LUNA SEA 'GOD BLESS YOU' ~ One Night Dejavu ~

It was Christmas Eve and there was a cold wind, but that didn't seem to stop the strong steady flow of people leaving JR Suidoubashi station and going to Tokyo Dome. Even outside Tokyo Dome fans were happy to wait in a long line in the cold to purchase a souvenir of the evening. At the central entrance, a huge sign with the words LUNA SEA 'GOD BLESS YOU' ~ One Night Dejavu ~ was displayed high above the crowd, where people took photographs to commemorate the night. Tokyo Dome, which seats approximately 55,000 people, was full up to the second floor, and girls wearing orange or yellow uniforms were running around the auditorium selling beer and peanuts. Long runways stretched into the auditorium from stage left, right and center, and huge screens were set on the stage.

While people waited excitedly for the show to begin, the introduction, Gekkou, came in with thunder-like guitars, drums and a rhythm machine roaring in the background. The audience burst into cheers as the central screen showed a red moon in total eclipse. On this was four digit numbers which gradually worked their way up to 2007, at which point the red moon became a bright full moon and the stage was swallowed in dazzling light. When the lights had faded, the red moon reappeared as the members of the band stood by. SUGIZO took his place on the right, wearing a black costume with a white three-neck guitar. Shinya sat at the drum set in the center, while RYUICHI, J and INORAN - all wearing black costumes and sunglasses - took up their own places on stage.

Suddenly, fireworks marked the start of the concert, and the audience screamed along to upbeat song LOVELESS. Dejavu followed, the audience raising their hands and jumping to the music. When RYUICHI shouted, "On December 24th 2007, I wanted to see you! Tokyo Dome!" fans answered him with a deafening applause. Adding, "I know you have been longing for this moment for such a long time until tonight. But we, these five members, have been longing for it most", to the exultant cheers of fans once again. He shouted "JESUS! Don’t you love me?!" and started playing again. INORAN took off his sunglasses, playing guitar with a sharp, edgy sound. J followed on bass with low, heavy sounds and joined in with the manly chorus. SLAVE followed in the flashing light from the screens, the images changing rapidly with the sad melodies being played out. INORAN sang chorus in the main melodies and SUGIZO pointed into the audience sometimes as he played guitar.

RYUICHI started singing END OF SEASON, with images of the cosmos and star signs projected onto the screen. The fans let their emotions go with this song and even musicians who came to see this concert in the audience remembered their primary impulse felt themselves overcome with the music. "Why are humans born?" RYUICHI sang with his beautiful clear voice. SUGIZO played a sorrowful-sounding guitar solo, seeming to express his soul itself. When it ended quietly with RYUICHI's voice, the audience clapped warmly. In TRUE BLUE, the stage was bathed in blue light, and images of shooting stars were projected on the screen. INORAN played guitar with sharp, rhythmic sounds, and J played rolling, heavy sounds with the bass.

"There were many nights until this full moon tonight, but finally once again we have come back to Tokyo Dome together," RYUICHI said, to the audience's applause. "You know, I was tying to decide what to do for you tonight and then we had our first rehearsal and I knew that we could live up to your expectations". RYUICHI looked over the other four members with complete trust. "The Dome seems closer to me! Come on closer!", then they dashed into FACE TO FACE. Bathed in red light, J's bass rolled out into the audience mysteriously with Shinya's drums blending in beautifully. SUGIZO and INORAN played guitar, bending their bodies to the music. RYUICHI sang enthusiastically, his arms opened wide.

The sound of the guitars carried clearly as gravity started. The sorrowful phrases and goodbyes repeated again and again, moving everyone in the audience. Then with powerful drums and low mysterious vocals, RA-SE-N started. The drums and bass sounded low like waves, and SUGIZO played the guitar like it sobbed. The tunes were modulated, five beat rhythms repeated and a mysterious world seemed to be created. In comparison with the first half, where the passion was rather controlled, main melodies suddenly turned emotional. Shinya hit the drums very hard, RYUICHI shouted, and INORAN shook his head violently. When SUGIZO’s guitar screamed at its peak, it reached a climax. The song finished in the same way as it began, with drums and low vocals.

Sound effects sounded from the dark stage, then SUGIZO's violin rang out sorrowfully. Drums, bass and acoustic guitar were added, and the slow waltz of Providence began. "I just want to stay here", RYUICHI sang emotionally. Images of stained glass windows from a church, flapping white birds, and deep green forests were projected on the screen. A stream of light illuminated the ceiling of the Dome from the dark stage and the fantastically clear sound of the guitar reverberated through the dome, RYUICHI's voice filling the venue.

Next, a big moon was projected on the dark stage traveling slowly across from left to right. With this picture it reminded all of us that people have had dreams and stories about the moon from ancient times; even with science progressing rapidly as it has, people still see their dreams in the image of the moon and chase romance. A mirror ball was glittering from the ceiling, scattering light into the dark venue. It seemed like a moon reflected brilliantly on deep dark blue sea. RYUICHI took off his black jacket and revealed a white shirt and sang emotionally again. Guitar sounds were looped, the stage became dark again, and the image of the total eclipse of the moon appeared once again on stage.

Flames burst from the stage as Shinya's drum solo started. It was like he was playing Japanese drums in a traditional festival. All of the audience in the Dome called "Shinya!" all at once. "Hey! You haven't changed at all! Even though seven years have passed, we are still just as bad as ever! I'll make today the best day for you!", Shinya shouted and did a wild drum solo. Then J, who had put on a black leather jacket, appeared on the stage and played a very cool red bass. The audience cheered, raising their fists in unison as the band dashed into FATE.

"Tonight, we came back to the Dome, because you came here. Thank you very much!" All members of the band went to the center runaway and played BREATHE right up close to the audience. "Stop time, please..." RYUICHI sang, as though he spoke to each of the audience personally. INORAN played guitar and sang together, SUGIZO played acoustic guitar, and J played bass and sometimes interacted with the audience. These four members moved back to Shinya's drum set, looking pleased with what they had achieved that night. After the songs were finished, RYUICHI called out, "thank you very much!" SUGIZO struck a victory pose, J clapped his hands, and INORAN put a hand to his ear and asked the audience to cheer even louder.

"I think that we were able to fill in our seven year blank. Tokyo Dome! Let’s heat this place up even more!" In flashing light, STORM and DESIRE were performed and the members went out from the stage and ran around on the runways. "Come on, Tokyo Dome! Once more!" When TIME IS DEAD began, the audience jumped happily, raising their fists to the vocals "Time is dead!" all together, and head banged. "We’ll do one more!" Then the upbeat, catchy song ROSIER started and the audience sang loudly "Shake, shake, shake..." together. J rapped, and the cheering became even louder. RYUICHI had taken off his jacket showing the black see-through shirt he had changed into. The members ran around to the left, right and center runways and from corner to corner. "This is the last one! Come on, give us everything!" RYUICHI shouted, and TONIGHT began. The live reached its climax, and the audience raised their hands and waved to the music, uniting everyone together.

Even members raised their hands when they left the stage, although the venue never calmed down. People sang Silent Night in Japanese loudly for this special Christmas Eve night. The five members appeared on stage again, listening to this singing for a while. "Thank you. I’ll answer your song. From my heart, I for You" RYUICHI said, segueing into the song. Images of nature were projected on the back of the stage and the grand ballad developed dramatically. "What’s today? A full moon? Christmas Eve?" RYUICHI asked the audience and started singing a Christmas song quietly. Then IN MY DREAM started as the members split up. When BELIEVE started, RYUICHI went up on the drum stage and jumped down back onto the stage. As it came to an end, Shinya stood up, threw his drum sticks backward and looked over the venue from corner to corner with a satisfied face, like he had accomplished everything he had set out to do that night.

As the members left the stage, the audience never stopped clapping or calling for encores. The five members came back to the stage once again and they put their hands together in a heartfelt thank you to the fans. The solemn strains of the background music came in, drums and guitar joining in for the ballad MOTHER. INORAN's clear guitar phrases repeated, SUGIZO’s violin weeping sorrowfully. "I want love..." RYUICHI sang, as he stretched his hand out for an unrequited love. The world of the lyrics with which RYUICHI sang was a human soul in itself, strolling forever and searching for a love that never would come to bear. He sang with a beautiful voice, and it moved the whole audience.

Here, the members left again, but again the clapping and cheering never stopped. The audience raised their hands and stood up, to making waves in the venue. Finally the band appeared again in casual clothes. "The five of us are finally able to play in the Dome again after what is such a long time, but the time passed away so fast. Why don't you introduce our members by cheering all together?" With that, RYUICHI started introducing each member to the audience. "Who is the best drummer?" "Shinya!" Shinya answered and said "It has been seven years, but I tell you LUNA SEA and you are all the best!" J said "I’m very happy to see you guys here! And those who couldn't come here tonight, your hearts have reached us here on the stage, too. Thank you very much for the best night!" And RYUICHI spoke his words for shy INORAN "I love you best!" SUGIZO who was introduced as a great guitarist and violinist, said "I really wanted to see you for a long time. I’ll be honest. I love you the best!" RYUICHI who was introduced as 'the best vocalist and the most narcissistic' said "Please clap your hands loudly for staff who supported the Dome’s stage staying up all night", and shouted "I love you!" without a microphone. With that the applause became even louder.

"Let’s heat things up again!" RYUICHI shouted, then PRECIOUS... started, and fans head banged to the fast beat. Fans sang together with RYUICHI, and raised their hands all at once. "Tokyo Dome, join together!" Members on the stage raised their hands too. In the last song WISH, as silver tapes were sparkling through the air, members on the stage and the audience sang together, raised their hands all at once and became one. The silver tapes held by fans were shining all over the venue, looking like waves in a vast expanse of sea. As the piano strains of MOTHER sounded, the five members lined up hand in hand and jumped on the stage. "See you somewhere under the sky, someday again." The members ran to the edges of the stage and waved their hands to fans. "See you somewhere under the sky, someday again. We will spend time following our dreams, until this message comes true and you can see LUNA SEA again."


Set list:

LOVELESS
Dejavu
JESUS
SLAVE
END OF SORROW
TRUE BLUE
FACE TO FACE
gravity
RA-SE-N
Providence
MOON
-Drum & Bass Solo-
FATE
BREATHE
STORM
DESIRE
TIME IS DEAD
ROSIER
TONIGHT

-Encore-
I for You
IN MY DREAM
BELIEVE
MOTHER
PRECIOUS...
WISH