AMATSUKI and BAND-MAID at MCM London Comic Con 2016

A substantial crowd of con-goers, almost all in cosplay, was gathered in front of the MCM Fringe stage in the forecourt of London’s ExCeL Centre as AMATSUKI stepped out. Dressed in a white-collared teal shirt, black jeans, and a grey blazer adorned with a golden brooch, he waved so enthusiastically to the crowd, an in-ear monitor dangling over his shoulder whipped him in the face. Laughing off the mishap, he launched into his first song: Hoshi ai.

Before the second chorus, something offstage threatened to make the singer crack up laughing. Still, he held it together, flashing the audience a big smile as the guitar solo blared out of the speakers behind him. “Next song: Streaming Heart!” said AMATSUKI, throwing in a quick “thank you” before the song’s 8-bit synth intro. Afterwards, the music paused as AMATSUKI embarked on a novel MC.

“Because I don’t speak English very well, do you mind if I use a cheatsheet?” the singer asked the crowd, who replied with joking boos while he did his best to unfold an A4 sheet of paper with one hand. “Hi everyone, I am AMATSUKI from Japan. I sing, and post songs to Nico Nico Douga. Do you like sushi?” The audience cheered. “Do you like cosplay?” Another cheer. “Do you like anime?” Yet more cheers. “Do you like AMATSUKI?” This won the biggest cheer of all.

The set continued with Shooting Star. During the intro, AMATSUKI got the crowd jumping and chanting “hoi!”. He initiated a second round of this before the guitar solo. Then, towards the end, the utaite belted out a particularly high note, and was visibly relieved to have hit it successfully. “Next is the last song,” said AMATSUKI to a traditional chorus of disappointed groans, “Hello, My story.”

For his closing number, the singer upped his efforts to get the crowd involved. Starting off at the left side of the stage, he gradually worked his way right, leading the audience in every rendition of the post-chorus “whoa-oh!” refrain. As the last strands of the Itowokashi-composed anthem died away, AMATSUKI said a big “Arigato!” as he fumbled about once more for his ‘cheatsheet’.

“Can I take a picture with you?” asked the singer to big whoops of approval. Crouching down between two monitors, AMATSUKI gave the order to “Say cheese!”, cuing almost everyone to brandish the V-sign as a crew member scanned the crowd with a smartphone. “Thank you! Have a wonderful time! I hope to come back soon!”

Setlist

01. Hoshi ai
02. Streaming Heart
03. Shooting Star
04. Hello, My story


_{© Christopher Woods}

BAND-MAID’s set began in unexpected fashion. The first person out onstage in maid attire wasn’t a Japanese woman, but a decidedly Caucasian man with a microphone: “MCM, are you ready for BAND-MAID?” It shouldn’t take too much imagination to guess the audience’s reply. In due course, the Japanese quintet filed out, and after a truncated soundcheck, they got straight to work with REAL EXISTENCE.

As with most BAND-MAID numbers, the song featured vocals from both MIKU and SAIKI. Whenever she was off the mic, SAIKI took the opportunity to get the crowd clapping along. Later, KANAMI held her guitar vertically for the duration of her solo, a feat she repeated twice more.

At song’s end, guitarist-vocalist MIKU stepped forward and said “Hello!” in a pitch-perfect kawaii voice as she brandished a maid’s notepad. “Welcome here, masters and princesses. We are BAND-MAID! Next song, Don’t let me down!” Through this number’s heavier passages, KANAMI and the two vocalists headbanged in unison, and drummer AKANE became little more than a bowler hat atop whirlwind of hair. The only one not to lose herself to the music was bassist MISA.

KANAMI carried on steadily headbanging into Alone. This may be because she was feeling the groove, but another possibility was the guitarist was trying keep her hair out of her eyes, some of which had slipped under her lacey headgear during Don’t let me down. Vocalist SAIKI blew kisses to some lucky audience members as MIKU stepped up for an MC.

“Ok ok, my name is Kobato Miku. Kobato means ‘small pigeon’,” said MIKU, reading from her notepad. “Are you having fun? I am very fun. BAND-MAID shows are called servings. You are all welcome to come.” She then engaged con-goers in some call-and-response: “I say moi moi, you say-” Moi moi! “MCM!” MCM! “Comic con!” Comic con!

For the last song Thrill, SAIKI again assumed the role of cheerleader-in-chief, initiating fist-pumps and chants of “hoi!” between verses. After KANAMI’s third and final upright guitar solo, MIKU made a final speech, mostly in Japanese, ending by saying “Thank you! See you again!” Judging by the ovation the women received as they took their leave, a return trip can’t some soon enough.

Setlist

01. REAL EXISTENCE
02. Don’t let me down
03. Alone
04. Thrill