Vivid Yaruki

After Animazement’s explosively positive response to Uchuu Sentai NOIZ’s first East Coast performance in May, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, especially given the contrast in hear-say. While American fans couldn’t seem to get enough of the space warrior-themed band, I kept hearing that attendance at shows in Japan had dropped in half for this tour.

The unnervingly tiny crowd I saw waiting outside Yokohama’s Sunphonix Hall on July 3 made me wonder about the reception of the new members. Since TAKEswiy, the old guitarist, was not particularly favored amongst fans in Japan, I had no worries that Kotarou would be welcomed. However, Yamato had enourmous shoes to fill. The old drummer, S@tt-on, was beloved amongst fans for his cheerful, friendly demeanor, which he displayed without reserve during his famous drum solo intermissions. His sense of humor was also endearing, and he was known for imitating vocalist Angel-Taka, occasionally even playing videos at shows where he would run around old NOIZ PVs in his costume. Could Yamato fill the seat S@tt-on once sat in?

To be honest, once the band came on stage, any fragment of retrospective thoughts completely shattered and was replaced with pure adrenaline and a face-splitting smile – the kind that makes your cheeks hurt; this happens every time, and I am not alone. The fact that the band’s effect on the crowd did not change says enough about the new members’ reception, so I quickly stopped worrying.

What followed was one of the most personal shows I have ever been to. There were perhaps 150 people spread out in the small hall, so getting a spot in the third row was no challenge. As they opened with “Bad Music Freaks,” the crowd erupted into a Japanese rendition of moshing where everyone spins around in circles, turning like gears and propelling around as their bodies come into contact with others. After “Brand New World” and a few other songs, Angel-Taka had the new members introduce themselves. Then, the house lights came up and he explained that they’re having fans shoot footage for the PV of their new single. He asked brave fans to play a game of jan ken pon (rock, paper, scissors) to determine the lucky person who would get to go up on stage and record the performance. Since they pick someone at every show, a collage of everybody’s footage will later be edited to create the full video.

Later on, the house lights were brought up for another game of chance. Angel-Taka explained that at each show, one member gets selected at random to go to the merchandise table after the show and personally thank fans. After his explanation, he ran out into the audience cradling a golden box filled with five balls, each signed by one member. He stopped in front of a girl in the back and had her pick a ball and announce the winner: it was Angel-Taka! On his way back to the stage he made a sharp about-face (unwittingly smacking my friend in the face with his elaborate shoulder pads) to help a fan retrieve her towel, which had gotten stuck on a ceiling rafter. These weren’t the only personal touches NOIZ has been adding this tour, however.

When it came time for the encore, Kyo came out alone in the tour’s T-shirt. He explained that they have been determining a leader at different intervals in the tour, and anyone who isn’t a leader at the time has to play the encore in a yukata robe. The contests to determine leaders are held off stage during downtime, but currently Kyo is the only one. He had us call out each member by silly names; Angel-Taka’s was something like Yukata-Yuugata-Taka. After they played three more songs in their yukata, the show came to an end.

Angel-Taka danced his way to the merchandise table after a few minutes, as promised, and began enthusiastically shaking hands and thanking everyone who bought something. When he got to me, he smiled warmly and tried greeting me with “hello, nice to meet you!” in heavily-accented English. Perhaps his ears were blasted out from the concert, but my attempts at responding to him in Japanese didn’t work so well. However, it’s the thought that counts, and NOIZ proves time and again to be an incredibly thoughtful band.

From their past efforts to get patrons to donate toothbrushes for children in the Philippines to their current campaign to personally thank fans, the love and devotion they bring to their music is undeniable. Their big hearts are part of what make them unique within the visual kei industry, and it is reassuring to see that this aspect has not changed even as the lineup has.