VAMPS at Manchester Academy 2

In the world of Japanese one-man shows, it’s unusual to have a support act—hence the name—and as the lead singer of one of Japan’s premiere arena bands, you’d be forgiven for thinking HYDE would never play second to another band. However, that’s not VAMPS. VAMPS isn’t a “super group” in the traditional sense, but a return to the roots of rock and roll that inspired HYDE and K.A.Z, and the energy they put into their November 28th live show at Manchester Academy 2 as support band for Apocalyptica's Shadowmaker UK Tour 2015 proves this in abundance.

Opening with EVIL the dirty electronic intro set a perfect background for the band to enter, and despite VAMPS being known as HYDE and K.A.Z, each person on the stage clearly fit in to the live act with their look and stage presence. It was immediately clear that the band already had some fans in the audience from the interaction on the front row, but within the space of a song cheers and devil horns were being shown quite a few rows back.

With a selection of the usual poses HYDE wasted no time in connecting with the audience, delivering the front man bravado you’d expect from a seasoned performer through a series of sensual glares and lip-licking. K.A.Z on the other hand is notoriously quiet in interviews, letting the music do the talking, and this was also true of the gig. He would glance out occasionally, effortlessly cool, before jumping, striking a rock pose, swinging his guitar around between riffs. It’s unusual for any band to have two points of focus—usually this lies with the singer—but the stage interactions and movements of both key members of VAMPS often leave you wondering where to look.

The sound around the venue was generally balanced with clear vocals, which is important when singing in a foreign language, something HYDE has managed to take to very well. Unfortunately a late start meant that the set was quite short, with only six songs played over half an hour. Quite well prepared for the rock audience the set kept up the tempo and the traditional Japanese MC section was kept to a minimum of some thanks in English. Tonight, VAMPS have shown that they truly understand the western audience and the band they were supporting, bringing a superb atmosphere for fans and new listeners alike.

It would come as little surprise following the recent release of a joint single, that K.A.Z and HYDE would join headlining band Apocalyptica on stage as part of the main set to perform SIN IN JUSTICE. Like their own set earlier in the night, the sound levels were good, and the combination of guitar, vocals and traditional string made this a perfect finale to any VAMPS fan's night.

Set List

-SE- JOINT666Ver.

01. EVIL
02. DEVIL SIDE

-SE MC-

03. REPLAY
04. REVOLUTION II
05. LIVE WIRE
06. MIDNIGHT CELEBRATION