SCANDAL - 『BEST★Xmas 2019』 Report


SCANDAL held their Christmas show titled 『BEST★Xmas 2019』 at MyNavi BLITZ Akasaka on 12/24. This is a report of that show.

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On 2019/12/24, SCANDAL's Christmas show titled 『SCANDAL BEST★Xmas2019』 was held at MyNavi BLITZ Akasaka. This was the venue that they announced the establishment of their private record label "her" during their Christmas show last year, as well as the place where SCANDAL's new history began. With it being a show that concluded 2019, a year of changes and challenges with releasing songs of various colors, the expectations of the audience who filled the venue were high.

The members appeared on stage as the opening music further increased the enthusiasm. They began the show with their newly released digital single "Saishuuheiki, Kimi."

RINA drummed out powerful beats as her hair flung about, TOMOMI produced a stable groove, MAMI played guitar riffs with bursting action, and HARUNA loudly belted out dramatic melodies. The quartet unfolded a full-throttle performance from the start. Carrying that momentum, the venue was kicked into gear with "Flashback No.5," an upper tempo song that excited the crowd with its call and response; and "Masterpiece," a song that lets you hear the vivid contrast of heavy guitar riffs and catchy choruses.

"Hasn't it felt amazing from the get-go? We'll be doing a lot of things today, as we've prepared all sorts of things. This is our last solo show of the year. Let's get loud and let loose like it's a year-end party!" (HARUNA)

Following "Koisuru Universe," TOMOMI switched to a black Fender Precision Bass. Attacking becomes clearer, the phrases come out quickly, and the bass presence is exerted even more strongly. HARUNA showed sharp cutting with her own signature model HARUNA TELECASTER, and the personality of their wild tone riff-playing MAMI also stood out. Songs that are great for live shows continued with the funky and bright song "Stamp!" that got the venue loudly clapping along, and the song "Electric Girl" that further unites the venue by having the audience spin their towels.

Then, with "LOVE SURVIVE," which showcases the dual vocals of HARUNA and TOMOMI, a loud sound with even more heat than usual was produced. When HARUNA said, "Come on!", the venue was energized and showed them a scene full of power.

After that, all of the members sang a cover of ARASHI's "Love so sweet," and then flowed into a relaxing state with a "pudding tasting" segment. Additionally, a special plan was prepared for HARUNA to sing and play "Fuzzy" solo on an acoustic guitar for the first time.

As the band returned to their positions once more, they slowly played and sang "Chiisana Honoo." Excitement rushed in like a flame lit in your heart, wrapping the venue in quiet beauty.

"This past year (2019) was a year full of challenges, and we wanted to play live shows of all sorts. By playing shows, we too went up a notch, and we played them desiring to head to the next phase. It wasn't just us that felt that way, but you guys as well came feeling that. It was a year where there was an enthusiasm that we had never seen before even during live house tours, and we're glad that it felt like everyone who came to see us did so because they wanted to create a good live show together with us. What's more, it made us happy that the bands who played the joint shows with us and their staff praised our audiences. It made us proud that everyone who thought so are fans of ours. Next year we'll continue to work hard, keep being a cool band, and hope that you guys keep being cool fans. Let's surprise the world as TEAM SCANDAL." (HARUNA)

After thanking their fans for supporting them, they debuted their new song "A.M.D.K.J." domestically for the first time. The ending song for the anime "GeGeGe no Kitaro," they played it ahead of its digital release on January 8. Following this song, MAMI switched to her new Fender MADE IN JAPAN MODERN STRATOCASTER HH guitar. The tone grew even clearer, and the crisp sound from the treble to the bass tightened the song up.

During the latter half of the show, the excitement just kept growing with "Shunkan Sentimental," a song whose sound grew even harder and more awesome; "OVER," where MAMI's detailed phrases emerge with a clear tone in a performance full of speed; and "Take Me Out," where the bouncy rhythm gives color to a danceable atmosphere.

The last song was "Image," whose spreading melody gives off a feeling of freedom. HARUNA strummed with a transparent tone along with singing with a sense of scale, MAMI played her solo with a sharp and piercing treble, TOMOMI created a groove with an expanding tone, and RINA carved out a beat with her whole body and soul. Together, the quartet showed us a live show containing perfect unity.

As the quartet appeared with smiles in response to the grand encore, they chose to sing "SCANDAL BABY" like they did during their "KARAOKE Night" event held during the summer where the band played the music and the audience sang vocals. The audience, who grew even more excited by this special feature, sang along loudly, and the band also had smiles on their faces.

Lastly, HARUNA shouted, "Let's use up all our energy!" as they started "STANDARD." The high-speed number full of extreme elements such as RINA's intense drumming and MAMI's distorted vocals brought the show to an exhilarating ending.

SCANDAL will be releasing their album Kiss from the darkness on 2020/2/12 via their private label "her." The tour in support of the album will start from 2020/3/7. These girls will still continue to take on challenges.