VOL.133 “GARNET CROW premium live 〜happy 5th anniversary〜”rehearsal report

●○○ From music freak magazine Vol.133

GARNET CROW
premium live
〜happy 5th anniversary〜

Rehearsal Report!!

GARNET CROW

GARNET CROW spent this year marking its fifth anniversary with a succession of anniversary projects. The premium live show that will bring them to a close will be held on December 16 and 17 at Central Public Hall in Osaka's Nakanoshima district. Here, we take a brief look inside the rehearsals for that concert. (TEXT BY SAI SAIDA)

■Tuesday, November 21 — Rehearsal Day 1

　On this day, the rehearsal studio welcomed the three members other than vocalist Yuri Nakamura, together with their familiar touring support members: Yoshinobu Ōga (G), Yuichiro Iwai (AG), Masato Ōhashi (B), and David C. Brown (Dr). The rehearsal began in a relaxed atmosphere, with old friends who knew one another well gathered together again.
　They began with a sound check on “Mysterious Eyes,” which also served as a warm-up. Each musician adjusted the monitor volume and balance while playing. After running through the song once, they gave the production team instructions about the sound one by one. Communication was smooth, perhaps because this was the same familiar group as always.
　The plan for the day's rehearsal was to get a rough feel for each song, playing through each one twice in order from the opening track. What surprised me was that a set list had already been put together to a considerable degree on the very first day. Looking at it, the lavish song selection only increased my anticipation for the concert. As for the playing, these were, after all, the usual band members. Their combination was so solid that it was hard to believe they had not played together for a while, and they were already producing a highly respectable sound on the first day. From here, they would continue fine-tuning everything to achieve a perfect live performance. The members did not exchange any grand, dramatic conversations; the rehearsal proceeded quietly and methodically. The first day ended with a calm sense of movement.

■Thursday, November 24 — Rehearsal Day 2

　This day's rehearsal began with a beautiful piano-led number to be performed in the middle of the concert. It started, as usual, in a quiet atmosphere, but today there was considerably more detailed discussion about the sound... Keyboardist Hirohito Furui took the role of director, briefly explaining the flow and direction of the live arrangements to the other members. Listening to their exchanges, it became clear that even performances which sounded almost identical to the originals at first listen had actually been changed into live versions in the finest detail. “The accent points in that performance were fuzzy for everyone, so keep the points in mind and try to give it more of a sense of push,” Furui said. He had a complete grasp of the song as a whole, and brought the overall sound together while coordinating each member's ideas. The rhythm section tried aligning their break points, while the guitar team exchanged brief comments about tone and ensemble, gradually forming an image of the finished performance. Hitoshi Okamoto played his guitar with his head slightly bowed. AZUKI Nana let the piano's tone resonate with a quiet presence. The tight playing unfolding in this unassuming process was exactly the image of GARNET CROW as a professional ensemble. A prelude to a dramatic performance. There would still be several more rehearsals. What kind of sound would ring out once Yuri Nakamura's vocals and the chorus group were added to complete this sound? The first two rehearsals did not yet reveal all the details, but judging from the current sound's level of completion and the material itself, there was no doubt that it would delight the audience that gathered. Please look forward to the report on the actual concert in next month's issue.