Ayumi Hamasaki Sekai - View Single Post - ~POWER of MUSIC~ 2011 A setlists, photos, and etc. [III]
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Old 25th July 2011, 11:38 AM
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POM reviews on 724

Hey guys. Just came back from Tokyo for the POM on 724.
Lemme write a quick review here.

Video
People saying that before there is no screen video here.
But indeed there is a intro video before ayu appears on stage.
A short movie though (Like 30s- 45s).
In the video. It's black in background. And a side-faced ayu is in the background.
There is caption in the video that Ayu say "Today what you don't really need
to open your eyes and just with your ears. And Feel...
Welcome to my arena tour "Power of Music" something like that.(Sorry I don't remember the exact phase.)

Opening
After the short video intro. Dancers came out from different sides of the arena. Each of them were holding a glowing sphere. (Like the one the female dancer holding in CDL11 DIA - Heaven) and all of them finally on the stage.
And the show starts!

1. forgiveness
Ayu appeared at the middle of the stage. She sang the english part of the forgiveness english part WITHOUT any music background. It was so amazing and the whole arena was silence!! And the whole song is in orchestra arrangement. Ayu ended the song with the english part again...and she point to each side of the arena with her strong voice and the first song ended perfectly.

2. progress
The song started in orchestra arrangement. After the first chorus and suddenly it became the normal arrangement and the audience went crazy.

I would like to say "progress" is nothing much different from what we heard in the game commercial. It is a good song though.

3. A Song for XX
Started with band introduction and Dancer solo. And ordinary "Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!" and it became the rock style of ASF. Much the same as AT08.

4. M
kinda a rock version! She sang really well! But I dont think the song arrangement is almost the same but not likely the pitch is higher than the original version.

5. NEVER EVER
People said it's the original version before but on 724 it's a rearranged version. Kinda rock.

6. walking proud
Much as the same as my story classic..A very touching all time favorite!

7. part of Me
Original Version

-MC-
It's kinda suprising that we have the MC in the middle of the concert this year. And the MC is Yo-chan. I don't know much about japanese so basically I
don't really know what they were saying. But the crowd seemed enjoying a lot. Lots of laughters.

8. Love song
After the MC..Ayu and Yo-chan moved to the edge of the stage. Sitting and Yo-chan playing wooden guitar and Ayu sang Love Song.

9. Vogue
Another surprising that the V-F-S Trilogy is back.
It starts with a latin/spanish style 3/4 claping (clap.clap.clap--clap.clap.clap.clap). And the whole song is in latin style.

10. Far Away
In latin/spanish style...but a blue arrangement..

11. Seasons
Classic! in original version.
Ayu asked us to sing with her together.
A very touching moment.

12. July 1st
Original version. Ayu and dancers sang and dance at the outer ring and the ring rotated. Everyone is waving their hands.

13. B&D
A longest interactive part throughout the whole concert. it was like playing for 10-15 mins before starting B&D.

First ayu asked each side of arena to sing yayayaya...
and then she started catching dancers to sing yayayaya...
and after playing and playing finally B&D start!

14. Mirrocle World
Much as the same as original version but with violin at the back.
During the each little pause between lyrics she pointed to each side of the arena then the dancers dance. (Like the CDL 11 - What she did in "Do it again" at last"

15. Evolution
Original Version! Very Exciting!

16. B&G
The same. (just Like every year, every concert XD)

17. Born to be
In original version but little arrangement at the beginning.
The whole arena went dark. And with the drum hit.
Ayu and dancers were suddenly all on the stage and with the spotlight on them. A quite impressive scene. And she finally went to the runway on the another side and the stripes shot out after the band and dancers introduction.
And the Curtain went down.

Encore - Daybrak
With the fanmade video by your guys. and finally the lyrics of the last chorus of Daybreak appeared on the video. Everyone sang together.

18. A Song is born
Re-arranged version. She sang really well

19. Thank You
Original Version. But the song was shorten after the "La-La-La-Laa..." it directly skipped to the final interlude and the last chrous.
The red curtain went down and ayu/dances waving to us till the last moment like what they did in 7 days special -Surreal- last year.
I can feel that she intended to make the concert ended in a happier atmosphere.

Review
I am always hoping for seeing ayu's concert in Japan.
I love all the fascinating stuffs she has done throughout the years.
But as an old fan of ayu, this concert is really special.
She sang a lot of old songs and all-time classics and you can feel that she has less constraints than before, like she can put the MC in the middle. She keeps interacting with the crowd which she seldom does in her normal concert. And her voice is much stronger and stable than before.
At the second part of the concert you can feel that her throat is tired.
But she tried so hard and NEVER out-of-tune in three hours concert.

I am happy with that and I am really looking for the FINAL and Limited Edition in September.

Thanks for reading!