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| Remarkable display of flexibility, though the bend is not shown at its lowest! The weight of the guitar only adds to the degree of difficulty, not to mention that it can be very dangerous and can result in injury. |
October 10, 2016 at Chiba's Makuhari Messe marked the final performance of MIYAVI's <Japan Tour 2016, "New Beat, New Future">. He opened his show with tunes from his most recently released album, "Fire Bird," starting with the title track, then on to "Raise Me Up," welcoming his audience before heralding next year with a world tour and an invitation with "...new sound, new friends, new scenery. Have fun and let's fly together." After urging the Tokyo audience to dance, he then cued drummer Bobo for the next song, "Into the Red."
MIYAVI carried things with a remarkable display of energy and flexibility including very low back bends that start from a standing position and end on his knees on the floor - something one sees in tribal fusion dancers - as well as plyometric jumps that matched the high energy of certain tunes. The difficulty of the back bends can be seen in the placement of his feet. It is easy to do one when you put one foot forward, as it helps you bend the back leg to facilitate the lean back. In his case, he keeps both feet positioned at the same spot as he manages to make a right angle with his body, parallel to the floor from the waist up. Add the weight of his guitar, a model similar to Jeff Beck's Esquire, and you increase the difficulty of that back bend.
MIYAVI's music from "Fire Bird" is catchy with danceable rhythms. Perhaps, the new colleagues gave it a little more flavor, a little more appeal. As he put it, a "new sound," which could possibly equate to a new outlook, a new approach to his music. You see only three men onstage; however, the sound is electrifying, the use of lights, rhythm and the way MIYAVI's guitar seems to have a double role - melody and rhythm - providing a very unique feel and presence throughout. The song "Dim It," especially, can provide the perfect beat to match the serpentine moves of tribal fusion dance. A perfect performance tune for many dancers as they go into sidewinders, undulations layered over figure eights and mayas and back bends.
Perhaps, one highlight of the show was "She Don't Know How to Dance." Individual dancers and dance teams came out as MIYAVI called them to dance to a particular combination of phrases. Different styles emerged, from hip hop to jazz to LED twirling to even basketball tricks! But one could easily see that the group of yellow-clad children with headbands and red shoes were the best with their precisely timed movements matching every note and beat. When all dancers were gathered, the stage was filled with smiles, that smile also evident on MIYAVI's face. When it was all over, he asked the audience to give the dancers a big round of applause again for a job well done.
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| Miyavi dancing with youngsters during {She Don't Know How To Dance] A number of groups and individuals came in to dance. The children came in after the first group. |
One thing to note was the bilingual approach to the show. On certain moments, even certain songs, you had English words being translated into Nihongo. Songs that could reach more than the Japanese audience on that day, perhaps in preparation for the more international world tour that he announced for next year. His words during the encore were in English as he announced the World Tour that would start in Asia early next year. And, since next year would be his 15th anniversary, he announced plans for a Best Album as well.
MIYAVI's slap technique seems to be reminiscent of a guitar master, Jeff Beck, a finger technique that does not use a pick. His guitar looks very much like Beck's Esquire/Telecaster (Beck inherited the Telecaster used by Eric Clapton when he joined the Yardbirds). Of course, there is only one Jeff Beck and no one can compare to him, but MIYAVI can certainly make one think of Beck when one sees that Telecaster and slap technique. Beck's slap technique goes as far back as 1976 or 1977 when he played "Blue Wind" with Jan Hammer and Simon Phillips (who currently plays drums for jazz pianist Hiromi Uehara). The uniqueness of using fingers instead of a plectrum for a lead guitar is a breath of fresh air, a look into a fresh approach that deviates from the general standard.
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| More athleticism via plyometric jumps complement his catchy tunes |
The fire bird as a creature in folklore often signified a journey of obstacles once one found a lost feather. MIYAVI mentioned the heartbreaks and disappointments throughout the length of his career, and that such obstacles should not discourage one; instead, despite such adversities, one must continue on, to 'fly' with everything one has. Never stop growing, never stop evolving. As such, he has endeavored to create a new sound for guitar. He has chosen to grow, to evolve, even in the face of adversity and, as a result, remains...
UNBROKEN.
Set List:
01. Fire Bird
02. Raise Me Up
03. Mission Impossible Theme
04. Into The Red
05. Come Alive
06. Let Go
07. Dim It
08. She Don't Know How To Dance
09. Afraid To Be Cool
10. Cry Like This
11. Guard You
12. The Others
13. Long Nights
14. Another World
15. Universe
16. Survive
17. Horizon
18. Day 1
19. Steal The Sun
Encore:
20. Real?
21. What's My Name?
Sources: Natalie, Barks, AbemaTV
Photos by Keiko Tanabe and Yusuke Okada
To order "Fire Bird," click on the links below:
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