VOL.123／126 hills パン工場live report vol.11“GARNET CROW NIGHT”

●○○ From music freak magazine Vol.123

Sai Saida's
hills BREAD FACTORY LIVE REPORT!
vol.11

Every Thursday, the live house “hills BREAD FACTORY,” which opens only on Thursdays in Kitahorie, Osaka, hosts one-night-only shows by GIZA studio artists, with special song selections and guests. This section brings you a direct report of those shows. This time, we present a report on GARNET NIGHT, held on December 30 of last year.

★GARNET CROW NIGHT★　December 2, 2004　★★☆★☆☆★★☆

　The final THURSDAY LIVE of 2004 featured GARNET CROW as the sole act. Since this live house was effectively the only place where they performed live, a fierce battle for tickets unfolded, and only 220 people were allowed into the venue. Then the day's live began. The opening number, “Yuudzukuyo,” from their latest album, began with Nana AZUKI's beautiful piano. Once singles such as “Crystal Gauge” and “Natsu no Maboroshi” followed, the venue expanded into a dense space filled with the distinctive GARNET CROW worldview. Because the audience was so close to the performers, the performances, vocals, and resonance of the lyrics felt even more intimate, and it was irresistible. The members were also dressed in a relaxed style close to their usual selves, and even Yuri Nakamura's MC seemed to carry a relaxed air. They performed their debut song “Mysterious Eyes,” then followed it with the latest singles “Wasurezaki” and “Kimi wo Kazaru Hana wo Sakasou.” The skill of mixing old and new songs in the selection and arrangement made it impossible to grow tired of listening and made the passing time feel short. Before we knew it, they had reached “Bokura dake no Mirai,” the final song of the main set, and this song alone was an energetic live performance that left no time to catch one's breath, bringing the sense of unity with the audience to its peak. The encore songs “Futari no Rocket” and “Spiral” were even more exciting, bringing the final THURSDAY LIVE of 2004 to a fitting close. That momentum would eventually bear fruit in their first hall tour of the new year......
　It was a night that proved once again that GARNET CROW is truly a group of artists with a one-of-a-kind presence.

【SET LIST】
1.Yuudzukuyo
2.Crystal Gauge
3.Natsu no Maboroshi
4.Mysterious Eyes
5.Wasurezaki
6.Eien wo Kakenukeru Isshun no Bokura
7.Yume Mita Ato de
8.Mizu no Nai Hareta Umi e
9.call my name
10.Kimi wo Kazaru Hana wo Sakasou
11.Blue no Mori de
12.Koisuru Koto Shika Dekinai Mitai ni
13.Bokura dake no Mirai
ENCORE 1. Futari no Rocket
ENCORE 2. Spiral
(All original GARNET CROW songs)

●○○ From music freak magazine Vol.126

New Year's issue
Special feature
Part One!!

Special comments from artists who appeared at Pan Factory Live

Since this is the New Year's issue, we asked the artists who appeared at last year's “hills BREAD FACTORY LIVE” to share memories unique to hills BREAD FACTORY LIVE, as well as their goals for this year! You should be able to sense what these shows mean to each artist. Pan Factory LIVE is sure to become even more exciting this year! If you have never attended one, please come and see it for yourself this year!

Q1: Please tell us an episode from last year's Pan Factory live that left an impression on you.　Q2: What would you like to do at this year's Pan Factory live (including your goals)?

GARNET CROW

■Yuri Nakamura
1. My most memorable experience was appearing in “GARNET NIGHT” for the first time in December. Being able to spend the end of 2004 with a hot, enjoyable Pan Factory live made it a wonderful memory. I also remember how exciting it became when I appeared as a guest at “OKAMOTO NIGHT,” with all the GARNET members other than Oka-mocchi as guests, and it turned into a little GARNET NIGHT at the end.

2. My goal? Well, Pan Factory LIVE often features all kinds of cover songs, so I would like to try singing songs from a wide range of genres. I would also like to try singing while playing an instrument if I get the chance...... And what about a project called “Yurippe NIGHT”? (laughs)

■Nana AZUKI
1. When I think of 2004, my memories divide clearly into before and after “OKAMOTO NIGHT” on August 5. After that Pan Live, before I knew it, it was December! The end of the year already~. I was amazed.

2. This year, I would like to watch more of the other performers' stages. I want to get excited together with them!

■Hiroto Furui
1. Before every show, I adjust the volume of the monitors onstage during rehearsal and set them up so that I can play comfortably, but once the actual show starts, I think, “They got me again!” (laughs). As the stage gets underway, everyone gradually heats up, and the volume onstage becomes considerably louder than it was during rehearsal. Then I raise mine too so I can keep up, but I still cannot compete with the other instruments, and there have been several times when I could no longer hear my own sound and ended up sweating. This year I will not lose...... (laughs)

2. Since it is a valuable space where you never know who might suddenly appear and where you can enjoy yourselves with the audience at the shortest possible distance, I hope we can put on the kind of precious live show that can only be seen and performed at Pan Factory. Look forward to it!!

■Hitoshi Okamoto
1. My most memorable Pan Factory live was naturally the first “OKAMOTO NIGHT.” It was overwhelmingly intense. It was my first time singing as a vocalist in a live show, and I realized that it was a completely different matter from singing karaoke. The most difficult song was my own “telepathy.” It is surprisingly hard.

2. If I have the opportunity to sing as a vocalist again, I want to make the live show even a little better than the last one. There are things you can learn only through actual performance. I would also like to do “GARNET NIGHT” again. As project ideas, I would like to try “FURUI NIGHT” or “AZUKI in G.C. MIDNIGHT.” What do you think?