April 8th was the kick off of Ayumi Hamasaki’s latest tour, SCAPEGOAT. The high-energy show features a number of songs she either rarely or has never performed live mixed in with standards. She additionally announced more dates for the tour, now running up through November of 2026, all in Japan.
brief refrain: untitled for her... story 2
video messages from Kishidan and comedian friends, the latter of which joined her on stage.
Medley: EnergizE ~ AUDIENCE ~ Trauma ~ Boys & Girls
A twist, gentle reader: I was there! This was my first Ayu live since 2010’s Rock ‘n’Roll Circus. It felt notably paired down from that, both in the size of the arena and the concept of the show not feeling as fully realized. Still a lot of fun, especially with a setlist of rarities.
The shirt designs suggested curated chapters similar to Gaga’s recent Mayhem Ball, but that was not the case here, for better and for worse. After the initial run of “GUILTY” through “untitled ~for her~” it seemed to lose focus and just become a big party—which is fun, but undermines the theme. This is perhaps a side effect of not really having any new music to tour on: the concept of the tour just becomes “Ayu” regardless of the set dressing. It did not help that my bias is towards her early career ballads, and I could not tell you what “SAKURA” sounds like—even though the dress and stage design for that section was fantastic.
Even when I look back at 2010 with my rose-tinted glasses, I can acknowledge that show was also not final. Changes were made to the setlist from the early April show I attended to the final recorded for the Blu-ray—even before the expansion into the “FINAL” extravaganza—so I would not be surprised if this concept gets further refined and the setlist changes on future dates. This may have had a more “party” atmosphere because of the anniversary show as well.
Because the arena was smaller than Saitama, seats were wild. Since I previously attended prior to the global fan club, I purchased my 2010 tickets second-hand with the help of a man on the ground (and AHS). While this meant paying more than the original price—a shocking $130 at the time—it meant I knew exactly where I would be sitting and got to choose. With the fan club, you enter a lottery to get tickets, and then you’re not told exactly which seat you have until the day before. This is the first tour she has run a tiered pricing system with VIP guaranteeing spots within the catwalk, SS being the next best, and S being the rest. I had applied for all but was rejected for all but S. Even then, I somehow got a seat on the floor, right on Ayu’s cart route! This might have had to do with the Arena being a little smaller and not having loge seating from the floor—only a pit and two levels of balconies—or maybe it paid off being a solo ticket holder and lucking into an empty odd seat?
I’d be remiss not to mention the heavy use of AI. While the concepts themselves are clearly art directed beyond a simple prompt, it’s obvious when it is used from small inconsistencies.
J-pop’s attitude towards AI in general seems to be more favorable than pop stars in other countries, and honestly, some seem to engage with it in interesting ways that belay artistic curiosity; Yuming’s recent album where she used it to record songs in conversation with her younger self come to mind. I even think the “mimosa” PV concept was similarly interesting, but it was clear it lacked the human intervention and polish to catch hallucinations like an earring turning into a ring on the “talkin’ 2 myself” cover. Here in the tour visuals, it’s evident in the “scapegoats” changing size in relation to Ayu during a cinematic sequence. During the encore, a number of different styles of cartoon goats appeared on screen to encourage fans to cheer; there was not actual need for there to be multiple designs—they weren’t cohesive at all outside of clearly being the result of the same “cartoon goat” prompt. It added nothing and was unfortunate.
But I don’t want to end this on a negative note. So here’s an anecdote emblematic of the whole experience:
The first time Ayu came through on a cart for “Liar,” we could see her standing on a platform in the crowd but did not know she would be moving until a staff member came by and ushered us all behind the line at our feet. Three of us standing together immediately looked at each other, having the exact same realization at the exact same time. We started laughing—like real, giddy, bordering-maniacal laughter. When she did eventually come by, it was in a flurry leading to the final chorus. “That was fast,” remarked the man behind me; the girl next to me burst into tears. A cameraman, sensing weakness, swooped in and started filming, standing in front of me with a camera in this poor girl’s face for the rest of the song.
To be an Ayu fan for so many years is to have known the highest highs and lowest lows. It’s to know in the end, that every moment is fundamentally transient, and its fleeting nature informs its beauty. Time marches on, and all we are left with are our memories and the emotions that we feel so, so deeply.
I love being an Ayu fan. 10/10 would recommend.
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