Kazuki Kato Live "GIG" 2008 Tour ~in Love~ Report
So I've just returned from Kazuki Kato's Live "GIG" 2008 Tour ~in Love~ at Zepp Nagoya. This is my third time seeing Kazuki live, the other two being a year (or two?) ago at The Prince of Tennis Musical ~ The Imperial Match Hyoutei Gakuen in Winter 2005-2006.
I've been kinda drifting away from Tenimyu ever since the 2nd generation graduated and as the musicals moved past the plot lines with Hyoutei. I also haven't been as active when seeing what my favorite guys are up to, as Kamakari Kenta has been out for the count until recently (apparently he's getting ready for his come back! - Ganbatte ne, KenKen~!) and Kazuki... well, Kazuki's been busy, but for some reason, I haven't looked him up as much as I thought I would have.
Since coming to Japan, I have looked at his merchandise, but have somehow resisted buying anything (like his anniversary photobook, which is still calling to me... >>;;) I was going to try and see the Progressive Match Higa Chuu, but b/c I was slow, I missed buying tickets. ToT So when I found out Kazuki would be having a performance at Zepp Nagoya, I jumped at the chance.
And watching him live, my love for him is reborn. ♥ Please click the cut to read my report. Some pictures of the merchandise is also posted.
So I attended Kazuki's Live GIG 2008 at Zepp Nagoya. My ticket was first floor standing, #1470. (There's 1st floor standing or 2nd floor seating.) The ticket number is really only for the order in which you enter, as the staff didn't check my ticket after I entered the building. I could have pushed my way to the front, if I so wished, but the back wasn't so bad. I could see Kazuki, not as close as I would have liked, but it wasn't as bad as I feared either. ^o^ Oh, and there was a ¥500 standard drink fee. I paid the fee, got a Zepp coin, and was able to exchange the coin for a drink + Zepp drink strap holder (pink and purple). I chose a Bayariisu Orange. Yummy. Zepp Nagoya isn't that huge a venue (at least, I didn't really think so), but the atmosphere was fun and energetic. ^^
However, the room was a bit smoky, but I guess that was for effect? *shrugs* Kazuki's is actually the first concert I've been to in awhile, so please forgive my naiveté. Anyways, after buying a couple of goodies (which I'll get into later), I put my stuff in a coin locker before taking a place at the back since the area was basically almost full. Then I waited (impatiently XD) for the next 15 minutes, waiting for my first live glimpse of Kazuki since I've been to Japan.
Finally, the lights dimmed, and the lighting guy was doing his thing with the different strobes and effects, etc. There was movement on stage, and the music started, and there was Kazuki's silhouette. The girls went crazy. I would have too, but I settled for grinning like an idiot. The crowd was mostly women, teenagers and adults, but there was the spattering of men in the crowd, dragged by their female counterparts (if I had to guess). I headbanged with the rest of them and shook my fist, but I tried not to go on tiptoe, as I felt tall compared to a good portion of the Japanese women there. (And I'm only 5'6"! XD) I was worried about blocking some of the people behind me. ^^;; There was actually a woman standing in front of me who was really short - I felt bad for her b/c I could tell she was really trying to see Kazuki, but the people in front of her were taller. However, when the performance started, she really got into it. XD
Watching Kazuki live and listening to his music after all this time (I haven't listened to any of his stuff in a LONG time. I've been such a bad fan lately. >>;;) made me realize how much I missed it. I do love Kazuki's voice.
Anyways, back to the GIG. He played some songs from his new album, ~in Love. I can't tell you which ones yet b/c I didn't recognize any of the tracks. I just bought his CD at the concert today, so I'll probably edit this post later once I know the track names. Kazuki also played stuff from his Face album and his single Vampire. I don't recall any songs from his Rough Diamond album, but it might be that I just didn't recognize it if he did play it (I haven't listened to his first album in awhile).
Here's a list of songs I know he played:
♥ Vampire - This was played somewhere in the middle of the GIG. I was actually hoping he would play this song (it's one of my faves of his!), so I got really giddy when the intro started. XD;;
♥ Shake!! Shake!! Shake!! - Some fun audience participation here.
♥ Glory - A song I often overlooked when listening to his Face album, but I actually really liked his performance of this song.
♥ Yumehikouki - Nice beat and rhythm here, forgot about this song actually until he did it. XD;;
I can't remember if he did Carnation... I don't think he did, which is sad, because that's one of my fav. songs. I didn't count how many songs he did, but the performance was around two hours with two breaks where he talked. I liked the songs from his new album, so I look forward to listening to his album later. There were two songs he sang while playing the guitar. (Kakkoii! as many of the fans shouted.)
In between songs, if the music didn't just transition from one song to the other, and there was a pause, Kazuki would towel himself and get a drink. Every time he turned away from the crowd and there was that pause, all the girls would just call his name. "Kazuki! Kazuki! Kazuki!" XD;; Lol. I wanted to call his name too, but I was embarrassed. XP During his songs, there was a lot of head bopping and hands going up and down with the beat.
While I enjoyed the concert immensely, my favorite parts of the GIG were when Kazuki talked with the crowd. My Japanese is nowhere near fluent, so I only caught certain parts, but the crowd's excitement and fangirl-ness was infectious. And when I did understand Kazuki, it was awesome. Most of the time, I didn't get the joke, but I laughed anyway b/c the crowd was and b/c Kazuki is just too damn cute! And so very handsome.
Unfortunately, I wasn't crazy about his outfit. He wore a leopard print button-up shirt and black pants with a silver stripe going down the sides. The black pants, from where I was standing, almost looked like the sports kind. XD;; Y'know, like track pants? Lol. But it couldn't have been b/c he was wearing a really cool belt. The belt was really the only part of his outfit I approved. I'm not a big leopard print fan, but the good thing about the shirt was that he left like the first three buttons open, showing off some of his chest. XD Heh, well, he was getting hot on stage, y'know? *coughs* Towards the end, when he said it was the last song, all the girls were like "Nooo!!!" He ended on a slow song, and then left the stage, but it didn't completely dim, and it's that part of the concert when you know the singer's going to come back for one more song. It actually took awhile, the girls clapping and chanting 'Kazuki' (it grew strong and then died a couple of times XD), before Kazuki and the members of the band playing with him came back on. But this time, they were wearing the official GIG ~in Love~ shirts! Seeing Kazuki wearing one made me want to buy one! It is a cute design. I approve.
But I absolutely LOVED his hairstyle. Simple, nothing too fancy. My favorite hairstyle for him - no weird curls or anything. ^o^
Kazuki talked to the crowd for awhile (his 2nd and last talk), about the merchandise being sold and where his next gig would be, what he's doing after, etc. He's all "Are you guys coming?" and a lot of the girls shouted that they were. And when talking about the merchandise, a lot of the girls were like "We bought it!" There were some awesome towels that the girls would wave around during some of the upbeat songs. Kazuki had his own on stage. I would have bought one if they hadn't SOLD OUT! *sobs* Anyways, I think he also went on to explain the reasoning behind the ~in Love~ title of his album and the GIG 2008 Tour. Then he said something about loving his fans, I think. And how the feeling of knowing he's supported by a lot of people is an awesome feeling.
Oh yeah, and before I forget, at the hour mark of the concert (I kept looking at my watch XD), there was a small break where Kazuki had his first talk with the crowd. He was all "Tadaima!" ("I'm home!" or "I'm back!") and the crowd immediately replied, "Okaeri!!! ♥" ("Welcome back!"). For those who don't get it, Kazuki was actually born and raised in Nagoya! This whole first talk Kazuki was basically talking about Nagoya, the famous food and places. There was actually a lot of talk about food, what he ate recently, what he does and doesn't like, etc. He got the other band members participation too. They were all so cute! And I was really happy because Kazuki was mentioning places that I actually knew! XD Lol.
I'm attending Nanzan University right now in Nagoya for a year of study abroad. So discovering Kazuki was from Nagoya was pretty cool to find out. ^o^ Anyways, after mentioning famous food and commenting on that, he talked about famous places. Or y'know, where the people usually go to visit and sight-see. He talked about Nagoya Castle, Nagoya Port, Higashiyama Zoo (XD), Atsuji (? gah, I know that's the wrong name...) Temple, etc. He addressed the Nagoya-jin a lot (obviously), asking if they knew what he was talking about, and then he'd get all amazed and impressed when they did. Hehehe... There were parts I didn't understand, of course. For example, I think he was talking about two songs that kids in Nagoya sing? He actually sang them with the crowd! ♥ So freakin' adorable!!!
Of course, he also interacted with the crowd during the songs, but the above two talks were when he talked for around 8+ minutes. ♥ Damn, I really do love his voice!
In conclusion, I will definitely be buying this GIG whenever it comes out on DVD. I have the 2006 GIG and am currently debating buying the 2007 GIG... we'll see.
Okay, let's talk merchandise. The official tour goods were a T-shirt, eco-bags (two colors), a towel, a calendar, and a pamphlet. I bought everything except the towel (and that's just 'cause it was sold out). The towel was the one thing I really, really wanted, too. >>;; Ai-yah... They also had his ~in Love~ CDs plus Impure Love (or it might have been Instinctive Love) singles. I bought the CD that had the Premium Book for ¥5000. (And I got a poster! =0D) The eco-bags are the first two pics below. The first is how it is unfolded and the second folded. As you can see, there was a blue and white version.
What I hate about Kazuki's merchandise is that he has so many different versions of his CDs! >>;; For example, in Love has three versions available that I saw at the concert. The first one is just the CD with the Bonus track of the song "Melody" live for around ¥3000. The second one is the CD+DVD is the CD with a music clip of Brilliant Snow and a special TV Spot (but no "Melody" bonus track) for ¥3800. The third one is the one I bought - Premium Book+CD for ¥5000. (No "Melody" bonus track.) The Premium Book is hardcover with gorgeous photos of Kazuki plus the lyrics from the CD tracks. It's basically a mini-photobook. Then there's a few pages dedicated to "Brilliant Snow" - it didn't look like just the lyrics either - maybe a story?
I'm still not really sure why he has so many versions of his stuff. It's like with his Impure Love (or was it Instinctive Love) singles where he had the regular CDs, and then the editions which had either Photobook A or Photobook B with it. GAH! If I attempted to buy all the different versions, I would be seriously, seriously broke. *sigh*
In other news, Kazuki is having another Live GIG after his ~in Love~ Tour is over. He'll have another 2008 GIG entitled ~SCRAP&BUILD~. It looks like it will only be for one day on April 28, 2008 (Monday) at Nippon Budokan in central Tokyo. I want to go sooo bad, but that's the last week of classes. I really can't miss it. ToT It's the week before Golden Week too. GAH! I looked Nippon Budokan up, and I believe it's the venue used in Hana Yori Dango 2 the drama when Tsukushi dances with the F4. See link here. Since it's such a large venue, Kazuki was talking about how there's a lot of pressure, but he'll do his best.
Okay, that's the end of this long-winded report. If you made it this far, wow! You actually read my ramblings. XD;; If it's ever possible, try to see Kazuki live or buy his GIG DVD. He's amazing. That's really all there is to it. ^o^
Thanks for reading! *o*
Kazuki Kato is ♥.
I've been kinda drifting away from Tenimyu ever since the 2nd generation graduated and as the musicals moved past the plot lines with Hyoutei. I also haven't been as active when seeing what my favorite guys are up to, as Kamakari Kenta has been out for the count until recently (apparently he's getting ready for his come back! - Ganbatte ne, KenKen~!) and Kazuki... well, Kazuki's been busy, but for some reason, I haven't looked him up as much as I thought I would have.
Since coming to Japan, I have looked at his merchandise, but have somehow resisted buying anything (like his anniversary photobook, which is still calling to me... >>;;) I was going to try and see the Progressive Match Higa Chuu, but b/c I was slow, I missed buying tickets. ToT So when I found out Kazuki would be having a performance at Zepp Nagoya, I jumped at the chance.
And watching him live, my love for him is reborn. ♥ Please click the cut to read my report. Some pictures of the merchandise is also posted.
So I attended Kazuki's Live GIG 2008 at Zepp Nagoya. My ticket was first floor standing, #1470. (There's 1st floor standing or 2nd floor seating.) The ticket number is really only for the order in which you enter, as the staff didn't check my ticket after I entered the building. I could have pushed my way to the front, if I so wished, but the back wasn't so bad. I could see Kazuki, not as close as I would have liked, but it wasn't as bad as I feared either. ^o^ Oh, and there was a ¥500 standard drink fee. I paid the fee, got a Zepp coin, and was able to exchange the coin for a drink + Zepp drink strap holder (pink and purple). I chose a Bayariisu Orange. Yummy. Zepp Nagoya isn't that huge a venue (at least, I didn't really think so), but the atmosphere was fun and energetic. ^^
However, the room was a bit smoky, but I guess that was for effect? *shrugs* Kazuki's is actually the first concert I've been to in awhile, so please forgive my naiveté. Anyways, after buying a couple of goodies (which I'll get into later), I put my stuff in a coin locker before taking a place at the back since the area was basically almost full. Then I waited (impatiently XD) for the next 15 minutes, waiting for my first live glimpse of Kazuki since I've been to Japan.
Finally, the lights dimmed, and the lighting guy was doing his thing with the different strobes and effects, etc. There was movement on stage, and the music started, and there was Kazuki's silhouette. The girls went crazy. I would have too, but I settled for grinning like an idiot. The crowd was mostly women, teenagers and adults, but there was the spattering of men in the crowd, dragged by their female counterparts (if I had to guess). I headbanged with the rest of them and shook my fist, but I tried not to go on tiptoe, as I felt tall compared to a good portion of the Japanese women there. (And I'm only 5'6"! XD) I was worried about blocking some of the people behind me. ^^;; There was actually a woman standing in front of me who was really short - I felt bad for her b/c I could tell she was really trying to see Kazuki, but the people in front of her were taller. However, when the performance started, she really got into it. XD
Watching Kazuki live and listening to his music after all this time (I haven't listened to any of his stuff in a LONG time. I've been such a bad fan lately. >>;;) made me realize how much I missed it. I do love Kazuki's voice.
Anyways, back to the GIG. He played some songs from his new album, ~in Love. I can't tell you which ones yet b/c I didn't recognize any of the tracks. I just bought his CD at the concert today, so I'll probably edit this post later once I know the track names. Kazuki also played stuff from his Face album and his single Vampire. I don't recall any songs from his Rough Diamond album, but it might be that I just didn't recognize it if he did play it (I haven't listened to his first album in awhile).
Here's a list of songs I know he played:
♥ Vampire - This was played somewhere in the middle of the GIG. I was actually hoping he would play this song (it's one of my faves of his!), so I got really giddy when the intro started. XD;;
♥ Shake!! Shake!! Shake!! - Some fun audience participation here.
♥ Glory - A song I often overlooked when listening to his Face album, but I actually really liked his performance of this song.
♥ Yumehikouki - Nice beat and rhythm here, forgot about this song actually until he did it. XD;;
I can't remember if he did Carnation... I don't think he did, which is sad, because that's one of my fav. songs. I didn't count how many songs he did, but the performance was around two hours with two breaks where he talked. I liked the songs from his new album, so I look forward to listening to his album later. There were two songs he sang while playing the guitar. (Kakkoii! as many of the fans shouted.)
In between songs, if the music didn't just transition from one song to the other, and there was a pause, Kazuki would towel himself and get a drink. Every time he turned away from the crowd and there was that pause, all the girls would just call his name. "Kazuki! Kazuki! Kazuki!" XD;; Lol. I wanted to call his name too, but I was embarrassed. XP During his songs, there was a lot of head bopping and hands going up and down with the beat.
While I enjoyed the concert immensely, my favorite parts of the GIG were when Kazuki talked with the crowd. My Japanese is nowhere near fluent, so I only caught certain parts, but the crowd's excitement and fangirl-ness was infectious. And when I did understand Kazuki, it was awesome. Most of the time, I didn't get the joke, but I laughed anyway b/c the crowd was and b/c Kazuki is just too damn cute! And so very handsome.
Unfortunately, I wasn't crazy about his outfit. He wore a leopard print button-up shirt and black pants with a silver stripe going down the sides. The black pants, from where I was standing, almost looked like the sports kind. XD;; Y'know, like track pants? Lol. But it couldn't have been b/c he was wearing a really cool belt. The belt was really the only part of his outfit I approved. I'm not a big leopard print fan, but the good thing about the shirt was that he left like the first three buttons open, showing off some of his chest. XD Heh, well, he was getting hot on stage, y'know? *coughs* Towards the end, when he said it was the last song, all the girls were like "Nooo!!!" He ended on a slow song, and then left the stage, but it didn't completely dim, and it's that part of the concert when you know the singer's going to come back for one more song. It actually took awhile, the girls clapping and chanting 'Kazuki' (it grew strong and then died a couple of times XD), before Kazuki and the members of the band playing with him came back on. But this time, they were wearing the official GIG ~in Love~ shirts! Seeing Kazuki wearing one made me want to buy one! It is a cute design. I approve.
But I absolutely LOVED his hairstyle. Simple, nothing too fancy. My favorite hairstyle for him - no weird curls or anything. ^o^
Kazuki talked to the crowd for awhile (his 2nd and last talk), about the merchandise being sold and where his next gig would be, what he's doing after, etc. He's all "Are you guys coming?" and a lot of the girls shouted that they were. And when talking about the merchandise, a lot of the girls were like "We bought it!" There were some awesome towels that the girls would wave around during some of the upbeat songs. Kazuki had his own on stage. I would have bought one if they hadn't SOLD OUT! *sobs* Anyways, I think he also went on to explain the reasoning behind the ~in Love~ title of his album and the GIG 2008 Tour. Then he said something about loving his fans, I think. And how the feeling of knowing he's supported by a lot of people is an awesome feeling.
Oh yeah, and before I forget, at the hour mark of the concert (I kept looking at my watch XD), there was a small break where Kazuki had his first talk with the crowd. He was all "Tadaima!" ("I'm home!" or "I'm back!") and the crowd immediately replied, "Okaeri!!! ♥" ("Welcome back!"). For those who don't get it, Kazuki was actually born and raised in Nagoya! This whole first talk Kazuki was basically talking about Nagoya, the famous food and places. There was actually a lot of talk about food, what he ate recently, what he does and doesn't like, etc. He got the other band members participation too. They were all so cute! And I was really happy because Kazuki was mentioning places that I actually knew! XD Lol.
I'm attending Nanzan University right now in Nagoya for a year of study abroad. So discovering Kazuki was from Nagoya was pretty cool to find out. ^o^ Anyways, after mentioning famous food and commenting on that, he talked about famous places. Or y'know, where the people usually go to visit and sight-see. He talked about Nagoya Castle, Nagoya Port, Higashiyama Zoo (XD), Atsuji (? gah, I know that's the wrong name...) Temple, etc. He addressed the Nagoya-jin a lot (obviously), asking if they knew what he was talking about, and then he'd get all amazed and impressed when they did. Hehehe... There were parts I didn't understand, of course. For example, I think he was talking about two songs that kids in Nagoya sing? He actually sang them with the crowd! ♥ So freakin' adorable!!!
Of course, he also interacted with the crowd during the songs, but the above two talks were when he talked for around 8+ minutes. ♥ Damn, I really do love his voice!
In conclusion, I will definitely be buying this GIG whenever it comes out on DVD. I have the 2006 GIG and am currently debating buying the 2007 GIG... we'll see.
Okay, let's talk merchandise. The official tour goods were a T-shirt, eco-bags (two colors), a towel, a calendar, and a pamphlet. I bought everything except the towel (and that's just 'cause it was sold out). The towel was the one thing I really, really wanted, too. >>;; Ai-yah... They also had his ~in Love~ CDs plus Impure Love (or it might have been Instinctive Love) singles. I bought the CD that had the Premium Book for ¥5000. (And I got a poster! =0D) The eco-bags are the first two pics below. The first is how it is unfolded and the second folded. As you can see, there was a blue and white version.
What I hate about Kazuki's merchandise is that he has so many different versions of his CDs! >>;; For example, in Love has three versions available that I saw at the concert. The first one is just the CD with the Bonus track of the song "Melody" live for around ¥3000. The second one is the CD+DVD is the CD with a music clip of Brilliant Snow and a special TV Spot (but no "Melody" bonus track) for ¥3800. The third one is the one I bought - Premium Book+CD for ¥5000. (No "Melody" bonus track.) The Premium Book is hardcover with gorgeous photos of Kazuki plus the lyrics from the CD tracks. It's basically a mini-photobook. Then there's a few pages dedicated to "Brilliant Snow" - it didn't look like just the lyrics either - maybe a story?
I'm still not really sure why he has so many versions of his stuff. It's like with his Impure Love (or was it Instinctive Love) singles where he had the regular CDs, and then the editions which had either Photobook A or Photobook B with it. GAH! If I attempted to buy all the different versions, I would be seriously, seriously broke. *sigh*
In other news, Kazuki is having another Live GIG after his ~in Love~ Tour is over. He'll have another 2008 GIG entitled ~SCRAP&BUILD~. It looks like it will only be for one day on April 28, 2008 (Monday) at Nippon Budokan in central Tokyo. I want to go sooo bad, but that's the last week of classes. I really can't miss it. ToT It's the week before Golden Week too. GAH! I looked Nippon Budokan up, and I believe it's the venue used in Hana Yori Dango 2 the drama when Tsukushi dances with the F4. See link here. Since it's such a large venue, Kazuki was talking about how there's a lot of pressure, but he'll do his best.
Okay, that's the end of this long-winded report. If you made it this far, wow! You actually read my ramblings. XD;; If it's ever possible, try to see Kazuki live or buy his GIG DVD. He's amazing. That's really all there is to it. ^o^
Thanks for reading! *o*
Kazuki Kato is ♥.