VAMPS LIVE 2009 @ USJ 2009.08.22 ... memories...
The memories of this awesome live are coming back … a year after…
…I feel like translating the official report by Honma Yuuko… into a very bad English, sorry >_<…
(…)
Toward the evening, the summer sky was still a bit distant.
“Yoroshiku!”
Leaving the dressing room, five people shook their hands tightly.
“See you later!”
Saying this, they split up: Ju-ken, Arimatsu and JIN went toward the left part of the stage, HYDE and K.A.Z toward the right part of the stage. HYDE straddled the Harley that was standing by in the backstage. K.A.Z rode on the rear seat. “Sound effects start!” said the stage director. Whenever HYDE nodded, at the same time Beethoven’s “Fate” resounded far and wide. Looking up at light-blue sky, they both assimilated into the sound; then the sound effect shifted into “LOVE ADDICT”.
VROOOM!
HYDE energetically turned the accelerator on with the right hand. Much more enthusiasm was in the audience’s handclap. The Harley was slowly going up on the slope leading to the stage, as if it was pushed by their enthusiasm. How unbelievable was their reaction when HYDE and K.A.Z revealed their figure on the stage. At this time I realized for the first time that everybody’s outfit was black. It harmonized really a lot with the completely red lips (of the stage).
“You all seem to feel hot. You’ll get hotter. But how about this way of being sunny? This time it will be so for a long time. When I was in New York, too, I heard terrible thunders; but, when I was wondering if it was all right or when I was moving to the next city, it cleared up. Also in Taiwan, on the second day it was pouring with rain, but during rehearsal I could see moments of fine weather; I was thinking in my heart: “Cool, VAMPS!”. Even today it could have been raining? When K.A.Z-kun watched his iPhone, there was the symbol of a thunder. Then …how about it?”
The friendly MC in fluent Kansai dialect went unusually on. Whenever he said: “Cool, VAMPS!”, HYDE made a really proud smile. After he said: “Then, (please listen to) a summerish song…”, as soon as the introduction of “EVERGREEN” started dropping from his fingertips, the performance stopped. When I was wondering why the lyrics were missing, I heard the sound of the guitar once more, but he stumbled again. “Ah, I made a mistake again. Can you sing a little for me?”
On the 3rd time, honestly and without being shy, HYDE retorted, using the audience’s argument against them: “Let’s sing with higher voice, I can’t hear, and besides I’m playing the guitar” and he let the audience take part (in the song). I thought that he was strong, after all. Maybe it was the power of the stage, but here arose a spontaneity as if it already became a part of his everyday life. Besides, the members that can accompany this kind of HYDE without being perturbed are strong, too. For this reason, when he made the mistake, I thought: “Cool, VAMPS!”.
The sun was gradually going down, and the sky was getting dark. The red, blue and bitter orange were melting softly together in gradation. At that very moment they were performing “GLAMOROUS SKY”, and a surely rare glamorous sky was wrapping up the stage.
“Are you having fun? It’s the 3rd day in USJ. This set is amazing, isn’t it? I thought that it looks like one of the attractions. The day I went here, wanting to take a picture of it with my iPhone, it didn’t fit in (the screen). Going as far as the last tent in the rear, at last it fitted in, these lips are so big”
Saying that the previous day he had enjoyed the attractions, and suggesting Hollywood Dream the Ride, JIN’s MC was arranged with a simple beauty just like a composition about summer holidays. It’s wonderful that he was able to chat to the end without faltering.
“I like this corner the most. He (JIN) has the appearance of a bad person, but his (real) personality is coming out. Even if he looks popped out of Hokuto no Ken”: saying this, HYDE, even while making fun of him, kept admiring him. Slightly after these words that make you feel his love for the members, especially “SHALLOW SLEEP”, that was announced (by HYDE) in the acoustic set, made a deep impression. During the interlude, HYDE was peeking at K.A.Z. A warm moment, as if he was watching over, making himself sure of the figure that was silently playing the acoustic guitar. After that, the melody of JIN’s gentle and smooth piano: it was “SWEET DREAMS”. The peaceful lyricism of the 1st chorus, that only HYDE’s singing and the piano were spinning, together with the sound of the band, overlapping each other, were creating deepness and warmth. These two acoustic songs were the best of the menu of that day. Playing cajón, Arimatsu was creating a sound more delicate than the imagination, and you could feel that it was giving depth not only to the tune but also to the potentialities of the band.
At this point, the band was temporarily out of the stage. To fill up the absence, the PV of “SWEET DREAMS” was broadcasted.
This document clip followed the U.S.A. tour; because the story, created by every single frame, has a link to the world of the song, for some reason it made me feel sentimental. But here were shown not sweet dreams but the days surely engraved (in their memory). When they came back on the stage once again, I thought that they must have sensed the results of the short rest. Because the previous figures that were piercing through, breaking through, kicking, jumping over many walls, were now in front of our eyes.
“It became dark. Do you like the dark? In dark places what do you do? Now please listen to K.A.Z.-kun that wants to say thank you”
Taking over the behaviour from HYDE, K.A.Z. went to the mic.
“Good evening. Err… It’s the 3rd day in USJ. The tour is rapidly approaching the end, but we all can still reach the climax, can’t we? I believe that it would be good if VAMPS’ live in USJ could become a happy summer memory. Let’s have fun together”
“Yeees. (This was K.A.Z.-kun saying) thank you”.
HYDE, joking, joined his hands.
“Well, then shall we go? I think that (the live in) Osaka is a festival. There are probably people that are coming to other places, too, but those are different, aren’t they? Only here I feel so cosy. Then, let’s all make some more noise together!”
A festival, for sure. The fact that they succeeded in covering the songs “YOU” and “HONEY”, respectively of K.A.Z’s previous band OBLIVION DUST and HYDE’s previous band L'Arc~en~Ciel, may seem a special privilege typical of a festival. Saying thanks there were these 2 songs may be an inappropriate expression, but about “MIDNIGHT CELEBRATION”, that was coming next and decorated the last song, after all it’s this! I was strongly moved by such a thought as if my heart was getting excited and it was falling into my hearth with a thud. I was glad that “YOU” and “HONEY” were fresh and (during the performance) I could hear VAMPS passion, but I could think to be naturally happy about “MIDNIGHT CELEBRATION” more than that. Because Ju-ken, Arimatsu and JIN joined HYDE and K.A.Z’s VAMPS, VAMPS’ sound, forged and polished by 5 people, was vividly resounding there. Let’s realize in this way, coming here, that this fact is above all irreplaceable!
This day HYDE said “thanks” many times. “Today I had fun, summer is good” he spoke sincerely saying so. Very soon both summer and the tour would be over. What HYDE was thinking in the sparse lights that floated in the night sky he was seeing from stage? What K.A.Z was thinking in the many thousands of eyes that were staring at the stage? The last of the last was “UNEXPECTED”. This song hadn’t been heard for a long time, too. The singing and the sound, taking along all the thoughts both of the audience gathered here and of the 5 people, accelerated in the night. An infinite number of stars were flowing through the screen.
“Thank you! Thank you Osaka”
Making a loud and cheerful noise, fireworks were launched one after another. HYDE was just leaving when he suddenly stopped and looked up to the sky again. The 5 members got into a car, that was parked at the side of the stage, as if tumbling over. There was no time to reflect upon the lingering memories, the busy day was over. The next day would be the last day in Osaka.
Source: 吸血記 VAMPS Document Story 1 (previously published in Monthly VAMPS 13)