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An energetic concert with all kinds of happenings! The fans headbanged, they laughed, they shouted and they danced! Read our report here~
On November 13th, TOKYO KINEMA CLUB was the final stop of this year’s KUSOTARRE IS BACK 2022, TENGOKU HE NO KAIDAN （天獄への階段）(trans. Stairwell To Heavenly Prison) tour. NICOLAS, who started their activities in 2019, had to part ways with their drummer RITSU only weeks prior to the start of their autumn tour. However, with the support drummer HAYATE, they managed to continue the tour as planned and in this final performance, took this opportunity to spend time in hell with their fans one more time.
The stage was dark, red lighting followed by colorful lights: the fans immediately started clapping, welcoming the band on stage. The first song, UMBRA: emotional and beautiful, it left the fans watching the blue and yellow lighted stage in awe. But as soon the INSANITY NIGHTMARE started, the venue completely changed and the fans started going crazy. SAKU (Vocal) encouraged the fans to give their all, and regardless of it being only the second song, the venue was already shaking. Continuing with INGA OUHOU (困果応報) and VITAL SIGNS, the fans didn’t get much of a break from headbanging and throwing their fists towards the stage. AKANE (Guitar) and SATSUKI (Guitar) continuously came to the front of the stage to headbang with fans, which seemed extremely fun. And the band definitely enjoyed themselves, laughing and looking happily at each other in between songs. As final restrictions on live performances are slowly lifted and fans are now finally allowed to shout, the fans didn’t hold back, growling and shouting the member’s names.
During KAGAYOI HEYA (赫い部屋) and UDE (腕), the band continued giving their all. While ZERO (Bass) watched the fans closely, making gestures to encourage them to give them some more, and sometimes even playing on his knees, AKANE was using all the space he had on stage to spin around. While he still tried to keep his ponytail in place during the first few songs, it was completely gone by the 5th, which wasn’t surprising considering his neverending headbanging.
During HAIRONPA (廃論破), the fans jumped while SAKU gestured at the fans, making expressive motions with his arms. The music kept getting faster and faster, making the fans jump as fast they could. BABYSITTER (ベビーシッター) had everything: ZERO playing on his knees, completely immersed in his own world; SATSUKI’s guitar solo, his black guitar glistening in the gold lighting; and SAKU headbanging along with the fans.
Then, everything got dark and only the drums of the support drummer HAYATE were lit up, and he immediately started with an impressive drum solo. Fans clapped along to the beat while the band could be seen dancing and vibing along in the dark, which made the fans laugh out loud.
The drum solo flowed smoothly into WANA (罠), a rather jazzy and fun song, which made the drum solo an extremely fitting intro for it. ZERO seemed to enjoy it a lot, as he kept jumping from one leg to the other and continuously dancing while playing. At one point, when he sat down, playing on the platform, SAKU came up behind him to play with his hair.
Following MOSAIC (モザイク) and KISOUTENGAI BLIND LOVE (奇想天外ブラインドラブ), the band held their first longer MC of the evening. SAKU kept asking whether the fans were having fun, which was answered enthusiastically by the fans with happy shouts. SAKU explained that this tour was made possible by many miracles and coincidences, and that those brought the band and fans together on this very evening. Everything that they learned during this tour, they carried to this tour-final performance and they wanted to show it with the next song: ECHO OF SILENCE. SAKU’s powerful and emotional voice left everyone staring, and you couldn’t help but feel all the emotions the band wanted to express. Delighted and ZANKA (残歌) made the fans go crazy once again, hair flying left and right.
During the following MC, the band spend quite some time discussing the support drummer HAYATE, who proudly showed off his eccentric makeup and new hair color, saying that he felt bad that everyone was calling him (lovingly) an old man, and he tried to change it by asking the hair and make up team to make him pretty. However, it seems the band and staff continued to call him old man regardless, so that apparently didn’t work as planned, which made the fans laugh. The members then addressed the fans, promising that they have many many plans for the following years and that they will show the fans even greater NICOLAS every time, which the fans answered with loud clapping and excited cheers.
The band concluded the main set with SEPIA (セピア), TOARU IDOL OTAKU NO IJOU NA AIJOU (とあるアイドルオタクの異常な愛情), and AKUDOUKAI -KUSOTTARE KOUSHINKYOKU- (悪童会-クソッタレ行進曲-), but the very second they left the stage, the fans started clapping and shouting loudly for an encore.
During the encore, the band announced several performances during the first half of the next year, including performances with other bands, as well as boys- and girls-only lives, adding that for the boys-only live, the male fans should feel free to bring all their male friends, including those who are not into NICOLAS (yet).
During MIYUKI (ミユキ) and BRILLIANT WORLD the whole venue shook with fans going crazy and almost ripping out the barriers, which seemed to encourage the members to give the fans some more show when SAKU kissed ZERO on the bassist’s masked mouth.
All in all, the show was extremely energetic and fun, and you couldn’t miss the fact that the band enjoyed themselves immensely, laughing and running around, also using the extra space of the balcony on stage that makes TOKYO KINEMA CLUB a rather special venue.
As the band announced, they are not planning to stop anytime soon and we cannot wait to see what they have in store for their fans in the future.
Report: Olga
English Edit: Kaity
It would be great if you could support us with a small donation.
It might not be much for you, but it would help us providing more and better interviews in the future.
With a little bit of your support we might be able to realize even more!
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