B=PASS 2008.02.08 (Budokan report)

From herself to everyone in Budokan

(Translated by depyon)
YUI, one hand holding her guitar, and singing on the streets of Fukuoka. She used to sit in her room, cross-legged, and sing. And that was how it all began. But now, she’s standing in the middle of the gigantic Budokan, surrounded by many people. 19 November 2007, YUI Budokan Live 2007 – this is a concert created by YUI, and the people around her.

2 years ago, YUI was on the stage in a small live house in Shibuya. Seated in the audience seats were judges, and under such tense atmosphere, YUI sang, while looking to the front. This scene created an impact. After the performance, the interviewers told her about it. And she replied lightheartedly, “It’s because I love singing live.” However, when we were preparing to go back, she came to me and whispered into my ears, “Actually I was terribly nervous!” YUI is really an innocent girl who hates losing (being looked down upon).

2 years later, YUI is standing on the stage of Budokan. The tickets were sold out on the day itself. On a cold winter night in Tokyo, the warmth and enthusiasm of the audience, who were eagerly awaiting YUI’s performance, rose the temperature in the concert hall. Hanging from the ceiling, the Japan National Flag (Rising Sun) looked tiny in the huge concert hall. 10 minutes have passed, and as the lighting flashed, thunderous waves of cheers echoed through the hall. As the cheers died down, sounds of cars and bikes driving past, sounds of people walking past, were heard. It was exactly an image of how a street live would have sounded like.

Then, the blasting background music overwhelmed all the sounds. The next moment, everything quietened down to a pin-drop silence. The spotlight shone from above, and a shadow appeared. YUI stood there, holding her guitar case. She then walked out, embracing the thunderous applause that engulfed her. From the centre of the stage, step by step, she walked on the middle path to the substage. She then sat down cross-legged on the floor, drew her guitar out of the case, and placed her water bottle by the side. She then lighted a matchstick and lit up an aroma candle. It failed the first time, so she did it again. She then started strumming her guitar.

She looked forward intently, as she started singing her first song “It’s happy line”.

“

For whom, do you live for?

”

The question, that YUI asked herself when she performed street live then, struck the chords of ten thousand hearts of the people seated in the hall.

She was extremely nervous. But just today, she did not attempt to hide her trembling voices. It’s not because it’s her first concert at Budokan; neither is it because she’s still 20 years old. It’s because she knows that she has to display the truest side of herself to others. And because she knows that she has to trust the audience, who are listening to her. Therefore, this time round, she introduced new faces to her concert- casual talks, mimicking, guitar accompanied with drumming etc. After the concert, we asked the audience for their comments. The most common reply was, “We felt really close to her today.” Her trick succeeded.