Boys-TV.net

A couple of weeks (!) ago I sent an email to Libera via their official website:

Hello,

I’ve been a big fan of Libera for almost 10 years. Like many other fans around the world I’ve been somewhat disappointed to hear that Tom Cully didn’t take part in the recent Japan and U.S. concerts. Fandom speculations range from “his voice broke” to “he was studying for his GCSEs”. I was wondering if you could tell me if Tom is still with the group and whether or not we can expect to see him in the UK concerts this summer, one of which I’m planning to attend.

Btw, I’d just like to let you know that I adore Libera as a group, and that your reply won’t affect my decision to see them in concert for the first time ever, as I’ve already booked a concert ticket and a flight to Dublin. However, it would be really nice of you if you could let me know if I can expect Tom to be there or not.

Thank you very much.

Kindest regards,

Kamichan

Well, today I finally got a reply:

Dear Kamichan

Thank you for your enthusiastic support of Libera - we are glad to hear that you will be attending our concert in Dublin and look forward to seeing you there.

With best wishes

Libera

Well… thanks a lot for the reply. Never mind that it took weeks to send it. It would have been really nice though not to completely ignore my question.

Libera kicked off the Japanese leg of their Angel Voices 2009 tour yesterday with a concert at the Tokyo Electron Hall Imperial Palace in Sendai, Japan. The concert started with a 10-minute delay (for reasons unbeknownst to the audience), but once the 23 boys started singing they captured the hearts of the sold-out 1590-seat auditorium right away.

The concert, during which the boys sang a number of new songs, lasted approximately 2 hours, and the only thing that left some members of the audience a bit dissatisfied was the fact that Tom Cully, a favourite among Libera fans in Japan and around the world, wasn’t there. Apparently his voice has finally changed so much that he can’t sing the high notes anymore. However, the newcomers in the group did a marvellous job at replacing him, and they even cracked a joke with the audience when after singing Going Home they were all like “Well, if we don’t get back to our hotel soon…“. But the boys couldn’t go home right away, because after the concert they stayed around to sign autographs for their fans, who love Libera to the point where they express in their blogs the desire to “have a foreign-looking child” and “to poke Ed Day’s belly with my finger“. Crazy Japanese, but you gotta love’em.

Here is a promo interview clip the boys recorded for their Japanese fans earlier this year. They’re speaking English of course, and I added English subtitles for the Japanese questions.

“Please come to see our concert.” Well, that’s easy for you to say. I wish I could. Maybe I’ll catch you in Dublin at the end of July. Even if Tom is no longer there.

Anyway, I’m gonna put a 1-second mp3 of Tom Cully saying “enthusiasm” on my MP3-Player and put it on auto-repeat. ♥

And am I the only one who thinks it’s funny that Edward Day’s favourite Libera song is “I am the Day“?

Anyway, for all those who are interested here’s a list of the 23 boys who are taking part in the Japanese concert series which will end with two appearances at Tokyo’s Bunkamura Orchard Hall on Wednesday and Thursday. They will also have one or two TV appearances, and I hope those will somehow end up on Youtube.

• Jonathan Barrington
• Tiarnán Branson
• Oliver Cole
• Liam Connery
• Kavana Crossley
• Edward Day
• Jakob de Menezes-Wood
• Daniel Fontannaz
• Freddie Ingles
• Stephan Leadbeater*
• Sam Leggett
• Alex Leggett
• Zachary Lockett
• Joshua Madine
• Flynn Marks
• James Mordaunt
• Sam Moriarty
• Benedict Philipp
• Carlos Rodriguez
• Ralph Skan
• Alfie Smart
• James Threadgill
• Michael Vereycken

*The Japanese have a somewhat funny way to transcribe foreign names in Japanese, so I’m not entirely sure about this one.

Libera’s current Japanese album Inori~Anata Ga Iru Kara is available from YesAsia for non-Europeans and from CDJapan and Amazon.co.jp for everyone (if you can’t read the Amazon website just click on the right where it says “translate this page in English”).

Libera special on SoP last night. I was a bit disappointed to see so much old footage, but the interviews and behind the scenes stuff made it a nice treat. Tom Cully’s voice is already so deep when he speaks. I wonder how much longer he’s gonna make it. I don’t want him to go away.