PrincessPrincess - The Last Live Encore

It's May 31, 1996 and Tokyo's famed Budokan is packed for the final concert of PrincessPrincess. The group had announced that, after 13 years together, they were splitting up. In this final encore, lead singer Kaori Okui thanks the audience; then the girls, dressed all in white, go into a spirited rendition of their 1988 hit "19 Growing Up".

As the song ends, drummer Kyoko Tomita and an already sobbing keyboardist Tomoko Konno join guitarists Atsuko Watanabe (whose eyes are also turning red), Kanako Nakayama and Kaori as the girls go from the main stage to the far right and left ends of the stage extensions waving and thanking their fans. They return to the main stage and acknowledge those in the stage side balconies. Kaori then passes the mic around to let each member personally thank the audience for the last 13 years; in order Atsuko (who by then had dried her eyes), Kyoko, Kanako and Tomoko (visibly choked up with emotion and fighting a losing battle with her tears). The mic returns to Kaori's hands and she gives a final thank you and "sayonara" to the SRO house.

The girls clasp hands and bow to their fans as the "PrincessPrincess" sign behind them is turned off for the final time. With only the footlights to illuminate them, the girls continue to wave to the screaming, adoring fans. Atsuko and Tomoko again are allowing their emotions to show and tears to flow as the stage goes dark.

In the years since this concert. Kaori has had a successful solo career (as Kaori Kishitani), Tomoko released three CDs then produced soundtracks for two movies, Kanako is the lead singer and guitarist for the rock band "VooDoo Hawaiians", Atsuko is vice-principal at the Tokyo School of music and Kyoko married and is the mother of two children (although she did join Atsuko in a rock revival concert in April 2008).

Part of the reason the group broke up was the desire to remain friends. There was a disagreement on whether they should change their "sound", and they chose to go their separate musical ways, leaving their fans with the Pri-Pri identity and the girls with their friendship.

In their career, PrincessPrincess changed the perception of female musicians in Japan and gave other female acts the freedom to be independent and expressive in their music. They have been and continue to be missed.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Princess Princess
• Pripri

[rarara979]

昭和もすてたもんじゃありませんよ。熱いエネルギーが交錯した時­代。感動です。

[convoy20007]

1:59

大好き

[kuma500627]

俺の人生の中でひとつの大きな出来事。『プリプリ解散』

あの日から色々な人生を俺・.プリプリのファン

そして５名の素敵なカッコイイメンバー

が歩んできました。

そして、再結成

正直、この動画を見て、記憶のそして歴史の１ページとして

再結成には・・・

しかし、うれしい気持ちも充分ある。

仙台のライブ

見に行きます。　最高のライブ　楽しみましょう。

[sik729]

解散ライブ行きました。香ちゃんが言ったように愛娘にも聞かせて­ました。

復活と聞いて今からワクワク、ドキドキ、あの青春の頃の純粋な気­持ちになれそうな…



[hiro4612ful]

またこの曲が生で聴けるなんて夢の様です。

仙台ライブ楽しみ。

[odysseysmn]

再結成♪

最高にうれしい！

[kenandyu]

泣けるね。

[ekkymyra]

EXCELLENT FEMALE BAND 

[ronarudo9]

再結成！また奥居香外４名・そして？名曲にも合える。期待してる­ぜ　プリプリ。　

[kkk106672]

再結成ですって、これは期待

[soarer1005]

UPありがとうございます！

プリプリ大好きだった。ジーンと来た(涙)