Megamasso Live Report - Shibuya under the Snow

Megamasso released their second full album Matataku Yoru on October 17th, expressing their unique worldview through their original music and aggressive live concerts. Their first anniversary live since the band formed was held at Shibuya AX, which was the final live of their winter tour that started in November 2007. Several TV cameras were set in the venue, where simple sound effects of a synthesizer, drums and piano were piped into the venue. There were fans wearing Santa Claus-like hats for Christmas and fans who wore cosplay like the band members, such as mini skirts and a big red ribbon like Ryouhei, or white suits like Inzargi. Interestingly enough, there were also a lot of men in the crowd also wearing these clothes. The stage was showy with lots of balloons, red, blue, large and small, floating around on the stage.

The sound effects changed, and Gou, who wore a black costume with chains, Ryouhei, who wore red mini skirt and a red big ribbon on his head, and Inzargi, who put on a vest with a skull mark, appeared on the stage. They then took turns greeting the audience and fans cheered with delight. The live started with a bright gorgeous song, Miyoruku(mjolk), which is a typical type of song for Megamasso with quickly changing tunes and bright melodies, so it seemed to fit as an opening song. Ryouhei had a purple guitar and went down to the front of the stage, stirring the audience up. Inzargi stood in the center on a stool and sang with furi, and fans raised their hands copying his movements.

"Can you follow me?" Inzargi asked as the upbeat Sasukuwacchiranka started. Ryouhei and Gou changed their standing positions and stirred up the audience in front of the stage. Bass and drums sounded low and rhythmically, and they played guitar solo and bass solo, and fans stretched their hands to them. "Let’s shake your head and move wildly!" Another mysterious title song of Goshikiyuutenmachizo started, and Inzargi had a microphone and ran around on the stage. Bass and drums sounded low, and fans head banged with Inzargi, raising their hands all together with the upbeat main melodies. With high tone guitar sounds and shouting "3-2-1-jump!", Tornado Angel started. Ryouhei played guitar and jumped, so his big ribbon was bouncing hard on his head with his movements. Their music developed quickly; the tempo and tunes changed quite variously with the music changing into a bright and catchy main melody, which was really unique. Fans enjoyed dancing to the changing music.

"This is the last live this year, so let’s enjoy it the most! Make this Tokyo 'Matatakuyoru'!" Inzargi shouted, and the slow reggae rhythm of Yukikokoyashi started. The combination of 'Yuki (snow)' and 'Kokoyasi (palm tree)' in its title is really unique. The melodies and the atmosphere created a fairy-tale like mood and it comforted everyone. Fans raised a hand and waved them slowly in the air from side to side. Ryouhei danced and played guitar. Inzargi sometimes used falsetto and sang beautifully. A sweet piano tune was played, the unison of bass and drums sounded heavily, and then Tou wa kouyou suru started. From 3/4 waltz rhythms to 4/4 time, from slow to fast, the music developed rapidly and fans danced copying Inzargi. When first the piano tune was repeated, the song ended, and the audience clapped their hands.

"Next song is the second song which I made since we started Megamasso". Love you so... was introduced. The ballad started with Ryouhei's acoustic guitar silently. Gou's bass was added in the main melodies, Ryouhei changed his guitar to electric guitar, and the music developed dramatically. Under the spot light, Inzargi opened his hands widely, put his hand on his chest, and sang the song which he, himself wrote the lyrics to. "AX! Let’s enjoy ourselves!" After the quiet ballad, the mood totally changed when an upbeat bright song Ame Gakkitai started. 'Two voices and two hearts beat...' this song bound the heart of fans and members together. Ryouhei and Gou looked at each other and smiled happily, and fans raised their hands and clapped rhythmically.

"We haven’t played this song in a long time!" then Dashadojin no Odori started. A mysterious pop synthesizer sounded in this song, and Inzargi danced and sang somewhat emotionally, and fans jumped all together. A poppy, light song put a wammy followed, and fans waved their hands about and jumped around. Ryouhei played a guitar solo, Gou's bass roared, and the rhythm pattern changed from quadruple time to six beats again and again. "Are you enjoying yourselves!? ...well, I’m having the most fun." Inzargi told funny stories about things that happened in their tour, creating a warm, friendly mood in the venue.

"I think many of you knew us by this song" and Hoshi furu machi nite began. This song has impressive guitar phrases, roaring low bass, extremely bright main melodies and chorus. Inzargi put his microphone to the audience, and sang with fans. "Here, let’s move wildly!" The majority loves KILLSTAR started with an exotic guitar solo and the audience raised their fists. This song is very cool, having heavy rhythms and roaring bass in unison sometimes. "AX! Shake your head!" In Shibou no Katamari, the audience head banged hard with Inzargi. Ryouhei’s guitar sounded high and hysteric, and Gou’s bass roared low. "You can go more-!" They dashed into Blue V neck Japan, and the live heated up even more. Gou shook his body wildly and played bass, and sometimes pointed to the audience. The bass drum sounded low, which made unison with the bass sometimes and high pitch rhythms burst forward. Ryouhei played guitar and moved around on the stage.

"Raise your fists all together! Send your voices to me!" members ran and moved around on the stage and stirred the audience. Imomushi no Aruji started with Inzargi's vocal and chorus, then the three members on the stage and the audience all head banged. The venue was full of energy, and the temperature in the venue heated up to almost boiling point. Gou played a bass solo, Ryouhei played a guitar solo and he made a heart mark with his hands in front of his chest. "Last song! Can you go more!? Sing together with me, everyone!" In Paradisaheiro, which started with Inzargi’s vocal and has many developments such as quick guitar playing and a bass solo, fans enjoyed dancing to the bright melodies, singing together with Inzargi. The band members on stage seemed so happy looking out over the happy audience. After the song finished, the three members stood on the center stool and waved their hands to the audience.

Soon after the members left the stage, the audience called for an encore and clapped their hands. Here, on the back of the left and right higher stage, ten string players appeared and stood on standby, then After Christmas started quietly. This song expresses the loneliness and solitude after the merry making of Christmas parties. Inzargi put his hand on his chest and sang the ballad heartily with the string accompaniment. The venue was all smoky and seemed very mysterious, like a foggy town. "It’s a little bit late, but Merry Christmas! I have another song I want to send to you". Another present from Megamasso was a winter’s day which started with violin and acoustic guitar and then drums and bass were added on. Beautiful snow was falling and shining on the stage and a dramatic world developed on the stage. They proposed "Why don’t you go wild with violin sounds!?", then Furarako started with exotic violin sounds. Fans danced with Inzargi, and head banged hard. Ryouhei moved around on the stage happily, stood on the drum stage, and hit the drums almost mischievously.

Here, there was an interesting corner in the live. Images of the members were projected on a screen on which Gou said "Ryoppe (nickname for Ryouhei) is an idol, and my bride". Next Inzargi appeared in the images, but his face was blurred out somehow, and what's more, it stopped suddenly because the battery died, or at least this was a black joke that ended up evoking laughter from the audience. The comic duo Bakushou Mondai appeared in the images, wearing costumes from the SC Fuji TV program Soratobu! Bakuchuu Mondai, and gave their message to Megamasso, and told everyone that a cute catchy song (which they too would be singing) will be released in 2008. After this, as always in their live tours, Megamasso's members played a penalty game, and Inzargi lost when deciding which member had to do something silly in front of the audience. He stood on the center stool, sang a rap about himself and how he had been getting along, danced funnily, and the audience loved it, giving him a big applause.

Gymnasium started with an exotic guitar melody, and fans jumped, raised their hands, and waved them alternatively. Gou’s death voices and fast speed beats burst. Ryouhei went on the front stage and fans stretched their hands out to him. In Sweet skin like a candy, the audience called "Oi! Oi!" and Inzargi sang and stepped lightly. The following Menou is an interesting song featuring Japanese instruments in its intro, and the audience head banged all together. Inzargi shouted long, and Gou's bass and drums sounded louder. Ryouhei played guitar on the stool crazily. Two black masked men appeared on the stage and made the live heat up more. Finally, Inzargi went down on the floor close to the audience and ran around. Ryouhei tried to put a heavy TV camera on his slender shoulder. The smoggy venue was a mix of crazy fans and members. In 1.5 x Shiki (Rokushiki Danburu Neruson), the venue was filled with low bass, screaming guitars, heavy rhythms, fast drums, Gou's death voice, and vocalist's shouts, bringing the live to a climax. After the song ended, Inzargi put his hand on his chest with deep emotion. Gou touched fan's hands in the first line, and Ryouhei cried on the stool putting his hands together thanking the fans.

When the members left and fans called for another encore, it was already after 9:00 pm. The members appeared again, and Gou said "Megamasso has become just become one year old! I’m very happy I can play in front of you." Ryouhei was crying and said "I was depressed in our March tour, but I was encouraged by Gou and Inzargi like "We’ll do our best to pull out your best points." ...and more people came to see us... we always talk freely to each other about our music. Please support us to make Megamasso, make history with us." Then Inzargi said "You supported us and I felt that you were really important this year. I want to keep singing to have more people like and understand Megamasso", then the audience clapped cheered.

Modern Amplifier started with guitar and quiet vocals. They shouted "Jump!", then the fans jumped all together. The members came closer, looked at one another in complete trust, and the venue was filled with the bright message of Megamasso. When they announced their live concert on March 22nd, in Ebisu LIQUIDROOM, and that their spring tour will start from then, fans shouted for joy. LIPS started with a bright main melody, and fans raised their hands and waved them from side to side. And then Namida Neko (in a previous interview Inzargi said that he was most impressed with this song) started with computer sound effects. Silver streamers were shot into the air with air cannons, and they fell, glistening in the air. Fans grabbed them and waved them widely from side to side. When the song finished, Ryouhei cried, and Gou stayed cool but had tears in his eyes. To see the three members close together and cry with deep emotion, made the fans imagine just how much they had gone through this year to get where they are.

Unique lyrics and various changing melodies made by Ryouhei is the original world of Megamasso. They have good songs with excellent vocals, not to mention the unique characters of the three members, and of course their good appearance. Fans enjoy their songs, dance moves, funny comments from the members, and gorgeous staging. "We want to send you happiness," was what they wanted to do, and they did just that.


Set list:

-SE-
Miyoruku(mjolk)
Sasukuwacchiranka
Goshikiyuutenmachizo
Tornado Angel
-SMC-
-Short SE-
Yukikokoyashi
Tou wa kouyou suru.
Love you so…
Ame Gakkitai
Dashadojin no Odori
put a wammy
-MC-
Hoshi furu machi nite
The majority loves KILLSTAR
Shibou no Katamari
Blue V neck Japan
Imomushi no Aruji
Paradisaheiro

-Encore-
Umi ga chikai tame sabiyasui mono wa mochikondewa naranai ~ After Christmas
a winter’s day
Furarako

Image of members’ talks

Gymnasium
Sweet skin like a candy
Menou
1.5 x Shiki (Rokushiki Danburu Neruson)
Modern Amplifier
LIPS
Namida Neko