Ayabie in Paris

After waiting for two years, France was finally able to welcome back ayabie as part of their their 2008 world tour. The band made their comeback at La Locomotive in Paris with a new lineup and their newest songs in front of a fairly empty venue. With several notable Jrock concerts on the horizon and the French fans saving their pennies, the attendance only reached 300. Would the concert be able to match up to the success of the one two years ago? And would they be able to compensate for Ryohei’s departure?

A band from Bordeaux called Lyre had the honour of being the opening act. It was one more stage for the band to perform on, which they greatly deserved. Indeed, their progress could seem rather sudden, but it has been due to hard work and this show was certainly something to be proud of. Despite a rather static performance, the trio played good quality music bordering between rock and metal, serving as a great promotion for their excellent debut album, Dukkha.

The audience waited for their arrival on stage as ayabie songs played over the sound system and a group of girls got a chance to practice the furitsuke routines. The excitement was already palpable and the signal was at last given, under thunderous screams from the fans. Kenzo was the first to come on stage, followed by Intetsu, who bowed to greet the crowd. Then came the two guitarists, Takehito and Yumehito, and finally Aoi. The group got into position and the venue was plunged into darkness. The only lights which could be seen were tiny purple ones, which in fact came from Yumehito’s guitar. At last, the lights came back on, and the first notes marked the beginning of the concert.

The band began playing several singles, notably their latest release, Melt Away, but also Yubisaki and Cubic「L/R」ock. Aoi, a true para para guru, started gently, just clapping his hands, which the audience had no problem in copying, but this escalated quickly with the choreography of Masquerade and Ari to Kakuzatou, which only the most diligent fans were able to reproduce. The atmosphere was really good, with both the audience and the band giving their hearts to ayabie’s vibrant music.

The band as clearly happy to be there, the smiles never leaving Intetsu and Yumehito’s faces. For the latter, it was his first time in France and he was warmly welcomed. On his side of the stage, Takehito, usually rather quiet, was very close to the crowd. The fans threw flowers to him, as well as a banner, which he was very pleased to take. Between two songs, Yumehito played a little game with the audience. The group had turned their backs to the audience to prepare for the next song, but the mischievous Yumehito couldn’t help turning his head. Amused, the crowd cried out every time he turned to them and stopped whenever he turned away again. Yumehito, quite caught up in the game, had a huge smile on his face and thanked them. During a break, the group addressed the audience. Even though Aoi had the help of a note card, quickly abandoned French for English and at last settled on Japanese. Even so, the heart of the message was easy to understand: The band was happy to return to France and to their fans. The band members introduced themselves one by one and Intetsu was the only one to do it entirely in French. More than through words, it was through ayabie’s music and good humour that they were able to communicate with their public.

The concert then continued beautifully, with songs such as TheMe and Hinata. Aoi’s stage play rested mainly on his gestures. Takehito and Yumehito both gave guitar solos and overall, their different styles complimented each other. Even Intetsu, who is ordinarily in the background, didn’t hesitate to head-bang or move to the front of the stage to share his talents with the audience. Kenzo appeared to be in a real frenetic trance, gave the rhythm and made the stage tremble with his percussion. This intensity didn’t drop until the end of the concert.

At the end of their performance, the band warmly thanked the audience with the promise to return soon. After this was the traditional throwing of plectrums and drumsticks and then the band members approached the crowd for countless handshakes before leaving the stage under wild applause.

The fans cheered for an encore and a few minutes later, their wish was granted as the band returned to the stage. They played no fewer than four songs, starting with Browny. During Shine, Aoi led his band mates in a collective routine. It was the same for Kimi no koe to yakusoku, which marked the end of the concert. Once again, the band didn’t leave the stage for a few minutes, affectionately touching hands with the fans, but all good things must come to an end. Eventually, ayabie left the stage for good and a very satisfied crowd began to head for the exits.

Even though their audience had been a little sparse, and despite the usual technical difficulties, ayabie’s long-awaited return to France had been a success. The new lineup has really found its feet and has everything needed to continue moving forwards.

Set list :

1. Tsukuyomi
2. Cubic「L/R」ock
3. Izayoi Kaze
4. Kirisame
5. Sendan wa futaba yori kanbashi
6. last note
7. Hoshigaoka
8. Yuukyuu no Ame, Soshite...
9. Yubisaki
10. Ari to Kakuzatou
11. masquerade
12. Hoozuki
13. Sanbyou
14. Hinata
15. TheMe

Encore

16. Browny
17. Shine
18. Sleet Eve
19. Kimi no koe to yakusoku