A live report from the studs' Tour'08 "Sakura no Toge" Final in Ebisu LIQUIDROOM at the beginning of May.
The foggy stage was illuminated in a blue light with simple sound effects featuring a lot of bass played in the background while fans, both Japanese and foreign, were milling around in front of the stage. After boogieman performed their three songs as the opening act, the live started in an explosion of sound and fans raised their hands and clapped with the upbeat rock rhythm.
Members wearing cool black costumes appeared on the stage, then missing vain started with distorted guitar sounds. This song is a slow ballad with a low rolling bass line. Fans raised their hands and waved them in the bright main melodies. In and hate, the audience raised their fists all together. Hibiki hit the drums, Yukino kept a crisp clear bass sound, and aie made sharp-edged guitar sounds, all of which twisted piquantly around Daisuke's clear vocals. When the up-tempo dread began, fans raised their hands in the air and jumped to the rhythm. Daisuke shouted, head banged, and poured water from a PET bottle on his head and threw it into the audience.
"This tour will end today. You don't have to enjoy it in the same way as others around you. Enjoy it in your own way," said aie. In false the skin, cynical lyrics on dry sounds pierced the audience's hearts, and in Nageku Sekishoku, fans yelled "Oi! Oi!" as they raised their fists and head banged. Bright lights illuminated the whole venue, with heavy bass sounds rolling low in the background. With a sign of the drums, a dance music number unsightly stupid started. "What is strength? What is weakness?" Daisuke asked himself and the audience. In as it is, members gathered around the drum set and played together.
The midpoint of the show began with ballads Hyouryuu no hana, Aru Asa and spread from sister in which Daisuke expressed his distorted feelings, were performed one after another, with fans listening carefully to the lyrics and absorbing everything from the performance. Fans sympathized with the pure painful lyrics written by Daisuke, and sang in tune with the chorus gaze and tonight is the night.
From here, the live dashed into its latter half and upbeat, hard songs made their entrance. disclosure started with a shout from Daisuke and fans raised their fists and head banged all together. In Keishou, aie played guitar at the front of the stage, while members moved around on it. The live heated up and when advance insane started with driving guitar sounds, almost everyone in the venue head banged, which created quite a storm. "Last song-!" Daisuke shouted, then thursday started. He was wet from sweat through to his white shirt and straight black hair. "I love you!" He said and left the stage. Then the three members left on stage, aie, Yukino and Hibiki, performed an instrumental song, outro, in which low bass rolled, sharp guitar sounded and drums exploded.
"Thank you Tokyo!" The members called and appeared for an encore, and played Niji no iro and rain drop. Illuminated by the rainbow colored light, thick sounds spread over the whole venue. "I hope a day like today will never end. I want you to never forget today until it comes again." aie said. "I'll hug all of you! I love Tokyo!" Daisuke shouted. Then finally, the upbeat songs weak end and Toketsu were fired off and ran through to the end.
the studs show straightforward lyrics, sharp music, and simple stage directions without special effects. They express themselves fully and simply, allowing their graceful way to live, not playing up to anybody, to come out naturally. Whenever the audience sees the studs perform live, one can't help but feel encouraged by them as if they're telling us to just keep going ahead the ways that we believe.
Set list
1. missing vain
2. and hate
3. dread
4. false the skin
5. Nageku Sekishoku
6. unsightly stupid
7. as it is
8. Hyouryu no hana
9. Aru asa
10. spread from sister
11. gaze
12. tonight is the night
13. disclosure
14. Keishou
15. advance insane
16. thursday
17. outro
En1. Niji no iro
En2. rain drop
En3. weak end
En4. Toketsu