OK, here my report from the Füssen Tour.
I had invested into the VIP Ticket experience and so I was among the first people who had the pleasue to listen to Sarah's new album "Hymn" during our trip to Füssen.
I was quite surprised to see so many fans from all over the world who traveled to Germany for that event. It's Oktoberfest season, so neither hotels nor flight could have been cheap.
I mean...they get like 400 concerts all over the world in the next 2 years...a number X Japan fans can only dream of.
The album is awesome (though we heard it on crappy bus speakers) and delivers the usual mix of classical and classical pop and "Miracle" is a perfect addition to the mix.
Sarah's "Miracle" version sounds borrow heavily from the original version (e.g. they kept the original choir) but of course the song was rearranged to let Sarah shine.
Sarah's fan guides were very nice but the trip as such was a bit chaotic due to a 30 min delay at the beginning. We had to run up the mountain to see Castle Neuschwan were we arrived like 5 minutes before our guided tour (the tours have time windows...it's hit or miss). The trip back to the bus lasted longer as planned as well. The bus driver didn't find the Festspielhaus and so we arrived at 19.10...50 minutes before the concert and were still supposed to have dinner and of course us girls want to dress up (girls will be girls). On the way to the restaurant I heard Yoshiki rehearsing "Miracle"...and all the running was forgotten. Who needs dinner anyway? ;-)
The event wasn't a regular concert but they filmed for a movie (shown on PBS in the US in December I think) and in November in American Cinemas. And a (international) DVD release next spring. So the filming begun and they reshoot some songs from a different angle. Song after song after song...with some curious choices which were already released on other DVDs (another Phantom version, There for me, Pie Jesus) .
After the break they pushed a piano on stage and I though "Yay, finally we get to see Yoshiki".
But no, it was Sarah who played an english version of "Con te Partiro".
Then they removed the piano and announced that they would record the last song....which nearly caused a heart attack.
Wait! You must be kidding. Yoshiki is in the house, you announced him! Where is he? Why isn't he playing in front of the crowd?
Then they filmed the "Final curtain" with all the participants. Yoshiki included (though Sarah had to goad him onto to stage)
And I swear he winked at me when I called his name and made the X-sign (happy fangirl
)
If he wasn't playing in front of the crowd he had at least to know that he had fans sitting there.
Then the producers (which included Anthony Van Laast) asked if we had liked the event and if we had missed anything.
At that point all the Yoshiki/X Japan fans stood up and enquired about Yoshiki
(I was damn proud of us few fans who had made it there)
It was then explained that the video had been filmed in the afternoon due to the special effects.
According to a Japanese source there will be a video clip of "Miracle" through I cannot confirm that it will be same they shot in Füssen.
Sarah and Yoshiki and played "Miracle" as encore.
I liked the live version better than the CD version, which (obviously) included Yoshiki playing piano. I wish they would release this version on CD as well. They still used the original choir for the song though they had used a live choir for every other song.
Unfortunately we had to leave right after the concert but I know that some fans were lucky enough to meet Yoshiki.