ayumi hamasaki COUNTDOWN LIVE 2009-2010 A -Future Classics photos

[Andrenekoi]

It seens that CDLs are becoming fan oriented best of concerts and test drive for main tour performances...

I don`t really care as soon as she keep the main tours fresh... and besides at07 that was a best of tour and at08 my name`s women, she is managing to do that...

[SunshineSlayer]

^Even in the Arena tours though, all of them have extremely predictable patterns and themes and that didn't start occurring until the miss Understood tour till now. Actually reusing stage setups and costumes though seems to be mainly in CDLs and A-nation.

[pommy48]

Ah kinda tired of the cage....she can be more creative....and if she wanted a cage...make it a bird cage then >_>

The STEP you dress...is really unflattering~ Why can't she do sexy+cute like STEP you during AT06....

The shoulder pads are kinda unflattering....it's not necessary, it only looks ok with an armor designed outfit like kiss o' kill during AT07

[Andrenekoi]

Well, after watching a lot of pop concerts... I don`t really mind the reusing of themes cuz every artist has his/hers favorite ones... Madonna has a latin part in almost every tour of her career, for example (damn La isla bonita xD)... x,x

Still, I would love if ayu stopped doing a entire new tour/album every year, cuz it make her themes get repetitive and old faster...

Besides the fact that every tour of hers since at03-04 has the ballad part, the cute part, the sexy part, etc... I don`t think it`s that bad... i would love if she stopped the cute thing too, but japanese people loves it, so, it`s more a cultural thing

[nanakopy87]

Originally Posted by pommy48

Ah kinda tired of the cage....she can be more creative....and if she wanted a cage...make it a bird cage then >_>

The STEP you dress...is really unflattering~ Why can't she do sexy+cute like STEP you during AT06....

The shoulder pads are kinda unflattering....it's not necessary, it only looks ok with an armor designed outfit like kiss o' kill during AT07

i hate AT06 step you costume o.O i think this is better than AT06 but can't judge based on the photo.still waiting for the uploaders to upload it

[love in music]

Yeah, she must just really want some songs to be performed that way every time. She should realize that some fans like variety and change, but, she's doing what she wants and we can't control her so whatever lol. I'll probably wind up loving the show anyway because although she has lost some of her creativity, she hasn't lost a bit of her stage presence.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

Well, after watching a lot of pop concerts... I don`t really mind the reusing of themes cuz every artist has his/hers favorite ones... Madonna has a latin part in almost every tour of her career, for example (damn La isla bonita xD)... x,x

Still, I would love if ayu stopped doing a entire new tour/album every year, cuz it make her themes get repetitive and old faster...

Besides the fact that every tour of hers since at03-04 has the ballad part, the cute part, the sexy part, etc... I don`t think it`s that bad... i would love if she stopped the cute thing too, but japanese people loves it, so, it`s more a cultural thing

Glad we agree at least somewhat. About the last part though, sure lots of Japanese school girls go "oh kawaii" over everything, but plenty of people over there too dislike Ayu acting so cutesy at her age. Imagine her being like Seiko still doing this act when she is older, cause that seems to be where she is heading.

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

Glad we agree at least somewhat. About the last part though, sure lots of Japanese school girls go "oh kawaii" over everything, but plenty of people over there too dislike Ayu acting so cutesy at her age. Imagine her being like Seiko still doing this act when she is older, cause that seems to be where she is heading.

Well, imo, at06 really seemed like Ayu was making fun of the cute thing... Actually, all the STEP you performances always seens to be a (done on purpose) joke...

and At08 cute part just looked coherent cuz she was singing earlier hits...

That happened again with sparkle

But I really don`t know what the hell was she thinking on at09...

With you were/ballad and rule performances, to me, it seemed that ayu is considering to have a more mature image... something i would love to see her doing

[zoomzoom]

I blame the stage itself for some of the reusing. Pretty much she's been using the same stage every year since AT05, maybe CDL04-05, with roughly the same rig above it. So I'm guessing a really big part of the creative process of the tour is her sitting down with the main stage technician asking him "OK, I wanna do this, can we extend the runway a bit here, can we ad hydraulics here, can we run the levitation rail all the way down the runway" etc. The cage for example, it's always been there, in every single stage she's ever used, even if she didn't use it. All they do is add bars to the people lifter.

I've been quite impressed with some of the stuff her staff have managed to squeeze out of this stage skeleton.

Of course that doesn't excuse her reused outfits, but seriously, she's been using the same clothing designer for how long? She really needs fresh people when it comes to that.

[GRACE]

You know, for those who've seen the concerts live, seeing the epic performances again live is fun. We all have to remember that it's NOT about us watching on our computer screen thousands of miles away, it's about the people in the stadium. And THEY seem entertained. That's all that matters to Ayu.

I personally don't give a damn whether something is rehashed or not, it's never going to be exactly the same. Some songs just worked really well one way, and seeing them another way would be weird. Plus, performing something the same way is a lot easier then learning a completely new performance everytime. With EVERYTHING she's doing, when does she have time to learn all completely new performances? I'd rather her do something she knows well, then try to learn something new and screw it up

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

^ I would much rather see her just stand and sing with the band other than seeing the same behind bars thing 500 times or the same cutesy act or the same Shuya flailing around in the background with Ayu's face looking like she is constipated. Songs like 1 Love and Until that Day etc should be more scaled down songs to begin with imo and who says she has to do the same type of performance (ie laying on the ground) for Because of You everytime? It just makes it seem way to choreographed and less genuine to me. Of course hopefully I'll see the concert and still enjoy it anyways.

I would have to agree with this, I wouldn't mind never seeing Shuya pathetic dance ever again nor the same old behind the bars performance that's been used for both 1LOVE and NEVER EVER. I don't mind if she would just stand and sing, but some people prolly would.

[SunshineSlayer]

^ Then those must be the same couple of crazy people who don't like Stadium tour 2002 or Team Ayu Live 2003.

Originally Posted by identity

Yeah, she must just really want some songs to be performed that way every time. She should realize that some fans like variety and change, but, she's doing what she wants and we can't control her so whatever lol. I'll probably wind up loving the show anyway because although she has lost some of her creativity, she hasn't lost a bit of her stage presence.

Yeah, that's what saves her every time. So even though I get tired of her recycling performances, themes, concepts etc I still usually come away enjoying it because of her stage presence; I just know that it could be even better.

[Max_ZZZ]

eh... i'm not giving an opinion BUT people can't really argue the longevity of her career as the reason for recycled outfits. it's not limited creativity. if other artists can do things that we consider amazing and new and creative (ex. gaga love or hate still catches our eye), this just proves there is always something new to do. in the same ayu, ayu does what she wants and if she wanted to do something jaw dropping i'm sure she could try


let's not forget how many times we saw dresses like the A COMPLETE one. fated during countdown, the calender cover, etc
she prob goes through phases

how many times have one of you worn something repeatedly because you liked it?

[Max_ZZZ]

Originally Posted by njanjayrp

I would have to agree with this, I wouldn't mind never seeing Shuya pathetic dance ever again nor the same old behind the bars performance that's been used for both 1LOVE and NEVER EVER. I don't mind if she would just stand and sing, but some people prolly would.

LMAOOOO SOOO TRUEEE UGHHH

but i agree to this!! it`s becoming so routine. makes me =/

[TITANIC]

awesome outfit for pride

[Kashoku]

I dont know, I agree with whoever it was that said she needs a new designer. Start out fresh. Yes, I know it's supposed to be about the music, but do you know how DISTRACTING it is to watch the performance when they are wearing something you deem hideous? I thought the Pride outfit was ugly in AT06 and I skip that section every time even though I LOVE that song and she did perform it well in the tour, but I couldn't stand watching her in such an ugly get up. The outfits are more important than you could think.

I don't mind recycling performances themselves, or the ideas, but I think small changes can make a huge impact. Like the cage idea....use a different TYPE of cage. It can make a difference!

I don't know, maybe my expectations are too high, but she is my favorite artist and I do expect a lot. It's unfair to say that she can't make me happy. If that were true, then I wouldn't listen to her in the first place ^_^.

[alternarist]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

^ Why "must" they though? Ayu performed 1 Love on CDTV without anything and overall I consider that the songs best performance. Sorry, but for me these setups are just getting way way too repetitive.

well, if u can find cages in CDTV set, then talk about it.

[noidea]

I actually loved the "reusing" in some parts, some songs just have signature choreographies, signature costumes or signature stage settings and I can't really picture them without, at this time where ayus vocals are everything but good she NEEDS to rely on theatrics at least a little and performing songs completely different every time would actually be a little annoying for me, for most songs just standing around won't work anymore

[KPL]

About the recylcling, I have to say, ayu herself is different, and it is the way ayu performs that gives us a whole new performance.

However, I think sometimes the way of her performance years ago seemed to be better than the present ones. For example, the I am... in 2002 was epic because of the combinition of music, costume, theme, video, choreography, and POWER. You could really tell how much power there was in her eyes, as well as vocals, that could convey the message of that song. But in this CDL, ayu chooses not to be as "cold or strong" as she was in the 2002 stage. Instead, she is focusing in just singing, which is not a bad thing, but the performance has, as a result, less essence.

The same goes to the 1 LOVE performance. The AT07 performance was extremely sexy, because of costume, hair, make-up etc. This time, maybe the camera stays too far away from her, I cannot really see anything, just feel that the new performance in CDL is more fierce than sexy, due to her image of performance.

But there are certain songs only the present ayu can do well. When I heard the RED LINE in the end, I feel very moved. I know ayu could not do this in 2001 or 2005, when it was either her summit of career or the mature period. Having gone through all of these, the present ayu know how to convey the message in RED LINE, so she is doing that impressively, which I like.

So, if ayu choose to re-do her older classics, she should consider how she perform and convey the MESSAGE of the song in a good way, which gives her songs and tours life.

[visionfactory]

Everything's all right except for the STEP you / EnergizE outfit which I hate