I counted evolution as song, because the medley is nearly both songs in lenght(i think theres only 1 chorus and 1 verse left out in evolution, isnt it?), but Im okay with your way of counting too, I just like to count every different song and not every "unit"

I hope theres some more information in the next 1-2 hours, its already uite late here and im tired, but i want information first or i cant sleep xD

Not sleeping for a while has made my head go bonkers. LOL.

Anyways, I don't really get why people are all mad about PCDL stuff being in there. Why make new choreography for rare songs if you're only going to perform it for two days? Granted, just about all of the non-NL songs are from PCDL, but hey, at least they weren't all SURREAL/Fly high/Humming 7/4/independent-ish songs that people don't seem to want to hear anymore.

LOL! Comments from mixi:

During the time when they were doing My All and Shu-ya came out from the back, this mixi member yelled out super loud "Shu-ya you're terrible!" and "DISAPPEAR!"
Lots of people feel that while the setlist was good it wasn't enough.
When she sang In the Corner, Everywhere Nowhere, Hope or Pain, she wore a pink dress with a necktie that was similar to the PCDL one.
MC was very short.
She missed her lyrics or the music during Rule, so she sort of cried, and there were like 2 explosions. (The fire things)

Not a pink dress again...and why are the people always so vague about everything they write? o.0

Are they talking about explosions like in 1 LOVE, Because of You and my name's WOMEN or fire effects?

Well, we'll just have to wait to actually see it.

I don't really expect the Japanese to be specific.. they tend abbreviate details like woah. "There was fire, white dress." lol.

And tbh, the setlist really isn't anything to write home about, but it's pretty good if you look at it without the reminder of PCDL. I mean, most people really want to hear those songs, so shouldn't it be a good thing that she brought them out again? Japan not thinking it's enough? I wonder if she'll switch it up mid tour..

you mean like she did in AT08?

if ayu gets told many people think theres things missing she might actually consider or even do that, it seems like she always wants her fans to be happy

Kind of? There IS that big break in the middle, which allows for a-nation and a new track or two.

or for costume changes^^(just look how her costumes of AT06 and AT08 improved during the tour) so the late dates might be good for the show and the DVD(even if it means its coming late, i can wait til january if its amazing)

LOL...sucks for him....but yea...Maro should replace him for the solo dances

lets hope Maro has the solo dance for the ballad section, if theres dancing for GREEN again he might be ayus partner again

yes please! SIGNAL, Must be true please!

Oooh if thats the true one then no song would be left out from the album! Thats really cool!
The tracklist reminds me a bit of PCDL... :P
Also cool that she sings more songs on one show then usual. ^^ Can't wait for pictures! :D

i love this setlist. i wonder what her outfits were like during LOVE 'n' HATE & Sparkle

The Super Mario-mention has me wondering about the purpose of the sounds in the beginning and the end of rollin'. They remind me of the random creepy castles in the old-school Mario games (the creepy intro) and the Mario "death" music (the ending)...

Eh, oh well. teth should pop up soon to report something.

^ I had the same thought when I listened to it! When I listened to it first, I thought of a 80s videogame and on the next day I played mario and suddenly I knew what exactly they reminded me of

wow. i didn't notice that, but you're right, it does sound like that. that's pretty cool

^Yup Energized too.

It would be cool if they did something like Kuu did when she was flying in front of a screen which showed a kind of comic/fantasy/alice in wonderland-world just with mario...but I highly doubt that xD

:no:no:no:no:no a thousand times :no
that was so lame and tacky and just ugh

poor shu-ya...

and.. not enough?? i don't understand those japanese XD 20 songs! Int he past years have been less... and this tour most of them are new (NEXT LEVEL) or have been sung 1 time before (green/days and PCDL songs) only 4 songs are repeated...

well... we'll see..

omg I love the stage!!!
Ayu is so kawaii

I hope we'll have more pics soon

I actually thought that was a very nice idea and ive never seen another artist do that, I really loved that and its the only live performance of kuu that i like xD because its interesting and innovative + it did fit the song really well(but it wouldnt fit rollin...xD)


UNITE!, AUDIENCE, evolution, Boys & Girls, MY ALL makes 5 to me, thats over a fourth of the setlist after all. her usual amount

^ well.. but MY ALL compared to UNITE, AUDIENCE; B&G and evolution is new... MY ALL has ben sung 3 times (2 CDL and 1 tour, and now this year..) the other four.. is like... XD since they were created... XD

Yay for a pic of Ayu. I love the A symbol on the merch, looks really cool. I gotta remember to buy a shirt. She looks good, but whoever said that she slimmed down... :no I still can't wait for costumes. That is what I always worry about, cause sometimes it's just OMG amazing and sometimes its really bad. And does it say that she cried like during Rule cause she messed up or what? Anyways, I hope Rule really is like the opener cause t2m was a hot one and it starts it off great.

The tracklist isn't that much longer than usual (interludes shouldn't be counted) and its only a great tracklist if you love Next Level. :)

Also the track length of most Next Level tracks are shorter than usual. (which is why the album feels short to people - it actually is short) So the total length of the concert should be the same as usual.

ayu looks so cute! oh i was thinking what kind of a pant that was XD

Well this is different from Ayu's other concerts, its the first where all tracks including interludes are used!!!!!!!! Also, the fans who actually see this concert but couldn't see PCDL actually live will enjoy that she is eprforming these fan requested songs on the tour. i'm in love with the setlist! next level's songs and interludes are amazing, so glad none are left out.

Why oh why is there always so much complaining.

This looks like it'll be an awesome tour! Thanks for posting all info!

Info is still spotty, but I've read the following enough times that they should be true:

She cried during Days.

There were no signed balls or pieces of tape (the streamers that get shot out over the audience). One of the only times she did not sign anything for the audience?

I've seen a number of people describe the stage/set as "simple." Or not "Next Level" enough.

http://i41.tinypic.com/123mid2.jpg

http://i42.tinypic.com/dpjm68.jpg

http://i40.tinypic.com/2e0r78p.jpg

http://i39.tinypic.com/1yo2l2.jpg

Credit: ayu200403@ayumifans

omg i love the outfits, but that one with the purple jacket and that hair....X_X

but the black leather outfit is <3<3<3!!! LOVE IT!!!
lol the cheerleader outfit is cute <3

edit: >_> can't believe i missed that big white dress T_T....another mermaid like dress

...oh my lord.

Overall not bad costume wise.

But its as I suspected - it seems the PCDL performances are completely recycled even down to the outfits. In fact even the non PCDL outfits seem recycled from past performances actually except for maybe the cheerleader one.

I'm not going to get my hopes up for the cheerleader section to be live... :)

The outfits, OMG, they are so good!!

HAHAHA WTF IS GOING ON WITH THAT WIG

There's some really nice outfits,but some of the outfits are weird,like the cheerleader one.

Is it just me.. or have we seen ALL these outfits somewhere else before? (minus cheerleader)

Haha...cute....but she looks like Ayu from AT07

That section's probably live. I'm worried about the pre-Bridge to the sky section. How is the vocoder-ness gonna work? Oi.

Is it just me or is her hair de-evolving? It's like, concert tour 2000 all over again in the encore.

lol i immediately thought of v for vendetta when i saw her wig
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...y48/images.jpg

She looks SO adorable in the cheerleader outfit. SOOO adorable :laugh

The costumes are nothing to scream about though. She just looks really cute in every one of them =)

She had already wore similar costumes in PCDL, a mermaid dress again, and the purple one too... But I like the (cheerleader?) costume this time!

And there are two completely different black tracksuits, one with corset, underneath the PCDL-like purple costume, and another one with jacket

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/1361/78508732.jpg

ayuchina

More shots of the fabulous wig haha!

^^ Her eyes in the purple outfit look like she is going to kill someone. :)

I actually think it looks cute there. :) But it is something that is more "old Ayu" I think.

But man, these costumes. They aren't bad (I like most of them, but I also liked most of PCDL too...) and I know she has recycled costumes before...ALL of these though have been on previous tours or CDLs. Many of them just at the PCDL. Just shows once again that imo not enough time/effort went into anything post PCDL. I just can't help getting the impression since then that more often than not she has just taken whatever was the quickest/easiest way. It's hard to blame her for that though. But still, it doesn't mean I have to like it either. :)

I haven't come across any report from someone that was there that seemed like they were really blown away or anything yet - I'm still looking.

GAH LOVE IT! That wig fits in perfectly with the 80's/70's styles of some of the songs on next Level and the overall funky look of the jacket/booklet photos.

Lol! :roflmao :D

It wouldve been cool to see atleast one of those cool latex things she wore for Rule/Sparkle PV's but atleast we know now that the whole concert isnt full of just those haha

So the only outfit that is new is the cheerleader one... so far, I think that I am going to only download this concert when it comes out on tv or DVD.

black and silver corset one = Surreal/ Mirrorcle World on CDTV
black and purple jacket = PCDL
mermaid dress= PCDL and other concerts..
silver hat one= CDL 07-08
black latex one = Rule pv

I don't think I mentioned it.. it was Huaka, I believe.

How strange. Today's will probably fix w/e went wrong.

Some more info:

There was apparently several problems in the concert; some comments about the concert not being ready or something along those lines.

Apparently the big white dress got caught on something while she was walking.

There was some kind of problem with Rule as truehappiness mentioned.

There was no sound for part of Rollin'.

Some kind of problem with the lights and sound synchronization.

Some comments about the costumes being the same. One person saying they are pretty, but there was no excitement felt because they kept feeling more like "how many times have I seen this?" etc etc.

Can it be prediction time now?

The silver corset outfit is for evolution,because of the photos she's making evolution poses such as grabbing mic towards audience,etc;
The trapezoid wig outfit is probably for Sparkle,because of the glasses and the robot movements;
The glittery suit outfit is for In The Corner,becuase of the chairs;
HAHAHA WE ALL KNOW WHERE THE HEDIOUS PINK DRESS WILL GO;
Cheerleader goes to EnergizE,becuase of the song's theme?Probably.

Amirite or amirite?

A little disappointing. They all look like rehashes of PCDL & CDL 07-08's outfits. But at least we know there will be a lot of dancing this time around. Hopefully, Ayu doesn't wear herself out.

And is it just me or does Ayu look like Madonna with the short/straight bob-wig?

omg i love that cheerleader outfit LOL
all of the outfits look good but that wig lol..
god she is in such good shape

this tour looks so cheap compared to her other tours. it's like PCDL all over again. and no special effects?

the wig is a big no no for me (much better than last year wigs but she looks better without) but i love that outfit with it. the pink glitter jacket. it was my fav outfit from PCDL too.

the silver outfit with the hat... RAINBOW/glitter @ CDL 07-08 anyone?

That big dress.. looks like POWDER SNOW @ PCDL.. and the other dress too only this time it's pink.


But i'm kind of glad she does a simple tour this year. i find myself to enjoy those more. like stadium tour 2002.

i don't mind the recycled outfits but i'm still kind of upset she did In The Corner and HorP. i hope she changes them to other songs during other shows.

but overall it looks reat :D

So much for taking things to the NEXT LEVEL :shakehead

The cheerleader outfit reminds me of Santa Claus for some reason. I think it's the colors.

The outfits are fairly recycled (it doesn't necessarily look like it's the whole outfit, but that they mixed and matched different parts, which is not surprising), but I have no problems with that.

Except for that weird wig thing. Can't they pick something that's flattering to her face?

i know right XDD

About technical problems and unfinished or bad costumes... it happens all the time, I mean, the show will be getting better with time, first one it's just like a dress rehersal, that's why they always record the final one from Tokyo

the red cheerleader outfit looks more like a santa outfit. I'm not impressed with the costumes other than the cheerleader oufit. Well atleast the mermaid style dress looks better than the AT08 one.

The cheer leader outfit, did she steal that from Kuu's diet cola commercial XD?

^Now that you mention it...:laugh

Well,no worries for the malfunctions,like Ayumi27 said,the first one it's just like a dress rehersal.So,yay.

Well, if things can go wrong, they will~

Just look at Ladies Night and the mishaps that came with AT06..

This seems like a bit more "happenings" than usual though. I've went to a couple of her first dates either for CDL or the tour and none of them had this many accidents/problems. The best ever though was the second date of the Miss Understood tour when they couldn't get hte alterna ball to lower.

I think it goes like this:

rule/unite: black one with jacket
energize/Audience. cheerleader one
L&H/ID/in the corner: not shown yet
HorP/GREEN/Days: white one... i can't guess when she turns into the mermaid-pink one..
Evolution/Signal: the black this silver corset (maybe signal also gous with the purple..)
rollin/sparkle: she puts the purple jacket and wig
Next level: glittery one


what do you think?

Well ayu may improve costumes by the last day. It happened with past tours. Look at all the differences between the japan leg of the 08 and the latter asia leg. If her fans contact her with complaints, it'll change.

She'll need to change a lot of them....I don't normally complain a lot but this time I'm really disappointed with this year's tour. Like come on...with the colorful tour logo...the costumes are so plain colored...the stage and costumes are totally not impressive. I seriously wonder what was the tour's budget...

Wow it all looks so.. underwhelming. I was hoping for a lot more technology in the stage since it would fit with the whole NEXT LEVEL thing, but it almost looks like they downgraded. Hard to judge from those early pictures though.

The outfits are definitely underwhelming though. I hope it all improves during the tour. Her putting all of the NEXT LEVEL songs in the tour is at least good, she should've done that from the start anyway with her album themed tours.

^ Yeah, its great that she is doing all the songs - I just wish it was for a different album. :)

^Why do you always use a :) when you aren't actually happy haha

^because she's cool like that.

And ew.

EW

Is she on drugs? What's wrong with her? It's like she's losing her mind. Those outfits are ALL horrible.

Maybe this is what happens when certain artists have too much creative control :laugh
That made my day.

Actually the purple outfit with the wig is my favorite, because it's different. Everything else is just B-O-R-I-N-G.

Her performances better be damn amazing for her to stop promotion and everything (supposedly) for this tour.

To show when I am being somewhat sarcastic/joking otherwise half the stuff I say would come off much more harsh than I actually intend it.

new pics:

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...-123949198.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...-123949198.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...-123949177.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...-123949219.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...0-123949-1.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...-123949219.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...-123949246.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...0-123949-2.jpg

Yup That' rite I guess.
Now we only can expect something new for the rock section + in the corner

Anyway ayu should name this tour 'deja vu arena ttour 2009' or something. When I saw the costumes I knew where they came from. I mean, they look nice yes. But it lacks creativiy ayu usually has.

The stage, looks like Namie's Live Style tour 2006 much. really.

And no more props from ayu? Cage, or giant disco ball or whatever???

I guess ayu gave her all out in PCDL that she didn't have time to record her album and manage this tour so well, she rushed recording to NEXT LEVEL album, snd she only have lil amount of time for this arena tour. REally, it looks like another CDL to me

Wow yeaahh!! AT 2009 NEXT LEVEL outfits, more photos!

RULE/UNITE

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/3720/...premiumcou.jpg

HOPE or PAIN/GREEN/Days

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/372...premiumcou.jpghttp://img10.imageshack.us/img10/372...premiumcou.jpg

Evolution/SIGNAL

http://eneabba.net/ayu/video/live/pa...myself0203.jpg

Sparkle/rollin'

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/3720/...premiumcou.jpghttp://img8.imageshack.us/img8/3720/...premiumcou.jpg

NEXT LEVEL

http://eneabba.net/ayu/video/live/pa...lution3104.jpghttp://eneabba.net/ayu/video/live/pa...lution3103.jpg

ENCORE

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/5901/...remiumcoub.jpg


yeah.... :)

I love outfit!!! I want to see her concert >.<

oh i love the 2nd picture on the top row! what song is that for @_@

:( in the corner is the same.. sure.. the same coreo and all.. only a red tie... T___T at least identity and LOVE&HATE have a diferent outfit...

is it just me or she wore that same open sided pants 3 times in this tour? In the corner, Evolution until sparkle??? OH NO

omg what is that new outfit? there's something unseen! she looks so sexy & cute

OH WOW she sang hope or pain. (screams like a girl)

More comments:

People say that her costumes are very similar to previous tours.
There was some sort of electrical/technical failure for the opening movie.
The setlist/whole thing was sloppy but this mixi member's most memorable performance was In the Corner because the dance was so cool, Signal because it broke back a lot of memories, Everywhere Nowhere because of the lyrics love is not an illusion, and your dreams will come true, the light of your hopes/wishes will shine through, and Hope or Pain because it's one of her favorites and she was so happy she sang it.
They all think she sang the old songs because she did it for the people who didn't go [to the PCDL] and wanted to hear them.
Explosions for Rule and Identity.
The use of the screens was super extravagent.
There was silver tape (ribbons), so it was very pretty and colorful.
EnergizE costume was super cute.
Okay so the kiddy thing I mentioned earlier they keep saying "aka-chan" so baby Ayu?

Edit: OH! So this baby Ayu thing was because Ayu showed a picture of herself when she was a baby.

Sounds great!!
I also thought ayu wanted to sing some of the PCDL songs for the people who couldn't go to the PCDL.

The outfits in the pics on the last page looked better and some new outfits look awesome.

She did recycle some outifts, most likely from the reason of the PCDL songs, she used them in PCDL (and one on CDL07-08 I think) but since most people didn't have a chance to have a look at them she wanted to use them again.

God! I'm SO disappointed! Her outfits are exactly like previews ones just different colors! This concert looks more like a CDL than an Arena Tour...:/ God. I'm not looking forward to it at all.

Ya I confirmed she wear the same pants for 5 songs U_U...unusual for her...

anyway...

I hope everything goes well...she may/could hange some costumes, like the colours or even the whole costume if she feel unright or sth. It happened in m(u) and AT08..and some other tour

I agree with you :yes

^haha, me too...
I mistook the photos like a CDL....

Comments:

The previous tours felt like Ayu, Peco, Princess, Yocchan, Enrike, but today's one felt more like Ayu and the dancers.
It felt like Ayu and Shu-ya's love story. O_o.
This person felt like she's going through a recession dump. Nothing stood out about her performances, or her costumes.
During Audience when the male and female dancers separeted, their steps were like Fly High's.
The A mark was a 7 colored rainbow.

Honestly, do you think that Ayu have a lot of time to prepare her concert? Since the begining she kept running everywhere tomake photoshoot, album, pv's, dancer selection, ... It's really so much!
Th tracklist can change during the tour. She always did that in he previous concert! And she can change her outfits like she did in the AT06!
I think she listened to her fans too. Because most of them love in the corner's performance at PCDL. So she did it again!

It seems like half of the outfits are new and half are from PCDL (and one or two from CDL 07-08).
She had a damn good reason though to use them since most of the people that will go to NL tour are people who didn't go to the CDLs (since they are just 2 shows) and she wants to show them and sing some songs of the PCDL.
Most of us unfortunately couldn't care less for the poor girl's intensions and we want her to use only new outfits and sing only new songs apperantely =P.

I'm not surprised that one of the people on mixi liked In The Corner performance the most (even if it was recycled) most likely he/she couldn't go to the PCDL.

LOL.

Some more (I have like 5 more pages to go through):

The introduction to Rule was done acapella.
They said Ayu's Christian. O_O.
Ayu had lots of make-up to conceal the dark circles under her eyes.
This mixi member thinks there's a connection with the 7, and it might have something to do with Dragonball. Because the song is called Pieces of SEVEN and the Load of Shugyo song, the word is connected with Dragonball. She says she's probably reading too much into it.

Wow, kinda tired. Ima take a break and translate more later.

Well... I don't really care... I don't watch ayu performaces because of the outfits or special effects...

But a white stage + light = a lot of possibilities

I love this outfit. Hot.
I don't mind recycling outfits, but I have never like those pants that are ripped down the sides. They are ugly and she always wears them up too high. I am happy there's no outfit with fat hanging over it and I like the setlist, but yeah kinda disappointed. Glad I didn't buy tickets.

Well I think lotsa people are kinda disappointed or unimpressed because Ayu has been talking about the "NEXT LEVEL" in everything and I was expecting something at least new. She usually will reuse a few things, but this is a lot of the same. Recycled songs, routines, and outfits does not take us to the next level. Anyways, as long as she sounds okay then I'll be happy and will probably get it.

ICK. Although at least Peco and Princess aren't there as much....

lol @ walking.proud's photo comparison.

I will probably be in Tokyo for the October dates and right now all I can really say is that I'm glad I'll at least be able to get them for super cheap on the resale market.

wow I LOVE the setlist! SIGNAL *____* In The Corner <3! unusual songs fans unite!

the outfits are ok

But it will be cool If Ayu change her Rule outfit for somethin like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soGrQUc6kpA

I love that outfit with the hotpants,it's the best!

She does sing the whole NEXT LEVEL album with bringing other songs to context them into the tour's story.
The recycled thing here is mainly the PCDL songs and some of the outfits from there. The outfits themselves aren't next level (though the most important part is the music anyway) but she had a good intension of using them and the routines for most of the people that will go to the tour.
The PCDL just had 2 dates so most people couldn't see those performances and she's pretty generous and thoughtful to bring them (since we really liked them in the PCDL) into this tour.
Everyone is freely allowed to be dissapointed of course, but ayu's job isn't to satisfy us who watch the TV/DVD version of the PCDL and get sick if she does anything from it again nor only satisfy the japanese audience who went to the PCDL since the number of people who saw that are nothing compared to the people who will see the tour. I just don't blame her even though I myself would like to see some better customs. I did like most of the new ones she does look sexy or cute in most of them.

^ Rule intro was sung accapela? t2m AT08 much??? I dun think its nice...I was hoping she will just walk out from behind the Screen like MS performance or just pop out from below the stage

I think that Rule acappella might be cooler than t2m acapella lol.
t2m sounded kind of wierd.

^ t2m sounds better thou

oh well we'll just wait n see