KAMIJO’s dream of a live with an orchestra finally came true on March 27th this year. The date is particularly significant because it is the birthday of
Louis XVII, who faced a tragic death during the French Revolution, but still lives on in
KAMIJO’s story. Since last March,
KAMIJO has played a total of 47 shows under the title of
Sang Project. For the climax of the project,
KAMIJO took on the grand challenge of performing his album
Symphony of The Vampire with an orchestra consisting of more than 40 members.
The voices of amazed fans filled the venue when the stage curtains were unveiled. On the stage, fans saw the orchestra consisting of the conductor
Tanabe Kaichi, strings top/concertmaster
Crusher Kimura, and the violin, viola, cello, contrabass, flute, oboe, trumpet, trombone, horn, percussion and piano players. Drummer
YUKI, bassist
MASASHI and guitarists
Anzi and
Meku took their respective positions.
Finally,
KAMIJO appeared on the stage as the orchestra played the melody of
Theme of Sang. At the conductor’s signal, the band and orchestra played the magnificent introduction of
Theme of Sang together. Accompanied by the graceful sounds of the string instruments,
KAMIJO sang the opening in his rich voice. The fans stood up and fist pumped when the song shifted to a more dynamic section.
Accented with piano, the melody played by the string orchestra built up momentum for
Nosferatu. “Here we go!”
KAMIJO shouted at the start of the song. At his call, bursting drum sounds and beautiful guitar riffs joined the orchestra. With each instrument being played enhancing the elaborate structure of the song,
KAMIJO sang passionately about ideals and beauty. The song progressed to the dynamic guitar solo, empowered by the sounds of powerful brass instruments.
KAMIJO had fans wave their hands left and right with him to the breathtaking unison of the guitars and strings.
“It’s very encouraging that you are here for me at this defining moment. Welcome to my dream. Please enjoy the grand sounds of the orchestra,”
KAMIJO spoke to the fans after the song. “The next song really fits well with the orchestra,”
KAMIJO said to introduce
Heart. During the song about the forbidden love of a vampire aristocrat and a human,
KAMIJO fascinated the audience both with his intoxicating voice and also with his charisma as the main actor of the dramatic musical film. The fans joined him during the song by singing along as if they were a choir.
The epic show continued as the conductor
Tanabe masterfully directed the orchestra into
Delta while the fans’ anticipation built up for the following song,
Castrato.
KAMIJO swayed along to the orchestra while fluttering his long coat. “Give me your voice!”
KAMIJO urged the fans to shout, and they responded enthusiastically.
KAMIJO’s revolutionary style of integrating story, songs and movie soundtracks was highlighted when he suddenly kneeled down on the floor. Under the blue stage light,
KAMIJO struck an iconic pose while the narration revealed
Count Saint-Germain’s master plan to sacrifice
Napoléon Bonaparte to create an ideal society. Towards the end of the song,
KAMIJO held the fans spellbound with his beautiful falsetto.
“Everyone has had the experience of getting excited by listening to music. Here, we will once again present the melody that we played throughout the one-year duration of this project,”
KAMIJO spoke to the fans before
Sang I.
KAMIJO and the fans headbanged to the soul-stirring melody being played by the band and orchestra. The ambivalence of the song’s heroic melody and
KAMIJO’s vivid expression of
Napoléon’s hidden weakness and tragic fate brought back one of the greatest scenes of
Sang. The introduction to the theme of
Sang played by the strings and guitars served as a transition into
Sang II.
KAMIJO, who now sang as
Louis XVII, vividly expressed the character’s distress. After the shredding guitar solo brought the song to an end,
KAMIJO and the band left the stage. Shortly after, the orchestra started to play
Sang-epilogue-. The benevolence and hope conveyed through the music made a lasting impression on the audience. The band members and
KAMIJO then returned to the stage. “Just like my other works, I composed
Sang III imagining an orchestra playing the song, rather than my own voice,” he said.
“Now, we will play
Symphony of The Vampire. This is the moment I’ve been longing for. Are you ready!?
No.1 ‘Presto’,”
KAMIJO declared.
KAMIJO’s polished articulation and the majestic sounds of the band and orchestra created a breathtaking harmony. During
No.2 ‘Sacrifice of Allegro’,
KAMIJO sang of
Louis XVII’s sorrow about his mother’s execution and his own solitude. The symphony, which consists of a total of 1,103 bars, then continued to
No.3 ‘Royal Tercet’. The fans waved their rose penlights to the beautiful waltz being played by the orchestra. Towards the end of the song,
KAMIJO sang a cappella to express
Louis XVII’s feelings of longing.
However,
No.4 ‘Dying-Table’ changed the atmosphere. With raging band sounds,
KAMIJO unleashed the bloodlust of the vampire. During the song, the conductor
Tanabe directed the brass section to join in. The excited fans jumped and shouted along with the superb performance. The mellifluous melody of strings top
Crusher Kimura’s violin started
No.5 ‘Sonata’. “Give me your voice!”
KAMIJO invited the fans to shout along with the violinist’s playing. The power and grace conveyed by the precise ensemble of the strings and guitars enhanced the elegant melody
KAMIJO sang. In the next song,
No.6 ‘Mangetsu no Adagio’,
KAMIJO sang of
Beethoven’s dedication and faith in
Louis XVII. He then led the symphony into its final song,
No.7 ‘Throne’.
KAMIJO, now as
Louis XVII, sang his heart out, describing love, loyalty, and the destiny of the future king.
KAMIJO stood tall and raised up his right fist in the midst of the final burst of the band and orchestra’s playing, as if symbolizing the king’s enthronement. “Thank you!”
KAMIJO shouted at the end. The grand presentation of
Symphony of The Vampire, which continued for almost 30 minutes, was met with a standing ovation from the fans.
During the encore,
KAMIJO shared the feelings in his heart with
Louis XVII. “Bon anniversaire,
Louis XVII! You probably would not imagine that your birthday would be celebrated like this in Japan. You will live on in my story even after your physical death. By communing with your life and your soul, I was able to find and fulfill my dream. I dedicate the next song to you with my utmost gratitude,”
KAMIJO said before
Konoyode Ichiban Utsukusii Barayo. The fans on the left, middle, and right of the venue changed the colors of their rose penlights to mimic the appearance of the Tricolore.
KAMIJO, who was now clad in white, sang thankfully of the fateful encounters that
Louis XVII brought to him and the audience, transcending the limits of time and space.
“I will hold a show with an orchestra again in the future. My goal is to always have orchestras at my lives,”
KAMIJO said after the song. Finally,
Louis〜Enketsu no La Vie en Rose〜 brought the dream live to an unforgettable close.
KAMIJO kissed a rose and threw it to the fans during the song, and he gave a finishing sign to the orchestra along with the conductor. At the end of the show,
KAMIJO thanked the band, the orchestra, and the fans.
KAMIJO and all of the musicians on the stage took a last bow. The crowd’s applause didn’t cease even after the curtain closed.
KAMIJO has announced that his Japan tour
PERSONA GRATA will start at Tokyo's MYNAVI BLITZ AKASAKA on July 26th. The tour dates can be found on his
official website.
Set List
Prologue
01. Theme of Sang
02. Nosferatu
03. Heart
04. Delta〜Castrato
05. Ambition〜Sang I〜Sang II
06. Sang-epilogue-
Symphony of The Vampire
07. No.1 “Presto”
08. No.2 “Sacrifice of Allegro”
09. No.3 “Royal Tercet”
10. No.4 “Dying-Table”
11. No.5 “Sonata”
12. No.6 “Mangetsu no Adagio”
13. No.7 “Throne”
Encore
14. Konoyode Ichiban Utsukusii Barayo
15. Louis〜Enketsu no La Vie en Rose〜
