[News] Shanghai Concert Info

[mikewallace]

credits: ayuchina.com translations by: taylayu @ ayunite
This was posted by Ayumiko here - http://asianfanatics.net/forum/Hamas...alk393854.html


Thanks to Ayumiko for editing/sharing the article around the internet, and of course to taylayu for the translations!


ARTICLE 1

Chinese

Spoiler:

滨崎步沪开嗓绝对真唱 时尚教主2首歌换套衣服
文章来源：上海热线 | 时间：2007年04月23日

滨崎步人民网·天津视窗4月23日讯:虽然天公不作美,但昨晚的上海大舞台却是近几年来最火爆的一次,几乎 百分百的上座率也曾出现在蔡琴等演唱会上,但歌迷全场舞动荧光棒、欢呼几小时的那股激情绝对极少出现。备受 全亚洲乐迷关注的日本流行天后滨崎步2007亚洲巡回演唱会上海站演出隆重上演。

昨晚是滨崎步2007年最后一场亚洲巡回演唱会,近百分百的上座率足以证明滨崎步在中国歌迷心 目中的地位, 现场歌迷的集体欢呼也足以让滨崎步感动。演唱会尚未开场,早已到场的歌迷压抑不住自己的兴奋, 全场“AYU ”的呼喊就提早上演,声音整齐划一,动作不约而同。

7点45分,滨崎步演唱会准时开始。帷幕拉开,滨崎步果然从天而降,只见身穿华丽而性感的黑色紧 身礼服的滨 崎步坐在半空的秋千上,配以灯光的投影,顿时惊艳全场。歌迷的热情也就此被全部点燃,开场曲《 进化》几乎是 在歌迷们的持续尖叫声中唱完的。

这位百变天后的造型也绝对是昨晚的一大看点。她几乎平均两首歌换一套服装,观众不禁感叹其“时 尚教主”美名 的名副其实。

在之前香港地区的演唱会上,滨崎步曾被陈奕迅等歌手指出是现场假唱,引起了不小的风波。为此记者昨晚特意注 意观察。正如事先主办方许诺的那样,滨崎步昨晚的演出完全是真唱。开场几首舞曲下来,台上的她 已经汗流满面 ,而在演唱途中,边唱边跳的同时也偶尔会从话筒中出现喘息声,现场专业人士也表示,这是正常现象 ,也是真唱 的表现。

花絮一上海演出首次开包检查

“本次演出禁止携带录音、摄影、摄像设备……”记者刚到上海大舞台,广播里就循环播放着这样的“ 警告语”。 虽然之前国际大牌到沪演出,同样有禁止摄影的先例,但入场需开包检查这样的做好还是首次使用。

据记者了解,滨崎步所到之处的演出,现场禁止摄影摄像是一贯的规矩。当记者手拿门票进场时,的确有位身穿西 装的“特殊”保安要求记者开包检查,但由于人数众多,现场难免有很多“漏网之鱼”。而在演唱会现场,工作人 员一直紧盯观众席,哪里有闪光灯闪烁,工作人员就会现场阻止,如此场景从未在上海大舞台出现过 。

花絮二痴心歌迷连买两回票

从张学友到滨崎步演唱会,上海大舞台和上海体育场外都出现了不少假票。受骗的观众当然会很沮丧 ,而昨晚记者 发现一个歌迷,买到假票丝毫不气馁,为了见偶像继续“大出血。”

“我第一次花了150元买了张400的票,没想到是假的。”一位女歌迷告诉记者,她从高中开始就很喜欢滨崎 步,这次一定要看到她的演唱会。所以她冒着受骗的危险,毅然决定再度买票。第二次她花了400元买了一张原 价600的票,这次对方送她进场,终于如愿以偿。虽然有了不愉快的经历,但这位歌迷还是非常兴 奋: “只要能看到偶像,花再多钱也值”。

Hamasaki Ayumi’s show in Shanghai is 100% live, costumes changes for every 2 songs

A message on Hamasaki Ayumi’s Shanghai forum on 23rd April goes: “Even though the weather was bad, yesterday’s performance at the Shanghai Grand Stage was the most passionate concert in recent years. 100% audience attendance was also seen at Tsai Chin’s (a popular Taiwan singer) concert, but such fans’ excitement and cheers for the few hours of the show is very rare.” Japanese Pop Queen Hamasaki Ayumi, whose 2007 Asia Tour is greatly anticipated by fans from all over Asia, held its grand show in Shanghai yesterday.

Yesterday was the last stop of ayu’s tour in Asia. Nearly all of the seats were filled, proving to ayu the place she had in China fans’ hearts, and the cheers from the fans gathered was enough to touch ayu’s heart. Before the show even started, the gathered fans were unable to suppress their excitement anymore, and screams of “ayu” were heard from all over the place.

Ayu’s concert began punctually at 7.45pm. When the curtains were raised, ayu indeed descended onto the stage from above. The sight of her wearing an elegant but sexy tight black gown, sitting in midair on a swing and illuminated by light, stunned the whole audience. The fans’ passion were thus ignited, and the opening song “evolution” was sung amidst the screams and cheers from fans.

This ever-changing Queen’s costumes were definitely yesterday’s main highlight. For every 2 songs, she will change her costume, and proved her title of “fashion icon” to the audience present.

During her previous concert in HK, ayu was accused of lip-syncing by Eason Chan and other artistes, creating a massive dispute. Hence, reporters took special notice of her singing last night, and true to the claim of the sponsors, ayu’s whole show was sung live. Following the vigorous continuous fast song routine, she was already sweating, and there were even occasional soft pants coming from her as she sang and danced. Professionals at the concert have decided that this is normal and is definitely a real live show.

Interesting fact 1: First ever Shanghai concert to have bag-check

“Any audio and video recording devices are not allowed for this performance…” The warning was the first thing reporters heard last night when they entered the Grand Stage. Even though other international artistes who had concerts in Shanghai also received this treatment, ayu’s concert was the first to have conducted a bag-check as well.

According to the reporters, the barring of recording devices in ayu’s concerts is not an unusual thing. As the reporters entered the arena, there was a special security guard who requested for a bag-check, but due to the vast amounts of people, there were many who managed to get past the guard. During the concert, staff members kept a strict eye on the audience, and anyone caught taking photos were taken care of immediately. This kind of security was the first for the Shanghai Grand Stage.

Interesting fact 2: Desperate fan purchases 2 tickets

From Jacky Cheung to Hamasaki Ayumi, the concerts at the Shanghai Grand Stage and Stadium had a significant number of “fake” audiences. Naturally, the fans who bought these fake tickets were very unhappy, but reporters found out last night that they were willing to take the risk just to see their idol live.

“The first time, I spent 150 yuan on a 400 yuan ticket, and it turned out to be fake.” A female fan told reporters. She had been a fan of ayu since her high-school days, and really wanted to see her concert this time. Therefore, she took the risk and decided to buy a ticket online. The second time, she bought a 600 yuan ticket for only 400 yuan, and the seller even escorted her into the arena personally, finally fulfilling her wish. Even though there were unhappy experiences, this fan was still very excited, “As long as I get to see her, any amount of money will be worth it”.




Article 2

Chinese

Spoiler:

百变天后”滨崎步昨沪上华丽献唱
滨崎步昨晚撼动大舞台 滨崎步两首歌变装一次

这是上海近年来最为惊艳的一场演出，在歌曲《Evolution》的音乐声中，“百变”滨崎步以一席低胸黑 色礼服从天而降，大舞台内如礼花般散落的尖叫声充斥全场，直至演出结束。昨夜，滨崎步个唱在上海大舞台举行 ，近7000个座位全部爆满，还有不少买不到门票的步迷守候在大舞台外“听”完全场。滨崎步也以不愧“百变 天后”之名，整场演出华丽的造型、大胆的舞美设计，堪称近年来沪上演出之最。

歌迷堵塞大舞台

据主办方介绍，本场演出自开票以来，门票在十几小时内被一抢而空，创下沪上演唱会门票销售速度新纪录。昨日 尽管天公不作美，降温、下雨又刮风，但热情的步迷还是早早来到大舞台附近，为滨崎步内地首唱加 油，不到晚上 7点，整个大舞台附近被围得水泄不通。与其他巨星演唱会不同，此次个唱与日本同步，在演唱会前出售相关纪念 品，包括纪念册（价值240元）、毛巾（价值200元）、公仔（价值35元、50元）、CD等，均为日版限 量发售，吸引了逾千人排队，场面十分壮观。不过令人遗憾的是，由于歌迷都希望能够提前买到周边产品，致使现 场一度混乱不堪，无奈之下，公安出面制止，销售被迫停止，销售人员无奈地表示抱歉，并称，“如果再卖，会死 人的。”让不少等候多时的步迷极为不满。不到7点半，整个大舞台现场已经坐满步迷，他们大多穿 着整齐会服， 手持支持标语，并有标语用日语写着， “滨崎步，你是我们心中永远的宝贝。”

表演以性感为主

当灯光暗下，大舞台内立即爆发“AYU!AYU!”的整齐呐喊声，整场演出中，只要滨崎步不在舞台上，歌迷 便会发出整齐的呐喊声。7点45分，当《Evolution》的音乐响起，一头金发的滨崎步身着低胸黑色服 装从天而降，立即点燃现场气氛。所有歌迷从座位上起身为偶像欢呼，一时间气氛热闹非凡。整场演出中，滨崎步 选择了不少劲歌热舞，服装上也偏重性感设计，大多是紧身衣、超短裙，其中一套鲜艳的红色和服尤为漂亮。一场 演出下来，滨崎步总共换了8套衣服，平均每两首歌变装一次，速度和服装的艳丽程度都让人惊叹。

而热爱麦当娜的步姐，曾多次被指抄袭，但昨晚的演出中，滨崎步还是大胆将对偶像的崇拜放在舞台上。其中一段 被钉十字架上的桥段，与麦当娜去年巡演中几乎一样。不过歌迷显然不会关心谁抄了谁，他们眼中的滨崎步自是全 球第一也是唯一，当灯光打在被钉在十字架上的滨崎步身上时，歌迷们再次爆发出排山倒海似的热情呼喊。加上在 这个环节，之前还能在舞台上看见一个与滨崎步打扮一样的替身戴着面具正在舞动，一转眼滨崎步便出现在舞台上 空的银色十字架上，让歌迷惊呼这样魔术般的安排。

整场演出堪称完美，除了每次换装都换上相应配饰外，滨崎步使用的黑色话筒上镶满钻石，连耳麦都 特别镶上钻石 ，闪耀夺目。不过，期间由于太过兴奋，步姐还是忘词，只见她吐出舌头表示抱歉，样子极为可爱。

安可近一小时

晚上9点钟，滨崎步鞠躬谢幕。歌迷一直不肯离开，呆在场内大声呼唤她的名字，约5分钟后，一身 休闲打扮的滨 崎步出现。为献上歌迷的热情，歌迷集体清唱一曲送给滨崎步，开心不已的滨崎步大呼“厉害”。

期间，滨崎步还特别用中文向大家问好，并实现在此前记者会上的承诺，用上海话说，“大家好！我 是滨崎步！” 让歌迷欢呼不已。不仅如此，连吉他手和键盘手都分别秀了一段中文，前者称赞上海东西好吃，说邀请大家一起去 吃；后者则问大家是否希望每天都看一场这样的演出。气氛一直高涨。而此时的滨崎步席地坐在舞台中央，并不时 发出爽朗的笑声。在演出最后，滨崎步放下话筒，扯开嗓门大声喊，“谢谢大家！”不少太过感动的 歌迷不禁泪流 满面。

“步女王”上海吃住行要求多多

滨崎步来上海前日方就列出食品清单，希望休息室内有她最爱的红地球葡萄。主办单位还需为她准备 小笼包、咖哩 饭、牛腩饭等简餐。此外，步姐对奶蛋，海鲜类如虾、蟹等过敏，且不吃葱、海苔、柴鱼片。

滨崎步这次上海之行特别从日本带来数十台加湿器，安装在她下榻的四季酒店总统套房内，以及演唱 会的休息室中 。此外，滨崎步出国住酒店要带自己的棉被、枕头，以及洗发精、牙膏等盥洗用品。

房车租金每日1万

这次滨崎步来沪，主办方专门安排一辆价值100万元的奔驰房车代步,该房车光是租金就是每天1 万元。她的女 王作风不仅如此，她搭机喜欢坐头等舱第一排的位子，隔壁不准坐人，以便放她心爱的泰迪熊，真是 当人不如当“ 步玩偶”。

Ever-changing Queen Hamasaki Ayumi held a grand show at Shanghai yesterday

This is the most stunning concert in Shanghai in recent years. During “evolution”, the ever-changing ayu descended from the sky, wearing a low-cut black gown. The Grand Stage was filled with screams and shouts from the audience, all till the end. Yesterday, ayu held her concert at the Shanghai Grand Stage. All 7000 seats were sold out, and many fans who could not get tickets hung around outside the venue to listen to her performance. Ayu lived up to her name of “ever-changing Queen”, appearing in many grand costumes of her own design, putting up the best show in Shanghai in recent years.

Fans squeeze into the Grand Stage

Due to the sponsor’s promotion, the concert tickets were sold out within a mere 10 hours, breaking the record for shortest time for ticket sales in Shanghai. Even though the weather was bad yesterday, with freezing temperatures, rain and strong winds, passionate fans came to the Grand Stage early to show support for ayu’s first concert in China. Even before 7pm, the entire area outside the venue was already packed. This concert was similar to her Japan ones, where concert souvenirs were sold outside the venue. Such included a memorial booklet (240 yuan), towel (200 yuan), ayupan (35 and 50 yuan), and CDs. Due to the fact that these Japanese goods were limited, about 1000 people queued up for them, making an impressive sight. However, as many fans wished to buy all these goods, the scene became very chaotic. In the end, security had to be employed and the sale of goods was stopped. Stall holders apologized and said “If we continue this, someone is bound to die”, disappointing fans who had been queuing for hours. Before 7.30pm, the whole arena was packed with ayu fans, many of them wearing some sort of uniform attire. They held placards with supportive messages written in Japanese, “Hamasaki Ayumi, you will forever be the darling in our hearts”.

A sexy performance

When the lights dimmed, the arena immediately erupted into loud cheers of “ayu! ayu!”, which were heard throughout the whole concert whenever ayu was not on stage. At 7.45pm, “evolution” started to play, and a blonde ayu, wearing a low-cut black gown, descended from the sky, immediately igniting the atmosphere. All the fans rose from their seats to cheer for their idol, and the atmosphere was very passionate. For the concert, ayu chose many fast dance songs, and her costumes were on the sexy side, many being tight mini-skirts. One of the costumes, a fresh red kimono, was especially beautiful. Ayu went through a total of 8 costumes altogether, changing once every 2 songs. The speed at which she changed and her beautiful costumes were very stunning.

Ayu had frequently been accused of copying her beloved idol Madonna, but during yesterday’s concert, she still bravely placed her love for her idol on stage. One scene featured her being pinned onto a crucifix, an idea which Madonna used in her concert last year. However, the fans did not care about this. In their eyes, ayu will always be the first in the world. When the light shined on ayu on the crucifix, the fans erupted once again into crazy passionate cheers. Before this scene, a double wearing a mask and dressed exactly like ayu could still be seen dancing on stage, and suddenly the real ayu appeared in midair suspended on a silver cross, making fans scream in surprise at the magic act.

The whole concert could be said to be perfect. Aside from having suitable effects to fit her costumes, ayu also used a microphone studded with jewels. Even her earphones were specially studded with jewels, dazzling everyone. However, being caught up in the heat of the moment, ayu forgot her lyrics again. The sight of her sticking out her tongue and apologizing was very cute.

An hour long encore

At 9pm, ayu bowed and thanked the audience. The fans refused to leave, staying around and shouting her name. After about 5 minutes, ayu appeared wearing casual clothes. In order to show their passion, the fans sang a song together for ayu, causing a happy ayu to shout “Great”.

During this, ayu even specially used Mandarin to greet everyone. She also fulfilled the promise she made at the press conference, using the Shanghai accent to say “Hello everyone, I am Hamasaki Ayumi!”, earning cheers from the fans. Even guitarist Yoshio spoke a little Mandarin with ayu, the latter praising the good food in Shanghai and saying that she wished to dine with everyone, and the former asking if everyone wished to have a concert like this everyday. The atmosphere was very high. Ayu conducted the session sitting on the step in the middle of the stage, often letting off happy laughter. At the end, ayu put down her microphone and shouted “Thank you!” into the audience, and many fans left in tears.

Queen ayu has many food requests

Before ayu came to Shanghai, the Japan side has requested that her room should always have her favourite red globe grapes. The sponsors also had to specially prepare steamed dumplings, curry rice, beef rice and other simple meals for her. Ayu is also allergic to foods like milk, and seafood like crabs and shrimp. She would also not eat onions, oysters and preserved fish.

Ayu specially brought along 10+ humidifiers from Japan for this Shanghai trip, to install in her presidential suite at the Four Seasons Hotel and her rest room at the Grand Stage. Ayu also brought along her own blanket and pillow, as well as toiletries like shampoo and toothpaste.

Saloon car costs 10,000 yuan per day

For this Shanghai trip, sponsors specially arranged for a 1,000,000 yuan Benz saloon car to be her personal vehicle, which costs 10,000 yuan just for daily rent. Her Queen status did not stop there. On the plane, her favourite seat is the first row in the first-class cabin, and the seat opposite her is reserved only for her beloved teddy bear.

Originally Posted by Ayumiko

Here is the newspaper article that talks about it. The red circle area talks about her singing live the whole concert.



credits: aaayu @ ayuchina

These pics and a small review of the concert are available here - http://globalflight.us/2007/04/22/ay...nghai-concert/

[cloud♥honey]

Thanks for the info!!

This Tour DVD will be the best! Ayu Rocks xD

[evolution7931]

Wow thanks alot for posting! She broke a record for fast ticket sales, that's great!

[Pisweet]

Thanks for posting! Really interesting.

Originally Posted by mikewallace

Interesting fact 2: Desperate fan purchases 2 tickets
“As long as I get to see her, any amount of money will be worth it”.

Soooo true.

[Halla]

so the Shanghai gig was sold out too.

it's a nice article , but I don't think it's necessary to try to prove that Ayu is singing live. it think it's just best to ignore the bitter haters & etc and focus on the positive

[ayumisrael]

wow she broke a record with selling tickets it's great!!!

Now that they approved that ayu doesn't lip-sync at all Eason chan and other artists went out as LIARS. A Suitable word for them.

[Cyria]

Thank you for sharing this info! It's a good, detailed article.

[mikewallace]

^^ yes it is a great article! It seems like the original author must have been a real Ayu fan.

It even puts her forgetting the lyrics in a positive light. Didn't see this kind of positive press in Hong Kong.

However, being caught up in the heat of the moment, ayumi forgot her lyrics again. The sight of her sticking out her tongue and apologizing was very cute.

[Sim']

Interesting =)

I wonder why no one reported that the tickets at Shangai were sold out too @_@
I was SO worried about Asia Tour's success in China, now I'm happy to know that =)

[ayumisrael]

It appears that ayu is massivly successful in China, at least her lives in there show it.

[truehappiness]

Actually, there was that group of old singers that accused Ayu of lipsynching that didn't even go to her concert..

Forgot their name though. D:

[Ayumi~moments]

Woah great reviews there ad sold out concerts too. Amazing.

[LEOyumi]

That's great! Thanks a lot for the info, it's really nice! =D

[Beauty4123]

thanks for the info! nice article, too.

[Zemus]

Thanks for that! Really good article too

[Halla]

BTw is this article written by Ayuchina , ayu's chinese fanclub?

[mikewallace]

^^ It looks like it. So much nicer than a normal article written by the media.

[Chibi_Venus]

It's so optimistic! I'm so happy!

[Ayumiko]

Actually I was the one who put that article up at asianfanatics. I got it from ayunite and the original chinese article is below.

It was written by the reporter not a ayu fan. The tranlations was done by taylayu from ayunite. and it is actually 2 seperate articles. I think someone from ayuchina found the article and taylayu got it from there and translated...thats probably why the the credits is ayuchina. As you can see in the original chinese articles that they use ayu's full chinese name: 滨崎步. A ayu fan would just use ayu or 小步 (like I see it sometimes) but instead they use her full name whenever they mention her.

Also the english translations below is the original one by taylayu. I changed the one from asianfanatics a little bit by adding mi behind ayu for those who doesn't know her nick name ayu.

滨崎步沪开嗓绝对真唱 时尚教主2首歌换套衣服
文章来源：上海热线 | 时间：2007年04月23日

滨崎步人民网·天津视窗4月23日讯:虽然天公不作美,但昨晚的上海大舞台却是近几年来最火爆的一次,几乎 百分百的上座率也曾出现在蔡琴等演唱会上,但歌迷全场舞动荧光棒、欢呼几小时的那股激情绝对极少出现。备受 全亚洲乐迷关注的日本流行天后滨崎步2007亚洲巡回演唱会上海站演出隆重上演。

昨晚是滨崎步2007年最后一场亚洲巡回演唱会,近百分百的上座率足以证明滨崎步在中国歌迷心目中的地位, 现场歌迷的集体欢呼也足以让滨崎步感动。演唱会尚未开场,早已到场的歌迷压抑不住自己的兴奋,全场“AYU ”的呼喊就提早上演,声音整齐划一,动作不约而同。

7点45分,滨崎步演唱会准时开始。帷幕拉开,滨崎步果然从天而降,只见身穿华丽而性感的黑色紧身礼服的滨 崎步坐在半空的秋千上,配以灯光的投影,顿时惊艳全场。歌迷的热情也就此被全部点燃,开场曲《进化》几乎是 在歌迷们的持续尖叫声中唱完的。

这位百变天后的造型也绝对是昨晚的一大看点。她几乎平均两首歌换一套服装,观众不禁感叹其“时尚教主”美名 的名副其实。

在之前香港地区的演唱会上,滨崎步曾被陈奕迅等歌手指出是现场假唱,引起了不小的风波。为此记者昨晚特意注 意观察。正如事先主办方许诺的那样,滨崎步昨晚的演出完全是真唱。开场几首舞曲下来,台上的她已经汗流满面 ,而在演唱途中,边唱边跳的同时也偶尔会从话筒中出现喘息声,现场专业人士也表示,这是正常现象,也是真唱 的表现。

花絮一上海演出首次开包检查

“本次演出禁止携带录音、摄影、摄像设备……”记者刚到上海大舞台,广播里就循环播放着这样的“警告语”。 虽然之前国际大牌到沪演出,同样有禁止摄影的先例,但入场需开包检查这样的做好还是首次使用。

据记者了解,滨崎步所到之处的演出,现场禁止摄影摄像是一贯的规矩。当记者手拿门票进场时,的确有位身穿西 装的“特殊”保安要求记者开包检查,但由于人数众多,现场难免有很多“漏网之鱼”。而在演唱会现场,工作人 员一直紧盯观众席,哪里有闪光灯闪烁,工作人员就会现场阻止,如此场景从未在上海大舞台出现过 。

花絮二痴心歌迷连买两回票

从张学友到滨崎步演唱会,上海大舞台和上海体育场外都出现了不少假票。受骗的观众当然会很沮丧,而昨晚记者 发现一个歌迷,买到假票丝毫不气馁,为了见偶像继续“大出血。”

“我第一次花了150元买了张400的票,没想到是假的。”一位女歌迷告诉记者,她从高中开始就很喜欢滨崎 步,这次一定要看到她的演唱会。所以她冒着受骗的危险,毅然决定再度买票。第二次她花了400元买了一张原 价600的票,这次对方送她进场,终于如愿以偿。虽然有了不愉快的经历,但这位歌迷还是非常兴 奋: “只要能看到偶像,花再多钱也值”。

Hamasaki Ayumi’s show in Shanghai is 100% live, costumes changes for every 2 songs

A message on Hamasaki Ayumi’s Shanghai forum on 23rd April goes: “Even though the weather was bad, yesterday’s performance at the Shanghai Grand Stage was the most passionate concert in recent years. 100% audience attendance was also seen at Tsai Chin’s (a popular Taiwan singer) concert, but such fans’ excitement and cheers for the few hours of the show is very rare.” Japanese Pop Queen Hamasaki Ayumi, whose 2007 Asia Tour is greatly anticipated by fans from all over Asia, held its grand show in Shanghai yesterday.

Yesterday was the last stop of ayu’s tour in Asia. Nearly all of the seats were filled, proving to ayu the place she had in China fans’ hearts, and the cheers from the fans gathered was enough to touch ayu’s heart. Before the show even started, the gathered fans were unable to suppress their excitement anymore, and screams of “ayu” were heard from all over the place.

Ayu’s concert began punctually at 7.45pm. When the curtains were raised, ayu indeed descended onto the stage from above. The sight of her wearing an elegant but sexy tight black gown, sitting in midair on a swing and illuminated by light, stunned the whole audience. The fans’ passion were thus ignited, and the opening song “evolution” was sung amidst the screams and cheers from fans.

This ever-changing Queen’s costumes were definitely yesterday’s main highlight. For every 2 songs, she will change her costume, and proved her title of “fashion icon” to the audience present.

During her previous concert in HK, ayu was accused of lip-syncing by Eason Chan and other artistes, creating a massive dispute. Hence, reporters took special notice of her singing last night, and true to the claim of the sponsors, ayu’s whole show was sung live. Following the vigorous continuous fast song routine, she was already sweating, and there were even occasional soft pants coming from her as she sang and danced. Professionals at the concert have decided that this is normal and is definitely a real live show.

Interesting fact 1: First ever Shanghai concert to have bag-check

“Any audio and video recording devices are not allowed for this performance…” The warning was the first thing reporters heard last night when they entered the Grand Stage. Even though other international artistes who had concerts in Shanghai also received this treatment, ayu’s concert was the first to have conducted a bag-check as well.

According to the reporters, the barring of recording devices in ayu’s concerts is not an unusual thing. As the reporters entered the arena, there was a special security guard who requested for a bag-check, but due to the vast amounts of people, there were many who managed to get past the guard. During the concert, staff members kept a strict eye on the audience, and anyone caught taking photos were taken care of immediately. This kind of security was the first for the Shanghai Grand Stage.

Interesting fact 2: Desperate fan purchases 2 tickets

From Jacky Cheung to Hamasaki Ayumi, the concerts at the Shanghai Grand Stage and Stadium had a significant number of “fake” audiences. Naturally, the fans who bought these fake tickets were very unhappy, but reporters found out last night that they were willing to take the risk just to see their idol live.

“The first time, I spent 150 yuan on a 400 yuan ticket, and it turned out to be fake.” A female fan told reporters. She had been a fan of ayu since her high-school days, and really wanted to see her concert this time. Therefore, she took the risk and decided to buy a ticket online. The second time, she bought a 600 yuan ticket for only 400 yuan, and the seller even escorted her into the arena personally, finally fulfilling her wish. Even though there were unhappy experiences, this fan was still very excited, “As long as I get to see her, any amount of money will be worth it”.

百变天后”滨崎步昨沪上华丽献唱
滨崎步昨晚撼动大舞台 滨崎步两首歌变装一次

这是上海近年来最为惊艳的一场演出，在歌曲《Evolution》的音乐声中，“百变”滨崎步以一席低胸黑 色礼服从天而降，大舞台内如礼花般散落的尖叫声充斥全场，直至演出结束。昨夜，滨崎步个唱在上海大舞台举行 ，近7000个座位全部爆满，还有不少买不到门票的步迷守候在大舞台外“听”完全场。滨崎步也以不愧“百变 天后”之名，整场演出华丽的造型、大胆的舞美设计，堪称近年来沪上演出之最。

歌迷堵塞大舞台

据主办方介绍，本场演出自开票以来，门票在十几小时内被一抢而空，创下沪上演唱会门票销售速度新纪录。昨日 尽管天公不作美，降温、下雨又刮风，但热情的步迷还是早早来到大舞台附近，为滨崎步内地首唱加油，不到晚上 7点，整个大舞台附近被围得水泄不通。与其他巨星演唱会不同，此次个唱与日本同步，在演唱会前出售相关纪念 品，包括纪念册（价值240元）、毛巾（价值200元）、公仔（价值35元、50元）、CD等，均为日版限 量发售，吸引了逾千人排队，场面十分壮观。不过令人遗憾的是，由于歌迷都希望能够提前买到周边产品，致使现 场一度混乱不堪，无奈之下，公安出面制止，销售被迫停止，销售人员无奈地表示抱歉，并称，“如果再卖，会死 人的。”让不少等候多时的步迷极为不满。不到7点半，整个大舞台现场已经坐满步迷，他们大多穿着整齐会服， 手持支持标语，并有标语用日语写着， “滨崎步，你是我们心中永远的宝贝。”

表演以性感为主

当灯光暗下，大舞台内立即爆发“AYU!AYU!”的整齐呐喊声，整场演出中，只要滨崎步不在舞台上，歌迷 便会发出整齐的呐喊声。7点45分，当《Evolution》的音乐响起，一头金发的滨崎步身着低胸黑色服 装从天而降，立即点燃现场气氛。所有歌迷从座位上起身为偶像欢呼，一时间气氛热闹非凡。整场演出中，滨崎步 选择了不少劲歌热舞，服装上也偏重性感设计，大多是紧身衣、超短裙，其中一套鲜艳的红色和服尤为漂亮。一场 演出下来，滨崎步总共换了8套衣服，平均每两首歌变装一次，速度和服装的艳丽程度都让人惊叹。

而热爱麦当娜的步姐，曾多次被指抄袭，但昨晚的演出中，滨崎步还是大胆将对偶像的崇拜放在舞台上。其中一段 被钉十字架上的桥段，与麦当娜去年巡演中几乎一样。不过歌迷显然不会关心谁抄了谁，他们眼中的滨崎步自是全 球第一也是唯一，当灯光打在被钉在十字架上的滨崎步身上时，歌迷们再次爆发出排山倒海似的热情呼喊。加上在 这个环节，之前还能在舞台上看见一个与滨崎步打扮一样的替身戴着面具正在舞动，一转眼滨崎步便出现在舞台上 空的银色十字架上，让歌迷惊呼这样魔术般的安排。

整场演出堪称完美，除了每次换装都换上相应配饰外，滨崎步使用的黑色话筒上镶满钻石，连耳麦都特别镶上钻石 ，闪耀夺目。不过，期间由于太过兴奋，步姐还是忘词，只见她吐出舌头表示抱歉，样子极为可爱。

安可近一小时

晚上9点钟，滨崎步鞠躬谢幕。歌迷一直不肯离开，呆在场内大声呼唤她的名字，约5分钟后，一身休闲打扮的滨 崎步出现。为献上歌迷的热情，歌迷集体清唱一曲送给滨崎步，开心不已的滨崎步大呼“厉害”。

期间，滨崎步还特别用中文向大家问好，并实现在此前记者会上的承诺，用上海话说，“大家好！我是滨崎步！” 让歌迷欢呼不已。不仅如此，连吉他手和键盘手都分别秀了一段中文，前者称赞上海东西好吃，说邀请大家一起去 吃；后者则问大家是否希望每天都看一场这样的演出。气氛一直高涨。而此时的滨崎步席地坐在舞台中央，并不时 发出爽朗的笑声。在演出最后，滨崎步放下话筒，扯开嗓门大声喊，“谢谢大家！”不少太过感动的歌迷不禁泪流 满面。

“步女王”上海吃住行要求多多

滨崎步来上海前日方就列出食品清单，希望休息室内有她最爱的红地球葡萄。主办单位还需为她准备小笼包、咖哩 饭、牛腩饭等简餐。此外，步姐对奶蛋，海鲜类如虾、蟹等过敏，且不吃葱、海苔、柴鱼片。

滨崎步这次上海之行特别从日本带来数十台加湿器，安装在她下榻的四季酒店总统套房内，以及演唱会的休息室中 。此外，滨崎步出国住酒店要带自己的棉被、枕头，以及洗发精、牙膏等盥洗用品。

房车租金每日1万

这次滨崎步来沪，主办方专门安排一辆价值100万元的奔驰房车代步,该房车光是租金就是每天1万元。她的女 王作风不仅如此，她搭机喜欢坐头等舱第一排的位子，隔壁不准坐人，以便放她心爱的泰迪熊，真是当人不如当“ 步玩偶”。

Ever-changing Queen Hamasaki Ayumi held a grand show at Shanghai yesterday

This is the most stunning concert in Shanghai in recent years. During “evolution”, the ever-changing ayu descended from the sky, wearing a low-cut black gown. The Grand Stage was filled with screams and shouts from the audience, all till the end. Yesterday, ayu held her concert at the Shanghai Grand Stage. All 7000 seats were sold out, and many fans who could not get tickets hung around outside the venue to listen to her performance. Ayu lived up to her name of “ever-changing Queen”, appearing in many grand costumes of her own design, putting up the best show in Shanghai in recent years.

Fans squeeze into the Grand Stage

Due to the sponsor’s promotion, the concert tickets were sold out within a mere 10 hours, breaking the record for shortest time for ticket sales in Shanghai. Even though the weather was bad yesterday, with freezing temperatures, rain and strong winds, passionate fans came to the Grand Stage early to show support for ayu’s first concert in China. Even before 7pm, the entire area outside the venue was already packed. This concert was similar to her Japan ones, where concert souvenirs were sold outside the venue. Such included a memorial booklet (240 yuan), towel (200 yuan), ayupan (35 and 50 yuan), and CDs. Due to the fact that these Japanese goods were limited, about 1000 people queued up for them, making an impressive sight. However, as many fans wished to buy all these goods, the scene became very chaotic. In the end, security had to be employed and the sale of goods was stopped. Stall holders apologized and said “If we continue this, someone is bound to die”, disappointing fans who had been queuing for hours. Before 7.30pm, the whole arena was packed with ayu fans, many of them wearing some sort of uniform attire. They held placards with supportive messages written in Japanese, “Hamasaki Ayumi, you will forever be the darling in our hearts”.

A sexy performance

When the lights dimmed, the arena immediately erupted into loud cheers of “ayu! ayu!”, which were heard throughout the whole concert whenever ayu was not on stage. At 7.45pm, “evolution” started to play, and a blonde ayu, wearing a low-cut black gown, descended from the sky, immediately igniting the atmosphere. All the fans rose from their seats to cheer for their idol, and the atmosphere was very passionate. For the concert, ayu chose many fast dance songs, and her costumes were on the sexy side, many being tight mini-skirts. One of the costumes, a fresh red kimono, was especially beautiful. Ayu went through a total of 8 costumes altogether, changing once every 2 songs. The speed at which she changed and her beautiful costumes were very stunning.

Ayu had frequently been accused of copying her beloved idol Madonna, but during yesterday’s concert, she still bravely placed her love for her idol on stage. One scene featured her being pinned onto a crucifix, an idea which Madonna used in her concert last year. However, the fans did not care about this. In their eyes, ayu will always be the first in the world. When the light shined on ayu on the crucifix, the fans erupted once again into crazy passionate cheers. Before this scene, a double wearing a mask and dressed exactly like ayu could still be seen dancing on stage, and suddenly the real ayu appeared in midair suspended on a silver cross, making fans scream in surprise at the magic act.

The whole concert could be said to be perfect. Aside from having suitable effects to fit her costumes, ayu also used a microphone studded with jewels. Even her earphones were specially studded with jewels, dazzling everyone. However, being caught up in the heat of the moment, ayu forgot her lyrics again. The sight of her sticking out her tongue and apologizing was very cute.

An hour long encore

At 9pm, ayu bowed and thanked the audience. The fans refused to leave, staying around and shouting her name. After about 5 minutes, ayu appeared wearing casual clothes. In order to show their passion, the fans sang a song together for ayu, causing a happy ayu to shout “Great”.

During this, ayu even specially used Mandarin to greet everyone. She also fulfilled the promise she made at the press conference, using the Shanghai accent to say “Hello everyone, I am Hamasaki Ayumi!”, earning cheers from the fans. Even guitarist Yoshio spoke a little Mandarin with ayu, the latter praising the good food in Shanghai and saying that she wished to dine with everyone, and the former asking if everyone wished to have a concert like this everyday. The atmosphere was very high. Ayu conducted the session sitting on the step in the middle of the stage, often letting off happy laughter. At the end, ayu put down her microphone and shouted “Thank you!” into the audience, and many fans left in tears.

Queen ayu has many food requests

Before ayu came to Shanghai, the Japan side has requested that her room should always have her favourite red globe grapes. The sponsors also had to specially prepare steamed dumplings, curry rice, beef rice and other simple meals for her. Ayu is also allergic to foods like milk, and seafood like crabs and shrimp. She would also not eat onions, oysters and preserved fish.

Ayu specially brought along 10+ humidifiers from Japan for this Shanghai trip, to install in her presidential suite at the Four Seasons Hotel and her rest room at the Grand Stage. Ayu also brought along her own blanket and pillow, as well as toiletries like shampoo and toothpaste.

Saloon car costs 10,000 yuan per day

For this Shanghai trip, sponsors specially arranged for a 1,000,000 yuan Benz saloon car to be her personal vehicle, which costs 10,000 yuan just for daily rent. Her Queen status did not stop there. On the plane, her favourite seat is the first row in the first-class cabin, and the seat opposite her is reserved only for her beloved teddy bear.

[mikewallace]

thx for the info^