I took a long time to finally get to do it, but I wanted to share my thoughts, as a recent fan (since 26th March 2020), on this livestream ! First of all, I was excited at the first announce for the tickets. Then my excitement slowly transformed into fear of not being able to see it as July passed without any news, but then they announced the tickets for overseas fans and my fear transformed back into excitement haha, but then I couldn't pay the ticket with my credit card and took quite some time to finally dare asking my parents to pay it for me sdfjdh. I guess it was harder than expected for them to actually set everything up correctly on a second server in a different country.
I watched the livestream with a bit of delay, like 10 minutes I think. I remember setting Image as an alarm haha. My greatest expections from the livestream were a long setlist, most of KFTD songs being played, the two new singles as well, and Haruna to make a good vocal performance. Looks like all my expectations were filled ! Haruna still had a few slightly wrong notes, but she overall made a great effort.
Singing and entertaining fans for two hours is hard. The voice is still the hardest instrument you will ever learn in my opinion. As a matter of fact, until a few months ago I used to plug two amps (one for guitar, one for music and mic) and make 2h/2h20 Muse setlists in my room. And it's hard, it's hard to get to sound correctly for each song, and I don't even have the pressure of cameras nor of the audience. I've never taken any lessons, but I still have a bit of trouble putting the right constant effort for each line I sing. The place of each song in the setlist is also super important. I won't sing Micro Cuts by Muse at the end of a setlist as well as if I sing it on its beginning. And I think Haruna managed to keep a constant strength throughout the whole gig, and that's a nice effort from her. Of course, pitch corrector and volume "normalisation" (idk if I'm using the correct word here) will do the rest of the job to make it sound even better, but I think her performance is overall pretty good.
I was also super glad that they played 10 songs out of 12 from KFTD, I was expecting like 5 or 6 songs.
Ceramic Blue may have seemed like an odd way to start, but I personally think it was an interesting choice. If I remember well, Scandal wanted to communicate the feelings of the "normal", common people they are, and learned to show their bad, sadder side with this album. I think that musically speaking, Ceramic Blue, its melody, the background noises at the end of the song... That has... a cold feeling. But warm too, Haruna's voice feels warmer, but the melody feels colder, that's really tricky to describe. Ceramic Blue sounds like a good way to welcome you to the darkness, and kiss your soul as you step in it. I don't know if I made my point of view clear xD. Introducing us to a gig with a song that sounds like the idea of the album they're promoting was a good idea. I still need to read the lyrics translation from this album by the way. But on the melodic point of view, this is how I felt Ceramic Blue being the set opener.
Mabataki kinda has the same feeling, because of the lyrics/melody contrast especially, but it doesn't hit you in the feelings as straightforward as Ceramic Blue does. Furthermore, it starts more progressively than Mabataki (Haruna and her guitar only), and it shows Scandal's dominent Rock side, so that was the right song to go for in my opinion.
My favorites moments of the gig : extended Neon Town Escape of course ! I just love this song, if feels sexy, it slides on your skin and softly catches your soul by the arm. I have no idea how to dance, but it makes me want to express some precious feelings that I can't even understand nor describe through some non-calculated, fuzzy moves. Making it extended intensified the Jazz side of the song, and its power as well. As Mami-san was soloing I was transported further away, deeper in that sweet cocoon where I'm Scandal makes me feel good.
Kagen No Tsuki coming right after was literally the icing on the cake, I love that song so much, and I love that look Mami gave to the camera at the end of her singing part in the second verse. Well, you know what ? I'll make a gif of it haha !
The acoustic set was a happy surprise as well, it felt intimate and warm, it felt like we were all sitting close, all around them, holding our heads with our two hands and stars in the eyes haha, I felt closer from them while actually being in front of my computer screen, it was wonderful. LaundryLaundry was, ahh delightful, such a delight, lord. It was so on point, and Mami smiling as she sang with Haruna the synth part (what a good artistic choice by the way !) made the performance close to perfection, even perfect actually. Like, you could feel and hear Mami was smiling, I love that especially. It was just so good, nothing more to say, it was amazing.
I think I can add Flashback No. 5 as one of the coolest moments of the livestream, since I've rarely listened to this one. Seeing it live (well sort of lol) made me rediscover the song, and now I enjoy it and its energy even more. This as well reminded me that I need to listen to their b-sides more !
Oh and, special mention to Mami bursting into laughter from her A.M.D.K.J. mistake, Tomomi holding back her tears during Yoake No Ryuuseigun, it made me shed a tear as well... A tear of happiness :3 And of course Scandal Baby, the setlist classic and the funny second verse when Mami and Tomomi always manage to make Haruna laugh. The idea of the visor was hilarious !
Only regrets on the setlist : would've loved for more Honey songs, Oh ! No ! and Mado Wo Aketara especially, those two hold a special place in my heart, one for being sang by Mami-san, and another one for feeling in deep connexion with the mood and the lyrics of it. Also expected Hachi Gatsu to be played, but we got Chiisana Honoo instead so I'm fine haha.
Not surprised by the absence of songs like Doll, Standard or Everbody Say Yeah !, since even if those are their setlist staples, they require a heavy crowd interaction which they couldn't really get to hear, just to read. So it made sense to kick these bangers out of the setlist, and hey, we can't have all of their discography in a single gig xD ! Having a 2h-long setlist was already kind of a super cool surprise, and I had such a blast. Besides, the venue felt like a good choice in terms of sound.
Hope we'll be able to give them and the staff a round of applause and cheering as soon as possible. I miss them while I never actually saw them live or even got close to get noticed by them from a message or something... Strange, ne ? I guess I really needed them, the messages they write in their songs and their melodies to face my hard times, and I hope I'll be able to personally thank them for their hard work and the way they sort of helped someday.
Finally, I truly hope we'll get to see more KFTD era gigs. I understand better why they said it was probably their best tour to come, and I felt even more regretful that they couldn't get it to happen. They've really put a good effort on the visuals, the setlist, trying to bring something new and intimate with the acoustic set...
Which makes me want to say as well, that recording it for a live release was predictable, and once again, a good choice. They've set up the whole thing so well, in terms of cameras, sounds, visuals etc, as Rina said, it was so good that it had to become a release. I won't repeat myself on what I said in the release topic, but I'm really, really wondering how they'll edit it. No crowd feels like a shame, but it'll be a room for a more precise instrumental and vocal mixing, maybe a more intimate-like too. I also wonder how they'll incorporate the live chat in the video, I hope they'll recreate the deep crowd/band interaction their gigs are famous for with that.
I'm ready for more, and will sure follow this band for a long time. This was my first Scandal experience if I can say so, the limited edition blu-ray is the first investment related to Scandal I make, the first Scandal gig I was actually able to catch as it happened, so it felt really special to me, just like Masterpiece is to them (and to me, since it's the first song I've listened from them). Anyway, that's way too much of a gig review, no ? Hope my "novel" was relevant enough lol, I'm sorry if it wasn't. I feel like this forum is a haven of peace, I feel in security and welcome in this peaceful fandom, so I felt like I could express lots of feelings without going too too personnal... Thank you for reading if you did read it to the end of it ~
thoseguiltyeyes wrote:We've added English subs for all of SCANDAL's MCs during their livestream! (*Audio only; no video clips)
i will make a .srt file. should i share it here once it's done ?