INORAN Rocks Ebisu LIQUIDROOM

Ebisu LIQUIDROOM is sold out, the hall filled with people who are waiting patiently for the show to start. A string of lights that cover the amps and part of the drum set illuminate the stage, along with some candles, giving it a cozy ambience. The tour is dedicated to INORAN’s new mini-album Somewhere, which was released on March 19th. Originally, this would have been the final show of the tour, but because it sold out so quickly, April 13th was added to the schedule.

The lights turn off, leaving only the candles in the background burning as the intro music starts to play. Members of the audience begin clapping along with the music as guitarist Yukio Murata, bassist u:zo and drummer Ryo Yamagata enter the stage. INORAN follows soon, shining a stage light into the audience before he trades it in for his guitar. They start the show off with A Day Goes On By, the first song of the mini-album. The crowd jumps, hands in the air, shouting “Hey!” along with the music. The song grabs and keeps everyone’s attention, and the riffs that INORAN and Murata produce set the tone for the concert. It will be filled with lots of rock tunes.

smoke starts with a heavy bass part, u:zo standing in the spotlight and showing off his skills. The song is built up with drums at first, which are then joined by the guitar, adding to the piece. Smoke fills the stage and flashing lights blind the audience. The bassist takes his place on the pedestal, shows what he’s got, and then jumps off. INORAN, on the other hand, twirls around on stage between singing and seems to possess limitless energy.

After HOME, INORAN switches his acoustic guitar out for one that is only used in the song Sakura. The light pink ‘Sakura’ guitar, was produced under the name “Sakura Project ~Remember the day~” with Fender for the 3/11 disaster that struck Japan three years ago. The guitar will be auctioned off and the money will go to areas stricken by the disaster. The song carries a feeling of melancholy, but also hope in its melody and style. The song is softer, and it conveys a lot of emotion. Towards the end a few people hold up lighters, and many more soon follow their example. Little flames spread through the hall, held up in the darkness, and they give the venue an intimate ambience perfect for the song.

INORAN leaves the stage and the three other members continue with Drum and Bass, guitarist Yukio Murata doing the vocals, experimenting and improvising on his guitar while the bassist shows what he can do, rocking out and shouting towards the audience. INORAN joins the group at the end of the song and they continue as a complete band again. The members have talent, and during their moment in the spotlight they show that they can entertain the audience without INORAN’s presence, even though it’s clear that he is still the star of the show when the crowd cheers as he returns to the stage.

The members start off the next song, but then suddenly come to an abrupt halt, confusing the audience. Soon it becomes clear that it is u:zo’s birthday, and one of the crew members joins the band onstage, carrying a small cake with candles on it. INORAN asks the audience to sing ‘Happy Birthday,’ and they comply immediately. At the end, the lights dim and the bassist blows out the candles. Immediately after, they begin playing Nasty.

The crowd starts clapping along with the rhythm of Get Laid; u:zo slapping on his bass while INORAN screams “Can you hear me?!” and starts a call-and-response with the audience who shout as loud as they can. The drummer keeps the rhythm by himself for a while before the rest of the band joins in, filling in the melody. The audience knows the lines they practised and sing along with the catchy song, creating a cheerful and warm ambience.

“Last song!” INORAN yells, closing the show with REDISCOVER ON ANOTHER, which is upbeat and a bit grungy - a perfect song to finish the show with. There’s a lot of interaction between members, as they take turns singing the lyrics during most of the song, mixing their different voices into one whole. INORAN thanks the members as they walk off and then, the last performer left standing on the stage, he thanks the audience, who applaud and cheer. He walks off to join the others backstage, having played an hour and a half of catchy and rough rock tunes.

Set List:

1. A Day Goes On By
2. One Big Blue
3. No Name
4. smoke
5. Selfless
6. Song 3
7. no options
8. Candy
9. HOME
10. Sakura
11. Drum and Bass
12. Hide and Seek
13. SuperTramp
14. Nasty
15. Get Laid
16. grace and glory
17. REDISCOVER ON ANOTHER