Anna Yano is a full-blown anime freak, and this feature lets her feed that passion as she visit real life locations of her favourite anime series.

 

The location for this second entry was Ikebukuro. When people think of Ikebukuro, there’s no other series that springs to mind quite like Durarara!! The opening video of the anime is immensely popular amongst fans for how cool it is, so Anna challenged herself to recreating it with help from people on the street who love Ikebukuro!

 

We begin in front of Tokyu Hands. What kind of pose is this all of a sudden, lifting your phone up in the air like that?!

 

“I’m gathering people to recreate an Anna Yano version of various scenes in the opening!”

 

This is actually the place where the Dollars first met in the show. It’s when Mikado Ryugamine called his pals on his mobile and found out most of the people he knew were members.

 

“This one scene I thought was pretty relevant to today – using your mobile phone as a tool to move people.”

 

First up, this place! The music note monument along Sunshine Street. Anna called over two cute ladies who were in the middle of shopping in Ikebukuro. This is the best photo ever with everyone lined up in the same order – from the right Mikado Ryugamine, then Anri Sonohara, and finally Anna as Masaomi Kida!

 

Anna gave a gleaming smile as she said, “I wanted to try coming here!” Everything’s going great from the get go. Thank you, ladies!

 

Moving on to the next scene, we have Russia Sushi which appears in the anime. Anna caught a nice guy who had come from Russia to visit Japan. “What a miracle to meet someone Russian in front of Russia Sushi!” The anime gods must be smiling at Anna right now.

 

Anna was thankful for such a nice encounter! Have a nice trip～♪

 

Next, the scene where the The Headless Rider rides her bike in front of Cinema Sunshine. Anna too ran with all her might!

 

KFC too.

 

Getting drenched in front of Aoyama. Anna is stretching her body.

 

The sky faded into twilight at Mutsumata Bridge with the the orange coloured setting sun.

 

Be sure to check Anna’s version of the Durarara!! opening video on Kawaii JAPAN-da!! on MBS.

 

Next on the list is the food portion of the scenes. Anna was able to ask the staff to recreate the sushi they eat in the anime at Russia Sushi, a type of Edomae Sushi.

 

“Tada! I actually like sushi toppings that don’t usually go with rice on normal sushi. I actually just ate hamburger sushi yesterday!”

 

From the left: sour cream, borscht, and mapo!

 

Cheese, then karaage!

 

After filling her stomach, Anna left Ikebukuro to go to another certain place.

 

Smile Cafe Roots was used as a model for a place that appears in the anime. It’s a bar in Higashi-Nakano.

 

She was also able to get a cocktail like the one from the show. Anna was in a world of her own as she drank the cocktail of her beloved Shizuo. After her getting a little intoxicated, we asked Anna about the appeal of Durarara!! once more.

 

I love Durarara!! It’s had an influence on me, so much so that I used to live in Ikebukuro. It’s been fun to go around all the places and recreate the opening. When I imagine replacing the place I live with Ikebukuro and living life keeping that a secret even from people close to me, I think they’ll gradually come to be able to like it!”

 

 

 

Anna loves anime, and so she is bringing a new series to our “Tokyo Stroll” feature where she takes us on a pilgrimage to visit real life anime locations! The theme chosen by Anna for this first entry is a solo trip to Okigubo which appears in the anime series Penguindrum (which she is a huge fan of!) Just what kind of encounters will be waiting for her there?

 

Anna puts on the same hat as the anime’s protagonist Himari Takakura (from her own collection) and meets at the station. You can tell she is in high-spirits from behind. The train station too is exactly the same as in the anime!

 

 

 

The first location on the list was Ogikubo Second Children’s Park. Anna did get a little lost on the way there, but she managed to find the giraffe and pig park installations. In the anime, the Takakura brothers live in the house right next to this park.

 

Anna said solemnly “I think the colourful house is a symbol of happiness for the brothers” while confirming that this was the location the house should be if it was the anime. Upon basking in the afterglow, one of the staff members that was with Anna cried out as if to cling onto something!

 

“Survival strategy! I’ll tell it to you lowlifes who will never amount to anything.* Time to go to the shopping district and get my hands on the Penguin Drum!”

 

[*Translator’s Note: This is a quote from the anime series Penguindrum.]

 

Anna was taken aback by this remark.

“I wanted to go there because that appears in the anime too!”

 

And with that, off they went. But just what is the Penguin Drum…?

 

Here’s the shopping street archway that you see in the anime! It’s pretty exciting. Ogikubo is a kidn and friendly place. While strolling the streets, Anna was asking people “Where’s the Penguin Drum?!” to passers-by. Along the way, there was a shop that caught her eye! It was a kebab shop that had a deliciously inviting smell.

 

 

“I’m glad because I was reaaally hungry.”

 

 

The man’s Japanese was very good. Anna went in for the kill, asking, “Please show me your artefact that’s associated with your fate!” He kindly showed her his charm from Turkey that’s preciously decorated in the shop. Does fate relate to the Penguin Drum?! Maybe the Penguin Drum something that each person possesses… Our trip isn’t over yet!

 

The next location can be found on the roof of Town Seven, a shopping center at the north entrance of Ogikubo Station. It’s a wide and open space where a lot of children were playing.

 

This is the scene when the older of the Takakura siblings, Kanba, is talking to his ex-girlfriend, when a memory-erasing red ball comes flying and hits her on the forehead.

 

The playground equipment that appears in the background was very impressive to look at.

 

 

The children became interested in Anna’s hat. She was completely surrounded!

 

The next place Anna headed to was the shrine where the heated fight between the brothers unfolds. The younger brother, Shoma, becomes aware of the events surrounding his older brother, so presses him with questions. Kanba declares that he was playing parent. Anna prayed by herself in the grounds.

And don’t forget to take a commemorative photo.

 

 

Next is the scene with the pedestrian bridge where Kanba blows up a car. We took the photo at the same angle as in the anime.

 

Anna told a story with a serious expression.

“He [Kanba] wasn’t always a bad guy. The fact that he did something like that. That scene shocked me.”

 

 

Anna also passed under the arch to Hakusan Towns shopping district. It seems like it has changed a little since the anime aired, but you can tell it’s the place immediately!

Anna tottered over and shouted, “Survival strategy!” again to a lady passing through. She then made her way to a ramen shop as the lady had also mentioned which is famous among fans.

 

“Sanchan Ramen” is a restaurant with a 60-year history that has continued to be loved by locals in Ogikubo.

 

This is the place used as a location for handing over money between Kanba and the evil organisation. There’s a lot of fans that imitate the anime and slide envelopes with money inside on the tabe.

 

Of course, Anna had a bowl of ramen too.

And gyoza!

 

And beer!!

 

By the way, why do you like this anime, Anna?

 

“Penguindrum is a very deep series, it makes you think about things like love and fate. The art is cute and the music and presentation are gorgeous. I really want everyone else to watch it.”

 

Today’s article will be broadcast on “Kawaii JAPAN-da!!” on MBS (Kansai Local). It will go on air on March 13^th! Don’t miss out on Anna’s solo travel!

 

 

 

2017 marks 10 years for Seiko Oomori’s music career. The Japanese singer-songwriter shows no sign of slowing down as she continues to soar through the music scene, having released her third album “kitixxxgaia” back in March this year. With her new record in hand, Seiko Oomori has begun a new Japan tour entitled 2017 LIVE TOUR “kitixxxgaia”. The tour kicked off on June 2^nd at Sendai’s Rensa.

Joining Seiko Oomori on this tour is the indispensable and familiar line-up of A-chan (Kinoko Teikoku, Guitar), Kenji Hatakeyama (H MOUNTAINS, Guitar), Eramegumi (Masakita 89, Bass), Kenta Sakurai (Guitar, Percussion, etc), Pierre Nakano (Ling Tosite Sigure, Drums), and sugarbeans (Tommy & Sammy).

 

The stage was decorated with a majestic backdrop of the artwork from Seiko Oomori’s new album. Seiko and the band members were ebullient in their performance from the get go. The crowd joined in the fun with their indomitable excitement. The feeling in the room between the fans and Seiko was one of unshakeable unity as the performance began with tracks from “kitixxxgaia.”

As the night went on, Seiko went on to perform the ballad track “Orionza,” singing in cheery unison with the crowd. Seiko Oomori proves once again during this song that her live shows are packed full of emotion thanks to the phantasmagoric tone of the music provided by the band such as the guitar riffs, as well as Seiko’s acapella, and the unified singing of everybody watching that reverberated through the room, all of which combined to bring tears to the fans’ eyes.

A beautiful moment was born during that blissful air as Seiko let an elementary school girl play her guitar that she had been playing. It was also an unexpected song to be performed for one of Seiko’s concerts, so she defied people’s expectations for a good cause.

 

Seiko Oomori’s tour will continue until July 20^th where it will conclude in Tokyo at ZEPP Diver City. There’s plenty more singing from Seiko to be heard and music from the band to enjoy during this tour. We look forward to seeing her grow even more by the end of it.

It was also announced that Seiko will release a brand-new single on August 9^th which will be performed throughout her tour. We can expect to see plenty more from her as she shows no sign of letting up. For those people who reserve themselves a copy of the new release, you will be eligible to receive a special goodie that you can only obtain at one of her concerts. Be sure to check it out if you plan to go to one of her shows.

 

 

Related article：LADYBABY collaborated with Omori Seiko in a two-man live! They announced that Series Vol.4 will be held!

 

Related article：The 3rd wave of artists announced for “KAGA MUSIC FESTIVAL 2017” including tofubeats, Maki Nomiya & more!

With their latest single “Dead End in Tokyo” in hand, MAN WITH A MISSION recently held the last of their extra shows for their “Dead End in Tokyo Tour” at Shinkiba STUDIO COAST. Joining them as special guests on stage for this string of encore shows was American rock band JIMMY EAT WORLD, who haven’t performed in Japan for almost 6 years (and almost 9 years as a solo act). MAN WITH A MISSION announced at the final show that they will be joining JIMMY EAT WORLD in a joint tour in America for September this year.

 

JIMMY EAT WORLD stepped onto the stage as the opening act, who released their 9^th album “INTEGRITY BLUES” back in October 2016 which marked their 20^th anniversary since their major debut. The show was a joint gig with set lists that focused around enjoy the bands’ old and new music rather than just the newer material.

From the get go the crowd gave a huge round of applause and cheered for the band as they walked onto stage. The crowd were devoured by the sound of JIMMY EAT WORLD who played songs such as “Work” and “Lucky Denver Mint.”

The crowd sang along for their final two tracks, “Sweetness” and “The Middle,” before their set came to a close. They are two universally love tracks by fans, so people made sure to give it their all for the last of JIMMY EAT WORLD’s performance.

 

MAN WITH A MISSION were then welcomed on stage. Guitarist and vocalist Jean-Ken Johnny screamed, “It’s been a while, Tokyo. Let’s go!” The band stirred up the crowd even more with their performances of “Get Off of My Way” and “Hey Now.”

Bassist for the band Kamikaze Boy ran around the stage, and DJ Santa Monica also left his booth to join in with the madness on the floor in front of the stage. The band went full high-speed from the very beginning, before performing the next song, “Give it Away.”

Amongst a powerful ensemble of instruments, the music was amplified to 100 by Tokyo Tanaka’s powerful vocals and Jean-Ken Johnny’s rapping.

 

DJ Santa Monica braved a stage dive into the pumped up crowd for “distance” and was joined by Kamikaze Boy who was held up by the crowd as he continued to play his bass.

The latter half of the performance began with “NEVER FxxKIN’ MIND THE RULES” where the band got creative and technical with their sound and played freely.

Spear Rib upped the drive of the crowd even more with his drumming skills. The band then began to play the famous guitar riff of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” which sent everybody in the venue wild.

The band were also having a huge blast, but it was the crowd whose overwhelming power reverberated throughout the room.

 

Jean-Ken Johnny described the fact that the band had been lucky enough to not only play alongside Hi-STANDARD at the end of 2016 for AIR JAM 2016, but now JIMMY EAT WORLD, as “indescribable.”

 

The members of MAN WITH A MISSION talked about their ups and down as a band for the past 7 years, looking back at how their path had not just been full of fun times, but also how they had been put down many times before. But they also said to look back at themselves as guys who always have a smile on their face, and to continue working hard together. Their drive and self-confidence is linked to the scale of their sound and their toughness as a band which has continued to pierce through, rather than what kind of music they like or what principles they subscribe to.

 

Their almost 3-month long tour ended with a ‘let’s meet again at our next show’ to the crowd and a performance of “Dead End in Tokyo.”

 

The encore consisted of a special digest video entitled “Ookami Daizenshuu V” (Japanese: 狼大全集Ⅴ) and the announcement of their joint tour in America with JIMMY EAT WORLD scheduled for September 2017.

Be sure to keep your eyes on this wolf pack and their endeavours as they continue to pierce through the scene even further.

 

 

Related article: MAN WITH A MISSION’s song “Dog Days” features in the new “Asahi Dry Zero” TV commercial song!

Related article: MAN WITH A MISSION is appearing on the video “FENDER FEEDBACK” as a non-human head artist

Haruna luna, a popular animation song artist who sings theme songs for various popular animations, held her 5^th anniversary live concert titled,“Haruna luna LIVE 2017 5^th Anniversary Fes. ♡with you♡” on the 2^nd of May at Zepp Diver City Tokyo (Odaiba). Her concert was a great success and many of her fans were mesmerized.

May the 2nd was Haruna’s 5^th anniversary since her debut. Since her live, called a “Fes.” invited many guest artists, the venue was filled with excitement. The first song was “Binetu no Tuki” which gathered attention because it was included in the addendum CD before her debut. At the beginning of the concert, she performed the rock tunes “Kyoso Refrain” and “Ai wo Utae” and after that she performed her masterpieces such as “Overfly.” The stage then changed to scary atmosphere and she performed Machigerita triptych medley which is a song on her 1^st album.

After that, the first guest AKIRA appeared and they performed “Kinki no Gyosei” which is included in her mini album released in February of this year. After this serious, dark and erotic song, they softened their fans’s heart with some good talking.

After that, Kotoko appeared on stage. They collaborated together which very rare and performed “ANIMAX MUSIX 2017 OSAKA,” “C3 in Hong Kong” and “S×W –soul world-” and set the fans on fire.

Finally, the last guest, Moso Calibration appeared on stage. They performed “Sakurairo Diary” which is the ending theme song of the TV animation “Saenai Kanojo no Sodatekata ♭and announced that they will be holding an event on the 18^th of June (Sun) in SHIBUYA CLUB QUATTRO.

In the last part of the concert, they performed both popular songs and songs that cannot often be heard live and the popular song “Kimiiro Signal.” In this song Moso Calibration performed as dancers.

After the encore, Haruna performed her debut song “Sora ha Takaku Kaze wa Utau” and announced that she will release a new album in the near future. She also told her fans that “We will continue to perform together for 6, 7, 8 years” and concluded the live with “Lunatic Word.” She released her new single “Stella Breeze” on the 3^rd of May and will release her 3^rd album “LUNARIUM” on the 21^st of June. She is also planning to appear on various lives and events, so please check them out.

 

■Information

Stella Breeze

Release date: May 3rd

3^rd album

LUNARIUM

Release date: 21^st of June

 “Saenai Utahime no Special Live ♭” Haruna luna × Moso Calibration

Date:June 18th, 2017 (Sun) Open 17:00 / Start 18:00

Venue: SHIBUYA CLUB QUATTRO

Performers: Haruna luna and Moso Copulation

Ticket: Standing \4,860 (tax included)

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Related article：Luna Haruna charms a crowd of 3,000 anime fans at “Kawaii Kon”

 

Related article: Anime song artist, Luna Haruna will release her new song, “STELLA BREEZE” on May 3rd and she made this lyrics!

“BABYMETAL”. If you haven’t heard of this band yet then you must be living under a rock.

 

BABYMETAL have proven to be a limitless and unprecedented trio that continue push the boundaries of the music industry.  If you’ve seen their name in the headlines over the past year in particular, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. Just when I thought that these three young girls from Japan had no way of topping that amazing and surreal performance together with Rob Halford of Judas Priest at the Alternative Press Music Awards back in July, the Red Hot Chili Peppers announce that they are to take the same BABYMETAL with them on the UK leg of their “The Getaway World Tour”.

 

The tour was originally planned to begin on December 5^th and end on December 15^th, with two consecutive performances at a few of the scheduled venues, including the famous O2 Arena in London with a capacity of 20,000. However, due to popular demand, a third date was added for The O2, extending it to December 18^th. This is the show that I attended.

 

The huge arena faded to black and screams echoed throughout. When the lights came on, out stepped the Kami Band. The girls followed and they opened the night with the epic “Road of Resistance” which included call-and-response interaction with the audience to get them pumped for what was to follow. BABYMETAL performed “KARATE” as well as a number of classics that included “Gimme Choco!!!”, “Megitsune” and of course “Catch me if you can” which has come to be the track where the Kami Band show off their true skills on their instruments with solos from each member.

 

What truly made the night, however, was when Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers surprised the audience by joining the Kami Band and the girls on stage as the drummer. Chad himself dressed as a Kami Band member, donning the white robes and make-up. He was officially dubbed “Chad Metal” by the girls during his performance. What followed was an absolutely incredible cover of two Judas Priest songs, “Painkiller” and “Breaking the Law”, the same songs the band performed with Rob Halford in July. It was an unexpected treat and loved by fans that recognised the songs. SU-METAL has come a long way with her amazing singing ability, and these covers really showed her potential. SU-METAL thanked Chad Metal for joining them on stage and he went off. But Chad soon returned to the stage with a birthday cake for SU-METAL, whose birthday was on December 20^th, and the entire venue sang Happy Birthday for her. Chad then spoke some heartfelt words about BABYMETAL, saying “BABYMETAL’s been on the tour with us for all the UK. We love having them, they’re amazing. They’re beautiful, wonderful, talented people.”

 

BABYMETAL are set to tour with METALLICA on their “WORLDWIRED TOUR 2017” in Seoul on January 11^th, 2017. They will then join Guns N’ Roses for their “JAPAN TOUR 2017” where they will play 4 dates on January 21^st, 22^nd, 25^th and 29^th in Osaka, Kobe, Yokohama and Saitama respectively. The power and love of BABYMETAL is evident to see. If they’re heading to a city near you, don’t miss out on your chance to see a performance from one of the biggest names in metal today.

 

Writer: Joshua Kitosi-Isanga
Studying Japanese and has a deep interest in Japanese pop culture.
Currently enrolled at university in the UK and has studied abroad in Japan for 1-year.
Writer & Translator at MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON.

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■Related article：I can’t know with just the music! What’s the fascination with Perfume & BABYMETAL, two groups gaining attention all over the world!?

 

■Related article：Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford joins BABYMETAL onstage for an epic performance【Video】

7-member male and female group AAA completed the finale date of their dome tour “AAA Special Live 2016 in Dome -FANTASTIC OVER-” at Tokyo Dome on Wednesday (November 16th).

This was their first ever dome tour since their debut 11 years ago. Across four days they played to a packed out crowd of 18,000 fans at Osaka’s Kyocera Dome and Tokyo Dome. They performed a total of 22 songs, both classics as well as their latest tracks.

Members Nishijima and Urata performed a capella for “Miss you”. For “LOVER”, all the members hopped aboard a luxurious and gorgeous float which had a wireless camera that spanned 10m in length and 6m in height, as well as a huge LED screen, which had the crowd going wild. The screen showed a video that was made by “Possible Productions”, a film production company in LA. They have made film footage for big name overseas artists such as Eminem and Big Bang for their live tours, but this was their first time making one for a Japanese artist. It was an absolutely spectactular performance for their first ever dome tour.

During the encore, the group announced a new single and a new album to be released next year on February 8th and February 22th respectively, which of course had the fans screaming. It’s looking like 2017 will be a year to watch out for AAA.

 

■Information
AAA / New Single On Sale February 8th・New Album On Sale February 22nd! http://avex.jp/aaa/news/detail.php?id=1043013#

“Namida no Nai Sekai” Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ls3T69eV2o

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■Related Article: Multi Super Performance Group ; AAA

http://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/19630

■Related Article: AAA energise fans with their Asia tour — to be followed by their solo dome tour in Japan & electrifying news!

http://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/18212

Following the concerts in Nagoya and Osaka, Nakata Yasutaka and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu wrapped up their two-man tour 「～SPECIAL DJ×LIVE ZEPP TOUR 2016～『YSTK×KPP』」 with a final performance at Zepp DiverCity on Monday November 14th.

The concert began with the figure of Nakata Yasutaka visible up high in his DJ booth shrouded in dazzling, gorgeous lighting and smoke as he opened the night up with the track “Dancing Planet ft.VERBAL”.

 

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu then took to the stage, dolled up in a red one-piece outfit, and performed “CANDY CANDY” which had the entirety of the huge audience up in a heated frenzy. Kyary featured in the CAPSULE song “Motor Force”, after which her and Nakata Yasutaka performed a special version of “PONPONPON”, all the while displaying their awesome chemistry and perfect synchronisation. It was a night of non-stop action as the performance mixed DJ party vibes together with a concert feel.

Kyary got down with the beat and danced while fans waved their penlights like crazy. Everyone in the venue waved their towels for “Kira Kira Killer”. The whole venue became a dance floor as the songs continued to flow, such as a powerfully arranged version of “Mondai Girl”, and as the sound of the electronic beats beat.

 

There was then an intermission, during which Nakata played CAPSULE’s “Another World”. Kyary returned to the stage to perform “Ninja Re Bang Bang” and “do do pi do”, and waved a giant flag as she sang, exciting the audience.

To let the audience cool down and rest a bit, Kyary sang her ballad “Oyasumi”, comforting everyone into a relaxed mood. Nakata then performed his latest solo track “NANIMONO (feat. Kenshi Yonezu)” which is used as the main theme song for the movie “Nanimono”.

 

Afterwards, Nakata and Kyary both assembled themselves on stage for the last spurt of the show. They pushed for the climax as they performed the upbeat song “Invader Invader” and a more dynamic arrangement of “Fashion Monster.”

 

It was then that the duo performed a song from their upcoming double A-side single for the very first time on the tour, titled “Harajuku Iyahoi” (Japanese: 原宿いやほい), scheduled to be released on January 18th, 2017. Fans threw their fists into the air during the phrase in the chorus “Harajuku de iyahoi! toriaezu iyahoi!” (Japanese: “原宿でいやほい！ とりあえずいやほい！”), bringing a hugely successful end to the performance.

Cries for an encore didn’t stop, bringing Nakata and Kyary back on stage to go all out in a performance of “Tsukema Tsukeru”. Kyary then asked Nakata “How did you find our first two-man live?” to which he responded “It was an amazing experience”. Kyary agreed, saying “It really was. We’ve powered up!”

 

Kyary went on to give some moving comments: “We’ve been able to perform in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka for this first ever two-man tour. Ever since I debuted, and even now, I have been a huge fan of Nakata Yasutaka, so I was actually really nervous about doing this two-man tour, but it went really well and we have been able to complete all 3 performances with no troubles. Thanks so much to all of you!” Kyary ended in a fired up voice, saying “If we get the opportunity to do this once more please be sure to come along again!”

The duo went on to perform the final song, “Sai & Co”, and fans went all out with their remaining energy, before the curtains finally closed on the night. Nakata and Kyary’s two-man live was extremely special as it displayed the power of their chemistry, while also drawing out new sides of both of them.

 

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■Information

～SPECIAL DJ×LIVE ZEPP TOUR 2016～『YSTK×KPP』

Zepp DiverCity (DOORS 18:00／START 19:00) DiverCity Tokyo Plaza 1 Chome-1-10 Aomi, Koto, Tokyo 135-0064

・New Single Details

Artists: Nakata Yasutaka/Kyary Pamyu Pamyu

Full details regarding the contents of the single and the single’s title will be announced at a later date.

※The special VR item add-on release from Kyary Pamyu Pamyu that was announced in August will now be released as part of the double-A side single in 2017.

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■Related Article: Worldwide famous and popular Japanese artists including Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and CAPSULE to perform at MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL!

http://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/20082

■Related Article: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu × Nakata Yasutaka to release a Double A-side single! A certain overseas artist will feature in Nakata’s track with guest vocals from Kyary Pamyu Pamyu!

http://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/20427

■Related Article: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s First art exhibition to be held at Laforet Harajuku from December 16th!

http://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/20731

Cheeky Parade have begun their series of concerts titled “LIVE LIVE LIVE”, with vol.0 recently being held at Shibuya WOMB. The group are now moving onto the next installment, vol.1, which will come in the form of battle of the bands.

The vol.0 show began with a big mirror ball in the center of the room and a huge screen on stage. Tickets were sold out; there was a huge line of around 300 people waiting to enter the venue, eventually packing it out. The girls pumped everyone up by playing a list of Cheeky Parade hits, such as “SKY GATE”, “Tactics” and “Colourful Starlight”.

During the middle of the concert the girls made use of the club space to enact short skits, and member Seran Mizorogi even tried DJing for the first time, all of which amounted to a new kind of performance from Cheeky Parade.

In the final part of the performance, as if they were showing their true ability, they concluded with a string of powerful songs, including “Hands up!” and “Lost+Found”. Everyone also celebrated during the encore for member Yuuna Sekine who turned 22 at the end of September. This was truly a special event.

Vol.1, the next installment to the concert series, will be a battle of the bands against Hige Dri VAN. Pitting against Hige Driver with songs such as “Check It Out”, which is hugely popular even overseas, and their latest single “Hands up!”, it will be interesting to see how the two groups get along. The fact of how they are both so different is attracting some serious attention!

 

■Information
Official Website: http://www.cheekyparade.jp/

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■Related Article: Interview: Having performed at the CBGB festival and currently gaining international attention, just who are “Cheeky Parade”?

http://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/20142

■Related Article: MOSHI MOSHI INTERVIEW: Cheeky Parade

http://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/10171

Eir Aoi had her last live performance on Friday 4^th and Saturday 6^th November 2016 at the Nippon Budokan. When will she spring back into action? We don’t know yet…

 

In the last 5 years of her musical activity, she had only announced one break. After announcing her long-term break this year in August, she stood on stage at her final live at the Nippon Budokan before a crowd filled with devoted fans. As the tension in the Budokan was rising to its peak, the live performance began and many fans could be seen crying!

As she performed her first song of the evening “Sirius”, the whole venue was wrapped in the warmth of her singing. She continued with many of her biggest hits including “AURORA” and “Cobalt Sky”. She barely took a break to talk to the audience! When she was about to perform her last two songs of the live, she finally started to talk to the audience. Her words were “I know that the performance is almost over, but please enjoy it to the very end!” She finished the live with her latest single “Wings” followed by “INNOCENCE”.

She wore red plaid clothing for her encore and entered the stage alone. She then apologised for announcing her long period break in August and began talking about the many beautiful memories she has of her 5 years as an artist. She performed “frozen eyez” — a song which she calls her “first song”, as it was released before her major debut and even made an appearance in popular magazine “LisAni”. She also performed “Tsunagaru Omoi” — the first ever song she had ever composed and wrote lyrics for by herself. As she performed, the audience could see tears rolling down her cheeks. 

Before performing her final song, she spoke to the audience once more. She directed her gratitude and feelings to the staff and fans and said; “Thank you for finding me. Thank you for loving my songs. Thank you for always supporting me.”

 

Her final song was “Niji no Oto” and with that, a bright light fired up at the back of the stage which she disappeared into, making everybody question whether her existence was just a dream…Her live LAST BLUE consisted of 24 songs including 3 songs for the encore. With everything that happened over these two magnificent days, the curtains finally closed.

 

 

≪ Eir Aoi LIVE summary≫

Eir Aoi 5^th Anniversary Special Live 2016 at the Nippon Budokan 〜LAST BLUE〜

4^th November 2016（Fri）OPEN:18:00 / START:19:00

5^th November 2016（Sat）OPEN:16:00 / START:17:00

 

It has been announced that WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA will appear at “Laneway Festival Singapore 2017” next year in January. Laneway began in 2005 and was first held in Melbourne, Australia, and has been held in 7 different cities up to now including those in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. It is the biggest music festival in Singapore, and will be held there for the 7th time on January 21st, 2017. WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA will be joining the line-up as the first ever Japanese artist to play the festival.

Vocalist of the group KOM_I enthusiastically of the event on TOKYO FM “TOKYO FM WORLD”, “Singapore is a place I really love that I’ve been going to ever since I was small. I’m happy that I’m able to perform there live.” WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA has performed at a number of music festivals overseas up to now, including SXSW 2016 (Texas, US), J-POP SUMMIT 2016 (San Francisco, US), and SUPER SLIPPA 2016 (Taipei, Taiwan), all to great success and love from the audience. We’re looking forward to seeing the first ever WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA performance in Singapore.

Also, it’s nearly time for the release of their newest single “SUPERKID”, which will be released digitally next week on November 1st. WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA will be heading on a one-man live tour the day after the single’s release, titled “WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA One-Man Live Tour 2016 ～SUPERMAN～”. WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA are really growing overseas. We’d really like to experience their new live show.

 

■Information
Laneway Festival Singapore 2017
Official web：http://singapore.lanewayfestival.com/

「SUPERKID」
To be released on Tuesday November 1st from the iTunes Store, Apple Music ※Will be released from all other online stores from Wednesday November 30th

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■Related Article: WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA’s first American concert at SXSW! Announces major debut on stage!

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■Related Article: WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA wow J-pop fans with their second live in America and in return, receive a big surprise from the audience!

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BAND-MAID began their “「Brand New MAID」Release Tour World series” on October 9th (Japanese time: October 10th). The maids served their first ever overseas one-man live in SALA, Mexico City to over 1,000 customers which garnished their debut abroad performance.

The venue faded to black and the members took to the stage. When the lights came back on, the excitement went from 0 to 110% instantly. “Service will now begin” announced the maids, marking the beginning of their first ever overseas one-man performance, with a performance of their hit song “REAL EXISTENCE” which has over 3 million views on YouTube. They followed up with “Thrill”, the track that gained them worldwide attention, and maintained full throttle from the very beginning, stirring up fans with tracks from their indie era. When they began playing the intro to their song “the non-fiction days”, the Mexican fans in the room went absolutely crazy, with excitement reaching peak levels.

As the maids’ service was coming to a close, the members announced publicly for the first time that they will be releasing their first major debut single “YOLO” on November 16th, 2016. Vocalist Saiki announced, “We will perform in Mexico again!” which gave rise to huge cheers of joy, before performing “alone”. The Mexican fans joined in with singing the song in Japanese, leading to a moving climax before the curtains were finally drawn on the first day of the band’s first world tour of their first one-man live.

 

BAND-MAID will continue throughout Europe, embarking to the UK, France, Germany, Poland and more, serving all of their customers. BAND-MAID’s aim is “world domination”, and looking at the success of their Mexican tour, we can certainly say that they have taken a big step into doing just that. Keep your eyes on BAND-MAID as they pave their way to conquering the world.

 

■Information
BAND-MAID『Brand New MAID』 Release World Tour World Series
2016/10/12（水） Underworld, England　※Service over
2016/10/13（木） MTC,Germany　※Service over
2016/10/15（土） Headcrash, Germany
2016/10/16（日） La boule Noire, France
2016/10/19（水） Hydrozagadka, Poland
2016/10/30（土） LUCCA COMIC, Italy
2016/11/1（火） Manga del Barcelona, Spain
2016/11/5（土）Music Zone@E-MAX,　香港

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■Related Article: BAND-MAID, fusing a cute maid appearance with heavy rock

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■Related Article: Popular J-music ranking by French TV station “NOLIFE”!

http://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/19671