Vanguard Night Vol. 1 ~Valentine Special~
Feb. 20th, 2012 11:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rinlinLast night I went to exist+trace's first Vanguard fan club live! It was at Mosaic in Shimokitazawa. Up until the day before the show, I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to go because I reserved my ticket, but didn't get a confirmation e-mail. My friend Tomonori and I both contacted the fan club about it and they responded the day before the concert. They had tried to send me the confirmation, but it kept getting bounced back. I'm so glad that everything got straightened out and I was able to go! The show was really fantastic~
I arrived a bit early in Shimokitazawa. First, I stopped by the venue to pick up my ticket and then I ate an early dinner at First Kitchen. Then, I went back to the venue, ran into Tomonori and waited in line. I was ticket number 42 of about 100 or so tickets. Despite this, I some how ended up right in front of the stage, directly in the center. :D By then Aki had arrived, too. She and Tomonori decided to stand further back in the crowd, but she came up and took my bag and coat, and put them on the side with everyone else's bags. I would've been worried about just setting my purse to the side if I were anywhere but Japan, but everything was fine. While I waited for the show to start, I ended up chatting with, Jamie, the girl standing next to me. She seemed pretty cool. She was the only other foreigner at the live, so we struck up a conversation and ended up talking about J-rock while we waited. I had so much adrenaline while waiting for the concert.
Soon it was time for the show to start! The awesome thing about this show was that the venue was so small. I thought Rockmaykan was small last time, but Mosaic was even smaller. This definitely worked to the audience's advantage though. In the front, we were right up against the stage. It also gave us a good view of all of the band members since they were spaced fairly close together. It was great to see the band that close. Jyou was literally a few feet in front of me throughout the entire show! Omi was just off to the right side so (of course) I ended up watching her a lot, too.
The band played "Honey" again. I love that song! I'm assuming that it's going to be on their new album. I really hope so because I can't wait to hear it again. Jyou accidentally whacked Omi in the face during "Rouge" because she came up to the front of the stage and Jyou didn't realize she was there. After Jyou hit Omi, she quickly turned it into a caress and Omi pretended that she was going to kiss Jyou. *_*
During the other MC, Jyou announced that there would be no encore this time, which sent a disappointed buzz through the crowd. Then we started wondering if the band had some kind of surprise up their sleeves. The girls ended the show by playing "Vanguard", the song that the fan club was named after. We gave it all we had and then the show was over. It wasn't time for us to leave yet though. A video was projected on the wall of the venue. It showed pictures of the band goofing around before the show and announced the release date of their new album "Virgin", which is being released on May 23rd! I can't wait to hear it! Then the video showed a picture of Mally baking cookies. Shortly after the video ended, the side door opened and the band walked in! It was amazing how calmly all the fans reacted. Clearly, everyone was excited, but there was no screaming or pushing and shoving. The girls made their way to the tables set up at the back of the venue. Everyone would get to meet the band and Mally had baked cookies for all of the Vanguard members! :DDD
By this point, Aki and Tomonori had made their way back over to me. We all got in line. Jamie and I were quietly freaking out about meeting the band. Aki joined in while Tomonori watched us somewhat amusedly. We started joking that Aki should get a ring and propose to the girls. Jamie and I discussed what we were going to say to the girls. So far, I've had a history of being tounge tied when meeting J-rockers. I could barely say anything to Ayabie and Yoshiki when I met them (and I knew that I could even speak English to Yoshiki). I did a bit better this time though. And the girls were so nice!
Omi was first in line. I'm not sure if that was good or bad for my nerves, considering my huge crush on her lol. She's so gorgeous. We greeted each other and shook hands. Omi has this very secure handhold. The whole time we were talking, she held my hand in both of her hands. I'm afraid that I babbled a bit, but I told her that the live was very fun. Then, I told her that I thought she was the coolest and that I loved her. She told me that I was cute~ ^///^ She ended by telling me to please come to another live and then it was time for me to move on in line. I don't think the whole experience registered with me right away. xD
Naoto was next in line. I'm afraid that my memory of talking with Naoto is a bit of a blur because I was still reeling from talking to Omi. (I'm surprised my brain didn't start melting out of my ears after I talked to Omi.) Sorry, Naoto! I think I told her how much I enjoyed the live and she thanked me for coming and told me to come again. She was shorter than I always imagined her to be. I'll admit that I used to find her a bit intimidating when I first got into exist+trace (years ago). I don't find her intimidating anymore though. She's really cool~
Jyou was next. She said 「お疲れ様」(it's a bit hard to translate, but means something like "thanks for your hard work") which I was amused by because the band were the ones who were working the hardest. The rest of us were just enjoying the concert. When Jyou took my hand she commented on how small my hands were. I thought it was cute because Jyou's hands are kind of small, too. She's a bit small, but she's so powerful. She's also very sweet.
The next person in line was Miko. She's a cutie and so pretty. While I had been waiting in line before, she caught my eye and smiled at me. She said 「お疲れ様」, too, and I returned the greeting. She asked me if I lived in Japan. (I figured she must have came to that conclusion because I'm a fan club member.) I told her that I did and she told me to please come to the next live.
Mally was the last one in line. She's probably my second biggest crush in the band. I told her that the live was great and she said she was glad that I enjoyed it. Then, she gave me a cookie. I told her that it looked delicious and she thanked me and thanked me for coming to the show. She was such a sweetie to make Valentine's cookies for all the fans.
After making my way through the line, Jamie and I had another quiet freak out. Then, I grabbed my things from the pile of bags and headed back up to the first floor. I used my drink ticket to get a matcha milk at the bar. I drank it while I waited in the merch line. I bought the new purple exist+trace towel with the skeleton on it. I also bought one of the チェッキ (small polaroid pictures) that the band had taken especially for the concert. You got to choose the picture at random and I ended up getting a pretty picture of Miko in Mally's outfit. Once we had gotten everything in order and finished buying goods, Jamie, Aki, Tomonori and I left for the station. I had to go a different way than the rest of them, so we parted ways at the station.
Mally's cookie!
I had to struggle to keep a stupidly happy look off of my face during the train ride home. After I got home, I ate the cookie that Mally made. I think it was some kind of peanut cookie and it was pretty good! I'm so happy that everything was straightened out and I was able to go to the concert. I can't believe that I got to meet the band! They said that they want to do more fan club events, so I'm definitely looking forward to it. I'm hoping that they'll decide to have some kind of fan club event again when they release the new CD this spring. I can't wait to see exist+trace again~
(ETA: I read Mally's blog and she mentioned that the cookies were "protein cookies" with wheat flour and soybean flour. Why am I not surprised? xD)
I arrived a bit early in Shimokitazawa. First, I stopped by the venue to pick up my ticket and then I ate an early dinner at First Kitchen. Then, I went back to the venue, ran into Tomonori and waited in line. I was ticket number 42 of about 100 or so tickets. Despite this, I some how ended up right in front of the stage, directly in the center. :D By then Aki had arrived, too. She and Tomonori decided to stand further back in the crowd, but she came up and took my bag and coat, and put them on the side with everyone else's bags. I would've been worried about just setting my purse to the side if I were anywhere but Japan, but everything was fine. While I waited for the show to start, I ended up chatting with, Jamie, the girl standing next to me. She seemed pretty cool. She was the only other foreigner at the live, so we struck up a conversation and ended up talking about J-rock while we waited. I had so much adrenaline while waiting for the concert.
Soon it was time for the show to start! The awesome thing about this show was that the venue was so small. I thought Rockmaykan was small last time, but Mosaic was even smaller. This definitely worked to the audience's advantage though. In the front, we were right up against the stage. It also gave us a good view of all of the band members since they were spaced fairly close together. It was great to see the band that close. Jyou was literally a few feet in front of me throughout the entire show! Omi was just off to the right side so (of course) I ended up watching her a lot, too.
The band started off with the ever classic "Judea". Definitely got the show off to a good start. Since this show was smaller, it was slightly more stripped down than usual (that didn't mean it was any less awesome though!). The band didn't play "リトル・メアリー” like they have been recently, presumably because there wouldn't have been enough room for them to do the whole masquerade bit with Omi and Miko's waltz. Jyou didn't do her usual outfit change for "Kiss in the Dark" either. She had a tambourine that she brought out for the song instead.
During the first MC, Jyou explained that Mally was the one who had produced and put together this event for the fan club. That was why the band members decided to all dress in Mally's old outfits for the show. Jyou was wearing Mally's outfit from "Recreation Eve", even though it was a little bit big on her. The belt kept coming undone and she would have to cutely adjust it. Omi was wearing Mally's outfit from "Daybreak". Naoto wore Mally's outfit from "Vanguard". Miko wore Mally's outfit from "Twin Gate" and Jyou commented on how rare it was that Miko wasn't wearing a skirt. xD Mally was wearing a completely different outfit for this live. She had on a waiter's outfit with a black bowtie and and apron for a tofu restaurant. The reasons for this would become clearer later. And speaking of the band's outfits, being so close to the stage gave me a good view of the band's shoes. Naoto and Omi wear some pretty decent sized platform boots. I guess I'd never quite realized that Naoto and Omi were shorter than I thought they were.
During the first MC, Jyou explained that Mally was the one who had produced and put together this event for the fan club. That was why the band members decided to all dress in Mally's old outfits for the show. Jyou was wearing Mally's outfit from "Recreation Eve", even though it was a little bit big on her. The belt kept coming undone and she would have to cutely adjust it. Omi was wearing Mally's outfit from "Daybreak". Naoto wore Mally's outfit from "Vanguard". Miko wore Mally's outfit from "Twin Gate" and Jyou commented on how rare it was that Miko wasn't wearing a skirt. xD Mally was wearing a completely different outfit for this live. She had on a waiter's outfit with a black bowtie and and apron for a tofu restaurant. The reasons for this would become clearer later. And speaking of the band's outfits, being so close to the stage gave me a good view of the band's shoes. Naoto and Omi wear some pretty decent sized platform boots. I guess I'd never quite realized that Naoto and Omi were shorter than I thought they were.
The band played "Honey" again. I love that song! I'm assuming that it's going to be on their new album. I really hope so because I can't wait to hear it again. Jyou accidentally whacked Omi in the face during "Rouge" because she came up to the front of the stage and Jyou didn't realize she was there. After Jyou hit Omi, she quickly turned it into a caress and Omi pretended that she was going to kiss Jyou. *_*
During the other MC, Jyou announced that there would be no encore this time, which sent a disappointed buzz through the crowd. Then we started wondering if the band had some kind of surprise up their sleeves. The girls ended the show by playing "Vanguard", the song that the fan club was named after. We gave it all we had and then the show was over. It wasn't time for us to leave yet though. A video was projected on the wall of the venue. It showed pictures of the band goofing around before the show and announced the release date of their new album "Virgin", which is being released on May 23rd! I can't wait to hear it! Then the video showed a picture of Mally baking cookies. Shortly after the video ended, the side door opened and the band walked in! It was amazing how calmly all the fans reacted. Clearly, everyone was excited, but there was no screaming or pushing and shoving. The girls made their way to the tables set up at the back of the venue. Everyone would get to meet the band and Mally had baked cookies for all of the Vanguard members! :DDD
By this point, Aki and Tomonori had made their way back over to me. We all got in line. Jamie and I were quietly freaking out about meeting the band. Aki joined in while Tomonori watched us somewhat amusedly. We started joking that Aki should get a ring and propose to the girls. Jamie and I discussed what we were going to say to the girls. So far, I've had a history of being tounge tied when meeting J-rockers. I could barely say anything to Ayabie and Yoshiki when I met them (and I knew that I could even speak English to Yoshiki). I did a bit better this time though. And the girls were so nice!
Omi was first in line. I'm not sure if that was good or bad for my nerves, considering my huge crush on her lol. She's so gorgeous. We greeted each other and shook hands. Omi has this very secure handhold. The whole time we were talking, she held my hand in both of her hands. I'm afraid that I babbled a bit, but I told her that the live was very fun. Then, I told her that I thought she was the coolest and that I loved her. She told me that I was cute~ ^///^ She ended by telling me to please come to another live and then it was time for me to move on in line. I don't think the whole experience registered with me right away. xD
Naoto was next in line. I'm afraid that my memory of talking with Naoto is a bit of a blur because I was still reeling from talking to Omi. (I'm surprised my brain didn't start melting out of my ears after I talked to Omi.) Sorry, Naoto! I think I told her how much I enjoyed the live and she thanked me for coming and told me to come again. She was shorter than I always imagined her to be. I'll admit that I used to find her a bit intimidating when I first got into exist+trace (years ago). I don't find her intimidating anymore though. She's really cool~
Jyou was next. She said 「お疲れ様」(it's a bit hard to translate, but means something like "thanks for your hard work") which I was amused by because the band were the ones who were working the hardest. The rest of us were just enjoying the concert. When Jyou took my hand she commented on how small my hands were. I thought it was cute because Jyou's hands are kind of small, too. She's a bit small, but she's so powerful. She's also very sweet.
The next person in line was Miko. She's a cutie and so pretty. While I had been waiting in line before, she caught my eye and smiled at me. She said 「お疲れ様」, too, and I returned the greeting. She asked me if I lived in Japan. (I figured she must have came to that conclusion because I'm a fan club member.) I told her that I did and she told me to please come to the next live.
Mally was the last one in line. She's probably my second biggest crush in the band. I told her that the live was great and she said she was glad that I enjoyed it. Then, she gave me a cookie. I told her that it looked delicious and she thanked me and thanked me for coming to the show. She was such a sweetie to make Valentine's cookies for all the fans.
After making my way through the line, Jamie and I had another quiet freak out. Then, I grabbed my things from the pile of bags and headed back up to the first floor. I used my drink ticket to get a matcha milk at the bar. I drank it while I waited in the merch line. I bought the new purple exist+trace towel with the skeleton on it. I also bought one of the チェッキ (small polaroid pictures) that the band had taken especially for the concert. You got to choose the picture at random and I ended up getting a pretty picture of Miko in Mally's outfit. Once we had gotten everything in order and finished buying goods, Jamie, Aki, Tomonori and I left for the station. I had to go a different way than the rest of them, so we parted ways at the station.
Mally's cookie!
I had to struggle to keep a stupidly happy look off of my face during the train ride home. After I got home, I ate the cookie that Mally made. I think it was some kind of peanut cookie and it was pretty good! I'm so happy that everything was straightened out and I was able to go to the concert. I can't believe that I got to meet the band! They said that they want to do more fan club events, so I'm definitely looking forward to it. I'm hoping that they'll decide to have some kind of fan club event again when they release the new CD this spring. I can't wait to see exist+trace again~
(ETA: I read Mally's blog and she mentioned that the cookies were "protein cookies" with wheat flour and soybean flour. Why am I not surprised? xD)
