Live report of deadman in Japan.
deadman live report in Kanazawa AZ(2/10/2006)
I drove my car to Kourinbou in the cold sleet of February. I couldn’t go forward easily in the center of the downtown because of the weekend traffic jam, and the live was starting soon. I was in such a hurry that I almost didn’t see the beautiful illumination of the roadside trees. Finally, I stopped my car at the parking area, trotting off to the live house. My body began to warm up, so I didn’t feel the cold rain and snow anymore.
I met deadman in a record shop of Kourinbou for the first time. They came back from Paris and Germany where they did their first lives overseas, and had already begun their domestic tour. They were traveling, doing lives and autograph sessions in CD shops. I met them in the dressing room and in the autograph session, where they seemed uncomfortable and a little bit confused, not being able to adjust to the place and situation. I bought their newest CD and a live ticket for next day. They talked to me quickly, shook hands, and wrote their autographs on the album jacket. The members gave forced smiles, and vocalist MAKO had a moment where he wasn't nervous. Suddenly, I thought "when will they smile honestly from the bottom of their hearts?"
I went home and listened to their CD. The album jacket painted in water colors and English titles of the songs showed their good sense of taste. And then I realized I was very lucky having a chance to buy this CD! Music by deadman is my favorite live rock music; drums and steady bass, lots of guitar and vocals. Especially the 4th, 5th and 11th songs, which were really beautiful, but all other songs were sharp and heavy, showing excellent taste in their performance. The CD includes a DVD, and I was surprised to see the video of [follow the night light] because the image of the PV and their performance was outstanding. I was really pleased to have a chance to meet this band. I was sure their live the next day would be marvelous.
SE stopped, and members stood on the stage. MAKO, who wore a black frilled shirt and pants on his slim body, appeared with cool heavy make up on his face. The live began with [asthenia bullet stain] from their new album. A dramatic melody was played over a heavy riff. The band’s performance recreated the sound from the CD perfectly. Toki hit the drums sharply, Kazuya played bass exactly and rhythmically, aie played the guitar sometimes quietly and sometimes hard, creating deadman’s peculiar music.
MAKO’s low vibrating voice created a mysterious and somewhat glamorous atmosphere, showing the world of deadman lyrics, stimulating our senses. He shouted bending his body violently, repeated nervous motion like a broken marionette. Whispering, murmuring, suddenly laughing, and looking far away absent-mindly, he seemed like a mad man in a trance. While members were playing cool and steady, MAKO sang and danced, expressing his inner world to his limit on the stage.
There was no MC at the live. The members played well, and MAKO sang dramatically. They didn’t compromise in their music and expression, without surplus stage direction, which showed their confidence in their performance. There wasn't much interaction with the band and the audience since deadman concentrated on expressing their art on the stage, which seemed like a show in the theater rather than a live. During the songs [follow the night light], [fragile sandy] and [this day.this rain], there was beautiful lighting and dramatic music which gave me goose bumps. From the song of [25], the live suddenly became hard and heavy, reaching at the climax. In the song of [Jukei-sha no Nikki], the audience started head banging all at once, in [quo vadis], MAKO led audience to clapping hands calling 3-2-1. This merrymaking was followed by [re:make], then the live was finished with large scale song of [additional cause for sorrow], which vocals were very sad and beautiful.
The members left the stage, and calls for an encore came from the audience. aie who wore a white T-shirt and members appeared and played 2 songs which caused more head banging, and call and response. The audience called for encores again and again, and members appeared on the stage once again. Kazuya wore a white tank top. Then they said We want to play an old song, and performed an up-tempo song [701126]. The audience got really into it and the live house was full of head banging. When their performance finished, Toki who kept cool rhythms of drums stood up and clapped his hands. The members on the stage and the audience clapped their hands too, taking pride in doing their best and expressing thanks for the audience for being able to share the same emotion. All the people there felt thankful to meet at this wonderful live.
I remembered their awkward appearance in the autograph session and few greeting words in the dressing room the day before the live. Their fierce tension reminded me that they can only exist between reality and lunacy. After the live, members appeared on the counter of the live goods shop, and they seemed as dry as ever, seemed rather sullen. No, way! I didn’t expect them to put on an insincere smile at all. This fringe group doesn’t need to know how to get along well in life. I really hope these violent fragile artists, who can live only on the stage, will continue to express themselves. I’m sure they will be able to perform high quality lives on any stages around the world. Many a sensitive audience will be influenced by their music and artistic expression, and those of you who have not seen them should be waiting to.
Set list:
1. asthenia bullet stain
2.rip roll soil
3.raison detre
4.dim quiet
5.grand ground
6.Moumoku no Hane to Hoshi wo Te ni
7.Kunou no naka no taegatai Sonzai
8.maze room
9.follow the night light
10.fragile sandy
11.Himawari(= sunflower)
12.Doris kara no Tegami(= a letter from Doris)
13.Taion(= body temperature)
14.this day.this rain.
15.Arizuka(=anthill)
16.25
17.Jukei-sha no Nikki(= a diary of a prisoner)
18.bodybag No.
19.Oboreru Sakana(= a drowning fish)
20.quo vadis
21.re:make
22.additional cause for sorrow
en1
through the looking glass
lunch box
en2
701126
