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Smash Ace
The show was on Friday 26th September, and it was an amazing performance as always by the Eminence crew. I went with my girlfriend and she said it completely changed her perspective of game/anime music, and orchestral performances as a whole.
They brought in a lineup cast of composers and we got to get things signed afterwards. They were also interviewed on the stage and it was a little awkward as the emcee was HORRID. He started the show with "welcome anime otaku and video game nerds". Way to put down the whole audience in the first sentence.
The lineup contained suites for:
Part 1: Red Alert 3, Laputa: the Castle in the Sky, My Neighbour Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Darksiders, God of War II, Soul Calibur, Astro Boy, Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Tsubasa Chronicles, Ace Combat
(intermission)
Part 2: Deathnote, Afrika, Chrono Cross, Dragon Age: Origins, Prince of Persia, Shadow of the Colossus, The Idolm@ster, Gears of War 2.
Encore: Metal Gear Solid
I really recommend everyone go the next time. It was held in the Sydney Entertainment Centre, so there were some good seats and the acoustics were great. Princess Mononoke gets me every time. When the strings kick in I would get goosebumps all over; you could really connect to the majesty of the universe that the Ghibli movies construct. I'll admit that I teared up a little during this suite. I tried showing my girlfriend what Shadow of the Colossus was all about and of course she didn't get it. But the music got to her. The piece made her go through a spectrum of hope, isolation, guilt, and all throughout a haunting sense of beauty of the colossi and where they resided. She outright shed tears towards the end of the suit.
Highlight moment of the night was the encore where the entire orchestra pulled out headbands out of nowhere and donned them in a tribute to Solid Snake. Was a laugh out loud and cheer moment for the entire crowd :D
And pics!
Inor Zur (Prince of Persia), Aubrey Ashburn (vocals for PoP), Chris Velasco (God of War II). Inor Zur is a real good talker, very nice and friendly. Aubrey said "What is this?". I said "A Wii." Chris: "For shame Aubrey!". She had to turn it on its side to make sense of it HAHA
KOW OTANI (Shadow of the Colossus), Aika Tsuneoka (vocals for SotC)
Me shaking hands with my favourite dude in the whole world. He normally has half his head shaved right down the middle, but he grew it back
A very eccentric dude; he even had bells on the rim of his boots HAHA 
Go Shiina (Ace Combat, Tekken: DR) actually GRABBED me and yanked me into a manhug for the photo. He's an awesome guy :D He dresses like a Japanese pimp for real - I want that jacket!
Chiaki Takahashi (vocals for IDOLM@STER). Apparently she's a big deal over in Japan's pop music scene. She's a pretty lady, shame I didn't get a face shot because the organisers limited to only one photo with one person only to speed things up. Was a stupid rule. My brother tried to sneek a shot but to no avail. She is superly cuted and drew adoring noises from the crowd.
The one and only legend Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross). Sexy man if you ask me.
My copy of SotC, signed by Kow Otani and Aika.
My signed Wii. Clockwise from the Japanese symbol: Yasunori Mitsuda, Phil Chu (conductor), Go Shiina, Chris Velasio, Aubury Ashburn, Inor Zur.
My signed Wii, other side. Clockwise from the animal face: Aika Tsuneoka, Chiaki Takahashi, Kow Otani, Wataru Hokoyama (Afrika; no pics sorry), Hiroki Yura (Director of Eminence, First Violinist).
No shows: Steve Jablonsky (Gears of War, Transformers).
