Band PASSPO☆ Returns at 6th Anniversary Autumn Tour Finale!

| Idol | Posted by Kai Okudara on Dec.11.2015

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PASSPO☆ tuned up and rocked out as Band PASSPO☆ for the first time since their marathon 6 and a half hour long New Year’s Day graduation flight (PASSPO☆ term for lives) of Makoto Okunaka at the finale of their 6th anniversary autumn tour titled “PASSPO☆ Flight Tour ROCK Shuunen Tour Arigato-Bin Shinagawa” at Stellar Ball on November 28.

Petit PASSPO☆ warmed up the audience with “Samurai Girl” and a spunky performance of their upcoming 2nd single “Go Fight! Fly High!” that had many “Passengers” (PASSPO☆ name for fans), rocking from side to side along with them to the familiar melody.

Afternoon Flight – Departure: 1:00pm (JST)

Walking onto the stage, PASSPO☆ took their positions at their instruments, Yukimi Fujimoto strapping a blue E-II Mystique over her shoulder and taking over the rhythm guitar position previously held by Naomi Anzai, who moved to lead guitar. Anzai started things off, picking out the intro for “WANTED!!” on her volcano red Horizon and the audience roared to life like a jet engine. Mio Masui thumped away steadily at her Forest bass and Anna Tamai cut loose with a wild drum solo to end “BREAK OUT!!”, which had her forgetting what instrument she was playing when Band PASSPO☆ to introduce themselves. The loudest cheers came for Fujimoto when she announced that she was playing the guitar, having moved up from the ambiguous-sounding “manipulator/DJ” position that she previously inhabited.

Band PASSPO☆ then took things back to where it all began with “Perfect Sky”, the first song that they had learned to play instruments for. Ai Negishi took a keyboard solo, Anzai and Fujimoto moved out to the front of the stage, pulling even with Shiori Mori and Natsumi Iwamura, who channeled the spirits of classic girl groups of the past with their choreography behind their microphone stands during “GPP”. Masui held down the bottom end as and Anzai and Fujimoto strummed out the power chords for “Candy Room”, Mori adding some extra spice to the ending “Come on boy!”.

Ai Negishi asked the passengers how their performance was after an almost year long absence from playing instruments live. She praised Iwamura’s tambourine playing and marveled at Fujimoto’s guitar playing while the others commented how the instrument complimented her long legs. Fujimoto explained that she wanted to take on the challenge since guitars are a big part of PASSPO☆’s sound. Still nervous, she began to tremble, prompting Anzai to wrap her arms around Fujimoto’s shoulders to calm her down.

Remaining at the front of the stage, the “singing and dancing PASSPO☆” returned, Anna Tamai tossing her hair and rolling her hips at the middle of the stage as the others danced around her during “BEAST IN YOU”. PASSPO☆ soared through the air as the passengers shouted loudly and Mio Masui attempted some flying hip attacks during “Baby Jump ~ Tengoku he no Toujou-bin~”. Swinging their arms like go-go dancers and leading a clap for the fan favorite “Love Diary”, the theme of romance continued with Masui and Iwamura playing a couple embarking on a trip to the US in “Heaven’s Burger”. Glistening with sweat, they were brought towels specially designed to commemorate their 6th anniversary by Petit PASSPO☆. Several strange incidents that happened along the tour were mentioned and the members apologized for them. The most interesting one had to be where passengers in Tokushima started doing awa odori (a traditional festive dance from the region) during Anzai’s lines in “Cosmic You” as a fan from that flight who was in the audience apologized along with her.

Having won the forgiveness of their passengers, the flight continued with “Pretty Lie”, the call and response reverberating through the room. PASSPO☆ twirled around the stage gracefully, fluttering their arms to “Fairy Tale” and kicked up their legs flirtatiously to “Bathtub”. Anzai let out a shout of disappointment when she spotted the same fan who apologized for awa odori during her lines in Tokushima repeated the deed, the other passengers around him crouching down so he could be seen clearly in the front of the stage. Picking up their folding fans, PASSPO☆ stoked the flames burning in the hearts of the passengers during “Natsuzora Hanabi” and danced like the cursed undead to the eerie dark metal of “Wing”. The drums blasted like artillery to the anthemic “Dom Dom Freedom”. “STEP & GO” ushered in the playful stage antics of Anna Tamai as she lured Natsumi Iwamura to a platform on the side of the stage before running away, and jumped into her arms as the passengers moshed and followed the rest of the members as the ran around on the stage. The flight came to an end with PASSPO☆’s major label debut single “Shojo Hikou”, the passengers singing along loudly to the at the request of captain Ai Negishi.

The encore began with “HONEY DISH”, PASSPO☆ grilling up pancakes and flashing kissing expressions as they welcomed home an imaginary lover. Yukimi Fujimoto and Naomi Anzai were surprised by the reading of letters to them by the rest of the members. Ai Negishi claimed that it wouldn’t have been possible for the return of Band PASSPO☆ without their efforts. With the indefinite hiatus of Sako Makita following the finale of their “More Attention” spring tour, Anzai had take over the lead guitar position while helping teach Fujimoto the rhythm parts. Iwamura’s letter humorously included a line “If you are reading this letter…” as well as the greeting “yahoo” in it, punctuated by exaggerated fake crying. As they wept, Fujimoto exclaimed, “It’s like we’re graduating!”. After a heartfelt letter by Anna Tamai where she talked about her mother encouraging Fujimoto to play guitar, she ended by jokingly congratulating them on their graduation before tossing the paper in the air.

Wiping the tears from their eyes, Fujimoto and Anzai smiled as they slung their guitars over their shoulders for one final time as Band PASSPO☆ closed out the encore with “Material Girl”. Petit PASSPO☆’s Riko Fujimoto ran onto the stage to take a picture of PASSPO☆ with their instruments as they sat at the front of the stage with the passengers in the background. As excited as they were at entering a new phase in their journey, there was still the evening flight that would be departing a few hours later. The photo report for that will be coming soon!

Set List

01 WANTED!!
02 BREAK OUT!!
03 Perfect Sky
04 GPP
05 Candy ・Room
06 BEAST IN YOU
07 Baby Jump ~ Tengoku he no Toujou-bin~
08 Love Diary
09 Heaven’s Burger
10 Pretty Lie
11 Fairy Tale
12 Bathtub
13 Cosmic You
14 Natsuzora Hanabi
15 WING
16 Dom Dom Freedom
17 STEP & GO
18 Shojo Hikou