[Concert] INORAN - Hamburg (2012)

Artist: INORAN
Date: 8 September 2012
Place: Headcrash, Hamburg (Germany)

Setlist:
01. Smoke
02. SuperTramp
03. No Name
04. Selfless
05. No options
06. Santa Ana Afternoons
07. Drum & Bass solo
08. Your Light Is Blinding
09. Nasty
10. Rightaway
11. Hide and Seek
12. Shike
13. Grace and Glory
14. One Big Blue
15. Get Laid
16. TONIGHT (Luna Sea)

On 8 September I went to INORAN’s concert in Hamburg with some of my best friends. When we arrived there we went directly to the hall - which was a club called HEAD CRASH. There were just a few people standing in front of the door, so we went away again for having lunch first. Then we went a little bit around the famous “Reeperbahn” (redlight district in Hamburg) and went back to the hall. The number of people waiting didn’t really change. All in all, I think we were around 100 people, so it was a very nice atmosphere while the concert.

The first after we went inside was the Meet&Greet with INORAN. For sure, I was totally nervous. When it was me and my friends turn we gave INORAN a little present and I tried to say it to him in Japanese, but I was so nervous, I ended up saying only four or five words. Than we got signs and he made a photo with each of us. While I was the only one of our group with a camera the photographer had to take seven pictures with my camera. He was kind of confused that all the people belong to me. And I was so rattled, that I nearly dropped my camera when I handed it over to the photographer. At least, INORAN had to laught!

Taking a picture with INORAN was… ah, I don’t know how to say it. My whole body was shaking because I was so nervous. But INORAN is such a nice person. He also put his arm around me and everything. That was a really great feeling ♡

Afterward we were waiting for the concert to start. It was really great and I will never forget the atmosphere. I knew a lot of songs and could sing along. He also played my favorite song which he sang together with Anna Tsuchiya on his album. I was concentrated to watch the bassist U:ZO for a long time. In fact, I have seen him live three times last year when we went to YelloFriedChickenz’s concerts, but because I was totally into Chacha I was totally ignoring him. I regret this a little bit now, because U:ZO is a great musician and I really became his fan-girl. He is very funny. I want to see him live more often.

The concert was over very quickly, I was surprised. After we bought some drinks we stayed in front of the hall to wait till they come out. INORAN and the drummer RYO YAMAGATA went out very quickly and walked away so nobody could catch them. So next we stood right in front of the door so that we at least could catch U:ZO. And we did it. When he came out I asked him to take photos with us and give us autographs (in Japanese). First he was confused, because he “is just the bassist and we all came here for INORAN”. He was so cute. We did the same with the guitarist YUKIO MURATA and everyone was happy.

While we didn’t know what to do after this (we still had nine hours till our train went back home and didn’t wanted to spent all the time at the train station) we decided to stay there for a little bit longer and relaxed and talked. We were sitting with our backs to the entrance. Suddenly, over an half hour later, my friends mum said that INORAN just went back into the hall. We were totally confused. Why did he come back?? Actually, all four guys and the staff came back to pick up all the equipment. They had taken a shower probably at their hotel near the club.

I saw the chance to get my last missing sign of RYO YAMAGATA. He was talking with a girl in English, but after a while I simply interrupted them and asked him in Japanese if he could sign my book. He immediately turned to me and ignored the other girl. That was kind of funny. I'm glad that I can speak Japanese a little bit *laugh*

In the end we watched them bringing all their stuff to the cars until they went away. We also could say “good-bye” and “mata ne” to them. It was so cool. I can’t describe this feeling.

So, all in all, it was simply an amazing day. I hope I can see INORAN someday once more.


Photos:

Autographs we collected:

[Single] Acid Black Cherry - Greed Greed Greed

Artist: Acid Black Cherry
Titel: Greed Greed Greed
Release Date: 7 August 2013

Tracklist:
01. Greed Greed Greed
02. Kagayaki Nagara

Acid Black Cherry's 16th single has been released on 7 August 2013. The main track "Greed Greed Greed" is an upbeat number with a very rocking sound and also some disco elements. It is full of energy and fits Yasu's voice very much. Little special: the PV for this song is about 7 minutes long, while the song actually has only 4:21 minutes. It's worth a watch.

The B-side track is a cover of Hideaki Tokunaga's "Kagayaki Nagara". It's a really nice ballad which I even like more than the main track. It's very quite songs and makes you dream.

The single came in 3 different versions: Limited Edition (CD+DVD), Regular Edition (CD only), and a Special Price Edition which comes just with the main track and only costs 394 Yen. DVD includes the PV of "Greed Greed Greed" and Off Shot.

[Single] Luna Sea - Thoughts

Artist: Luna Sea
Titel: Thoughts
Release Date: 28 August 2013

Tracklist:
01. Thoughts
02. Lost World

"Thoughts" is the 18th single by Luna Sea and was used as the theme song of the mobile RPG Master of Chaos.

The song "Thoughts" starts with a nice guitar riff. When Ryuichi Kawamura starts singing the music stays in a simple sound. I like Ryuichi's voice very much in this song, while it makes the characteristical Luna Sea sound. It ends up to be a typical rock song. The b-side of this single is the song "Lost World". The intro of this one is a piano sound which creates a kind of mystical athmosphere. After this a disco-like songs starts which makes it really danceable.

However, both songs are nice, but I miss the power of the old songs somehow.

The single has three editions: a regular only CD edition and two limited editions with PV for "Thoughts", one on Blu-ray and one on DVD.

[Single] Yellow Fried Chickenz - All My Love

Artist: Yellow Fried Chickenz
Title: All My Love / Your Are The Reason
Release date: 28 December 2011

Tracklist:
01. ALL MY LOVE .jp
02. YOU ARE THE REASON .eu
03. ALL MY LOVE .jp minus G
04. ALL MY LOVE .jp minus J
05. ALL MY LOVE .jp minus G & J
06. YOU ARE THE REASON .eu minus G
07. YOU ARE THE REASON .eu minus J
08. YOU ARE THE REASON .eu minus G & J

The single "All My Love / You Are The Reason has been released on 28 December 2011 by Yellow Fried Chickenz (short YFC). YFC is a project of the famous Japanese musician Gackt which he built in 2010 with some changing members. At the current YFC you find Gackt and Jon (fade) as vocals, on guitar there are Chachmaru, You and Takumi, on bass we have U:zo and on drums Luna Sea's drummer Shinya.

Both songs of this single has already been performed on YFC's European tour in summer 2011.

"All My Love" is a touching ballad dedicated to the victims of the great Tohoku earthquake and tsunami which hit Japan on 11 March 2011. At live concerts the charity project "Show Your Heart" which was founded by Gackt was promoted by singing the following line with the crowd in repeat: "Close your eyes, feel your soul. All for love, show your heart!"

Unfortunately these lines are not included in the studio version. Actually I personally prefer the live version, maybe it's just because of the emotions I remember when I've been to the concerts.

In difference to the first song "You are the reason" is a more uptempo one, but also really great. Especially at this song the voices of both vocals mesh with each other very well. 

There is a special versions of every song. Each have a "minus g", "minus j" and "minus g+j" version. So if you like karaoke you can sing either with Gackt or with Jon or totally alone. Instead of this I would have preferred versions sang all alone by Gackt or Jon and not with one singing only his own part and the other lines are missing...

All in all it's a really nice single and I'm glad that I was able to hear these songs live ♥

[Album] Ayumi Hamasaki - Party Queen

Artist: Ayumi Hamasaki 
Title: Party Queen 
Release date: 21 March 2012

Tracklist:
01. Party Queen
02. NaNaNa
03. Shake It♥
04. taskebab
05. call
06. Letter
07. reminds me
08. Return Road
09. Tell me why
10. a cup of tea
11. the next LOVE
12. Eyes, Smoke, Magic
13. Serenade in A minor
14. How beautiful you are

When I heard the title of Ayumi Hamasaki's album and saw the covers for "Party Queen" I was totally worried that I won't like it. I'm not a big fan of party music and going to disco and this is what I expect when I hear this title.

The first songs made my worries real. They are up-beat songs which are really good for dancing. And I'm not really interested in such music. I did my sport workout while first listening, so it was kind of fitting music for this.

Then the fifth song started and I was really surprised. In my eyes the whole style of the album changed into nice pop songs and ballad-like music. I really like this fact, even if now the title "Party Queen" isn't reflected anymore.

My personal highlight of the album is the song "Eyes, Smoke, Magic". When I first listened to it I saw a Broadway stage in front of my eyes, with women dancing with petticoat dresses and men in smokings. This song really gave me this kind of mood. After I now know the translation of the lyric it makes me think, because this cheerful song tells a sad story.

Another great song, in my opinion, is "How Beautiful You Are", which is the last song of the album. I'm especially impressed by the PV which shows people who are not looking like the average. I think it wants to tell that it doesn't matter how you look, you are always beautiful - and you are allowed to love who you want.

By now I really fall in love with this album. I also started to like the first songs after I've listened to them more often. It's a really great album and a must-have for every fan!

 

As always there are 3 different versions of this album. There is a "CD only" version with just the album. The "CD + DVD" version includes a DVD with PVs and making-of of 4 songs ("Shake It♥", "NaNaNa", "Return Road" and "how beautiful you are"), while the other version with 2 DVDs includes another DVD with the COUNTDOWN LIVE 2011-2012 A ~HOTEL Love Songs.

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