I like to compare concerts to Koda Kumi's Black Cherry Tour 2007 because I think it's probably the biggest, most produced, and best concert I've seen in any aspect. The BEST FICTION tour has the potential to blow that concert out of the water. The songlist is air-tight (they even dropped ALL FOR YOU from BF <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... /weeeh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':unsure:' />) and the inclusion of a live band is the icing on the cake. The stage is massive and it seems like there will tons of props. Not only does she 17 of the 18 BEST FICTION songs, she also does songs from PLAY and Queen of Hip-Pop, even her collaborations with m-flo and DOUBLE as solo versions.
So I got around to watching the show and I'll probably do a track-by-track impression later, but I wanna do a condensed summary now.
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
The highs and lows of this concert were very contrasted. You got songs that were completely re-arranged (SO CRAZY and ALARM became hard rock songs), songs that really benefited from having a live band (Do Me More, New Look), songs that had great routines (Full Moon, Top Secret, Do Me More), songs that had great videos (Hide&Seek, GIRL TALK, Luvotomy), and songs that had really well made props (Luvotomy, New Look, Wishing on the Same Star). You also had a lot of technical faults (Namie's performance in pretty much the last third of the show) and attention issues (Namie shooting video on her own little camera during WoWa and the final curtain.) In Top Secret, you could hear Namie grunt or some sort of exhaustion cry twice. Namie has a tendency to let her backing vocals sing the first line of a chorus or those high notes, but she ended up doing it too much at the end of the show and she even missed a line that she could've typically sung, but didn't. Yes, the show was pretty much 28 up-tempo songs with two ballads thrown is and it takes a lot of effort, but a lot of her songs had modified (read: easier) choreography or she did very little dancing while background dancers did their thing. Hell, for Shine more, the beginning was Namie alone, on a dark stage doing no dancing and considerably so-so singing. Namie, early on, does one of those moves where she belts out a note and brings the mic in and (should) hold it. She pulls it off well the first time or two. Not so much the other three times. In an early song, YOU CAN SEE A STAFF MEMBER NEXT TO A SPEAKER STAGE LEFT. Despite ALL of that, there was a lot of love that I felt as each new song began (maybe a chance to improve the rapidly decreasing performance of the show?) and, I feel entertained though maybe I'm not thinking it yet. Given the flaws, I feel like I still got a full concert experience, but I can't help but think of Top Chef where one chef has enough time to make a second dish and they do, but it's not great and, even though they had a great first dish, they still have to get taken down a peg because they shouldn't have shown something that wasn't up to snuff.
Still, I loved that they were able to take almost every single song and do something unique with it. Each song offered a new experience though, unlike her PLAY tour, these experiences were less like a full-fledged, generally well-done music video, and more like stylized live performances. I probably didn't feel near-100% heart like I did from PLAY, but there was still a lot of love.
I originally said that I compare concerts to Koda Kumi's Black Cherry Tour and I think I can. Even though it was a 2 hour tour, BFT wasn't as long as BCT (which clocks in at over 3.5 hours). The BFT's pacing was too hard, too fast, but this lead to an amazing beginning and a lot of great middle and end tracks. Compared to BCT, BFT had move inter-song videos, but they were shorter and didn't contribute to an overall narrative. The song list for BFT blew BCT's out of the water. Every song (probably except for White Light, Dr., or WILD) felt integrated and thought out. The live band contributions were more wide-spread, but there were less, all-band/mostly-band tracks where BCT has an entire mostly-band section as well as a few mostly-band songs at the end. BCT brought in Tohoshinki and Blue Man Group. BFT didn't bring in DOUBLE or Verbal. 'nuff said. I think with BCT, you get a concert that plays out like a theater performance. With BFT, you get a concert that offers theater-flavored nibblins.
I'll write more later when I watch is a second time (yeah, I've got more).
Last edited by neshcom on Wed Sep 09, 2009 9:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
[quote name='neshcom' post='68717' date='Sep 10 2009, 01:56 PM']So I got around to watching the show and I'll probably do a track-by-track impression later, but I wanna do a condensed summary now.
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
The highs and lows of this concert were very contrasted. You got songs that were completely re-arranged (SO CRAZY and ALARM became hard rock songs), songs that really benefited from having a live band (Do Me More, New Look), songs that had great routines (Full Moon, Top Secret, Do Me More), songs that had great videos (Hide&Seek, GIRL TALK, Luvotomy), and songs that had really well made props (Luvotomy, New Look, Wishing on the Same Star). You also had a lot of technical faults (Namie's performance in pretty much the last third of the show) and attention issues (Namie shooting video on her own little camera during WoWa and the final curtain.) In Top Secret, you could hear Namie grunt or some sort of exhaustion cry twice. Namie has a tendency to let her backing vocals sing the first line of a chorus or those high notes, but she ended up doing it too much at the end of the show and she even missed a line that she could've typically sung, but didn't. Yes, the show was pretty much 28 up-tempo songs with two ballads thrown is and it takes a lot of effort, but a lot of her songs had modified (read: easier) choreography or she did very little dancing while background dancers did their thing. Hell, for Shine more, the beginning was Namie alone, on a dark stage doing no dancing and considerably so-so singing. Namie, early on, does one of those moves where she belts out a note and brings the mic in and (should) hold it. She pulls it off well the first time or two. Not so much the other three times. In an early song, YOU CAN SEE A STAFF MEMBER NEXT TO A SPEAKER STAGE LEFT. Despite ALL of that, there was a lot of love that I felt as each new song began (maybe a chance to improve the rapidly decreasing performance of the show?) and, I feel entertained though maybe I'm not thinking it yet. Given the flaws, I feel like I still got a full concert experience, but I can't help but think of Top Chef where one chef has enough time to make a second dish and they do, but it's not great and, even though they had a great first dish, they still have to get taken down a peg because they shouldn't have shown something that wasn't up to snuff.
Still, I loved that they were able to take almost every single song and do something unique with it. Each song offered a new experience though, unlike her PLAY tour, these experiences were less like a full-fledged, generally well-done music video, and more like stylized live performances. I probably didn't feel near-100% heart like I did from PLAY, but there was still a lot of love.
I originally said that I compare concerts to Koda Kumi's Black Cherry Tour and I think I can. Even though it was a 2 hour tour, BFT wasn't as long as BCT (which clocks in at over 3.5 hours). The BFT's pacing was too hard, too fast, but this lead to an amazing beginning and a lot of great middle and end tracks. Compared to BCT, BFT had move inter-song videos, but they were shorter and didn't contribute to an overall narrative. The song list for BFT blew BCT's out of the water. Every song (probably except for White Light, Dr., or WILD) felt integrated and thought out. The live band contributions were more wide-spread, but there were less, all-band/mostly-band tracks where BCT has an entire mostly-band section as well as a few mostly-band songs at the end. BCT brought in Tohoshinki and Blue Man Group. BFT didn't bring in DOUBLE or Verbal. 'nuff said. I think with BCT, you get a concert that plays out like a theater performance. With BFT, you get a concert that offers theater-flavored nibblins.
I'll write more later when I watch is a second time (yeah, I've got more).[/quote]
Question: does she wear Patricia Field costumes in the concert? I know she wore them in three of the videos on the Best Fiction DVD.
[quote name='Madara' post='68728' date='Sep 10 2009, 01:27 PM']Question: does she wear Patricia Field costumes in the concert? I know she wore them in three of the videos on the Best Fiction DVD.[/quote]
She doesn't wear any of the outfits from the music videos (like the 60s70s80s ones with Patricia and VS), so I can't say for certain. All of her outfits are really well done. Looking over the credits, I'm not seeing her listed under stylists or wardrobe, so my guess would be a no.
Love Namie, and she's a helluva performer, but damn that girl SWEATS.
[quote name='CO2 Blasted Idols' post='91599' date='Jan 12 2011, 06:50 PM']Also, this is MM-BBS, the BBS that hates the H!P fans in almost all other forums.[/quote]
Number are in, people! BEST FICTION Tour 2008-2009 ranked number one on the DVD charts and sold 155,00 units. This make it the highest first-week DVD sales for a female performer (previously, the record was 99,000 units).
I'm still gonna write up a full review sometime. Sometime.
Set design: The stage has 6 parts: the lower center stage, upper center stage, center stairs, left and right alt stage, and a walkway into the crowd. The edge of the stages have circular lightbulbs all along the edge. The center stage has a gigantic LED video wall that shows behind all of the upper center stage. The band is situated under the upper center stage. Poles in front of the band have been rigged with fake big diamonds that can come up by hydraulics.
01- Opening: Video opening showing Amber (little girl from the Do Me More PV) entering a big book with BEST FICTION on the front in gold leaf.
02- Do Me More: BEST FICTION is lit onto a closed curtain. An arabian flute plays a similar opening to Do Me More as backup dancers twirl ribbon and a cane on the left and right alt stages. The dances meet in the lower center stage as the BEST FICTION logo on the cutrain has expanding vine designs. Curtains begin to open immediately after the un, duex, trois. Namie is sitting on a black "throne" situated on the center stairs. Namie is wearing a black outfit with red accents and a mini-top hat attached to the side of her head. Her hair is up. The song is performed with a hand mic. This song really starts the concert off with a bang. The video work compliments the song and Namie look fantastic. The choreography from the PV has been removed. Namie is seated for the entire first verse. During the break-down, Namie walks to the end of the center walkway as the main stage area becomes completely dark. As she returns, the stage is aflutter with activity as the song climaxes. Male dancers are on the diamonds dancing. Namie ends the song re-esated on the throne as the stage fades to black. This song really kicks the concert off on a good note. The final chorus re-arrangement really has a great feeling.
03- Violet Sauce: Opens with a female/male dancer combo are on the center diamond props. They are illuminated slightly with a purple light. Namie begins the song seated, but moves to the lower center stage early on. Namie sings the break-down on the center stairs. The throne has been removed at this point. "Wlecome to my playground/Sin City" has been re-recorded with Amber saying "Welcome to BEST FICTION." This line is displayed on the video screen and is the only video graphic of the song. Namie ends the song on the lower center stage. This starts a a streak of hard-rock songs and keeps the energy high.
04- ALARM: The bass line from the beginning is performed by the lead guitarist. He is well-illuminated in the intro. The entire song has been re-arranged into a rock song. During the second chorus, Namie and two female dances walk down the walkway. Three male dancers meet them there. There is a red and blue motif to the lighting design of the song. The breakdown dance and chorus dance have a very arm-intensive choreography. Namie travels back to the center stage during the final chorus. Nao'ymt's (producer for Violet Sauce) musical style really comes through and makes this a successful re-arrangement.
05- SO CRAZY: The song has a synth-based intro and has been completely re-arranged into a hard rock/hip-hop song. Again, there is a distinctive Nao'ymt feel with organs and strings that creates a strange, unearthly feeling that keeps the tension high. Namie is spot on with the rap in the middle, if not a little funny sounding ("AP IN DA CRUB. DANCING TO DRAMS.").
06- Interlude 1: Amber is walking through the forest and stumbles upon a trail of high-heels. She becomes ecstatic to find a gigantic pair of high heels. Smaller identical showes begin to dance on the ground.
07- NEW LOOK: Right stage. There is a giant pair of high-heels (identical to the interlude's) where Namie and three female dancers perform. The shoe has stairs. Namie is wearing a blue short-sleeve double-breasted coat. The dancers are wearing identical red coats. Namie's hair is down. She performs with a headset mic. This song is really cute and the live drums add a nice extra flavor to the song. The ending has been shortened.
08-: Hello: Starts on the right stage shoe prop, but Namie and the dancers move to the center stage while removing the coats. Namie is wearing a black and white strapless top with a black short skirt. The song ends with Namie and four female dancers moving to the end of the walkway with large, "diamond" encrusted faux-phones pretending to sing on them. Hello really brings up the energy NEW LOOK probably lost and is a nice transition to GIRL TALK.
09- GIRL TALK: Starts with a video of stars and hearts on the video screen. Namie and female dancers are still on the walkway dancing. Namie and dancers move to the lower center stage to finish off the song. GIRL TALK really lost a lot of the building elements in the end like the back-up vocalizing and ended up being a little repetive. There's a cute video that plays with plenty of hearts and cupids and stars.
10- shine more: Namie's singing is technically on-point, but the song is a little boring. Namie performs the first half standing on the stands by herself. During the second half, a few dancers join her on the lower stage and they dance. The lighting isn't really cohesive and just seems a little random.
11- Full Moon: The song starts with a few female dancers on the upper center stage as Namie positions herself on the center diamond of the left set of diamond props. She does a safe little dance on the prop constantly holding onto the pole of upper railing before getting off the prop for the second verse. This is really where Namie starts to sweat pretty hard and showing signs of tiredness. The second chorus and breakdown on the walkway is pretty nice and well choreographed.
12- Luvotomy: Stars with a dark stage. Only blue lights shine into the crowd. Large star props on the upper center stage light up as the stage becomes illuminated. The video wall shows a sort of northern lights effect with many different colors. Namie and some dancers dance on her middle cluster of stars. I enjoyed the set and video, but Luvotomy really loses some heart without VERBAL. There aren't any prominent live band aspects (like there were for the COSMICOLOR tour) and the song just ends up being kind of boring.
[quote name='neshcom' post='68472' date='Sep 5 2009, 02:03 PM']I like to compare concerts to Koda Kumi's Black Cherry Tour 2007 because I think it's probably the biggest, most produced, and best concert I've seen in any aspect.[/quote]
Thanks to this line in your original post, I checked my collection to see if I had this concert and I didn't. So I bought it at first opportunity ($25 at Book Off) and I watched it last night, staying up past my bedtime to finish it. It's a great concert, easily the best thing Koda Kumi has done and definitely on a par with Ayumi Hamasaki's best shows. When I get a chance, I want to watch it again to take notes and do a blog entry on it.
Thank you.
(And I will be getting Namie Amuro's Best Fiction concert DVD once I check and see if it's in any of the Chinatown stores, where it will be a lot cheaper than CDJapan.)
P.S. I just realized the Koda Kumi concert is a 2-disc set and I only watched the first disc. Since the concert is continued on the second disc, I haven't finished watching it yet.
Last edited by Madara on Thu Oct 15, 2009 4:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
Picked up the Namie Amuro Best Fiction Tour DVD in Chinatown last night for under $20 (it's a legit HK import, not a bootleg). The Japanese import was at Kinokuniya Books for $64 and change. And it's $54.94 right now on CDJapan. So I think I came out all right.
Hm, I didn't think Kumi's Black Cherry concert was all that great. Pretty gimmicky to me whereas I thought her "prequel" to the Black Cherry Tour, her second session Tour, was one of the best concerts I've ever seen right up there with Ayumi's Arena Tours.
Back on topic, I've yet to see Best Fiction, but I've seen a few performances that have popped up on the internet one way or another. Is it just me or are Namie's vocals in this tour not on par with her previous ones? I understand she tired herself out immensely, but even her opening performance of Do Me More wasn't that great vocally. :\
Ah well. I'll still most definitely get around to seeing it at some point. She can perform her socks off, so I'm sure it'll still be pretty killer regardless.
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