Te is fiam, Bluetooth

So the tour makes it way back to Tokyo, after circling around Fukuoka, Osaka and Sapporo.

There really weren't any major surprises or announcements. To me, it was a very 'proper' concert, it felt more like the guys were 'working', and there was lesser goofing around, like they do outside Tokyo. Of course it was a great concert, they were idiots when expected and Kakkoi when expected. But as this is Tokyo, there were alot of J-Storm business associates and jimusho big guys around, so I guess they couldn't be too wacky.

The set list was the same as all the other domes, except that they carved out the last song, 'My Girl' and moved it to the third encore, but the number of songs sang was the same as all the other concerts.

Tokyo Dome, due to its size, has bad acoustics during MC. Esp if u sit in the front stands near the stage. I was at Gate 20 stands yesterday and as it was near front of the stage, sound bounces off the back of the dome and comes back, so we get an echo, esp during MC. So, this is not what they said word for word, but only the gist.
Only the first part.

Sho: YAY!!! Good Evening, We are Arashi!!
Fans: YEAH!!!
Jun: Its been some time, since Kokuritsu.
S: Aiba-san, you are sweating so much, it seems like there is steam coming out from you.
N: Yes, you look like a humidifier.
J: (Changing T-shirts at the corner of the stage)
Fans: KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
S: Aiba-san they are not paying attention to you anymore, everyone is looking at Matsumoto-san!
A: We were talking about humidifiers right?
S: That talk is already over!
S: Its already Dec.
N: Time really flies.
S (to fans): You guys, your DVD HDDs are all full right? Aiba-san, how's your drama going?
A: Today is episode 9. Altogether there were 10 episodes
N: You are done? You cranked up?
A: I am done.
N; I heard you cried.
A: OI! Don't say it!!!
N: you cried.
A: Don't say it!!
M: I understand if you were crying when it is your turn to crank up, but you were crying at someone else's crank up!!
A: Oi!!! If you guys don't say it, no one will know!
O to A: (spacing out until now and only realising what they were talking about) Oh you cried?
Fans: ＸＤ　ＸＤ
A: Yes I cried.
N: Well, its ok if you cried. Will we be able to see it? like in some DVD making of or something ?
A: Well my face was away from the cameras
N: hey why dont you show us your crying?
A: these pple don't want to see me crying!
Fans: WE WANT TO SEE!!!!!!!
S: So what did you feel when you cranked up? Tell us your feelings etc.
A: It was Nov 30th and that evening, each member of the cast, one by one, they cranked up.
M: So u were last.
A: yeah, around evening, Koharu-chan cranked up. So I cried when I thought of the fact that I had been her dad for the past 4 months.
Fans: AHHHHHH....
A: And then at my own crank up that night, i was so happy when i finished I went 'Owatta!! I am done!!') (jumps and punches fist in the air) The feeling was different.
S: Ah something like 'yay! I did it!'
N: Well, they should show scenes of you when you had your all up.
A: yes i should ne? Ok, I will ring them and tell them.
A: Sho chan you are appearing in Episode 10 too right.
M: what are u acting as?
N: The steel grip from My Girl and Gantz are the same. We were shooting my movie in the middle of the night and the guy he came to me with a photograph and showed it to me 'Hey look at this'. It was a picture of Shochan and Aibachan going like this --> Does a guts pose, like the one in VS arashi.
Fans: HAHAHA
S: Yes we always have this pose whenever we have to pose for pictures for magazines.
M: Fighting pose right, so what is the meaning behind this fighting pose.
A: we have been doing this for 10 years. Sho-chan, only he will do this : --> Put two hands up
N: yes in the VS arashi promo clips.
M (to sho): So what kind of role did you play in Aiba-kun's dorama
A: (tries to explain): Well, erm, you see, I, in the studio where i work . well.. I am doing....
N (cutting in): OH MY GOD, YOU SUCK SO BAD AT EXPLANATIONS!!!!!
A: .......I was trying to explain that it took place at where I work in the drama..
N: You were trying to say that the setting is that of the photography studio where you work , right?
A: YES YES, I was trying to say that.. its at the photography studio where I work.
S: Well i don't really appear all that much, I went in for the shoot at 11pm and they introduced me:
'This is Sakurai Sho, who is acting the role of Satoya-kun'
Staff: Yeah!!
One hour later.......
'Satoya-kun, Crank up!!!!!'
The music came on (when people crank up) and I got a bouquet of flowers.....
N: YOU GOT A BOUQUET OF FLOWERS !?!!!?!! just for one hour's work!!!!?!!
S: Yes and in my closing speech I was saying 'well it really feels really short....' and at the end I was taking a photograph with the staff..
N: For memories sake.
S: yes. And I was there for just one hour, and they made me stand in front!! I should be standing at the side or something.
N: Shochan also appeared in Ri-da-'s drama right?
S: Well that I appeared as myself.
N: why didnt ri-da- appear in Aiba's drama?
O: well i thought they would ask me to do it and i was a bit on the edge about that.
A: Sorry I didnt know about that!
End of 1st part of MC.

They then went on to talk about the projects that they were working on, like Saigo no Yakusoku and all their other movies and Dramas. Each of them introduced his own project and ri-da-, since he is relatively open at the moment, he went 'Right now, i am working on Shukudaikun, VS Arashi and Himitsu no Arashichan!!'
( XD XD Oh-chan, better lie low otherwise someone in the jimusho will realise you are free and give you work to do!)

The song I really had fun with yesterday was A.Ra.Shi. : They will stand S-> O -> M, in this formation on frotn stage at the end of the song. In the transparent costumes. The song following A.RA.SHi in sequence is 'Kimi no tameni bokugairu' and that song starts with 'CHECK IT OUT', right?

Sho, pointed to his right nipple and went 'Check it out!!' XD XD

Yesterday was the first time i actually paid attention to Jun during A.RA.SHI. during this tour, (I am usually looking at the chipmunk covering his nipples and bowing on the center hanamichi) but since Jun was right in front of me yesterday, I had a good look at him. His hand action for 'You are my soul soul' was so exaggerated it was so funny. Its was exactly like in Utaban, when Nakai makes them do the Arashi. You gotta slam your feet with gusto!! Well hime was doing that last night. I dont know if it is normally what he does, but yesterday he was hilarious.

After listening to theclosing speeches over and over again, yesterday I thought to myself as they were closing up: Their closing speeches are getting better as they get more practise.

Sho's closing speech was an example. He should be a politician, it was a very well thought-out, calculated speech, he chose his words carefully, an ounce of humility injected in, a dash of humour and a wham! you get the response you were aiming to get.

Nino's speeches since Sapporo, has been marketing campaigns. 'BUY NINTENDO!! EAT TONGARI CORN!' XD I wonder if they get a cut of the revenues they generate.

Ri-da-'s speeches are simple, down to earth, not eloquent, but you feel that it has the most sincerity shinning through.

Jun's speech is mostly 'i love you guys' 'Thanks for coming' 'Please support us going forward' or some other similar content. And the audience usually laps it up.

Aiba chan's speeches, most of the time I look at him and see his clothes all wet with perspiration and stuck to his body and think , wow this guy really sweats!! But they are usually about how his tension is so high that night, they crowd was the best and how he likes doing concerts.

The theme here is : Feed the audience what they want to hear, you get the response you want to get, and everyone goes home happy. All in a day's work for a top idol. :)

I am being cynical just for the heck of it, i do enjoy listening to their closing speeches. And I do kyaaaaa with they say something that is designed to make me go 'KYAAAAA', but sometimes, I like to take a step back, not be so heady and think about the dynamics behind their speeches.

I have no ticket for today's show, so I have to sit on the sidelines. T_T
But I will be there in spirit.
For all those going, enjoy!!