So, upon the requests of several of my readers, I have for you here a fairly thorough comparison of the three concerts we went to in our time in Japan. It’s been a pretty wild time, so to quickly recap: first was the ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION Tour 2008 ワールドワールドワールド. About half a week later we went to the L’Arc~en~Ciel Tour 2008 L’7~Trans ASIA via PARIS~, shortly followed by YUI’s 3rd Tour 2008 “oui”~I LOVED YESTERDAY~. Between the three shows, we hit all ends of the spectrum in terms of size, intimacy, and sheer insanity. Let’s go in order of show date:

The ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION concert does not win prizes for size or crowd interaction, as they go to L’Arc~en~Ciel and YUI, respectively, but the level of intensity of both the crowd and the band, I would say, was unparalleled among the three shows. At this live were predominantly standing fans, pressed in tight in front of the stage. Approximately 1,500 people made up the crowd on the floor, and there were no seats on that level. That’s where we were. We started out in about the middle of the floor and wound up packing in so tightly up front that we could have easily spit on the band members if we wanted to, and I wound up in a number of positions with a number of women that my girlfriend would likely not be happy about. Every fan screamed the words to every song, except for the two unreleased ones. Even in those cases, however, by the time the last chorus was playing, the crowd was able to get into it and work out some kind of routine. Even if you didn’t know the songs, it was very easy to get into the show and just get swept up in the madness of the crowd.

It was not the smallest show we went to (nor the largest), and when the band members got up on the microphone between some songs, they were speaking more to the audience, as opposed to with. Regardless, however, the songs were consistently fantastic, and nobody in the audience was disappointed at the end of the night. I would say that most notable about the show was how laid-back the band was about the whole thing. They got up there, played some songs, talked a little bit, played some more, and so on until the night was over. There were no elaborate performances and no intricate routines by them or the fans. Every song had a specific way of enjoying live by the crowd, but we found that that was the case with every live show we went to; it’s just a Japanese thing.

Conclusions: If you’re interested in a fun concert without any of the frills, AJIKAN is your band. They don’t put on huge shows and they don’t spend much time on appearances. There’s a reason this was the cheapest of the three concerts we went to. Not that you’ll hear me complaining. The fans more than make up for everything. To be honest, I could barely breathe by the end of it, and we emerged completely drenched in sweat after the live was over. If you’re there for the music and to go crazy with other fans, this is your kind of show.

However, if you want to see a real production, and not just a concert, then you would have found your home at the L’Arc~en~Ciel show. They had easily the largest performance in size, length, and sheer number of fans. Also the highest production value. It really was an incredible performance. More than anything else, it felt very… “refined” is the term I’d use. It was obvious that they’ve been around for 17 years. They had a very wide variety of songs to choose from, and the fans knew the routines to all of them. There was an elaborate stage setup, and very intricate costuming for both the band and the fans (most of the fans after the band from their many eras of appearance). This was a band with real quality and experience to back it up.

The fans were, of course, absolutely crazy, but due to the sheer size of the crowd (pushing 55,000 crazed music-lovers), it was difficult to really get close with everyone else. In fact, many of the real die-hard fans seemed to almost be competing with each other to show who loved the band more, or knew more about them. The last drawback was the intimacy of the band with their fans, or lack thereof. Because L’Arc~en~Ciel has such a refined routine for their shows, it’s very difficult for them to break that mold and freestyle between songs. When they got up to talk to the crowd, they were only talking to them, whereas AJIKAN at least played a little bit off of what the fans were shouting at them.

But those were really the only negative aspects of this live; L’Arc put on easily one of the best shows I’ve ever had the pleasure of getting to see and be a part of. They have such a great selection of music to choose from that it’s almost impossible for them to pick a live setlist that won’t get the crowd moving. In fact, that was probably the neatest part about this show; the fans knew absolutely every song and because of that, they were able to work out really involved jumping, clapping, screaming, and waving routines for each song. The drawback is that if you were not quite as well-versed in your L’Arc lives, you felt really out-of-place, as was the case with the three other Americans I went with. Despite that, it wasn’t hard to enjoy anyway. It just helps if you already know everything about the show and the band.

Conclusions: This isn’t just a concert; this is a full-on performance. You’re watching real entertainers at work here. And even though it makes each individual fan stand out less, there is something to be said for over 50 thousand of them screaming together, especially when the band’s vocalist cuts out to let the audience take over in singing. To be that coordinated is a real feat, and I’m sure that most bands couldn’t pull it off with the same rate of success as these gentlemen. A really fun show, but you do feel a bit disconnected from the band when you’re in the audience, especially if you’re not in the standing section. If you want to enjoy both great music AND an incredible show, then you’ll be seeing L’Arc~en~Ciel.

The last of the shows we went to, and easily the most unique of the three, was YUI’s live. On only her third real live tour and having only been around for about 4-5 years at this point, it’s a wonder she’s able to do as well as she does. In a lot of respects, however, it’s her very style that allows her to pull it off. If you’ve ever been to an open mike night at a coffee house, this was kind of the same feeling. During every MC, YUI talked with members of the crowd as they shouted things at her, and her band got just as into it. The key to this show was not in size or insanity, but rather in “fun”. The band was clearly enjoying every minute on stage, and they were there for the fans just as much as the fans were there for themselves.

It was much quieter than the other shows we went to, and everyone was seated. Towards the beginning, everyone stood up for YUI and her band, but in her first real MC, she told the fans to sit back down; she said we were making her feel bad. The music was good, and the production was about as intricate as AJIKAN’s the week before. In other words, not really much at all. What really set this show apart was how close the band was with the audience. We did not feel distanced from YUI, even though we were sitting in the highest level of the live hall, towards the back. It was very nice.

Conclusions: YUI’s shows are for people who are a bit more low-key, and really just want to sit back and relax and enjoy the show. You don’t have to get that involved to really appreciate, as was the case with the other two, L’Arc especially. It certainly helps if you know her music, but there were no intricate routines for the fans to follow during the songs. Just clap along and you’ll have a good time.

Things I will remember most from each show:

  • ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION had the most insane crowd I’ve ever seen at a concert; I felt like I was in a heavy metal pit for most of it.  But probably the most memorable moment was when the band started playing「フラッシュバック」(FLASHBACK).  Not gonna lie, I’ve always wanted to be a part of the fans screaming that song since I first heard the live recording of it.  It was short, fast-paced, and absolutely awesome.  Either that or when the fans rushed the stage at the start.  I did NOT see that coming!
  • The L’Arc~en~Ciel show was so well put-together; their experience really showed.  The fans were great and a lot of fun.  I’d say the best part was when everyone was crying while singing during MY HEART DRAWS A DREAM.  “Yume wo e gaku yo” was a choked out chorus at the end of the song for at least seven or eight rounds.  When the band cut out and let the audience sing it for a few rounds, the girl next to me completely broke down.  It was really a powerful moment, and part of the reason I love music so much.
  • I was pretty disappointed when YUI wasn’t able to get TOKYO to work the first time around, so a highlight for me was probably when she caleld the bassist back to the stage so that they could try again.  I’ll reiterate; this was the first song of hers that I’d heard back in 2005 and still my favorite; I even used it for a presentation in my Japanese class freshman year.  However, since it wasn’t in her classic style, I wasn’t sure how to feel about it.  With that in mind, I’d say the real most memorable moment for me was when she came out on stage by herself and asked everyone to sit back down for the next song (all acoustic, solo Namidairo).  THAT, more than anything else, was a true YUI moment, what I’d probably been most looking forward to seeing at the show.

Favorite Show?
ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, for the awesome music, all-around great show, and sheer mind-blowing insanity!  I will not forget that night for as long as I live.