Ayu is to perform at Kishidan Banpaku/Expo 2012! (09/17/12)

[Zeke.]

If people are outside of her fanbase I think taking the opportunity to change the image they have of her inside their head of the "poppy" songs she has would have been the best thing for her.

[TeamAyu2004]

Originally Posted by Zeke.

If people are outside of her fanbase I think taking the opportunity to change the image they have of her inside their head of the "poppy" songs she has would have been the best thing for her.

Agreed. She had a great chance to show a different side of ayumi. But still avex most likely wanted stuff from ASB

[truehappiness]

That is one HOT outfit.

[Rajma]

Beauty!!!!
But...tracklist....ToT

[Linza-mo]

I Really love her outfit and this very classical setlist but pretty good ! I can't wait for the broadcast !
Thanks everyone for the informations ! =)

[Minttulatte]

Nice outfit but I was expecting she would sing Because of You or A Song for xx but oh well, no can do.

[ExodusUK]

Very Koda Kumi

[Miltonic]

she looks great and im happy SURREAL is there!!!

[Yoake]

I would prefer to see a new tracklist but I can understand that she didn't have the time to do it. I feel like she received the invitation later. At least she tries new thing. I don't really like her outfit.

[Andrenekoi]

I guess I got it right based on the setlist

Her heavier single tracks aren't that big... t2m, decision, rule, Microphone... people out of her fanbase don't care/know about those songs... And she can't really face an audience made of people who aren't familiar to her work with stuff they just don't know and don't care about knowing. If those people aren't her fans, they were expecting her hits... Not some random unpopular single or obscure album tracks.

Also... rock =/= dark... Rock can be dark and edgy, but it's not like this is the only way of doing rock music... This was a festival celebrating the aniversary of the main band... People were there to celebrate, not to cry (or laught at over dramatic ayu :B)

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

I guess I got it right based on the setlist

Her heavier single tracks aren't that big... t2m, decision, rule, Microphone... people out of her fanbase don't care/know about those songs... And she can't really face an audience made of people who aren't familiar to her work with stuff they just don't know and don't care about knowing. If those people aren't her fans, they were expecting her hits... Not some random unpopular single or obscure album tracks.

Rule was actually pretty well received...

I am fine with the set list. Still I think she should've introduced people to her newer stuff as well and besides You & Me I wish she'd sing Love song at least.

[TeamAyu2004]

I little upset over the track list, but understandably..
She still needs to somewhat promote ASB.

The outfit was cool, track list was almost a rehash of anation.. whatever, wasnt there.

[jbrat2219]

The tracklist is expected. Ayu only rocks out at her own shows.

[tokyoxjapanxfan]

Really really awesome outfit! She looks so good!

She should do a collab with Kishidan! xD

It'd be funny, that's for sure haha. Plus, I like Ayanokoji Sho/Ozma haha

SO glad I didn't spend 10,000 yen just to see an awesome outfit and SURREAL, though. haha

p.s. im so ready for ayu to do a whole bunch of rock stuff. like, please. T_T. I used to -never- want her to do rock stuff, but now im craving it lol. especially if her image were to be like this haha. it looks good on her

[jessicar]

I really love her look here, but i'm not impressed with the setlist since I was expecting her to sing her more rock and powerful songs like maybe is this LOVE? or ASFXX even...well at least SURREAL is there

[ayumisrael]

I love the outfit, she looks hot! For the tracklist, it's nice but fits a-nation more XD

[Andrenekoi]

@njanjayrp Being well received doesn't mean it was a huge hit outside of her fanbase, or one of her classics... It would never be a song someone from out of her fanbase would put among the ones they know/like.

@Zeke. being outside of her fanbase don't mean they don't know her or her most well known stuff... Trying a new image to a public who knows nothing about her would have as much chances of win as of fails, but she was singing to people who witnessed her peak, and that for this reason, already had expections about what they wanted to see/hear on her performance. Trying to change her image there would mean playing unkown songs for people who expected well known ones, and after breaking this expectation, convincing the audience the unknown songs and way of performing were better suited for that occasion... You can do it in +-1 hour? Maybe, but you will have bigger chances of failing than of archieving that effect.

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

@njanjayrp Being well received doesn't mean it was a huge hit outside of her fanbase, or one of her classics... It would never be a song someone from out of her fanbase would put among the ones they know/like.

Yet it was generally better received than all the other tracks you mentioned and therefore shouldn't be there. Not to mention it outsold some of the singles previously released and her last single to sell over 130k.

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by njanjayrp

Yet it was generally better received than all the other tracks you mentioned and therefore shouldn't be there. Not to mention it outsold some of the singles previously released and her last single to sell over 130k.

01. evolution - Her most recognized up-beat song

02. SURREAL - The lead promotional track from her best selling studio album.

03. HANABI - Track from her only #1 yearly single and last million seller.

04, HANABI ~episode II~ - Track from her last single to sell over 500k (that also happens to be her 11th best selling single).

05. Sunrise ~LOVE is ALL~ - Her lastest single that can actually be considered a (minnor) hit, Rule sold more physical copies, Sunrise sold more digital copies.

06. You & Me - The track she is promoting right now.

07. July 1st - Track from her only #1 yearly single and last million seller.

---
So, her entire setlist is made of 5 of her biggest hits + her most recent song + recent (minnor) hit. All the up-beat songs are proved to work wonders live, all the tracks but Surreal are part of the compilation she is promoting right now, all the tracks but You & Me have rock undertones to it (considering Sunrise live arrangments). IMO this is the most logical setlist she could have made (maybe change Sunrise for M, or Boys & Girls, or Blue Bird, or Greatful Days or Trauma, or Seasons would make more sense). She could try pleasing her core fanbase (who isn't the public from this festival) or she could try pleasing anyone in the audience interested in having fun, being a fan or not.

To everyone complaining about the "summerish" tracklist... I see no problem on that if the weather was summer-like hot... Was it?

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

@Zeke. being outside of her fanbase don't mean they don't know her or her most well known stuff... Trying a new image to a public who knows nothing about her would have as much chances of win as of fails, but she was singing to people who witnessed her peak, and that for this reason, already had expections about what they wanted to see/hear on her performance. Trying to change her image there would mean playing unkown songs for people who expected well known ones, and after breaking this expectation, convincing the audience the unknown songs and way of performing were better suited for that occasion... You can do it in +-1 hour? Maybe, but you will have bigger chances of failing than of archieving that effect.

I understand where you are speaking from, but I don't think anyone was there specifically to see Hamasaki Ayumi. I find it hard to believe that people who were there to see the majority of the acts (the Gazette and etc.) were looking forward to these pop-hits from Ayumi. Even if fans were there to see Ayumi, I doubt they would have disapproved of a riskier song selection. Isn't that what people want from Ayu - for her to take risks? To break out of the boredom non-stans get from her? I'm sure it would have been a pleasant surprise had she shown them what she is really capable of, rather than performing songs that have been repeatedly broadcast over and over again.

At the very least, she could have done a mix of classic (evolution, A Song For XX, M -rock mix-) and heavier music.