of he audience managed to get the ball on stage as it was so close, so he kicked it back! I think they tried again on the second night but failed this time so the photo with the ball in stage is almost certainly the first night .
He’s clearly still experimenting with his concerts. Without any dancing at all, I think some of his fans were disappointed. So even when he just dances a few steps, it’s like throwing meat to a starving lion or something haha. Just before he actually danced LLT he showed some of the hand gestures and the little body wave and the crowd went like berserk. He’s said it himself, somewhat wryly, quite a few times so far that LLT seems to be the most popular song at his concert. I wonder if it’s a bittersweet thing for him?
His singing definitely improved in Nagoya. He seemed (to me anyway!) a tendency to go a little offkey in Kobe and Saitama, though less in Saitama. I don’t know if it was nerves or just that he hadn’t warmed up. Plus he’s really the kind of performer that does better with a good crowd response; so if fans want a good concert they should be more responsive! I realised too, that with the new band arrangement and backup singers that it must have taken a lot of work to reorganize and coordinate the songs, so the nitty gritty of how to do it may have occupied his mind initially before it all fell into place. Even the SPs (his security people in Japan) were too busy watching the second night in Nagoya to go catch anyone filming secretly! Sadly the videos, good as they are, don’t capture the feeling of the concert the second night. I’ve been to quite a few of his performances now and this was the best overall package so far. Better than his comebacks. A friend of mine who has been to practically all performances since he went solo agreed. She wanted to record some of the concert for memory’s sake, but said the atmosphere was so electrifying she didn’t have the heart to not experience it. The balcony was literally shaking like an earthquake and I started to wonder if it might actually collapse!
He hasn’t folded a paper plane on stage since Kobe. The second night he had a little yellow plane ready which he shot off. But he turned around and started walking to the stage door which had opened behind before tW plane landed. So the plane did a little boomerang turn, skirting the first row where all hands reached out for it, before landing in the right stage where the guitarist stared at it as it landed . Later in the concert I think I remember him picking up a yellow plane and throwing it into the crowd. I don’t know if it was the same plane or not. Needless to say everyone had thrown their planes towards the stage and there were several planes lying there ). This time the plane made a sharp dip and I thought he gave a little gasp of concern because it seemed as if it might have hit someone. The murdererq’s series of photos shows his expression Although how much damage can a paper plane do after all? But it was funny anyway. I’m also reminded of Kobe where the plane he folded on stage didn’t make it very far… A few feet I think… And to add insult to injury the camera focused on the poor lonely plane lying on the ground hahaha
His encore usually consists of 4 songs, ending with U, but in Nagoya on the second night, it was changed to LLT.
A great end to my trip I guess. Feel as if I want to be there for the rest as well
After the concert, as is usual in Japan, everyone stampeded out to the carpark. Even if you don’t know where it is, you only have to follow the crowd. Generally, the SPs are there getting his ready. Saitama was difficult to guess because of multiple exits and entrances, but for he smaller venues there’s usually just one. It’s funny how well behaved the Japanese are. The security chief cane and gave some instructions to the crowd which I couldn’t understand, but the crowd all said “hai” in unison
And when the time finally arrived he told the front row to stoop down so the back could see as well, which they all obediently did. The security are usually quite strict about where you can stand, sometimes an unreasonable distance, it seems to me. So yeah, we saw him come out as you saw in my fancam, with window half opened and putting his hand out to wave.
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Credit: illublue of LKHJ / www.lovekimhyunjoong.com
Thanks so much for this! I was thinking,from listening to the fancams, that his pitch and performance were improving each time. He seems to be getting more comfortable. Twenty songs a concert is a lot, but his voice seems to get better with use. Someday I will see him live.
ReplyDeleteur definiteLy right.. and I noticed by watching every fancams from Kobe to Nagoya.. and Nagoya 2 event was reaLLy awesome.. from KHJ voice to audience participation :))
DeleteThanks for sharing your valuable experiences to the poor me .. hahahhaha couldn't get to watch any of his concerts yet ... xoxo kiss kiss
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