NANA PREMIUM LIVE

The 1700 lucky fans who were chosen by a lottery gathered in the SHIBUYA-AX in the middle of a comparatively early cherry blossom season. At the venue itself, there was a thin curtain between the stage and the floor and several TV cameras. As the starting time approached, the floor was already filled with many fans, nearly half of them men, of various ages; teenagers, those in their twenties, those in their thirties, forties and beyond. Then the SE of the opening and ending songs of the TV anime [NANA] sounded, and scenes from the animation were projected on the curtain screen. People could not wait for the beginning of the performance.

The introduction of the 1st song a little pain started, and the figure of OLIVIA could be seen through the thin curtain. When the curtain dropped, OLIVIA appeared in a white dress and a big white flower in her long hair. She looked like a fairy and the audience buzzed with admiration. As smoke floated on the stage, OLIVIA closed her eyes and sang like an angel drifting in the clouds; her clear voice filling the venue. A heavy and hard song Tell me followed. In the flashing vivid lighting, the guitarist and the bassist came to the front of the stage as OLIVIA powerfully sang, her clear voice layered onto the thick, hard rock sounds. The stage became dark and in the green light a synthesizer sounded before Recorded Butterflies began. A sudden explosion of guitar made the audience, who listened to music quietly until that point, begin to head bang.

In an MC, OLIVIA talked about her impressions of [NANA] and how as she read its story, she became surprised at how alike she was to REIRA (the part OLIVIA 'plays' for the anime). Then the stage became dark, a piano and acoustic guitar sounded gently, and OLIVIA sang Winter Sleep under a spotlight. She seemed really like REIRA of TRAPNEST, singing feelings of trying to stand against the cold dark loneliness, and wanting to be held before fading out. The world of [NANA] has been expressed in various ways such as animation, manga, and in two films. OLIVIA's expression of REIRA seemed to show us a fantasy wandering between reality and a beautiful fragile illusion. In the ballad Starless Night with thick chorus and guitar, OLIVIA sang with all her might; sharp, clean, and pure like glass.

The mood then changed with the next song, the bright Nothing's gonna take my love. It started with a hard guitar riff while OLIVIA sang and walked around on stage, motioning with her hands. During a heavier tune, Rock you, the audience happily punched the air and moshed along. When the guitar intro of Wish started, the delighted audience all jumped together rhythmically. The bassist and the guitarist came forward causing wild reactions from the audience and OLIVIA sang and shouted, involving everyone in the room.

Here OLIVIA introduced the members who enjoyed playing her songs on stage. The drummer was murochin of WRENCH, the bassist was Yoshiyuki Watabe, the two guitarists were Azuma Sakamoto of WRENCH and kansei of fade, and the keyboardist was Daijyu Takatou.

Her last song was a slow ballad, Shadow of Love. Opening with a piano intro and OLIVIA's voice, the song dramatically and gradually swept the audience up into the chorus. Under the spot light, OLIVIA looked skywards, closing her eyes and singing, her deep emotions stunning the audience. After finishing her songs, OLIVIA waved with big smile on her face, and left the stage with the audience still cheering for her.

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DJ Aja appeared, and she introduced a special guest. When PARK ROMI, the voice actress of Nana Osaki in the TV anime [NANA] appeared, the audience cheered loudly. PARK said "It was the fate to meet Osaki Nana who has a straight mind and a glass heart." She performed the last scenes of the anime, drawing the audience into the emotional world of [NANA] for a while. She said the famous lines of Nana Osaki "Good Evening. We are BLAST! I’ll give you an unforgettable night." Then the live continued.

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The live house became dark, and the words of 'Listen to the silence', 'Music of Life' and 'Sing or Die' appeared on the curtain between the stage and the floor with ANNA doing a voiceover. The curtain dropped down suddenly, and ANNA TSUCHIYA appeared on the brightened stage. Her first song, LUCY, started cheerfully. The band's members moved around on stage energetically, and ANNA shook her blonde hair dancing and singing sexily. In rose which started with a guitar riff and flashing white lights, the members went to the front of the stage, head banged, and the audience duly responded. The hot rock music of lively ANNA ensnared the audience completely. When Without You started, the audience rushed forwards to the point where they seemed short on enough room to jump on the floor! A synthesizer sounded, and the dark and heavy scream started. Members head banged with the explosion of guitar, and ANNA snaked her body about shouting sexily with the loops of bass and drums.

Here the mood changed, when slow ballad Take me out followed, ANNA holding her microphone with both hands singing with her husky warm voice filling the venue. Then, the members were introduced. The guitarists were Kazuma Endo and Masanori Mine, the bassist was Ju-ken, and the drummer was Masahiro Muta.

Another ballad, stand by me, followed before ANNA then shouted "Let’s go! Who will be the wildest!?" As ANARCHY IN THE UK started, the explosion of guitar sounds made both the band and audience head bang. In the following I’m addicted to you and zero, the audience who flooded forward toward the stage couldn't move, but raised their fists and jumped with the music. ANNA expressed her rock with her whole body by wild powerful vocals and dancing, then the live reached its climax.

"I’m so happy to see you all so happy! Thank you! Great!" ANNA shouted, and introduced the next song with the words, "I’ll sing like I’ll die." It was then that her last song, Kuroi Namida, started gently. A piano was heard and ANNA closed her eyes, singing softly under the spotlight. The ballad gradually became passionate, the lights of the mirror ball turned to white, which seemed to gather around ANNA. Thousands of lights which flew by us, seemed like human lives passing away independently from us, giving a feeling of solitude. ANNA TSUCHIYA is a vital rock vocalist who keeps running and moving just like the opening words of 'Music of Life' and 'Sing or Die'. While I listened to this song, now I knew why she said 'Listen to the silence'. She faces the silence and knows the solitude well, so she can keep moving onwards, which is the reason why she seems so strong.

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Answering the encore chants, ANNA and OLIVIA appeared on stage together. OLIVIA changed her clothes to a cute, sexy, pink corset and a black mini skirt. Each sang the other's song; a little pain and rose. The clear delicate voice of OLIVIA added to the rather husky deep voice of ANNA harmonised well. Silver streamers burst out from the stage and fell shining in the venue, where everyone had happy smiles on their faces. On the stage, ANNA, OLIVIA, and members hugged one another and smiled. Finally, all the performers lined up on the stage, thanked [NANA]'s author Ai Yazawa, who was watching their performance from the second floor, and then they left the stage.

Two rock bands appear in the story of [NANA]: TRAPNEST and BLACK STONES, and the vocalists are REIRA and NANA. OLIVIA is pure like delicate glass and ANNA TSUCHIYA has passion and energy that floods out of her whole body. OLIVIA and ANNA went through their own feelings in both characters of REIRA and NANA, while they released their own personalities brilliantly.


OLIVIA inspi' REIRA [TRAPNEST]

1. a little pain (1st ending song)
2. Tell me
3. Recorded Butterflies
4. Winter sleep (4th ending song)
5. Starless Night (2nd ending song)
6. Nothing's gonna take my love
7. Rock you
8. Wish (2nd opening song)
9. Shadow of Love

ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi'NANA (BLACK STONES)

1. LUCY (3rd opening song)
2. rose (1st opening song)
3. Without You
4. scream
5. Take me out
6. stand by me (4th ending song)
7. ANARCHY IN THE UK
8. I’m addicted to you
9. zero
10. Kuroi Namida (3rd ending song)

EN1. a little pain
EN2. rose


Photography by Masayuki Noda