LOST ASH at Shibuya REX

On August 3rd, visual kei band LOST ASH held a special live at Shibuya REX: it was special because the concert was a summer party. In keeping with the theme, band and fans alike all wore yukata, a light cotton equivalent of kimono. The event started with the band sampling bizarre flavour combination, such as pasta sauce, with shaved ice. After one of them took a bite, he comments on how it tastes – the members don’t have very positive things to say about the flavors. LOST ASH then held a game of bingo, with the winners getting to have a drink with the band.

This relaxed atmosphere continues into the concert itself, which rather appropriately starts off with the song SUMMER. Fans wave their towels in the air to the upbeat pop melody, creating the image of an ideal summer. Guitarist Show plays energetically while Daiki sings, and SUMMER gets the audience into the concert straight away. They jump about enthusiastically, headbanging whenever the music turns heavy.

Remain slows things down a little. As a piano melody starts, Daiki stands with his arms outstretched, singing what sounds like it will be a sensitive ballad. However, with the onset of the chorus, the music turns loud and Remain transforms into pop-rock number. The rest of the song continues in this fashion, with the piano motif of the first verse subtly woven in.

After the MC, the band plunges into more rock songs; the guitar and bass parts are rough and edgy, contrasting with the playful rhythms of the drums. Many LOST ASH songs feature electronic intros, giving their rock sound a happy, upbeat twist.

The crowd starts jumping when they hear the opening notes of ID, holding their hands in the air. Show and bassist Sai move to the edge of the stage, standing within touching distance of the audience. They only return to their places to perform backing vocals. The song takes a heavy turnpartway through, and much headbanging ensues as Daiki grunts out the lyrics, reverting to clean vocals to reprise the infectious chorus.

At the start of MASK, the vocalist counts the band in - “1, 2, 3, 4” - with the crowd clapping on the beat. Towels are swung in the air once more as the song gets going, the inclusion of a horn section giving it something of a jazzy feel. The lyrics are sung fast but skilfully, with Show continuing his distinctive riff in the instrumental break. While slamming on the drums, Dye stands up whilst playing, joining in the playful spirit. Things reach a crescendo as Show starts his impressive solo, showcasing the extent of his talent.

At the end of the main set, a screen descends over the stage, and a short movie about the band and summer is shown. Fans sit down and watch a watermelon get smashed to pieces with an umbrella.

Only Show and Daiki remain onstage. Starting off DEEP XXXX, the guitarist switches between strumming chords and picking strings, creating the melody over the heavy electronic backbeat. Daiki sings loud, so as to be heard over the backing track. At the end of the song, the other two members return carrying a cake. It’s Show’s birthday and after singing ‘happy birthday’, the guitarist receives the birthday cake that has his face on it. After a short MC , they continue with more music.

To end the concert, the band plays Avalanche. Dye produces a fast and heavy beat, while Daiki stands on the platform, his arms up in the air, grunting and headbanging. The song goes from heavy to light during the chorus, continuing the loud tunes. Show pulls off another lightning-fast solo. Then, with a long grunt, the vocalist ends the song. The ragged sounds of the remaining instruments slowly fade out, replaced by an electronic tune as the members throw their plectrums and water bottles into the crowd.

LOST ASH is a band full of potential and energy. They showed great enthusiasm, and have a good balance between upbeat and heavy songs, and even songs that mix the two. During this live, the members showed they take great pleasure both in playing and interacting with the audience, making sure fans leave the venue with smiles on their faces.


Set List:
1. SUMMER
2. ROYAL ORDER
3. Remain
4. KEEP ON
5. ENDLESS LOVE
6. twilight
7. ID
8. MESSAGE
9. MASK
10. EGOIST
11. Deadly444

Encore
12. DEEP XXXX
13. Gimme a break!
14. REALIZE
15. Avalanche