SID LIVE 2023 ～Re:Dreamer～ at LINE CUBE SHIBUYA

On the evening of January 21st, SID returned to the stage for their first concert in over a year, SID LIVE 2023 ～Re:Dreamer～. The show was an exclusive event for members of the band's fan club ID-S that was held at Tokyo's LINE CUBE SHIBUYA.

The large concert hall was humming with fans' excited chatter, but this turned to pin-drop silence as the lights dimmed and the members of SID took their positions on stage behind a screen. As the mellow intro to Umibe began, blue spirals floated around the dark stage. During the song’s bridge, the hall slowly lit up and the screen rose to reveal the band all dressed in black. Frontman Mao stood out in ripped jeans and a shiny tie.

Finishing the song to warm and rousing applause, SID moved on to the similarly poignant Ajisai, which saw purple flower-shaped lights dance across the hall. The stage's velvet backdrop; lights flashing pink, red and blue; and the audience grooving along to Shinji’s iconic guitar riff transformed the atmosphere into that of a classy dance hall during KILL TIME.

Mao spoke to the crowd with in his signature husky voice: "It’s our first live in a long while. Sorry to keep you all waiting! I’m super happy to perform here with everyone and make this a night to remember with our fan club! The next song is nostalgic."

With that, white spotlights fell on each member of the band as they broke into the reflective MILK. Bassist Aki cheekily blew kisses to the crowd. Contrasts were a recurring theme throughout the night, with hug, a mellow and bittersweet love song performed under warm yellow lights followed by the upbeat tempos of Toge to neko. The latter song saw Mao prancing elegantly around the stage and cooing like the eponymous cat. The crowd played along, raising their hands like cat paws. Mao ended up sitting down on stage and, in an alluring whisper, told the crowd "I love you."

During a short intermission, the band members took turns showing off their musical prowess with solos. First up was drummer Yuya, who started off joshing about, initiating a simple beat before seeming to give up and toss a drumstick over his shoulder. After flashing the audience a cheeky smile, he suddenly got serious and unleashed himself upon the drums. The entranced crowd clapped along.

Next, bassist Aki came out with a fast and funky electronic beat, single-handedly transforming the hall into a night club for the fans. Guitarist Shinji played a slow, romantic melody as he sat down at the front of the stage and warmed the audience's captivated hearts.

Before long, SID reassembled on a stage flooded with dark blue light. As the soft piano-led intro of Namidaame gave way to the heavy guitar and bass parts, flames erupted behind the band. Thousands of fans bopped their heads along.

“It’s been a year since we last took the stage and we’re finally back. I’ve been waiting to see this view and hear your applause for so long, too. Let’s look forward to great things together!” said Aki. Out of the blue, Mao walked up to the bassist and flipped him off, much to the audience’s amusement. Shinji then took the mic and delivered a heartfelt message: “It’s incredible to think how we’ve managed to become a page of your lives after 20 years, and I hope today will be another special page in your story. Cheers!”

Then, the jokester Yuya gave his own ‘heartfelt’ message: "Good evening! Just seeing everyone here makes me feel super...I mean...of course...this is a...super special place." The drummer paused, then he roared "Twenty years starts from now!" He laughed and admitted "I just wanted to shout!"

Lastly, a reflective Mao reminisced about the band’s humble beginnings: “We’ve been trying to be super glamorous over the past twenty years, always wanting to succeed and be famous, and we just kept so hard at it... Even playing in front of the crowd in Taiwan, it almost felt like they were our enemies. Thank you all for sticking around. We want to spend the whole of this year celebrating with you too! We’re gonna rock you in the second half!”

As Alibai started, the fans bopped up and down with their hands in the air. Curtains rose to reveal a backdrop resembling the gates of a warehouse, creating an industrial vibe. Aki walked up to Mao and flipped him off, returning the favour from earlier in the set. Needless to say, the band looked to be having a jolly good time. Colourful lights shone on the jumping crowd during Natsukoi, shaking the entire hall. Mao reached out towards them from the edge of the stage: “My my, aren’t you all having fun? As you can see, all of us in the band are having a ball too, so take a ton of memories home with you tonight!”

Mao then started screaming as they broke into CANDY. Aki took his jacket off, revealing a tank top, and spun around as the crowd raved and headbanged to the heavy rock melody. They went on bouncing to the blistering guitar and bass riffs of MUSIC while the two men on the strings faced each other and jammed. For Propose, Mao took centre-stage, and the audience was treated to a flurry of blue flames and red lights popping off behind the band. As the song climaxed, so did the flamethrowers, by which point everyone was in Mao's thrall, headbanging to his electrifying shouts. Then, the band coolly walked offstage.

Just seconds later, the calls for an encore started up. The audience were rewarded handsomely for their ten minutes of patient clapping as SID reemerged in black T-shirts. Once again, Mao stood out, this time in a hat and red button-down shirt. Under a spotlight resembling the morning sun, the encore began with Kimiiro no asa. Shinji led off with his acoustic guitar, backed up by the crowd’s claps. The rest of the band’s backing vocals complemented Mao’s gentle voice to perfection.

“Thank you everyone! It’s been a while since an encore, eh? It's never a given that we'll receive your applause, which I’m always grateful for, and I hope this song will support you through the ups and downs!” said Mao earnestly. “By the way, I don’t really like looking at past live videos because I’m shy, but I love how everyone went ‘kya, kya!’, and I’m looking forward to hearing it again on our tour!”

Shinji revealed that for SID's upcoming 20th anniversary tour, there would no longer be restrictions on audiences cheering with their voices.

“I see, so I want everyone to 'kyaaaaaa'!” Mao chipped in.

“I’m an old-fashioned guy so I don’t want to use my voice, but channel my power and aura instead..." Shinji lamented, "C’mon, support me, guys!”

After this cheerful pause, the band ripped into Drama which had the crowd pumping their fists.

“Will you see our dreams together?” screamed Mao as they jumped right into the last song Re:Dreamer amid explosions of sparkling confetti. It rained down on the elated crowd, who reached out to grab it.

“Thank you!” Mao screamed as the band rounded off the night together, waving goodbye to the crowd and high-fiving each other for a concert played to perfection. They posed for a commemorative photo with their loyal fans in the background. Before finally leaving, Mao said: “Before I left home today, I recalled our time as a copy band a long while ago. I have always loved performing live shows, and always will. Today was the best, and thank you all for your continued support!”

Despite the long gap since their last live performance, SID managed to deliver a sublime show reflecting their talent and 20 years of experience. Never once throughout the night did the band’s energy wane, leaving their fans with an unforgettable memory as they hopefully continue their journey for the next 20 years and beyond.

Set list

01. Umibe
02. Ajisai
03. KILL TIME
04. Milk
05. hug
06. Toge to neko
07. Instrumental
08. Namidaame
09. Alibai
10. Natsukoi
11. CANDY
12. MUSIC
13. Propose

Encore

14. Kimiiro no Asa
15. Drama
16. Re:Dreamer