GARNET CROW “first live scope” Live Report — Full (Akasaka BLITZ)

10.21 at Akasaka BLITZ

LIVE REPORT “GARNET CROW LIVE TOUR 2002 〜first live scope〜”

10.21 at Akasaka BLITZ

GARNET CROW’s first live tour, “GARNET CROW LIVE TOUR 2002〜first live scope〜,” became a battle for tickets, with shows on October 10 at Osaka Namba Hatch, October 21 at Tokyo Akasaka BLITZ, and October 31 at Fukuoka Zepp Fukuoka, plus additional performances hurriedly added for December 11 at Tokyo SHBUYA-AX and December 16 at Osaka Namba Hatch. This live show became a wonderful stage that we truly wanted as many people as possible to see, and it has now been confirmed for release on DVD as “GARNET CROW first live scope and document movie” on February 5! Since the tour was still underway, our November issue (Vol.96) only carried a brief report on Akasaka BLITZ, but this time, ahead of the DVD release, we would like to publish a detailed live report.

As we wrote in the previous live report, the first striking thing about this GARNET CROW live show was that, although it took place in a live house, seats had been set up in the audience area. They likely chose that style because they wanted people to listen closely to their works. The quality of our songs will come through even without relying on momentum or atmosphere... You could sense that confidence from GARNET CROW.

As the volume of the BGM playing in the venue rose, the lights went down, and the members walked onto the stage with complete naturalness. At the sight of their silhouettes, the audience burst into loud cheers and applause. A soft guitar phrase rang out, and Nakamura’s lustrous voice spread through the venue, now wrapped in a fresh, clear atmosphere. The live show began with the first song, “call my name.” Already from this opening number, the excited audience was all standing, and the temperature in the seats rose sharply at once. On the stage, where a vivid red cloth leapt into view, the members could be seen dressed in dark-toned outfits. Vocalist Yuri Nakamura stood at center. From the audience’s perspective, keyboardist Hirohito Furui and guitarist Hitoshi Okamoto were on the left; drummer David C. Brown was at the center rear; and to the rear left were Yoshinobu Ohga as guitar support and Yuichiro Iwai on acoustic guitar. On the right was keyboardist AZUKI Nana, with bassist Masato Ohashi and the three-person chorus team (Kazuki Fukuda, Saki Hyugaji, and Ryoko Matsumoto) behind her. Furui and AZUKI were positioned as if facing each other across Nakamura. One of the major charms of this GARNET CROW live show was this band format. In their recorded works they let us hear a delicate sound, but onstage they transformed the songs into something with even greater depth and tried out new approaches. Giving depth to that sound world were the lyrics. Above the stage was a deformed screen, like a diamond shape that brought to mind the image of light shining in. Onto it were projected the members, imagery, and the lyrics, weaving together the many stories of GARNET CROW.

During “Illusion of Summer” (夏の幻), where Nakamura showed light, nimble tambourine work, the excited audience broke into rhythmic handclaps. Okamoto let us hear a distorted guitar sound, while Furui played the keyboard intensely with his whole body. Compared with the simple original, made only with acoustic guitar, this version gained more brilliance and gave a sense of uplift that further heightened the song’s own heartbeat-like thrill. “I’ll Keep Running Until I Reach Your House” (君の家に着くまでずっと走ってゆく), which reminds you that happiness exists in small things, filled the space with a gentle, calm air, warming the heart and wrapping it in a happy feeling. For “flying,” which she said was “the first song we added choreography to,” there was a move where she twirled her hand as if expressing motion with her whole body, and the audience who saw it began imitating her in the same way. “wish★” plunged the venue all at once into a groovy, danceable world. Everyone looked delighted, trying not to miss a single movement from Nakamura, dancing along in the same way and fully enjoying this time together with the members onstage.

After saying, with visible joy, “I’m relieved that so many of you came,” Nakamura moved into “To a Clear Sea Without Water” (水のない晴れた海へ). As if suggesting a hidden passion, AZUKI’s fingers continued to dance over the keys, leading the space into an even more fantastical realm. After the sea came the sky. “Sky Blue” (スカイ・ブルー), with a sound that opened into a vividly colored panorama, drew us in with a powerful vocal that even carried a sense of force. In “Timeless Sleep,” AZUKI performed on flute the nostalgic intro tone heard in the mix version. A lyrical world, as if ascending to the heavens, was created, and a quiet, moist time flowed by.

“I’ll introduce the members, each with strong individuality and their own points of focus,” Nakamura said, beginning the member introduction. After first introducing the backing band on drums, bass, guitar, and acoustic guitar, she kept it brief: “Arranger God Hands! Hirohito Furui. Charisma guitarist, Hitoshi Okamoto. Great poet, AZUKI Nana. The vocalist is Yuri Nakamura, the songstress.” Usually, a band member introduction involves solo performances, but here Furui waved to the audience with a relaxed expression, Okamoto bowed with an embarrassed smile, and AZUKI stood quietly and smiled. You could really feel each person’s character. This, too, was very GARNET CROW.

“Are you all having fun?! It looks like we can still keep going, so we’ll do a song that fits the second half!” she called out energetically, then launched into “Naked Story.” During the “Naked story yeah〜” part of the chorus, fists went up from the venue. Seeing that, Nakamura sang with a happy smile, and when she swung her hand widely from side to side, the audience responded in kind. The sense of unity accelerated and grew as the live show moved toward its latter half. In “Rhythm,” a surging bass line and Okamoto’s distortion-heavy guitar solo exploded, while an even firmer vocal rang through the hall. In “The Two of Us’ Rocket” (二人のロケット), Nakamura jumped around with an expression that said she was having too much fun to help herself, and the excitement rose to its peak as if all the remaining energy had been released. For the final song, “Mysterious Eyes,” she urged, “Everyone, sing together!” and a great singing voice rose from the audience as well. Still, it is strange: when passed through the filter of Nakamura’s voice, all kinds of words and scenes from the lyrics seem to receive a breath of life and reach us vividly.

The encore was so fervent that the “GARNET” calls were already rising before the members had even left the stage. In response to those voices, the four members soon returned, waving as they appeared. “This live show is our first, so we rehearsed wanting to make it something that would stay in our hearts. I hope it can become a day that none of you will forget, too,” she said, and cries of “We won’t forget!” immediately flew from all around. Then she continued, “Receiving such warm support from all of you made me feel encouraged during the live show. This is a very important song, because it helped people come to know GARNET CROW through our TV appearances, so I hope it will be an important song for all of you too. That is my wish.” With a graceful piano intro, “After the Dream” (夢みたあとで) began quietly. The venue, which had been charged with heat, was gently wrapped in silence. Adding vocal embellishments and putting even more heart into it, Nakamura carefully traced each and every word, and the audience’s ears were riveted to her vocal. For the final song, “Spiral” (スパイラル), she said, “I want to sing with everyone!” At the end, she called out, “Please sing it one more time!” and “Can you go one more time?!” driving the excitement higher, and they repeated the chorus three times. With the excitement at its maximum, the live show finally came to an end. The four members lined up, waved, and left the stage.

To add one more note, from the October 31 show at Zepp Fukuoka onward, the first song of the encore was “Crystal Gauge” (クリスタル・ゲージ), which had not yet been released. With its bursting pop feel that shines live, the song stirred up an even greater whirl of heat.

The roughly ninety-minute live show was short and truly passed in an instant, leaving us wanting to see much, much more of their stage. We thought we already understood just how high the quality of their songs was, but by experiencing this stage, we were made to reconsider once again how wonderful the works they had been creating truly were. We already find ourselves wanting the next show, but before that, it may be good to enjoy the live DVD and feel the things that are there precisely “because it was their first live show...”

＜SET LIST＞

1. “call my name” 2. “Illusion of Summer” (夏の幻) 3. “Last love song” 4. “I’ll Keep Running Until I Reach Your House” (君の家に着くまでずっと走ってゆく) 5. “flying” 6. “wish★” 7. “To a Clear Sea Without Water” (水のない晴れた海へ) 8. “Sky Blue” (スカイ・ブルー) 9. “Holy ground” 10. “Timeless Sleep” 11. “Naked Story” 12. “Rhythm” 13. “The Two of Us’ Rocket” (二人のロケット) 14. “Mysterious Eyes” Encore1. “After the Dream” (夢みたあとで) 2. “Spiral” (スパイラル)

★First live DVD “GARNET CROW first live scope and document movie” releases on 2.5!

In addition to the Akasaka BLITZ live show reported above, it also includes about twenty minutes of making-of footage. This is precious footage where you can see their production site and expressions, things you rarely get a chance to witness!!

＜Planned Tracks＞ “call my name”／“Illusion of Summer” (夏の幻)／“Last love song”／“I’ll Keep Running Until I Reach Your House” (君の家に着くまでずっと走ってゆく)／“flying”／“wish★”／“To a Clear Sea Without Water” (水のない晴れた海へ)／“Sky Blue” (スカイ・ブルー)／“Holy ground”／“Timeless Sleep”／“Naked Story”／“The Two of Us’ Rocket” (二人のロケット)／“Mysterious Eyes”／“After the Dream” (夢みたあとで)／“Spiral” (スパイラル)

Planned running time: 110min ONBD-7022　B-VISION ￥3,990 (tax in)