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Misc YUI Rants:

I always think that Thank you My teens (YUI acoustic version) is kinda boring to play along until I saw this video:

http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=bQ6J9AgwmCU

I'll need another 5 years to play that version of Thank you My teens.

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When I found out this Ontama Carnival Live '09, I posted a notice in our dorm common kitchen, looking for someone to accompany me.



No response. Maybe 7500 yen is too much. So I gave up the thought of going.

If the word 'Ontama' sounds very familiar to you, YUI appeared in that show before for the promotion of CAN'T BUY MY LOVE album, and I have translated it as well. This made me think that, if she isn't having break now, I might be able to see her w!t@f#k$n%n^c&c*b. One of the main sponsor was AU by KDDI, remember CHE.R.RY? =.=

Last Saturday, I woke up around 11 am *whoops*. Suddenly I thought of this concert and checked it out on mixi. Someone was selling the ticket at 4000 yen. The concert started at 2 pm. It takes around one hour to reach Yokohama Arena.

I was like, what??! While dealing with multiple sellers, I quickly had brunch, preparing to go out at any time if I got the ticket at 4000 yen instead of normal price (7500 yen).

At 1:55 pm, I reached Yokohama Arena. As the concert was 7 hours long, I quickly dashed to convenient store nearby and bought some food.


Yokohama Arena is kinda far from Yokohama, I think.

Thought I don't like arena halls because of that Shiina Ringo concert experience, this time I didn't care since I got the ticket cheap. And I actually got a pretty good seat, mine was on the ground floor (middle), 55 rows away from the stage.

Yokohama Arena can fit twelve thousand people, and the visual effect was spectacular. I got to experience the exact atmosphere I've been imagining ever since I watched concert videos of Hamasaki Ayumi, Mr. Children, Glay in huge halls, waving hands together at the same direction with 120000 people (in Malaysia it will be really messy), it was awesome. Not to mention that super clear HD quality screen on both sides of the stage and one in the middle of the arena with four screen on each side.

The concert started right after I entered the hall, as usual. First up was flumpool.

1. Hana ni nare
2. labo
3. Hoshi ni Negai wo *new song*
4. Over the rain ~Hikari no Hashi~

My German dorm mate introduced me this band (not Jdrama). She showed me the video of Hana ni Nare when I visited her room. Every time I saw flumpool CDs, posters here and there I'll think of her. Lead singer is cute, heard that he was once a sensei, and he writes interesting lyrics. I love flumpool singles, but not really dig their mini album.

I couldn't really hear the sound of instruments clearly though (habit of focusing sound more), maybe they started first so everything was not finely tuned.

Next up was monobright. Second time seeing them, as usual, in their white polo tees and black spectacles. They sang four songs as well.

Oh, since this concert was organised by TV asahi as well, the MC was that new Music Station girl. She looks berry berry cute, from that big HD resolution screen.

Then Ikimonogakari, performing at their home town (They are from Kanagawa prefecture). The moment Yoshioka san (not YUI) opened her mouth when she sang Akaneiro no Yakusoku, I was completely blown away.

1. Akaneiro no Yakusoku
2. Uruwashiki hito
3. Blue Bird
4. Kimagure Romantic
5. Kokoro no Hana wo sakaseyo
6. Kaeritakunattayo

I like a bunch of songs by Ikimonogakari, but the thought of watching their concerts never came into my mind because I'm more of a rock concert fan. Songs with 'simpler' arrangements to me are for listen only, not watch. I didn't know that listening to such powerful vocal live with my own ears can be so touching.

After Ikimonogakari, FUNKY MONKEY BABYS. They totally owned the whole arena, seriously. The moment their name appeared on the big screen, I could hear screams everywhere.

1. Morning Shot
2. Sono manma higashi he
3. Koi no katamichi kippu
4. Sakura *New Song*
5. Kibou no Uta
6. Chippoke na yuuki

Their performance was...powerful, really. They really sing right out of their hearts. Most of their songs are full of encouragement and motivate listeners to move forward, I could feel their energy and received their messages 100%. The cuter rapper was panting ALL the time, he even ran off the stage to the side walk. I was kinda afraid that he would get an asthma attack or something, panting non stop yet manage to deliver 120% performance. During MC, his words were really convincing and encouraging as well *Salute*.

I'm sure their new song Sakura will be the next big Sakura hit. If you are feeling down, listen to their songs.

And then we had Chatmonchy~ Second time seeing them.

1. Hira hira hiraku himitsu no tobira
2. Oya shirazu
3. Shangrila
4. Somaruyo
5. Last Love Letter *woot*
6. Donaru, Denwa, Doshaburi
7. Renai Spirits
8. Kaze fukeba koi

Suddenly the crowd became less excited compared to FMB's performance. In Japanese, they called it being 'AWAY'. Being a Chatmonchy fan I could definitely feel that I was out of place. Luckily, the guy besides me was a Chat fan, so I just danced along, don't care. As usual Ecchan changed her guitar like after every song. Fans were shouting Akko and Ecchan only, poor Bakumatsu sensei :'( Kumikon did a super great imitation of the host of Ontama XD

They sang Last Love Letter~ The beginning bass part was damn cool. Kaze fukeba koi always reminds me of Perfume. Kaze! Kaze! Kaze!

EDIT: Forgot to mention, Ecchan was wearing this cute shirt with lots of hearts.


Yoshioka san (not YUI) wore it before too haha. The words mean 'I love you' in German. Special thanks to someone in mixi.

I started to get tired after this. This is actually the longest concert I've ever been so far. Otsuka Ai was next. I thought that she will be the last to perform, I was wrong.

1. Yumekui
2. One×Time
3. Bye Bye *New song*
4. Rocket Sneaker
5. Frienger
6. Ai

I used to be a big fan of hers when she first debut, Yumekui is love. She sounds very good live when she doens't try to hit high notes =P Her skirt reminded me of an old patch blanket I had in Malaysia.

Artist number 7 is Saito Kazuyoshi. I didn't know any of his songs, his style reminds me of Okuda Tamio. Singer-songwriter + guitarist + guitar solo = Good. Even Mr. Children's Sakurai san covered his song, Utautai no Ballad. Meaningful lyrics.

The final performer, UVERworld. I was preparing to go back now, to avoid squeezing with 12000 people after concert. They were the 'HOME' for this concert.

1. Over the stoic
2. Hakanokumo towano kanashi
3. CHANCE!
4. Burst
5. SE.short ver. UNKNOWN ORCHESTRA
6. Just Melody
7. Roots

I didn't know that they sang the OP for Gundam 00 XD I used to like them a lot as well, somehow I think that their songs sounded kinda similar. As for their live performance, it wasn't that impressing. They rely on visual graphics, fancy electronic sounds more, which sounded weird to me. I couldn't really hear TAKUYA∞'s voice clearly. So I left when they sang Just Melody.

It was already around 9 pm when I left. 7 hours. I think we spent 3 hours waiting for the next performer. Luckily they whole event was seated. I don't think that I can survive those big rock festival alone. I'll go crazy waiting for them to set up instruments and what not.

My plan to check out Yokohama and China Town didn't make it because it was already late =/ Who wants to go Yokohama??



Special thanks to 131号 san for the track list.