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Вместе с интервью Тоши они опубликовали подробнейший отчет с ToshI Feat. YOSHIKI Special Concert & Dinner ~Manatsu no yoru no yume~
An evening with ToshI and YOSHIKI
An evening with ToshI and YOSHIKI
http://www.hearjapan.com/news/artist_news/An_evening_with_ToshI_and_YOSHIKI
When one gets ready for the typical X Japan concert, you usually dye your hair a variation of red or pink, get your glowsticks ready and get ready for a wild night. Only the most hardcore fans get to see the other side of them which is on display for those who can afford the tickets. 100,000 yen (1200 USD) might sound like a lot of money, but you get to eat a delicious meal prepared by a five star chef, listen to an exclusive set of ToshI solo material backed with an orchestra and band as well as ToshI and Yoshiki performing together. The attire was something out of a wedding. Everybody in attendance was wearing their Sunday finest. The event was held in a ball room with crystal chandeliers in the Prince Park Hotel near Tokyo tower. X Japan are normally associated with their metal anthems like “Kurenai” and “X”. Luckily for fans of ToshI and X Japan, they also have a lighter side that represents some of the most heartwarming and beautiful ballads to come out of Japan. Who doesn’t have a soft spot for ballads like “Endless Rain”, “Tears” and ToshI’s new solo material that follows in the same tradition?
Toshi Piano
There was an elevated stage in the middle of the room with two crystal pianos facing each other at an angle. To the left of the stage was another elevated stage that held about 20 orchestra members. To the right there was anther elevated stage which held a band. This wasn’t like any other X concert. The room gets dark and suddenly ToshI emerges through a thicket of bodygaurds. He starts the concert off with Haru no Negai, the solo track he released through HearJapan in July. He sits down on one of the crystal pianos and starts playing. The song was absolutely stunning especially with an orchestra giving the music a rich undertone. ToshI put so much emotion and love into each syllable putting his passion and raw power on full display. ToshI matched the occasion with a diamond studded white Tuxedo and sunglasses. The atmosphere in the ballroom was somber. There was no screaming, jumping or anything resembling an X Japan concert. Everyone sat in their chairs enthralled in the moment.
symphony
For his second song he played his other recent solo track, “Hoshizora no Neptune” which he said was the theme for this concert. Although ToshI could also play and sing at the same time, he introduced Chie-san and had her play piano so he could cover all sides of the ballroom. For this song the stage turned dark with dim blue specs of light rotating around provided a mood that went perfect with the array of blue lightsticks held by the audience members. ToshI was able to hit every note perfectly. His demeanor was different for this show. Instead of running around and riling everyone up, he mostly stood in the same spot and focused on his singing. When it came to his singing, it was clear that he was dead-set on putting on a perfect show. He often would move his hands to influence his singing pitch. The strings would play in staccato to accentuate his voice in between notes.
While most of the event was what you would expect from a classical concert, fans gradually got out of their daze to scream things at ToshI. By the end of the show all decorum was thrown out. Did anyone actually think his most diehard fans would sit down and be quiet for two full hours? After singing through “Nagori Kumo Itsumademo” and “Haru no Ibuki” with Chie-san, he joked that the square stage he was playing on was impossible to work with. ”Which way should I look? If I look this way then the people behind me are staring at my butt.” ”Haru no Ibuki” was his best song of the night. He was filled with raw energy and burst through every note. There was a quartet playing on this song creating a simple yet beautiful melody that let you focus all your attention on ToshI’s magical singing. You can preorder “Haru no Ibuki” now and download it on September 14.
Toshi water
Once the song had finished out of nowhere a pounding beat came from the band stage which had been silent up until that point. Enter “Samurai JAPAN”, a song which had about 30 young men in “Samurai Japan” shirts run up onto the stage with ToshI. They riled up the crowd with “Oi! Oi! Oi!” and plenty of fist pumping. Some of them were also playing instruments as well. The audience was finally given an opportunity to stand up and get wild like they would at any X Japan concert. Even ToshI was getting in on the action by pouring water on the guests whom happened to be wearing very expensive dresses, but they didn’t seem to mind. ToshI with the band and Samurai Japan then played through two other songs, “Otoko no Pride” and “Airport”. The vibe of these songs clashed with the theme of a classy concert, but ToshI is still a rocker at heart.
Toshi water
After the rockin’ set had run its course, YOSHIKI ran through the crowd and onto the stage. At this classy event the fans were throwing bouquets of flowers at him and then one individual chose to throw a package of cup ramen called “Sapporo Ichiban”. YOSHIKI was taken aback by this as the event was all about great food in a classy joint. It became a running joke for the night. Little known fact: Sapporo Ichiban happens to be ToshI’s favorite type of cup ramen. The two then sat on pianos facing each other and started to play a song but YOSHIKI started playing the wrong song. After realizing what he had done, YOSHIKI jokingly blamed the mistake on “Sapporo Ichiban”. After a false start, they all played “Crystal Piano no Kimi”, a new solo track from ToshI. This moving ballad has many dramatic buildups and soothing verses that worked perfectly with Yoshiki and ToshI on piano with an orchestral backdrop.
Toshiyoshiki Piano
The concert also featured a lot of banter between YOSHIKI and ToshI. Some interesting things that were revealed was that when ToshI and YOSHIKI appeared on radio programs, YOSHIKI would never speak a word and ToshI had to do all the talking even when YOSHIKI was asked a question. ToshI couldn’t believe that “this guy” was now hosting his own show. He wanted to get back at YOSHIKI for all those years of tortured radio spots and decided to cause some mischief on his show until he realized that the program was entirely in English and he felt way over his head. YOSHIKI gave a sampling of his English skills and introduced the song JADE in English. He then played the intro to the song and ToshI sang the first verse. He also insisted that an English version of “Tears” will be on the upcoming X Japan album. ”Tears” brought the audience to silence. It was practically quiet enough to hear the sounds of fans’ tears hitting the ground. ToshI sat down next to YOSHIKI while the audience waved blue glow sticks from side to side in a moving display of emotion.
After the song had finished ToshI took a sip from his water bottle and YOSHIKI teased ToshI about him drinking from a straw and how ridiculous it looked. ”You don’t want to spill it or something?” ToshI tersely replied, “We’re supposed to show how cool and elegant we are. This is sophistication.” YOSHIKI cracked up but quickly fired back and said he looked like he gained some weight. The two longtime buddies were making fun of each other in a playful way in front of their most loyal fans. Whenever YOSHIKI was on stage there was a lot of back and forth banter in between songs. Some other interesting bits: When YOSHIKI was in elementary school he excelled in math, had a great memory and was one of the fastest runners in the school marathon. As for after school activities he was in the brass band (trumpet) and on the soccer team. ToshI was also in the brass band with YOSHIKI as well as on the volleyball team. Then Yoshiki started talking about their upcoming world tour that would span from South America, to Southeast Asia, to North America, and then to Europe. ToshI jumped in and said, “are you sure you can announce that?” (Up to that point, only up to Southeast Asia had been announced). YOSHIKI quickly replied, “I guess not but who cares.” This was the nature of their banter. The rules seemed to be thrown out for the privileged few who could attend. It almost seemed as if they didn’t realize there were other people in the room. They also alluded to a Tokyo Dome concert at the end of the year.
Then the conversation drifted to a previous Dome concert. YOSHIKI lived in Setagaya at the time (the audience members shrieked at this new knowledge) and he was headed to the Dome to use their rehearsal space. ToshI couldn’t resist and threw in a jab, “What?!? YOSHIKI in rehearsal? I’ve never heard of such a thing.” He then went back the night before the concert again and wanted to practice more and the staff said you can practice in the Dome itself. He reminisced how awesome it was playing by himself in an empty stadium that could fit 50,000 people. ToshI then told a story about how before a different concert YOSHIKI couldn’t rent any rehearsal space so he had a piano brought into his hotel suite so he could practice.
After the banter, the duo performed “Forever Love” with an orchestral backing. In such a small room it sounded like you were listening to the track being recorded in the studio. YOSHIKI then left the stage and ToshI sat down on the piano to play “Amaoto”. He sung very softly in a whisper voice which was a fitting end to the concert; intimate. Instead of the full orchestra or a quartet, there was a soloist violin by the name of Kunio Sakamoto who brought true elegance to the song. This was a truly beautiful ending.
After a five minute wait, YOSHIKI and ToshI came back to give away some presents and hold an auction. They drew a few numbers from a box to give away some X Japan goods to lucky audience members. The first set had two T-shirts, a hat, an album and some assorted items. Of course the two goofballs couldn’t keep their mouths shut. ToshI asked YOSHIKI to grab one number but he ended up grabbing a handful. ToshI slaps his hand away and gives it a shot but first puts on some white gloves. YOSHIKI then quips that he looks like a taxi driver. ToshI explained that he had the consideration to not get the presents dirty. The lucky few had their prizes signed by both artists. After they gave away the free prizes the auction started. All the proceeds for the auction went to charity for the March earthquake. The first item to be auctioned was one of YOSHIKI’s drum sticks he used in concert and a crystal necklace from Germany. Not only that, but the winner would get to go on stage and have their picture taken with both of them and have all their items signed.
Toshi water
The bidding started at 10,000 yen. Shouts came from all directions and the bid kept on going up. 300,000, 500,000, 520,000, 690,000, 750,000, 900,000…YOSHIKI said, “I think we should cut it off now, this is just for a drumstick and crystal.” ToshI then cut it off at 1,010,000 yen (13,000 USD). A middle-aged woman came up to accept her prize as ToshI and YOSHIKI made fun of each others’ signatures. ToshI stated that Hide had the best signature out of them all. YOSHIKI drew a bear on one of the items and ToshI was insulting his drawing. “This looks nothing like a bear! In fact, this is the first time I’ve ever seen you draw anything.” After the picture was taken, the next prize was announced. YOSHIKI was going to auction off the white shirt that he was wearing and they would also get enlarged photos of the event which aren’t distributed to anyone else.
YOSHIKI then went backstage to take off his shirt. When he came back with shirt in-hand was when things started to get crazy. He handed it to ToshI who exclaimed that it was dripping in sweat. This really got the crowd going. ToshI then went on about how good his sweat smells. The prices started flying. Within 30 seconds it was already at 1,000,000 yen. It closed in under 40 seconds at 1,600,000 yen (20,000 USD). While you could tell they felt guilty selling a shirt for half a year’s salary, it was for a good cause.
When the girl in her 30s came up to claim her prize the shirt was put over her shoulders and a picture was taken with them. Then for the last item, they would fly the recipient to any concert in Asia of their choice and book their hotel. As an added bonus they could go back stage at the concert and meet the band and have their picture taken with the band. Within seconds the cost had already risen to 3,050,000 yen at which point YOSHIKI quipped that “it’s only South East Asia. Definitely not a resort area.” The final price reached 4,200,000 yen (54,000 USD) as it was cut off because YOSHIKI didn’t want it to cost more than a nice piano. The girl who claimed the prize must have been in her 20s. When she got on stage YOSHIKI and ToshI were shocked. She bid for another item the night before and won. She said she would choose to go to see them in Korea. Then there was another present which was the comic book, Blood Red Dragon which features YOSHIKI and was created by Stan Lee and Todd McFarlane. There were three more presents that gave backstage access to that night’s show. The final presents were invitations to a special X Japan event that would take place the following week.
Toshi water
After the auction had finished, they played two more songs. The first song was the latest song from X JAPAN called “Scarlet Love Song” that was written for an anime. YOSHIKI said that most of their songs are interpreted in a negative light but that this song has a forward leaning message. The song was also for all of the people of Japan. For “Scarlet Love Song” just ToshI and YOSHIKI were playing. The smoke machine went into full gear and ToshI sang his heart out in fog. They ended the concert with “Endless Rain”. While this concert differed from a typical X Japan concert in many ways, the audience still kept the tradition alive of singing the last verse. As they walked off stage, YOSHIKI thanked the audience by saying “Without you we would have never been able to do a world tour.” The entire concert still felt like X Japan but had a more sophisticated sound in a vastly more intimate space. The difference of being one of 50,000 vs. being one of 1,000 and being a few meters from your idols.
As we spend a lot of resources promoting our artists please support us by purchasing ToshI’s new releases here at HearJapan. Also be sure to read our exclusive interview with ToshI and as a special present view the flowers from the concert.
Вместе с интервью Тоши они опубликовали подробнейший отчет с ToshI Feat. YOSHIKI Special Concert & Dinner ~Manatsu no yoru no yume~
An evening with ToshI and YOSHIKI
An evening with ToshI and YOSHIKI
http://www.hearjapan.com/news/artist_news/An_evening_with_ToshI_and_YOSHIKI
When one gets ready for the typical X Japan concert, you usually dye your hair a variation of red or pink, get your glowsticks ready and get ready for a wild night. Only the most hardcore fans get to see the other side of them which is on display for those who can afford the tickets. 100,000 yen (1200 USD) might sound like a lot of money, but you get to eat a delicious meal prepared by a five star chef, listen to an exclusive set of ToshI solo material backed with an orchestra and band as well as ToshI and Yoshiki performing together. The attire was something out of a wedding. Everybody in attendance was wearing their Sunday finest. The event was held in a ball room with crystal chandeliers in the Prince Park Hotel near Tokyo tower. X Japan are normally associated with their metal anthems like “Kurenai” and “X”. Luckily for fans of ToshI and X Japan, they also have a lighter side that represents some of the most heartwarming and beautiful ballads to come out of Japan. Who doesn’t have a soft spot for ballads like “Endless Rain”, “Tears” and ToshI’s new solo material that follows in the same tradition?
Toshi Piano
There was an elevated stage in the middle of the room with two crystal pianos facing each other at an angle. To the left of the stage was another elevated stage that held about 20 orchestra members. To the right there was anther elevated stage which held a band. This wasn’t like any other X concert. The room gets dark and suddenly ToshI emerges through a thicket of bodygaurds. He starts the concert off with Haru no Negai, the solo track he released through HearJapan in July. He sits down on one of the crystal pianos and starts playing. The song was absolutely stunning especially with an orchestra giving the music a rich undertone. ToshI put so much emotion and love into each syllable putting his passion and raw power on full display. ToshI matched the occasion with a diamond studded white Tuxedo and sunglasses. The atmosphere in the ballroom was somber. There was no screaming, jumping or anything resembling an X Japan concert. Everyone sat in their chairs enthralled in the moment.
symphony
For his second song he played his other recent solo track, “Hoshizora no Neptune” which he said was the theme for this concert. Although ToshI could also play and sing at the same time, he introduced Chie-san and had her play piano so he could cover all sides of the ballroom. For this song the stage turned dark with dim blue specs of light rotating around provided a mood that went perfect with the array of blue lightsticks held by the audience members. ToshI was able to hit every note perfectly. His demeanor was different for this show. Instead of running around and riling everyone up, he mostly stood in the same spot and focused on his singing. When it came to his singing, it was clear that he was dead-set on putting on a perfect show. He often would move his hands to influence his singing pitch. The strings would play in staccato to accentuate his voice in between notes.
While most of the event was what you would expect from a classical concert, fans gradually got out of their daze to scream things at ToshI. By the end of the show all decorum was thrown out. Did anyone actually think his most diehard fans would sit down and be quiet for two full hours? After singing through “Nagori Kumo Itsumademo” and “Haru no Ibuki” with Chie-san, he joked that the square stage he was playing on was impossible to work with. ”Which way should I look? If I look this way then the people behind me are staring at my butt.” ”Haru no Ibuki” was his best song of the night. He was filled with raw energy and burst through every note. There was a quartet playing on this song creating a simple yet beautiful melody that let you focus all your attention on ToshI’s magical singing. You can preorder “Haru no Ibuki” now and download it on September 14.
Toshi water
Once the song had finished out of nowhere a pounding beat came from the band stage which had been silent up until that point. Enter “Samurai JAPAN”, a song which had about 30 young men in “Samurai Japan” shirts run up onto the stage with ToshI. They riled up the crowd with “Oi! Oi! Oi!” and plenty of fist pumping. Some of them were also playing instruments as well. The audience was finally given an opportunity to stand up and get wild like they would at any X Japan concert. Even ToshI was getting in on the action by pouring water on the guests whom happened to be wearing very expensive dresses, but they didn’t seem to mind. ToshI with the band and Samurai Japan then played through two other songs, “Otoko no Pride” and “Airport”. The vibe of these songs clashed with the theme of a classy concert, but ToshI is still a rocker at heart.
Toshi water
After the rockin’ set had run its course, YOSHIKI ran through the crowd and onto the stage. At this classy event the fans were throwing bouquets of flowers at him and then one individual chose to throw a package of cup ramen called “Sapporo Ichiban”. YOSHIKI was taken aback by this as the event was all about great food in a classy joint. It became a running joke for the night. Little known fact: Sapporo Ichiban happens to be ToshI’s favorite type of cup ramen. The two then sat on pianos facing each other and started to play a song but YOSHIKI started playing the wrong song. After realizing what he had done, YOSHIKI jokingly blamed the mistake on “Sapporo Ichiban”. After a false start, they all played “Crystal Piano no Kimi”, a new solo track from ToshI. This moving ballad has many dramatic buildups and soothing verses that worked perfectly with Yoshiki and ToshI on piano with an orchestral backdrop.
Toshiyoshiki Piano
The concert also featured a lot of banter between YOSHIKI and ToshI. Some interesting things that were revealed was that when ToshI and YOSHIKI appeared on radio programs, YOSHIKI would never speak a word and ToshI had to do all the talking even when YOSHIKI was asked a question. ToshI couldn’t believe that “this guy” was now hosting his own show. He wanted to get back at YOSHIKI for all those years of tortured radio spots and decided to cause some mischief on his show until he realized that the program was entirely in English and he felt way over his head. YOSHIKI gave a sampling of his English skills and introduced the song JADE in English. He then played the intro to the song and ToshI sang the first verse. He also insisted that an English version of “Tears” will be on the upcoming X Japan album. ”Tears” brought the audience to silence. It was practically quiet enough to hear the sounds of fans’ tears hitting the ground. ToshI sat down next to YOSHIKI while the audience waved blue glow sticks from side to side in a moving display of emotion.
After the song had finished ToshI took a sip from his water bottle and YOSHIKI teased ToshI about him drinking from a straw and how ridiculous it looked. ”You don’t want to spill it or something?” ToshI tersely replied, “We’re supposed to show how cool and elegant we are. This is sophistication.” YOSHIKI cracked up but quickly fired back and said he looked like he gained some weight. The two longtime buddies were making fun of each other in a playful way in front of their most loyal fans. Whenever YOSHIKI was on stage there was a lot of back and forth banter in between songs. Some other interesting bits: When YOSHIKI was in elementary school he excelled in math, had a great memory and was one of the fastest runners in the school marathon. As for after school activities he was in the brass band (trumpet) and on the soccer team. ToshI was also in the brass band with YOSHIKI as well as on the volleyball team. Then Yoshiki started talking about their upcoming world tour that would span from South America, to Southeast Asia, to North America, and then to Europe. ToshI jumped in and said, “are you sure you can announce that?” (Up to that point, only up to Southeast Asia had been announced). YOSHIKI quickly replied, “I guess not but who cares.” This was the nature of their banter. The rules seemed to be thrown out for the privileged few who could attend. It almost seemed as if they didn’t realize there were other people in the room. They also alluded to a Tokyo Dome concert at the end of the year.
Then the conversation drifted to a previous Dome concert. YOSHIKI lived in Setagaya at the time (the audience members shrieked at this new knowledge) and he was headed to the Dome to use their rehearsal space. ToshI couldn’t resist and threw in a jab, “What?!? YOSHIKI in rehearsal? I’ve never heard of such a thing.” He then went back the night before the concert again and wanted to practice more and the staff said you can practice in the Dome itself. He reminisced how awesome it was playing by himself in an empty stadium that could fit 50,000 people. ToshI then told a story about how before a different concert YOSHIKI couldn’t rent any rehearsal space so he had a piano brought into his hotel suite so he could practice.
After the banter, the duo performed “Forever Love” with an orchestral backing. In such a small room it sounded like you were listening to the track being recorded in the studio. YOSHIKI then left the stage and ToshI sat down on the piano to play “Amaoto”. He sung very softly in a whisper voice which was a fitting end to the concert; intimate. Instead of the full orchestra or a quartet, there was a soloist violin by the name of Kunio Sakamoto who brought true elegance to the song. This was a truly beautiful ending.
After a five minute wait, YOSHIKI and ToshI came back to give away some presents and hold an auction. They drew a few numbers from a box to give away some X Japan goods to lucky audience members. The first set had two T-shirts, a hat, an album and some assorted items. Of course the two goofballs couldn’t keep their mouths shut. ToshI asked YOSHIKI to grab one number but he ended up grabbing a handful. ToshI slaps his hand away and gives it a shot but first puts on some white gloves. YOSHIKI then quips that he looks like a taxi driver. ToshI explained that he had the consideration to not get the presents dirty. The lucky few had their prizes signed by both artists. After they gave away the free prizes the auction started. All the proceeds for the auction went to charity for the March earthquake. The first item to be auctioned was one of YOSHIKI’s drum sticks he used in concert and a crystal necklace from Germany. Not only that, but the winner would get to go on stage and have their picture taken with both of them and have all their items signed.
Toshi water
The bidding started at 10,000 yen. Shouts came from all directions and the bid kept on going up. 300,000, 500,000, 520,000, 690,000, 750,000, 900,000…YOSHIKI said, “I think we should cut it off now, this is just for a drumstick and crystal.” ToshI then cut it off at 1,010,000 yen (13,000 USD). A middle-aged woman came up to accept her prize as ToshI and YOSHIKI made fun of each others’ signatures. ToshI stated that Hide had the best signature out of them all. YOSHIKI drew a bear on one of the items and ToshI was insulting his drawing. “This looks nothing like a bear! In fact, this is the first time I’ve ever seen you draw anything.” After the picture was taken, the next prize was announced. YOSHIKI was going to auction off the white shirt that he was wearing and they would also get enlarged photos of the event which aren’t distributed to anyone else.
YOSHIKI then went backstage to take off his shirt. When he came back with shirt in-hand was when things started to get crazy. He handed it to ToshI who exclaimed that it was dripping in sweat. This really got the crowd going. ToshI then went on about how good his sweat smells. The prices started flying. Within 30 seconds it was already at 1,000,000 yen. It closed in under 40 seconds at 1,600,000 yen (20,000 USD). While you could tell they felt guilty selling a shirt for half a year’s salary, it was for a good cause.
When the girl in her 30s came up to claim her prize the shirt was put over her shoulders and a picture was taken with them. Then for the last item, they would fly the recipient to any concert in Asia of their choice and book their hotel. As an added bonus they could go back stage at the concert and meet the band and have their picture taken with the band. Within seconds the cost had already risen to 3,050,000 yen at which point YOSHIKI quipped that “it’s only South East Asia. Definitely not a resort area.” The final price reached 4,200,000 yen (54,000 USD) as it was cut off because YOSHIKI didn’t want it to cost more than a nice piano. The girl who claimed the prize must have been in her 20s. When she got on stage YOSHIKI and ToshI were shocked. She bid for another item the night before and won. She said she would choose to go to see them in Korea. Then there was another present which was the comic book, Blood Red Dragon which features YOSHIKI and was created by Stan Lee and Todd McFarlane. There were three more presents that gave backstage access to that night’s show. The final presents were invitations to a special X Japan event that would take place the following week.
Toshi water
After the auction had finished, they played two more songs. The first song was the latest song from X JAPAN called “Scarlet Love Song” that was written for an anime. YOSHIKI said that most of their songs are interpreted in a negative light but that this song has a forward leaning message. The song was also for all of the people of Japan. For “Scarlet Love Song” just ToshI and YOSHIKI were playing. The smoke machine went into full gear and ToshI sang his heart out in fog. They ended the concert with “Endless Rain”. While this concert differed from a typical X Japan concert in many ways, the audience still kept the tradition alive of singing the last verse. As they walked off stage, YOSHIKI thanked the audience by saying “Without you we would have never been able to do a world tour.” The entire concert still felt like X Japan but had a more sophisticated sound in a vastly more intimate space. The difference of being one of 50,000 vs. being one of 1,000 and being a few meters from your idols.
As we spend a lot of resources promoting our artists please support us by purchasing ToshI’s new releases here at HearJapan. Also be sure to read our exclusive interview with ToshI and as a special present view the flowers from the concert.
