DCT 20th Anniversary Concert Tour!

[nakoruru]

Nogizaka, are you finally going to see DCT live? ^^ Which concert are you going to attend?

I have found a very interesting article on Oricon about their tour with *photos*:

http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/music/64382/full/

I gotta dig up the setlist but it was mentioned on this article they played 40 songs. Well, I do like those medleys they do. They also mention DCT played old tunes. This concert must air on WOWOW or be released in DVD. Hopefully both 'cause I wanna hear their told tunes live!

[nogizaka]

We will be going to the show at Yoyogi on June 28th. Masa says: "Imagine we are taking a time machine back twenty years," so we will hear a lot of the old hits. Forty songs- I hope they don't go too fast (as you know, I'm NOT always a big fan of their medleys)!

Anyway, this will be our first DCT concert, and a once-in-a-lifetime experience (I guess the next one would be the 30th Anniversary Tour)!

I'm sure it will get all the TV and DVD coverage it deserves, and of course, I will tell you a little bit about the show after we see it...

[nakoruru]

Not sure if you wanna see the setlist before the concert, Nogizaka. But finally I have found it!

Open Sesame
A Song for You
MERRY-LIFE-GOES-ON
Aa! Mou!
Sayonara Meter/Tameiki Counter
Dai Kirai Demo Arigatou
Appeal
Almost Home

Medley 1989-1992
<Dreams Come True>
Anata ni Aitakute
Still
<Love Goes On...>
Ureshii! Tanoshii! Dai Suki
Medicine
<Wonder 3>
Egao no Yukue
Kondo wa Niji o mi ni Yukou
<Million Kisses>
Eyes to Me
Itoshi no Happy Days
<The Swinging Star>
Meganeboshi no Sora
Kessen wa Kinyoubi

Medley 2 1993-1997
<MAGIC>
go for it!
Iron na Kimochi
<DELICIOUS>
Kouhaku no Tsuki
Sankyuu
<LOVE UNLIMITED∞>
ROMANCE
Shiawase na Karada
<SING OR DIE>
Ahaha
Sou Da Yo

Nee, Ganbaru Yo (Kinki Kids + GATS)

Medley 3 1999-2006
<the Monster>
Nante Koi Shita n Darou
Mitsubachi
<monkey girl odyssey>
24/7
Itsu no ma ni
<DIAMOND 15>
Mascara Matsuge
Yasashii Kisu o Shite
<THE LOVE ROCKS>
Sora o Yomu
Nando Demo

CARNAVAL
TO THE BEAT,NOT TO THE BEAT
TRUE,BABY TRUE.

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Osaka LOVER
MIDDLE OF NOWHERE
Mata Ne


I was hoping they'd play songs we don't hear live too often. Instead of Anata ni Aitakute, I'd have loved to hear Emerald no Yowami or Shuu ni Ichido no Koibito. Oh well. Where is Sweet Sweet Sweet?!?!?!?

[nogizaka]

I agree- this is mostly not what I would have picked for a career-spanning setlist. Still, I imagine there is some method to the songs they have selected- we'll find out soon enough. 58 more days!

Regardless, they're ALL good songs.

[nakoruru]

I agree- this is mostly not what I would have picked for a career-spanning setlist. Still, I imagine there is some method to the songs they have selected- we'll find out soon enough. 58 more days!

I suppose one would pick hit songs for a carrer-spanning setlist instead of b-sides and unknown songs. But I can't complain, they played Medicine which I absolutely love! ^^

I came up with a fun idea: what would be YOUR setlist like? Pick 2 songs out of their albums of course, just like they did. I will come back with my list tonight.

PS: What do you guys think of Meganeboshi no Sora? I skip it almost every time I watch any of their concerts except for DWL 95.

[nogizaka]

That list may take awhile to create- I have a lot of favorites that weren't singles. I wonder if the songs on the playlist are personal favorites?

I must really like DCT- I never skip anything when I listen or watch!

[nogizaka]

Hmm... didn't take as long as I thought. Anyway, here 'tis.

DREAMS COME TRUE
Don't You Say...
Anata ni Aitakute

LOVE GOES ON...
BIG MOUTH no Gyakushuu
Hoshizora ga Utsuru Umi

WONDER 3
Futari no DIFFERENCE
Jikan Ryokou

MILLION KISSES
STELLA OF DREAMS COME TRUE
Eyes to me

THE SWINGING STAR
Ano Natsu no Hanabi
Taiyou ga Miteru

MAGIC
LOVETIDE
Fuyu zanmai ni wa mada tooi

DELICIOUS
The signs of LOVE
Oyasumi no Uta

LOVE UNLIMITED
ROMANCE
Arashi ga Kuru

SING OR DIE
Tanpopo no Teibou
Yorokobi no Uta

THE MONSTER
go on, baby!
Yume de Atteru kara

MONKEY GIRL ODYSSEY
Gomen ne DJ
Kanon

DIAMOND 15
Douzo yoroshiku
Ola! Vitoria!

THE LOVE ROCKS
JET!!!
SPOON ME, BABY ME

AND I LOVE YOU
Kimi ni shika kikoenai
Kyou dake wa

DO YOU DREAMS COME TRUE?
MERRY-LIFE-GOES-ROUND
MIDDLE OF NOWHERE

AND... ENGLISH, PLEASE!
Eternity
Wherever You Are
Sayonara
Beautiful Boy
It's All About Love
Say It

Hmm... six out of forty. Hmm...

[Johnny]

I though they could of chose songs they don't peform live but I hope the live version of still is good.

here's my choice of songs it's hard to choose and I did this quickly and they may not be hit songs the ones I have chosen. Also I may be a be of a hypocrite because some of these songs they have performed live a bit or they may be on the setlist and I tried.

DREAMS COME TRUE
approach
Don't you Say

LOVE GOES ON
Hoshizora ga Utsuru Umi
Jibun Katte na Yoru

WONDER 3
Kondo wa Niji o mi ni Yukou
ESCAPE

MILLION KISSES
Goodbye, Darlin'
Mirai Yosouzu

THE SWINGING STAR
SWEET SWEET SWEET
Haretara ii ne

MAGIC
LOVETIDE
go for it!

DELICIOUS
The signs of LOVE
Sankyu

LOVE UNLIMITED
ROMANCE
Arashi ga Kuru

SING OR DIE
Tanpopo no Teibou
Sonna no Ai ja nai

THE MONSTER
go on, baby!
Nante koi shita n daro

MONKEY GIRL ODYSSEY
Suki dake ja dame nan da
24/7 - TWENTY FOUR/SEVEN

DIAMOND 15
HOLIDAY ~much more than perfect~
Olá! Vitória!

THE LOVE ROCKS
Uso ni kimatteru
Nando demo ~album version~

AND I LOVE YOU
NOCTURNE 001
Kyou dake wa

DO YOU DREAMS COME TRUE?
Sayonara Meter/Tameiki Counter
MIDDLE OF NOWHERE

Hmm I Tried but to choose 2 songs can be hard.

[nogizaka]

The shows in Kobe for 5/26 and 5/27 have been rescheduled to later in July due to the H1 N1 Flu outbreak.

I hope that they don't have to reschedule the Tokyo shows...

[nakoruru]

It's my turn! It was easier to pick than I thought. Bold shows my absolute favorite DCT tunes on my top... 100 or so. ^^

DREAMS COME TRUE
Shuu ni Ichido no Koibito
Emerald no Yowami

LOVE GOES ON
Medicine
Hoshizora ga Utsuru Umi

WONDER 3
Kakusereta Kyouki
Jikan Ryokou

MILLION KISSES
Wasurenaide
Shigatsu no Ame

THE SWINGING STAR
Namida to Tataketteru
SWEET SWEET SWEET

MAGIC
I'm a Liar
Go for it!

DELICIOUS
Kitsuite Yo
Suki

LOVE UNLIMITED
Shichigatsu Nanoka Hare
Uchi e Kaero

SING OR DIE
Yuuwaku
Yorokobi no Uta

THE MONSTER
Make Me Your Own
Asa ga Mata Kuru

MONKEY GIRL ODYSSEY
Pride Nante Shiranai
Crystal Vine

DIAMOND 15
Music Transfers
Mascara Matsuge

THE LOVE ROCKS
Sora o Yomu
Spoon Me, Baby Me

AND I LOVE YOU
Appeal
Moshimo Yuki Nara

DO YOU DREAMS COME TRUE?
Tsuretette Tsuretette*
Almost Home*

* I haven't listened to the album again yet.

[nogizaka]

The upcoming shows will be performed as scheduled, but ticket holders will be expected to bring masks, and the venues will have hand (and mouth) washing stations to reduce the possible spread of disease.

I can handle that.

Thirty days to go!

[nogizaka]

Well, we're back, and we made it to the concert. Nakoruru, I had a Masa Moment at the show!

More to follow, of course...

[Jei]

And suspense is building...

[nakoruru]

Well, we're back, and we made it to the concert. Nakoruru, I had a Masa Moment at the show!

Okay, now I envy you twice as much! But you gotta tell me what happened? It was probably something that would have made me faint... ^^

EDIT: Too much stuff in my head. I can't believe I forgot to ask you just how far did you get to be from the stage?

I honestly wish I could just enjoy concerts and stop obsessing about it. But back in February, Kraftwerk came back to Brazil <happy dance> but in a festival to play before Radiohead. It was the biggest crowd I ever seen in my life, 40.000 people. I managed to get fairly close to the stage considering the massive amount of people that were there. But it was nothing like the view I got in the first rows of their concert in 2004... I was so close to the stage I freaked out! ^^

[nogizaka]

We left in the morning for Harajuku, with the idea of walking around for awhile and having lunch before we went over to the Kokuritsu Yoyogi kyogijo. First, we followed the crowd to the shops, then we went on to the Ota Museum to see an exhibition of ukiyo-e. After lunch, we headed to the arena, and were surprised to see only a few people. The tour trucks were parked in the lot near the plaza, and we could see the staff setting up the concession area, which would open at 3:00. It was only 12:15 at the time, but a line was forming already, so we joined it. Around 1:00, it started to rain, and the concession area was opened early. We found that purchases could only be paid for with cash or the new POWER PLANT Visa card (no other credit cards were accepted); luckily, we had enough cash to get what we wanted.

Afterward, we still had about two hours before the gates to the arena opened, so we decided to go to the Meiji Shrine and look at the Imperial Treasures Museum. Before we left the plaza, we walked by the lobby at the East entrance and could see through the glass an entire wall of bouquets and wreaths sent to Miwa and Masa from Exile, BoA, Speed, and other Japanese celebrities.

While we were inside the museum, it began to rain very hard. Around 3:45, we headed back to the arena. We got a bit wet despite our umbrellas, but not soaked. When we arrived, we joined a line that separated into seating for the grandstands, and the arena floor. The ticket lottery we were able to enter through POWER PLANT allowed us to obtain floor seats, especially good ones, as you will see. The floor was divided into four sections, A-D. We were in Section C, Row 3. This put us about halfway back from the main stage.

The stage extended out into the arena floor about thirty feet, so we had a better view of everything than the people in Sections A-B, who only had a clear view of one side of the main stage due to the extension. We were very close to dead center of the floor, but this area had two lines of fencing set up along it, with crossing ramps placed at intervals. It took me a few minutes to figure out that the blocked-off areas contained rails, which I guessed were for a moveable portion of the stage, a guess which turned out to be correct. My seat was right next to the fencing.

Three video screens were set up behind the stage; the one at center stage in the middle of a giant '0', representing the end of the countdown. Two screens were set up to the left and right of the stage end of the grandstands, to give those people a better view. Over the stage extension was a sign reading 'Dreams Come True 20th Anniversary Tour- Do You Dreams Come True?' I walked up to the stage on both sides to see the equipment, including Fuzzy Control's drum kit. As we waited, the PA system played 'Music Box Vol. 4,' and every so often the screens ran the '3,2,1,' videos. Strangely, each video stopped about half way through.

By 4:30, almost all the seats were full. Gatz came on at about 4:45. He sang a few of his songs, the first with the 'Dynamites TCK' horn section, but otherwise, all backing music was recorded. Between songs, he talked, but my wife was in line for the restroom, so I didn't know what he was saying (my wife noticed that nobody was hurrying back to their seats). I thought he gave a good performance, though.

At about 5:00, the overhead lights went down, and the stage lights and lasers came on along with the screens. The 'Yes, of course I DO dreams come true all-stars' band came out and began to play 'Open Sesame.' As they played, a section of the center screen opened, and a crane-mounted platform carrying Miwa and Masa appeared. It lowered them gently to the stage as the crowd erupted.

When the instrumental finished, Miwa greeted the audience and apologized for having us wait out in the rain. She said that she could tell we were wet by the steam rising from us, but told us that our socks would certainly be dry by the time this concert ended. As always, she told us "I will make you happy," and from that moment, we were Yoyogi Day Four Babies.

The first set featured much of the material from the new album, and I gained a greater appreciation for the non-single tracks by hearing them live. The end of each song was the beginning of a constant interplay between DCT and the audience, with each "Arigato" from Miwa answered by a chorus of the same from different parts of the venue. Miwa seemed to enjoy this very much.

Masa then introduced the musical time machine of the medleys, and the captain of the machine, Marcellus 'MC Marse' Nealy. MC Marse moved easily back and forth between Japanese and English (my wife said that his Japanese had improved greatly), telling us "Music is our language!" and the show was on.

The concert moved very quickly during the medleys. Early on, a gigantic inflatable '2' and 'th' appeared on either side of the center stage '0'-shaped screen. Later on, they disappeared; I'm not sure when, as there was so much activity on stage. As usual, Miwa and Masa joked with each other frequently, Miwa worrying "about Masa's age"(Masa replied with ten push-ups), Masa complaining about how he is only noticed when Miwa is not on stage. Someone shouted "Masa, ganbatte!" and Masa replied "No ganbatte! I'm already ganbatting!"

Miwa took a break at the midpoint of the concert, and Joe, the bassist from Fuzzy Control came out to join Masa and the band for 'Nee, ganbaru yo.' Next, everyone but Satoko, the drummer (also from Fuzzy Control) left the stage while she performed a drum solo (not, of course, like watching Neil Peart or Bill Bruford or Ian Paice solo, but not bad). Everyone came back out to join Gen Ogimi on percussion. He then soloed and went into one of his monologues (also displaying his ability to do ten push-ups), which my wife said was silly nonsense, but Miwa seemed to find hilarious.

MC Marse stepped up to remind us that "Music is our language!" and the time machine rolled on. We in the audience did a lot of singing along, and I finally figured out all the different hand and arm movements the people around me were making. Any gestures made by Keita and Shige were immediately repeated by the crowd, until just about everyone was in sync (perhaps you knew this already, but it was a first for me).

The medleys ended with 'Nando demo,' the chorus of which we were well-prepared to join in on. At this point, I was hoarse from singing, had been on my feet almost the entire time, and my hands were sore from clapping, something that has never happened to me before. Miwa introduced the band members, and all left the stage. We executed a fair version of the wave and cheered them into the encore.

Miwa returned in a long, pink, Chinese-style dress with slits up the leg and flats, topped with a dress jacket she removed following 'Carnaval' (overall, I thought Miwa's costumes for this show were pretty good, with the exception of the feather boa-type spats she wore with the colorful minidress she wore at the start of the concert). After a particularly rousing version of 'Osaka Lover,' the stage crew opened doors at the front of the stage and unblocked the wheels underneath. The walkways across the rails were already closed off with barriers. As 'Middle of Nowhere' began, the end of the stage began to rise, and Miwa and Masa rolled forward into the crowd, moving from one side to the other as the stage advanced.

By the time the stage was next to my seat, Masa had moved toward the edge on my side. I hoped that he would look down! He did, and as he did, I looked up at him, yelled "Masa!" and gave him a thumbs-up sign. He looked down at me, returned the thumbs-up, smiled, and laughed. As the stage moved by us, the person in front of me looked around and nodded excitedly to me as if to say, "He saw you!" I nodded excitedly back, wondering if perhaps being the only gaijin in the audience (my wife said she saw another, but I didn't) might have got his attention. My wife said she felt that Masa and I had "communicated without words- music is our language."

The stage was stopped and blocked for a few minutes as Miwa and Masa prepared to say good-bye to us. As 'Mata ne' started, the moving stage wheels were unblocked and it began its' return to the main stage. Miwa was crying by now, and did not come close to the edge as she passed by my seat, so alas, I did not get to have a 'Miwa Moment.' The moving stage returned to its' starting place, lowered and was secured as 'Mata ne' ended. the band was reintroduced, the crane-mounted platform reappeared, and Miwa and Masa said their good-byes as they disappeared through the center stage screen.

The show lasted about three hours, but the time went quickly, especially during the medley portions. These went almost too fast, which would be my only complaint about the concert. Musically, everything sounded fantastic; not too loud, and obviously with an emphasis on recreating the original sound of the songs. The performances were excellent, with only Marse, Gen , Keita and Shige remaining from earlier tours. Juon from Fuzzy Control was very good on guitar, and Satoko had no problem playing DCT songs. Unfortunately, no explanation was given about how or why the songs on the playlist were chosen. We wished that there was some communication about what was special about these songs over others that might have some special history on this 20th Anniversary (my wife wondered why 'Love, Love, Love' or Ano natsu no hanabi' weren't included, for example). Songwise, the high points for me would have to be 'Eyes to Me,' 'Ahaha' (lots of complicated hand and arm movement from Keita and Shige), 'Nando demo,' and 'Middle of Nowhere,' although, as I mentioned, all the performances were wonderful, meticulous but with a lot of enthusiasm at the same time. At the same time, my wife felt that there was very little interaction between Miwa and the audience besides what she felt were routine comments during a DCT concert. When she said that, it made me wonder if Miwa is ever going to let her guard down again? It took me back to that emotionally charged speech Miwa made on DCT's 15th Anniversary, where she tearfully predicted a 30th Anniversary. Despite all the promotion, very little was actually said at this show about the 20th Anniversary, according to my wife.

Anyway, it was a lot of fun, and I'm glad that I finally got to see DCT. Now, when do I get to see them again?