[Review] Best Countdown Live EVER.
Ayumi had a lackluster year. It probably should have been more than it was, considering the whole 10th Anniversary thing. To be honest, my holidays were so hectic and I had been so ambivalent about Ayumi most of the year that I totally forgot about CDL – or in this case Premium CDL – on New Year’s. When I came scrambling to find it this week I was hardly expecting anything. avex has become notorious for having the fastest YouTube-yanking team on the net. But my good pal tudou.com didn’t let me down when I went searching. The quality of CDL as shown on TV is always very telling – we get it before the over-production and vocal sound engineering to clean everything up. I’ll try to be generous, but who knows? All I know is preliminary setlist glances have had me nearly overcome with happiness. ‘Heartplace’? Seriously!!!
If you want to follow along at home, just search up tudou.com for “Premium Countdown Live” and reap the benefits – before avex’s legal team does.
As an extra bonus, because this concert is so full of rare songs, I decided to use Eneabba.net’s amazing collection/videography to note how many times each song has been performed in the past, and to sort of justify a bit of my spastic frothing-at-the-mouth.
1. Prologue
FIERCE. Using ‘Mirrorcle World’ for BGM was inspired. It sets an intense, urgent mood, which I love for a show as over-the-top as Ayu is wont to hold. Some of the clips were just teases – Making shots from ‘GREEN’? DVD footage from the 2008 tour? I can hardly wait.
2. GREEN (first time performed live)
We open with a lavish orchestra and some traditional Chinese music. Chinese dragons take the stage. They are, of course, Team Ayu dancers. Already the choreography and staging of this CDL looks on par with an Arena Tour. Promising. The Chinese dragon dance is very entertaining, as a dancer (Jin?) emerges looking very, very pretty. Damn, he’s a great dancer.
Ayu enters in a classy, understated red kimono looking and sounding rather goddess-like. Obviously, this is either a pre-record or it’s delayed by several seconds. I don’t care, the boys are dancing gorgeously and the spinning platform from ‘Because of you’ is back. I’m here to watch, really, not listen. It’s become that way for Ayumi concerts. I don’t want strained vocals to get in the way.
FAN DANCING.
The girls enter, and are almost but not quite as hot as the boys. I never thought I’d say that. I’m looking forward to the lift from the video, which they actually do, and it’s breathtaking. Ayu looks suitably ephereal riding on the dancers’ shoulders. Thus far, an amazing performance. The green lights extending from the catwalk are inspired, as well. One of the boys takes Midoring’s part for the pas de deux, which is only excusable since he looks so good. I would have loved some live Ayu/Midoring action, though. I really don’t think these are Team Ayu dancers, what gives?
The pre-record ends and Ayumi sings the last line live, sounding wonderful and assuaging my fears (yes, I am very good at telling the difference between pre-records and lives, mostly listening to breath-puffs. I could be wrong here, but I don’t think I am).
3. Will (live premiere)
‘Will’? Seriously? Of course, it is very tonally similar to GREEN, all the way down to the bells. I love every song from (miss)understood, but ‘Will’ always tended to be overlooked by me. No longer! I love this simple performance (Ayu being carried on a…gondola throne? I don’t know what you call those things). More fan dancing. And she’s singing live – it sounds fantastic. Can I adequately communicate how relieved this makes me? 1000x better than last year’s CDL. The falling “blossoms” at the end (echoing the songs lyrics) are great, and Ayu still looks fresh, young, and like a goddess. I’m lovin’ it.
COSTUME CHANGE!
4. Vogue (nothing new)
I squeed. The slow-motion Bollywood choreography would be aces if it weren’t for her ridiculous pink tutu getup. Meditating a bit more, I’m in love with this choreography, but how hard would it have been to put her in a sari or something? I was pretty sure this was a pre-record until about halfway through. Aside from her dancers’ choreography, this is a really boring performance. Still, great song.
5. Honey (performed once live)
Okay, let it be said that this setlist is kicking all previous setlists’ asses so far. I love ‘Honey’ to death. She looks and sounds so cute singing it! A very entertaining performance, what with the dancers’ antics, the “follow the leader” and “Simon Says” games, and an infectiously upbeat song. Her hair (wig?) looks perfect, by the way. Great color, great length, great style. I don’t know what’s her real hair, anymore. It’s like Madonna.
6. And then it turns into The Flintstones
She could guest star as Ayumi Hamarocki.
no, seriously…
6. OMFG MOTHERUCKING ANGEL’S SONG a;sldjkasdasjoa (performed twice live)
I feel like I want to burst into tears for not being able to see this live. I think, if I had, I would have just cried and slobbered all over myself. This is one a song that has seen FAR too little love in concert. AUGH FUCK HOW AWESOME. Oh, God…wait…
WHAT A HIDEOUS PINK THING SHE’S WEARING. Looks like she knows perfectly well how terrible, though. She looks like a Barbie fairy and she knows it. It’s a joke, guys. Oh my God how hilariously awesome is this performance? Plastic champagne glasses and anniversary presents. I can’t make heads or tails of it and it’s glorious beyond all belief. All she needs is to sing live (GIRL CANNOT LIP-SYNCH, and I use this as proof that most of her shit is live).
“This way, Ayu, here are your presents!” “I don’t want any!” “Let’s DANCING!” “*sings!*” “OMG!!! *GASP*”
I have no idea what’s really going on, but the energy and choreography remind me so much of Arena Tour 2005, it’s glorious. Ayumi is enjoying the hell out of herself, too. This is the best CDL ever. So far.
I want to believe that Ayumi chose all her favorite songs for her 10th Anniversary CDL, and if so, our favorites lists are shockingly similar.
7. Yoshio Solo
Psst. I love this man, in case you missed the memo.
8. End of the World (live premiere)
Fuck, I’m going to cry. What the Hell with all the songs I ABSOLUTELY LOVE but have never seen live before? Ayumi looks great in black thigh highs and hotpants, by the way. She’s rocking this performance. Lordy. If I were thin enough to pull off this outfit, I’d cosplay it in a heartbeat. This has always been one of the most vocally searing songs in her catalog, and I love her chutzpah in performing it live. The chorus mixing drowns her out a bit, but she’s still throwing in her best angry belting. And to think I was worried about this CDL. I always wanted to hear how they would end ‘End of the World’ live, because I found the fade-out to be a cop-out. They do it nicely.
9. Heartplace (not performed live since 2003)
I don’t think I can keep coming up with ways to say “WHAT?! THIS SONG?! REALLY!?!?” without repeating myself. Woooowwwwww. And Ayu is headbanging, looking at moments like a female Robert Plant in his prime.
This song’s vocals are what I’m talking about when I say PCDL 08~09 kicks ass. In fact, I’d be hard-pressed to find a more heart-tugging Ayumi live vocal since 2004. Power, conviction, tone, timbre…she nails it. I never knew, however, that Ayumi takes harmony in the chorus.
….*speechless Vee*….
Damn, I think this just went into my Top Three Ayumi performances ever, and that is NOT an easy Top Three to crack. The violins certainly help the placement.
I haven’t mentioned yet that the set is wonderful. Very imperial and classy.
10. Real me (not performed live since 2003)
What, is this CLASSICS NIGHT???????
I mean, you could have knocked me over with a feather. And Ayumi’s be-dazzled hood? Totally an outfit I would love to pull off. I believe this was seen on CDL 03~04? I might have my year wrong, there, but I remember it being very much like this performance, complete with stairs. Much better costumes this time around, though. Now, I’ve always found ‘Real me’ to be unbearably long live. It sort of works here, mostly because Ayumi is infinitely more ogle-worthy this time around. The choreography has some minor and very very enjoyable changes, also. Sad that I can pick up on minor choreography changes.
11. And Then (performed once, in 2000)
Someone’s been reading my mmmaaaaaiiiIIIIILLLLLLL. Before researching, I never thought this song had been performed live, and it SO deserves more play. Were I to have made a list yesterday of Ayumi songs I’d have loved to see live but never expected to, this would have been right up there near the top. I always wondered what sort of staging it would get. The choreography reminds me al lot of my senior year Color Guard performance to Studio 54 soundtrack songs – so do the outfits, actually.
And then the boys enter as green-masked black light monsters.
12. Naturally (not performed live since 2002)
A seamless transition. I’m disappointed that ‘And Then’ was truncated, though. I’m not a fan of the green-masked black light monsters. I hoped it was building up to something more, and it just turned out to be glowing rags that look vaguely like fire if you squint. Ayumi, however, is dancing and looks and sounds awesome, which makes up for it.
13. In the Corner (live premiere)
This would have been near the top of the list, too. I mean, God. And let’s talk about the outfit. I LOVE GIRLS IN TIES. Let me say that again:
I LOVE GIRLS IN TIES. WITH HATS. I WOULD DO EVERYTHING TO AYUMI RIGHT NOW.
Also, all her boys are in hats, as well, which sweetens the deal. ORGY YOU FOOLS. What a sexy song and what a perfect image to go along with it. And now the boys are breaking out canes. Maybe I have a latent fetish for Guys and Dolls that I haven’t come to terms with, but whatever the case, I could probably watch this performance all day long and just end up writing bad NC-17 fanfiction. Uh-oh, I see the pneumatic tube in the background. This does not bode well. Brace for hilarious.
14. Keyboard Solo/Shu-ya dancing
Ehhhhh. And Shu-ya does his normal routine of walking around, flailing slightly, and dancing in a long coat.
15. POWDER SNOW (live premiere?!? Somehow I don’t believe that)
It really is classic night. And Ayumi looks unexpectedly beautiful in a dress that looks a lot like something a Holiday Barbie would wear. You expected anything less? Frankly, the performance is a honk-shoe aside from some nice vocals. I’ve just never been a huge fan of this song. And I’m getting sick and tired of this expected formula of Ayumi standing still to sing a ballad while Shu-ya flials all over the stage. He’s such a better dancer than that. D: Ah, well, they can’t all be zingers.
16. Hope or Pain (jeezum, another live premiere)
Uhhhh what brought this on???? I’ve not heard one “OH GOD NOT AGAIN” song yet tonight, which is saying a LOT when we’re approaching the hour mark. Ayumi sheds the overcoat for a gorgeous, gorgeous, GORGEOUS white mermaid gown. I MEAN THIS IS GORGEOUS. This is what I want my wedding dress to look like, if anyone is ever drugged enough to marry me and rich enough to finance the dress. 
As in every single performance that came before it, Shu-ya is burned by Ayumi. This is getting really old. they need to kiss or SOMETHING, just once.
But then Ayumi is actually crying her eyes out at the end of the song, and I feel really bad for saying that.
17. Over (I know for a FACT this one is a live premiere)
*FLAILS ALL OVER THE ROOM* STOP THIS STOP THIS STOP THIS. It’s like Ayumi Christmas as my heart can’t take it!!!! TOO MANY AWESOME SONGS WTFFFFFF. Seriously, I probably wouldn’t even remember to put this on my wish lift because it’s so unexpected and unlikely. The song is a guaranteed tearjerker just at home, but live…holy….cow. This is not a concert for the casual Ayumi fan who only wants to hear the standards. This is obviously a love letter and thank you gift to the fans. I applaud Ayumi for it.
And when she hits that last, dissonant “It’s over…” my heart melts
18. SCAR (live premiere)
And we keep on rockin’. This is my favorite non-single cut from ‘Duty’, and in that it even beats out a few single cuts. Sad that Ayumi is encumbered by my Dream Gown during this song, but her vocals benefit from the posture check. The orchestra and choir are magnificent. The aerial acrobatics from Tour of Secret make a return. It’s still really awesome to watch. Admittedly, I wrote an e-mail during most of this performance, okay?
19. SIGNAL (live premiere)
The awesome had to end sometime, I suppose. XD I don’t even kid – I hate this song. I’m not too keen on the neon-pink and camouflage cargo pants, either. You’d think I’d never hate such an ensemble, but you seriously have to see it to know how hideous this top of hers is. I’m going to go fold some laundry while this is playing out.
20. Hana (performed once live – who knows why)
I dislike this song even more than ‘SIGNAL’.
21. too late (not performed since 2002)
~*~AMBIVALENCE~~*~ It sounds really nice, but the original song benefited so much from the digital effects in the studio that it sounds weird to hear it live (note: I feel this way about Perfume singing live, too). And these outfits are still tragic.
22. Team Ayu Introductions
I always love this part even if the costumes are terrible. Nice that Jin, Shu-ya, and Subaru are still whipping the crowd into a frenzy.
***it was at this point that I took a break, having watched approximately an hour and a half of the concert after a very long day. I woke back up, watched ‘Heartplace’ again, and am now ready to get this party re-started***
23. UNITE! (nothing new)
Finally, we’re on the standards. Not that I mind, because the songs up until the last ten minutes have been killer. But UNITE! is so iconic. I always look forward to hearing how well she pulls it off. Thus far my favorite performance has been Arena Tour 2006. I just think her intensity was unreal. A close runner-up is Arena Tour 2002, but her vocals simply weren’t at their peak. I love her obviously live vocals here (good for you, Ayumi! I know how physically exhausting this song must be…!) The bridge for ‘UNITE!’ is what always does it for me. It can make or break a performance. I don’t really like the way they did it, here…and I can’t say why. I do, however, love that someone at the switchboard made a mistake and cued up ‘SURREAL’s title about a minute early. All in all, ‘UNITE!’ seemed like filler.
24. SURREAL (nothing new)
It bothers me that she’s singing one of my favorite songs in this horrid pink unitard/cargo pants. >:( It would still be a terrible design in any color, but it just happens that she picked a bad color and a bad design. It looks like a bad swimsuit from the late 80’s. The sort that no one really wore on the beach, but catalogs always had them? Pooh sticks. I will say one thing for ‘SURREAL’ – the vocal fire needed for it is great, and never gets old to listen to. I think Ayu flubbed her lines (that would be nothing new, either) in the second verse, but I would need to watch it again to verify that. I have a beef with this version of ‘SURREAL’ that is purely a die-hard fan’s peeve: the dancers are too central. This song has become the spotlight song for the Team Ayu band, and I love it being that way. I guess they used ‘UNITE!’ for that.
On a very excited side note, Ayumi’s voice sounds better than it has in years, and I will be the first to admit that I never expected that.
25. Evolution (the opposite of a live premiere)
The SURREAL+Evolution+SURREAL combo is one of the most inspired things Team Ayu has ever done, and it just makes sense. The songs fit together too well. From the slightly bored atmosphere of ‘UNITE!’ comes a true command of the ampitheater, with this song. She really kicks it into high gear by the end, appearing every bit the rock chick she is at heart. I can’t help but think, though, that the dancers take some of the gravitas away from the final refrains of ‘SURREAL’. If you can find it, watch the performance from Arena Tour 2003~2004. These two songs could have never been hers before that performance and I wouldn’t have cared – they would have been hers the moments she sang the lines.
26. Restrospective
An interesting change from the usual at CDL. Some of the most iconic live moments are visited with the backdrop of a great narrator and a lovely piano tune. Shots of the audience in near-tears add to the feeling of musical history.
27. Who…/COUNTDOWN
The crowd goes nuts. This must have been overwhelming to see in person. I don’t know if the painful-to-look-at rainbow leopard print ensemble is her choice or a throwback, but thank God it’s overshadowed by the power of the song. I also have to say, now that I’m getting this nice long shot of her bare stomach…Ayumi looks very healthy. By no means chubby and by no means anorexic, either. Very normal, very healthy. I’m pleased. I know Madonna wasn’t even 31 before her body started to take on that creepily-chiseled look that made it seem like she was juicing. Other than that, what can I say about ‘Who…’? It’s gorgeous.
28. TRAUMA (nothing new, but it’s been a while)
AAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! I am so happy this made the cut. I know the para para for this song, ‘Independent’, and ‘+’ just in case I ever make it to an Ayumi concert, ever. Let’s hope she does all three, and then I can start crying about how Gretchen and I had actually planned to try and make it to this concert back in late 2007.
‘TRAUMA’ and CDL are, for me, inexorably linked because of Ayumi’s unforgettable lyric-forgetting in 2004. CLASSIC, and probably the Ayu live clip I watch the most, just for giggles and to remember that idols are as human as anyone. She seems to remember it, too, the way she starts laughing hysterically near the second verse.
Seeing as this was my favorite Ayumi song for a long time, it’s tough for me to remember that it was never a single.
29. independent (nothing new)
I sure can call ‘em. I’m sorry, I don’t have much to say, I’m too busy rockin’ out. ‘independent’ is such a great damned song and it’s a shame that even Ayumi “fans” often don’t know about it until getting hooked on it via a concert performance.
They excise ‘+’ from the song, but it’s okay because…
30. everywhere nowhere (not performed live since 2002)
You guys are going to think I’m lying when I say that this is one of my favorite Ayumi songs, and I never really thought I’d see live in this half of the decade and beyond. Because…I say a lot of Ayumi songs are my favorites. I can’t really make definite distinctions (except for ‘Humming 7/4′) with my favorite singer of all-time, so they all get lumped into “Favorites”, “Love ‘em” and “Ambivalent” categories, with songs like ‘SIGNAL’ and ‘Hana’ unfortunately in the “Hated” section. But ‘everywhere nowhere’ is too much a great live song to ignore. The dancers really fit, here, too.
31. Mirrorcle World (new for 2008)
I was really happy that this became her flagship song for 2008, mostly because Kouhaku was getting tired of ballad-Ayumi. At least I know I was, and I didn’t want to see the menses dress make an appearance there, nor on CDL (thanks, Raid…I’ll never not think of it as the menses dress). To me…it seems this whole staging stole itself from ‘Whatever’ at CDL 04-05, but that’s probably just me because I’m obsessive and know all these things. Well, no, it’s not just me who would notice it – if I showed ‘Whatever’s performance to you and asked you to name a difference other than shinier outfits, sputtering is likely. But I’m going to admit to myself that most of you reading this haven’t exactly watched CDL 04-05 lately.
Ayumi removes her earpiece before the climax of the song, and I want to know whether that was intentional or not. Hmm. She sounds really great, can I say that enough?
I still don’t know…is this a good finale song, really? To me the ending seems like too much of a lead-in. ARGH, I can’t be the only one going into a tizzy over this.
ENCORE
There’s a reason I don’t often “review” the encores at Ayumi concerts. For me the proper concert is about the performances and the costumes – the encore is all about enjoying oneself. Encore songs are usually ones we know by heart, anyway. Also, I really really love the ‘AYU READY?’ song. I keep meaning to clip it and load it onto my phone as a ringtone.
Her encore outfit is SUPER, though. The usual TA tank top, but some cool overalls (to echo Gretchen and I in middle school: “Cool overalls, dude!”)
Days - I don’t really like ‘Days’. Nothing against the song, but it’s sort of like ‘Life’. Good, but too old school. Having said that, though, it sounds very old school. It could easily have fit on ‘Rainbow’ or ‘Memorial address’.
For my Dear… (not performed live since 1998) - Yay!
Ayu/Yoshio Emcee Segment – I love them.
Thing I Noticed Right Now: HOLY FUCKING GEE AYUMI’S TATTOO. Look at her right shoulder on her back…you can totally see it. What the fuck, please tell me it’s real, this would put me over the moon. Man…it looks awkward behind the sleeve of her tank top if that’s a fake. SQUEEEE.
Ayumi is in love with Midoring – <3 <3 <3 <3 “Midoriiiingu! Midorriiiiiingu! Midoriiiingu! Kawaii! Kawaii! Kawaii!”
Most. Amusing. Emcee Segment. Ever. - I laughed my ass off. Naoto’s ‘NEVER EVER’, laawwwwl.
+ - All is not lost!!! OK, now’s the part where I cry because I missed it. To me, this is one of the best “finale” songs ever composed, and the interactive dancing leaves the crowd begging for more.
Now I’m crossing my fingers that she’s finale on ‘Humming 7/4′…come on, come on…
flower garden – In my mind pretty much synonymous with ‘+’ for “encore-ibility”.
Boys & Girls - Need I even speculate that this is the final song? Frankly, I feel cheated when it ISN’T. I think I speak for a lot of fans, there, and Ayumi knows it. Who knows how this song became the powerhouse performance that it is today? I want to believe it has something to do with the fountains at Arena Tour 2005. It was always a classic, even before then, though.
All-in-all, this is the first CDL in…well…ever…that stands up to me as a truly epic performance, worthy of being counted amongst the best Arena Tours and a-nations. Now that I know Ayumi is still on top of her game, I have hope, and look forward to the Ayumi portion of 2009 with renewed hope. Thanks for reading!
