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!
Are you ready to be H.U.Ged deeply? Re-live their latest final with us through our live report!
H.U.G (Hyper Undead Genius) ended their recent tour, “H.U.G TOUR 2024-VERSE-”, with an unforgettable finale at Akabane ReNY alpha on March 30th. The show, which was also available as livestream, showcased the incredible talents of all members: Karyu (ex D’ESPAIRSRAY/ Angelo/ Luv PARADE) on guitar, ryo (ex GULLET, 9GOATS BLACK OUT) on vocals, Yokoyama Kazutoshi on keyboard and manipulation, TAKEO (PIERROT/ Angelo) as the support drummer, and Ni~ya (NIGHTMARE) as the support bassist. With such experienced and strong performers gathered on one stage to perform together, the audience was left with no choice but to give in to H.U.G’s spell and lose themselves in the moment. Without further ado, let us share our favorite moments of this perfect night.
The air was full of excitement and anticipation even before the lights were dimmed, and the members took the stage amongst the loud cheers and applause of the crowd. The show started powerfully with a brand-new song: HIDE AND SEEK. It was such a fun song that urged everyone to jump and headbang to its rock elements, while ryo shook the venue to the ground with his flawless screams. The catchiness of the song made it impossible not to move to the rhythm or not to sing along to the chorus, and I doubt that anyone was able to stop the words “I want you baby” from playing in their minds even after the night ended – I know I couldn’t. After HELIOS, it was time for DROP – a slower yet impactful song that gave ryo many opportunities to showcase the range of his voice, from screams to melodious parts. Ni~ya and Karyu approached each other and performed while leaning towards one another with bright smiles on their faces, clearly showing how happy they were feeling on the stage. ryo, being exceptionally skilled in using his body – especially his arm and hand movements – to convey the emotions of the songs, was approaching the edge of the stage and reaching out his arms towards the crowd as he sang. Yokoyama Kazutoshi was lifting his sticks up in the air as he played while dancing a little by shifting his weight from one foot to another. TAKEO was hitting the drums hard while swinging his head to the left and right, clearly absorbed into the world of the song. Whenever the chorus of the song started, the fans were clapping their hands twice and then lifting both of their hands up in the air in perfect synchronicity. The fans and the members were practically performing together as their movements complemented each other to complete the ambience.
Right after “the song of love”, HEART, H.U.G had an MC break where Yokoyama Kazutoshi introduced the band and thanked the fans for being there for the last day of the tour. He did not forget about the fans watching the livestream and asked both the online and on-site fans to give their everything tonight. The show continued without losing any steam with the second brand-new song of the night, GLASS SHOES. The song started with ryo’s soft voice close to a whisper level, then it immediately turned into a scream. What an intro! Karyu was energetic as ever: jumping around, headbanging, interacting with the fans by kneeling by the edge of the stage and winking, smiling and playfully sticking his tongue out at them. His energy was so contagious that once you started watching him, it was impossible to take your eyes off of him or stop yourself from jumping and headbanging as well. Ni~ya was smiling at the fans, throwing his body back and playing his guitar vertically, yet still managing to hit every note perfectly. What’s more incredible – doing all of this as effortlessly as breathing. ryo seductively placed his fingers on his lips and slowly slid them down from his mouth.
The main stage also had a D’ESPAIRSRAY classic: Marry of the blood – a dark and mysterious song with a supernatural feeling to it. Especially when combined with the footage displayed on the screen, it was very easy to be pulled towards the eerie world of the song – and everyone at the venue was willing to dive in. Every single person at the live house was jumping and swinging their heads intensely. Though the aura of the song felt cursed, it was a blessing to experience ryo’s screams. After an MC break where Yokoyama Kazutoshi praised the fans’ enthusiasm and then introduced Ni~ya as the special guest, they moved onto a member call session. While the fans intensely cheered for and screamed out the names of each member on the stage, each member did a little solo show for only a few seconds – except for Yokoyama Kazutoshi, who came forward and spelled his name Y-O-K-O by forming the letters using this body. It was such a cute and funny moment that put a smile on everyone’s faces. Next was WHO IS THE ROMEO. The fans immediately broke into headbanging and jumping; ryo, Karyu, and Ni~ya were performing while doing a combination of oritatami and headbanging. Before long, I found myself looking forward to what became a staple for this performance: ryo asked everyone to sit down, a countdown of 3-2-1, and jump! It is such a nice view at every single show, but this time it felt much more powerful as there was not a single person standing at the venue – perfect proof of ryos power.
For the encore, fans got to enjoy second performances of the two new songs, GLASS SHOES followed by HIDE AND SEEK. Both performances were as exciting as the main stage and everyone gave their all. After a short MC break, followed by Flash Dancers, VENUS, and HEART, this amazing show came to an end. After moving non-stop from the very beginning of the show, everyone looked tired but extremely happy at the same time.
It was an incredible performance that has proven that we haven’t seen anything yet and that H.U.G will keep showing us incredible times! All members, even the support ones, blended seamlessly together while still displaying their individualities to create a fully formed, harmonious performance. H.U.G has such an amazing presence and energy on the stage that if you haven’t checked this band out yet, you are missing out on an amazing live performance experience! They always make sure to have livestream tickets available for their tours, so wherever you are in the world, you can be a part of their shows.
Report: Gamze
English Edit: Kaity
Picture: Hitomi Katada
H.U.G TOUR 2024 Fall Tour!
November 3, 2024: Nishikawaguchi Hearts
November 9, 2024: Shinsaibashi VARON
November 10, 2024: Shinsaibashi VARON
November 17, 2024: Shinyokohama NEW SIDE BEACH!!
November 23, 2024: Nagoya HeartLand
November 24, 2024: Nagoya HeartLand
December 7, 2024: Shibuya REX
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!
paradox-translations.com 