When X Japan announced their countdown live, it set my thoughts a-whirring. Johnny’s have the Dome with both NEWS and the Johnny’s Countdown. Most of the other large livehouses are occupied so where could X go. I thought the National Stadium near Setagaya would be the ideal choice, even though it is open air and on New Years Eve. Or perhaps the Yoyogi Olympic Stadium, both being huge arenas. Last week the venue was unveiled as….. Akasaka Blitz! Now don’t get me wrong, I love Blitz very much but X at Blitz? X, that tiny band who have played the 67 000 capacity Tokyo Dome 16 times and who earlier this year sold out three nights in a row there playing at Blitz. There were more people at the YOSHIKI fan conference event last week than can be stuffed into Blitz.

According to Yahoo News/Nikkan Sports it is because YOSHIKI wants to return X to their livehouse roots since they started out as such. They had asked the staff if they could do such a live before the Dome concerts in March but it was impossible so instead NYE has been chosen. I can’t help wonder though if the X sound is just too big for Blitz, and they might end up blowing the walls off or turning half the crowd deaf!