Brian Wilson Live in Japan

[Niko]

Just got back from the first of three brian Wilson shows. I'm obviously a massive fan and when I saw three shows in a small country where I used to live were announced I immediately booked my flight from Hong Kong and two weeks off from work. If anyone on here is gonna be at either rkf the remaining shows, let me know!

Night 1 was fucking good.  excitement in the air before the show started was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Brian hasnt played in Japan since the C50 tour and there are some super fans in Japan. The line for the merchandise stand went back about 250 people (I'm not kidding) so I had to pass on getting a shirt. Maybe tomorrow. The show was 100% sold out and the everyone there seemed to have come for the same reason - not sunny beach hits but PET SOUNDS. The show opened with Our Prayer and Heroes and Villains. It's was as exciting as it always is, but I realized immediately that the sound system and acoustics in the Tokyo International Forum were probably the best I had ever heard in my life. Brian and Al were both very loud in the mix so this meant in any harmony stack their voices were dominant. In My Room for example was led by those two, with Matthew Jardine on top and the rest of the band blending together underneath. I could hear every voice and every instrument, it was glorious, and the crowd loved it. Japanese at concerts are quite reserved but I guess they just save it for the acts they really love, cuz people were going nuts.

The hits were as good as they always were but the real gems of the first set were the rarities. Wake the world with Al on lead brought me so much nostalgia from listening to the album version on my rooftop in Hong Kong years ago. His voice is in superb condition and the band can always nail these strange arrangements. I would love to hear them do a whole set of Friends songs, especially next to Pet sounds. Al did then I kissed her instead of Honkin Down the Highway - I was a bit bummed about that one because Love You is in my top 10 albums ever but he nailed that one too. Blondie came out for wild honey and it was ferocious. Like I said, the soundsystem was intense and Blondie blasted through it like a rocket, it was intense and was like another show entirely - the band changed from supporting Brian's lead vocals to supporting Blondie furious guitar playing spitting fire everywhere and the energy was fantastic. After that FUNKY PRETTY which opened with the same riff as the in concert album. My hair stood on end. Amazing. Then Sail on sailor which al did lead guitar on. All of it great. I've heard Leaving This Town was rehearsed, Id love to see that plus have sail away come back on. Sail away would be a great opener for the encore.

An intermission and then Pet Sounds.

I've never heard it played live before and I was nostalgic, emotional and in awe, like everyone else seemed to be. The middle aged man next to me started to tear up halfway through. The arrangements were all so perfectly handled, every part perfectly executed and the backing vocals so close to what was originally put down 50 years ago. Hearing That's Not Me live, a really understated song, performed live and so well brings it to life in such a different way.

I could have gone home with the train going by and the dogs barking but the encore is mental, exciting and like it's own show. Everyone was dancing and it was great to be there. It ended with love and mercy, which brian nailed. "I was sitting in a crappy movie with my hands upon my chin". Perfect.

Will post again tomorrow.

[HeyJude]

Can you re-post your review (and more thoughts of course if you can!) in the 2016 tour thread? Here's the link:

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,23121.0.html

[Ang Jones]

Thanks so much Woodstock for a brilliant review. I'll make the same comment in the relevant thread if and when it is also posted there!

[Smilin Ed H]

[SurfRiderHawaii]

Just got back from the first of three brian Wilson shows. I'm obviously a massive fan and when I saw three shows in a small country where I used to live were announced I immediately booked my flight from Hong Kong and two weeks off from work. If anyone on here is gonna be at either rkf the remaining shows, let me know!

Night 1 was fucking good.  excitement in the air before the show started was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Brian hasnt played in Japan since the C50 tour and there are some super fans in Japan. The line for the merchandise stand went back about 250 people (I'm not kidding) so I had to pass on getting a shirt. Maybe tomorrow. The show was 100% sold out and the everyone there seemed to have come for the same reason - not sunny beach hits but PET SOUNDS. The show opened with Our Prayer and Heroes and Villains. It's was as exciting as it always is, but I realized immediately that the sound system and acoustics in the Tokyo International Forum were probably the best I had ever heard in my life. Brian and Al were both very loud in the mix so this meant in any harmony stack their voices were dominant. In My Room for example was led by those two, with Matthew Jardine on top and the rest of the band blending together underneath. I could hear every voice and every instrument, it was glorious, and the crowd loved it. Japanese at concerts are quite reserved but I guess they just save it for the acts they really love, cuz people were going nuts.

The hits were as good as they always were but the real gems of the first set were the rarities. Wake the world with Al on lead brought me so much nostalgia from listening to the album version on my rooftop in Hong Kong years ago. His voice is in superb condition and the band can always nail these strange arrangements. I would love to hear them do a whole set of Friends songs, especially next to Pet sounds. Al did then I kissed her instead of Honkin Down the Highway - I was a bit bummed about that one because Love You is in my top 10 albums ever but he nailed that one too. Blondie came out for wild honey and it was ferocious. Like I said, the soundsystem was intense and Blondie blasted through it like a rocket, it was intense and was like another show entirely - the band changed from supporting Brian's lead vocals to supporting Blondie furious guitar playing spitting fire everywhere and the energy was fantastic. After that FUNKY PRETTY which opened with the same riff as the in concert album. My hair stood on end. Amazing. Then Sail on sailor which al did lead guitar on. All of it great. I've heard Leaving This Town was rehearsed, Id love to see that plus have sail away come back on. Sail away would be a great opener for the encore.

An intermission and then Pet Sounds.

I've never heard it played live before and I was nostalgic, emotional and in awe, like everyone else seemed to be. The middle aged man next to me started to tear up halfway through. The arrangements were all so perfectly handled, every part perfectly executed and the backing vocals so close to what was originally put down 50 years ago. Hearing That's Not Me live, a really understated song, performed live and so well brings it to life in such a different way.

I could have gone home with the train going by and the dogs barking but the encore is mental, exciting and like it's own show. Everyone was dancing and it was great to be there. It ended with love and mercy, which brian nailed. "I was sitting in a crappy movie with my hands upon my chin". Perfect.

Will post again tomorrow.

Great report! I am jealous!  Have a wonderful time Woostock!

[The Shift]

Thank you Woodstock! I'm drooling now for Glasgow!

[Niko]

I have much better tickets tonight, on the ground floor instead of on a balcony. Will post update soon! It's 2:30pm and I'm already in the neighborhood of the show. It's a pretty hip energetic area so spending the day here is no biggie. After theast show I couldn't really be anywhere else...

I'll post a summaritive review in the PS50 thread once I've seen all three shows.

[mabewa]

Thanks for the review, and great that you're attending all 3 shows.  I saw the Osaka and Nagoya shows in 2012, and will be at the Osaka show on Friday. 

[Niko]

Just went through the Soundcheck. They sounchecked something really cool and I'm not gonna say what it is yet...any guesses? Think Rock n roll   

They said at one point "we got a request for Honkin tonight" which may have been me! And they sound checked it. Darians moog is ridiculous and al sounded great.

Brian really calls the shots, and everyone listens without questioning him, because they trust him. It's amazing to watch. They worked out Little Honda in just a few minutes cuz brian told everyone what to do and it couldn't have been more smooth.

[Niko]

I'm excited.  Lots of nervous energy after being so close to everything.

[mabewa]

Tell them that there's a little girl named Hisui in Osaka who saw the BB's in 2012, and really wants to hear Honkin' this time! 

[Niko]

Tell them that there's a little girl named Hisui in Osaka who saw the BB's in 2012, and really wants to hear Honkin' this time! 

Apparently posting here is all that it takes

Show starts in 15 minutes! Get ready to see something great in two days.

Buzz tonight is bigger. The sound of voices in the lobby was LOUD. The ticket people were shouting just to be audible.

[ash]

Really glad the show was good (well, much better than that) for you. I've got 4th row tickets for Bristol in May and I've persuaded about 15 friends along so I'm really hoping it'll be special. The other 30 shows I've been to were !

[The Shift]

Is it too late to guess? Either Proud Mary or Do You Remember?

[Debbie KL]

Woodstock - Thanks so much for these posts.  It's been a tough several past days and you've put a smile back on my face.  Your joy and enthusiasm, and your description of Brian at soundcheck is terrific.

[Niko]

Woodstock - Thanks so much for these posts.  It's been a tough several past days and you've put a smile back on my face.  Your joy and enthusiasm, and your description of Brian at soundcheck is terrific.

Hah! Don't worry I got a video of the song in question.

I'll post it once someone guesses it.

[HeyJude]

Can any of the mods merge this thread with the 2016 tour thread?

In case anyone is curious why, I've had experiences for past tours where I've recalled some specific things I wanted to go back and read/research here on this board, and it becomes exponentially more difficult if it's posted in a different thread. When there's one tour thread and you want to find some details you remember from a particular show, all you need is the date and then you can find it under a particular tour thread.

Also, I find the whole thing starts perpetuating more if an off-shoot thread keeps getting added to, and the actual tour thread falls further down the page.

[Niko]

Okay, night 2

Like I said I had much better seats tonight and there's always a huge difference between being close to the artist and being able to see the hands move on a guitar players fretboard as he plays a solo versus being further back and getting the whole picture soundwise without being able to physically see anything specific.

The fans tonight were rabid. Before I go into detail on the rest let me give an example - at the end of the show I went to the front for a setlist - Nelson handed me 2 copies of a 2 page setlist. I went to hand the excess pages out and in that moment they were all ripped out of my hands. Right from my hands. I kept one of the encore but nothing else. These people were nuts.

So with that in mind, the energy was more manic and the band seemed to feed off that. Brian sang really well, much better than I've heard before. He sang with strength and put a lot of effort into projecting his voice and carrying his notes. If he's not feeling well he keeps it brief but he seemed very happy tonight and the crowd reciprocated. It helps that i heard him say before the show he was feeking great today...They added Little Honda to the set which the crowd went nuts for (Hondas are Japanese) and we got Honkin in the set tonight!! Darians moog hit me in the gut. Otherwise the first set was roughly the same. Just as good as last night.

Some detail on Pet Sounds....

It opens with studio sessions of brian as a young man working out the arrangement with the 1960s wrecking crew, telling them how he wants the song to be played as he stage is completely black. It seamlessly blends from that into Nicki playing the intro live and as the drums kick in, so do the lights. It's stunning, and Matt jardine does a great job. It's also worth mentioning how perfectly he sings don't worry baby...I choked up a bit on that one. Hes refined his singing quite a lot since their last tour and has dropped all of the nasal that he sometimes sang with. It goes on into YSBIM, and then into that's not me. Ive always loved that song, and the sparse arrangement behind behind Brian's aged voice, 50 years later hits you deeply. It transitions without a break into Don't Talk - the lighting is quite dark and it sends you into the world of the song. Matt trades the lead with brian and it's very moving. From there brian did the lead of I know there's an answer, very strong and the percussion stood out. Mike and Nelsson are excellent.

Brian sang a vocal part at the end of I Know There's an Answer that I've never heard before. It's simple, but I get the feeling it's something he had in mind when writing the song but never added. The first time he did it darian started laughing like he was surprised, and tonight the other band members started doubling his part. I guess you guys will get to see it since brian seems to like it.

Both instrumentals get a LOT of applause are you get a great sense for just how good the band is. Keep an eye on probyn and in any song you'll see him switch between organ, trumpet, theremin, guitar, trombone, or French horn. In Pet Sounds he plays the three note 2nd guitar part while also playing trumpet. It's ridiculous. Pet Sounds turns into a double drum solo which is just fantastic.

Sloop John b is a crowd pleaser, al sounded great as always. Brian put a lot of effort into GOK and got a huge applase for it. At the Seattle show I saw he got a standing ovation...people love him for singing it. After that, I Know There's an Answer, which al plays banjo on and they trade leads. Here Today is done really tightly (it's fucking complex) and they chugged through it. IJWMFTT is a personal favorite and is so beautiful to hear live. Caroline No is heartbreaking, and by the time it's over you feel like you've been through so much. The whole first set plus Pet Sounds really takes an emotional tole on you. The encore was a good as before and the crowd I was with went a bit mental...all good fun. Except for having the setlists ripped from my hands...

High hopes for Osaka...it'll be the last show I'll get to see for a while.

I briefly chatted with some of the BW Band and theyre all  incredibly kind people. Don't hesitate to say hello if you see them.

[Niko]

Can any of the mods merge this thread with the 2016 tour thread?

In case anyone is curious why, I've had experiences for past tours where I've recalled some specific things I wanted to go back and read/research here on this board, and it becomes exponentially more difficult if it's posted in a different thread. When there's one tour thread and you want to find some details you remember from a particular show, all you need is the date and then you can find it under a particular tour thread.

Also, I find the whole thing starts perpetuating more if an off-shoot thread keeps getting added to, and the actual tour thread falls further down the page.

Sure, but I'd appreciate it if that happened after the japan tour concluded.

So can the mods merge it after the 18th? I started this thread for the Japan segment specifically which isn't finished.

[HeyJude]

I certainly don't want to make the multiple threads issue a "thing." But the "2016 Tour" thread is for the *entire* tour, including the Japan leg. The main purpose is that a year, or five years from now, someone can search "Brian Wilson 2016 tour" and find a thread with all of the information all in one place.

If we start separate threads for each "leg", then in the case of, say, the UK tour, we'll have weeks of discussion outside of the "2016 Tour" thread, which kind of defeats the purpose. Plus, the longer an "off-shoot" thread is before it gets merged, the messier and more confusing that "merge" looks in the main thread. (From my limited experience anyway).

I totally understand that some folks don't read the board too much and just come on to post thoughts on a show, and maybe don't know about the main thread. But once you know it's there, and that it's for the whole tour, I can't imagine why it wouldn't make sense to post it there. It has a full schedule, ongoing cataloging of setlists, etc.

[Niko]

I certainly don't want to make the multiple threads issue a "thing." But the "2016 Tour" thread is for the *entire* tour, including the Japan leg. The main purpose is that a year, or five years from now, someone can search "Brian Wilson 2016 tour" and find a thread with all of the information all in one place.

If we start separate threads for each "leg", then in the case of, say, the UK tour, we'll have weeks of discussion outside of the "2016 Tour" thread, which kind of defeats the purpose. Plus, the longer an "off-shoot" thread is before it gets merged, the messier and more confusing that "merge" looks in the main thread. (From my limited experience anyway).

I totally understand that some folks don't read the board too much and just come on to post thoughts on a show, and maybe don't know about the main thread. But once you know it's there, and that it's for the whole tour, I can't imagine why it wouldn't make sense to post it there. It has a full schedule, ongoing cataloging of setlists, etc.

Whatever you like but if the thread could stay open that would be great. If you have anything to add to what the rest of us have written that would also be great, it's best not to bog things down with what is a simple decision for a mod.

[filledeplage]

I certainly don't want to make the multiple threads issue a "thing." But the "2016 Tour" thread is for the *entire* tour, including the Japan leg. The main purpose is that a year, or five years from now, someone can search "Brian Wilson 2016 tour" and find a thread with all of the information all in one place.

If we start separate threads for each "leg", then in the case of, say, the UK tour, we'll have weeks of discussion outside of the "2016 Tour" thread, which kind of defeats the purpose. Plus, the longer an "off-shoot" thread is before it gets merged, the messier and more confusing that "merge" looks in the main thread. (From my limited experience anyway).

I totally understand that some folks don't read the board too much and just come on to post thoughts on a show, and maybe don't know about the main thread. But once you know it's there, and that it's for the whole tour, I can't imagine why it wouldn't make sense to post it there. It has a full schedule, ongoing cataloging of setlists, etc.

Whatever you like but if the thread could stay open that would be great. If you have anything to add to what the rest of us have written that would also be great, it's best not to bog things down with what is a simple decision for a mod.

Woodstock - your thread caught my eye and I 'm glad that it is separate.  Though it is one Brian tour, each venue/geographic area has a uniqueness that makes it stand out from other areas. I might not have read the multi-page general tour thread but when I saw you opened the thread, I was eager to read your reflections.   

[Steve Latshaw]

Great post... sounds like incredible shows!  What was that surprise song they played at sound check?

[Debbie KL]

Since Woodstock's posts are so outstanding describing these shows, I too would like to see it merged after the Japan shows.  I love that they're easy to find for now.

[The Cincinnati Kid]

Sounds like the show was a blast!  I really hope the tour makes a stop in Cincinnati on the second leg.  Good to hear Brian was in good spirits. 

Technically, all of these reviews should be posted in the concert review section...