Even though it started raining in the late afternoon, the Taipei World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Hall was filled with excitement - radiated from people waiting for the much-longed-for evening to come. On the ground floor, people were spending their time in different ways - some were standing in the long line to buy merchandise, some were taking pictures with cosplayers, some were having a snack at the fast food restaurant, and some were hanging around with their friends.
After 19:00, people were allowed to go up to the fourth floor where the concert was to be held. The hall was very big and all the seats were arranged on the flat floor. While waiting for the show to start, a lot of people were shouting “We are!!” “X!!”, as if expressing their uncontrollable emotion.
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On October 28th, X JAPAN’s Asian tour kicked off in Seoul, Korea. It must have been a long-awaited moment for Korean fans, one that they’ve been dreaming of for a long time, because the band had previously cancelled their planned concerts in the past.
The venue was the Olympic Gymnasium No.1 located in Olympic Park which is a very huge park that was constructed for Summer Olympic Games in 1988. Not only the merchandise booth but also a photo exhibition booth operated by a Korean fan club was set up in front of the gym, which entertained people hanging around there before the concert.
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In recognition of his charity activities, ToshI was invited to perform an event held by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the relevant organizations as a part of the drug abuse prevention campaign.
Surrounded by skyscrapers blocking the sunlight, it was quite cold in the Citizen's Plaza - that is located on the site of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, even though the weather forecast said that it would be warm. There were only a few people when I got there in the early morning, but the queue gradually became longer as time passed.
Around noon, the rehearsal started and people who were there were luckily allowed to see it from a distance, which greatly pleased them. Once ToshI appeared on the stage, everyone shouted his name and waved their hands, so he glanced at them and gave a slight nod. During the 1-hour rehearsal, he partially checked five songs giving instructions to the staff, and fans were excited at the rare experience to see such scenes. Listening to his singing voice in good condition and part of the new songs, fans’ expectation became higher and higher.
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It can be argued that Hong Kong is a city that never stops, however in January of 2009 - Asia's premier city was brought to a standstill ahead of X JAPAN's World Tour. Hopes and expectations were through the roof, evident by the band's constant promotion via television commercials and numerous references in local and international media. For those who can remember, it was X's first tour outside of their native Japan and for that sheer fact alone, it was assumed that the shows would be some of the most memorable, and how right they were.
However, following their successful tour of Europe and South America, X decided to once again announce a Hong Kong show as a part of the Asian leg. Things were different this time round. The somewhat lack of promotion had raised questions over ticket sales; it's totally uncommon for X fans to become cautious or worried over the smallest matters, a statement that European fans can atest to. There was only one method to quash the concerns, and one place to see if X could reignite the passion, energy and desire of 2009 - and that would be to attend the AsiaWorld Expo on November 4th.
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The Second Night - "A Gorgeous Midsummer Night Spending with ToshI and YOSHIKI"
Still having a feeling of happiness that had been lasting since the night before, I was at The Prince Park Tower Tokyo again for the second night of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" with more excitement. When I arrived there around 15:00, there had already been about 20 people waiting in line in front of the reception in the second basement floor of this luxurious hotel.
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