PREMIUM SHOWCASE ~Feel the love~ information thread

[maururu-roa]

Just finished watching it, for me it was bad... Not sure how to feel yet, maybe I need more time to start appreciating it. Didn't like the set list at all (only 5 fav songs) but I guess that's a personal thing.

But first, the bad things:
- most of it seemed too edited, I couldn't really hear her voice because of the loud back vocals (Connected, Terminal, Lelio). Kinda like mashed potatoes where everything is just stirred together and you can't distinguish between anything lol. xD Back vocals should only complement the live singing, not mask it. :Z I think this tendency started with A Best Live and CDL13-14, but somehow the CDL was amazing.

- FTL was the flagship song of the tour so maybe she couldn't omit it, but because of you, decision, You & Me and B&D had absolutely no place there... She already sang them at the CDL, with the same video wall and effects, totally redundant if you ask me;

- the insert song was bad :/

- where is Urata Naoya?? I wanted to see him, just playing his voice was very lame;

- the last koko ni part from Angel was lipsynced from the studio recording, I wonder if they only did it for the tv version but nonetheless it was noticeable;

Now the good things!!
- Never Ever was good!! Maybe I'm finally starting to appreciate this song and I was impressed!!

- TO BE was a huge surprise and the dress was beautiful! A bit static but looked amazing seen from the camera above, when the turning started. The sphere during Connected reminded me of alterna from AT06;

- the whole thing with the masked dancer was thought out well, imagine when the time for introducing band members comes and he takes off his mask, who else would be there but shuya... lol xD Of course it wasn't going to happen, but it was an interesting part and kept me wondering who he might be;

- Lico taking selfies at the end was a funny reference to xoxo, I laughed

- there was less focus on timmy *coughhotellovesongscough*

- visually it was stunning, really liked the beginning with the water and the intro sounded a bit like swan lake;

- the acrobatic dance WOW!! I didn't pay attention to it at first, it was a bit dark and I assumed it was the same person who usually does it, but when the song was over and I replayed.... omg it was ayu!! XD Such a dangerous performance and she did so well!! i'm still in shock.

Another thing I noticed is they forgot to turn on the autotune toward the end of Lelio, because that was the only time when I heard her real voice. I was looking forward to Lelio the most but it wasn't epic enough for me (and the excessive voice editing too).

I realize the tv version has bad camera angels, often I could see her face from afar or not at all. The BD will be definitely better with more interesting things I missed. Overall the concert felt very rushed, I didn't get the feeling of an arena tour at all. It's almost as if the CLD was an arena tour and vice versa. If I remember anything else, I'll add later.

[douggn]

Iv only seen terminal and connected so far and I dont get the blah about it. I thought it was good for a tv live. Better than her past wowo vocals and much better than when it was when she lost her hearing in her left ear. It sounded like she used a back track for vocals for most of terminal but still a good preformance. I love the new connected sound. She should do a Terminal/Connected re-release single with an updated connected vocals

[rikku1994]

LOL Lelio was drowning in auto-tune XD but I kinda like it!

And am I the only one who thinks that the big "disco" ball is similar to Britney Spears' Piece of Me Tour (particularly the Work B*tch bit)?

[Tom Punks]

Originally Posted by maururu-roa

- FTL was the flagship song of the tour so maybe she couldn't omit it, but because of you, decision, You & Me and B&D had absolutely no place there... She already sang them at the CDL, with the same video wall and effects, totally redundant if you ask me

Ayu seems to be trying to make You & Me a new staple, which is fine with me because I think it sounds infinitely better live than SURREAL and evolution do, but I totally agree with you about the other songs. I don't think there was a single one that I ever WANTED TO HEAR LIVE AGAIN except Connected. I wish she'd retire Because of You already. It's good, but she has so much more to offer in her discography. The only other one I didn't mind was STEP you because at least, unlike the other random pulls like NEVER EVER, it fits sonically with her current music.

For example, HOTEL Love songs had a great selection because the old songs she pulled out actually fit perfectly with the narrative of the concert and the sounds of the then-current album. STEP you and Sparkle were perfect choices, and she stuck SURREAL and evolution at the end so they at least wouldn't screw up the flow of the main concert.

But with this concert, it felt like she just picked old songs out of a hat without any concern as to what would actually pair well with songs from Colours. Connected was a perfect choice, but everything else left me scratching my head wondering why??? I don't get why, if she wanted to start the concert on an electronic note, she wouldn't start with Terminal and Connected instead and DITCH the random WHATEVER and Last angel section. Seriously, Terminal has "OPENING SONG!!!" written all over it, but she didn't open the album or the tour with it and it feels like a wasted opportunity to me. Terminal -> Connected would have really started the concert with a bang, but instead it fell flat because WHATEVER has been done and done and done again and Last angel is just not that interesting live.

But I'm nitpicking, lol.

I feel like she would have been able to pull the less-than-stellar setlist off if there had been more to the show itself, but there wasn't much at all happening. I wanted to see set pieces, actual performances, interesting ideas taking place, you know? But all she really did was stand there and get lost in a swarm of dancers. The only set pieces were the ball she recycled from AT06, a mic stand, and a pole. And she didn't even DO anything with those. There was no narrative to the show and nothing interesting to watch. It was just. Her. Standing there. And she didn't even look excited to be there. :\

[ayumi_ed]

according to my japanese fd, this is a "showcase", not a "tour" (apparently Japanese audience have different understanding on the above terms). thus, the whole thing is basically for the singer to show off the songs/ intended way of performance. they would not have the same expectation as in on "tour"...

i still remember when I was there in Osaka, Angel, terminal and connected are the parts where the audience have gone crazily high.

[holy_arrow]

Just watched the whole showcase, now I have some feelings ...

I wish she didn't use the back vocal so much (What is forever love, angel, lelio), that makes her performances worse and boring

Terminal and connected, I can't even hear her voice, someone said that this part is live and such the good performances but I just hear the music ...

XOXO- STEP you, I hate this style, she looks like ..., I used to hope for the great and fun performance of XOXO to forget the horrible PV

Because of you, Bold & Delicious is unnecessary, just the recycled parts of the latest CDL.

The opening is nothing special, I thought it must be more creative

Dancers are always everywhere and so many of them ... hope she would cut some of them (Tomoki's group and A Power Bome group)

This is the fun and good concert as I think, Ayu looks fun and I appreciate her effort to make incredible performances ...

Last angel, NEVER EVER, To be, Hello new me, Lelio, Now and 4EVA, Feel the love are my favourite songs ...

[Chibi-Chan]

Originally Posted by rikku1994

And am I the only one who thinks that the big "disco" ball is similar to Britney Spears' Piece of Me Tour (particularly the Work B*tch bit)?

I also thought so. And to be honest the whole time I had the feeling as if I was actually watching a Britney concert. But that's a compliment.

[orangeakira]

Finally watched the tour, it was amazing. However since we don't live in a perfect world, there are somethings I'd change:

Spoiler:

-I'd open the concert with "Terminal/Connected". Have her come down in the ball and perform both songs while floating around the stage in it. Then come out of the ball and sing "Whatever/last angel" on stage.

-I think all the dancey songs need to be together. She opens with 2 dancey songs, then has a rock section and a ballad section, then sings 2 more dancey songs.

-The "To be/Hello new me" performance was beautiful and the outfit was nice but it didn't really fit the concert. I don't really think it would fit no matter where it was placed in the setlist. I'd cut it and save it for another concert.

-I'd put Step you in with the rock section of the concert. I'm honestly just glad it's no longer a "cutesy" song.

-She should have ended the concert with Angel. It was just so fucking beautiful and having her rise into the sky into darkness seemed like such an "ending" to the concert. It would have made sense for her to start the concert coming down from the sky singing Terminal (which sings about devils) and then end the concert rising up back into the sky singing Angel (which sings about angels).

-What is Forever love is a mess. I'd just take it out. period.
-same with Bold & Delicious. It's not a mess, but it just doesn't belong in this concert.

-Since she lowered the key of Connected and it worked amazingly I think she should perform still alone. Also since I cut 4 songs out of the setlist (hello new me, to be, Bold & Delicious, and what is forever love) we need more songs. lol

So something like this:

01. Terminal
02. Connected
03. WHATEVER
04. Last angel
05. Sparkle
06. STEP you
------
07. NOW & 4EVA
08. decision
09. Tell me why
10. NEVER EVER
11. still alone
12. Because of You
------
13. Merry-go-round
14. XOXO
15. Lelio
16. You & Me
17. Feel the love
18. Angel

Even though I listed a bunch of changes, I still think this is an amazing concert and will probably buy the bluray.

----------I just noticed that in the performance for feel the love, she mixed in elements of the Dj Hello Kitty remix. They also opened the concert with the song. She really should just perform it already. I feel like she really wants to, but is afraid people will complain that she's performing a remix and paid money just to have her not perform the original song.

[yabieru]

Originally Posted by orangeakira

-She should have ended the concert with Angel. It was just so fucking beautiful and having her rise into the sky into darkness seemed like such an "ending" to the concert. It would have made sense for her to start the concert coming down from the sky singing Terminal (which sings about devils) and then end the concert rising up back into the sky singing Angel (which sings about angels).

I'd love that

[Tomoyo]

anyone else feel like You & Me is like the new evolution? i'm pretty sure she has sang it every tour and countdown live since it's release.

[DevilsClap]

Originally Posted by Tomoyo

anyone else feel like You & Me is like the new evolution? i'm pretty sure she has sang it every tour and countdown live since it's release.

I love You & Me though!
It always makes me so happy and want to dance, haha

[BlackSilence]

Originally Posted by Zeke.

All her past lives have had this same sound/feeling to them. It's like a smoothed over roughness. I can't quite explain it. But it's like a processed live.

Anyways, I haven't watched yet. But nothing will ever top R'n'R Circus tour. Even if the quality is on par with R'n'R, her vocals can't match it. R'n'R her vocals were STRONG. Full of POWER. Now they are processing it differently and it kind of makes everything look and sound superficial.

RnRC is my #1 from the concerts of hers i watched in all ways vocals, setlist, visuals. It looked grand, fancy and powerful. And it has by far the best stage costumes she's ever had. At least to me. The second one is probably ABL. I think it's also because they both have Memorial Address performed, and i love that song to death. It was the first performance i saw of her and fell in love from that early countdown live 2000 i think. So it's kind of nostalgic to me. ^^"

[Irish_Ayu_Fan]

Oh my god, Tell Me Why would've been perfect after Never Ever!

[mi|kshake]

I've watched what I can from Youtube and loved what I saw! (Although yes, I do have a few nitpicks)

Love the Whatever & Last Angel section, though it would be nice if she could sing the verses of Last Angel sometime (though I enjoy her performances of it anyway). It seems like forever since Whatever was last performed (and I LOVE the CDL 04/05 performance, esp the live instruments) so it was great to see it again!

I was glad when Yoshio and Enrique came out! It was weird not seeing them at the start of the concert.

Loved the transition between Terminal & Connected!! And Feel The Love is such a fun song live! It would be cool to see it in person one day!

Nitpicks:

Well, this is more of a major one for me - the backing tracks on What Is Forever Love and Now & 4Eva. I much prefer she have Timmy & Princess sing those parts. It feels a bit cheap to have her own backing vocals play.

I wish And Then was also included in the setlist and maybe Naturally?

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by artcika

RnRC is my #1 from the concerts of hers i watched in all ways vocals, setlist, visuals. It looked grand, fancy and powerful. And it has by far the best stage costumes she's ever had. At least to me. The second one is probably ABL. I think it's also because they both have Memorial Address performed, and i love that song to death. It was the first performance i saw of her and fell in love from that early countdown live 2000 i think. So it's kind of nostalgic to me. ^^"

Omg yes, the memorial address performance from at10 gives me so much life! I love everything about it.

[tsumekaze_]

this concert is perfect, I'm loving it, really. I feel she has put so much effort and improved so much. I'm very proud.
On another note, who the heck is the silver sparkling venom dancing there (and trying to steal musical instruments)?


Is he Maro? is he Tyson Bodkin? Is he Shu-ya incognito?
Speculate.

edit: forget it, just saw the ending. MY THEORIES WERE BETTER NOW

[ExodusUK]

The part in XOXO when she rides her male dancer's pelvis/where his penis would be was really shocking to me...that's like some Koda Kumi shit.

[miki_beland]

Originally Posted by ExodusUK

The part in XOXO when she rides her male dancer's pelvis/where his penis would be was really shocking to me...that's like some Koda Kumi shit.

the editing made it very subtile as you don't see her doing it in the middle of the screen... but watching it live was really surprising for this reason lol but I liked it

[maxikot]

Originally Posted by ExodusUK

The part in XOXO when she rides her male dancer's pelvis/where his penis would be was really shocking to me...that's like some Koda Kumi shit.

I had the same feeling. Kind of like ewww...can we just move on with the show?

[Sunrise]

Oh my, I absolutely LOVED it. I had to take a moment to take in how GORGEOUS she looked as well, she was serving it up the entire show. Slay me, goddess! The moment where WHATEVER turns into Last angel was really cool as well, it was a very seamless transition. Loved it.