Plastic Tree Live in Athens

On the 14th of October, Plastic Tree's first Greek concert was held in Athens. Even though the venue was new, and therefore hard to locate, fans had gathered early outside its doors, which opened with the standard small delay. One could spot all sorts of styles, from mellowed down visual kei looks, to punkish boys, to a few gothic lolitas; obviously, the band's fans were well aware of the j-rock scene and its fashion. Even without an opening act to keep the waiting fans entertained, the general atmosphere was pretty composed, with some of the band members even dropping by the merchandise stand and nodding to their fans.

The DJ set - popular Japanese music, mostly - faded out, and the scene lit up. Some were concerned, since it was hard to imagine a real show occurring on that, admittedly petite, stage. However, such things ceased to matter as soon as the band made its appearance, dominating the venue with a calm yet solid presence.

One could hardly say that Nemureru Mori blasted in; more like, it gently flowed in. Even so, every set of eyes was transfixed by the charismatic figure of lead singer Ryutaro, as he slithered from one pose to the next, and from one verse to the following. He seemed immersed in the song's atmosphere, with the rest of the band discreetly accompanying him, as if performing a painstakingly slow warm up. Akira's guitar had a stronger presence in Irogoto, with Ryutaro soon joining him with his own guitar play, as the audience gradually acclimated to the band's unique character.

There was a sudden spike of energy in the band during Elegy, with the guitarists falling thick into their show, each one interacting with the audience in his own, unique way. This track proved to be a fan favourite and had the audience bodily moving to the beat. Ryutaro only paused for a brief, no less creepy than delightful MC, making the crowd finally roar as he shouted a couple of Greek words, mixed with a reasonable amount of English and Japanese. He said little more than the usual 'hello' and 'nice to meet you here', but it was obvious that he was winning the spectators over.

The band finally seemed appropriately warmed up as Tadashi and Akira, on bass and guitar respectively, began nodding to the vibrant rhythm of Replay. The movements of the vocalist became erratic as he punched and fisted thin air, even laying a random kick - revealing wondrous flexibility - yet fully in tune with the overflowing music. Alone again, wonderful world only added to the already gained momentum, the group performing with such gusto that it was truly a wonder, or sheer expertise, that no one fell from that toy-sized stage.

The crowd had warmed up, with some older but well-liked songs keeping them on their toes, nodding to the beat and screaming before and after each song. However, due to the unfavourable layout of the mosh pit, the fans from the sides were exposed to badly distorted feedback, which forced them to relocate, causing some extra chaos. About the same time a slower song, Yuki hotaru was playing, and sadly its melody had a hard time reaching the audience.

Not a second too early, Himitsu no Carnival was on, with Hiroshi jolting the crowd back into attendance with his powerful drumming. Despite the aforementioned discomforts, by the time Hate red, dip it began everyone was back into the mood. Tadashi in particular reveled while delivering his parts, the low rumbling of his bass defining the song's character. Ryutaro would offer short comments in between the songs, progressively using more and more Japanese. He could have said 'I love you Greece', and just as easily 'Damn you Greece'; the audience was too far gone to notice.

Plastic Tree's stage presence was something to behold, especially during the later part of the show. Their demeanour would slightly alternate with each song; Ryutaro would assume most dramatic expressions, staring intensely and then hiding once again behind his bangs. Akira would offer his strong, solid guitar play, and often smile warmly to the audience, while Tadashi, who appeared more solemn, would also smile contently from time to time, getting especially wild during certain tracks. Hiroshi, though unfortunately quite efficiently concealed by his drum set, was if anything, formidable in his drumming.

Ame ni utaeba, the last song of the main set, came to an end. But the night was far from over and the crowd was calling them back, impatient for an encore. Soon enough, the band appeared, but not to perform just yet; instead a kind of lottery began. Ryutaro, this time brandishing a bright red kimono, would spookily drawl out numbers in Japanese, and the audience would respond before even waiting for a translation; this startled and amused him at the same time. Soon afterwards, the band reassumed their positions and the concert began once again.

The encore marked the peak of the concert, with their hit song Ghost being greeted more than eagerly. By Angel Dust, one of their oldest yet strongest songs, audience and band had somehow merged into one entity, celebrating enthusiastically. The concert thus came to a closure, but not the night, since the contact with the band remained solid. The members soon returned to sign autographs and exchange some words with their fans, composing a fitting epilogue to such a beautiful evening.

Plastic Tree came, performed and conquered the hearts of the Greek fans. Hindrances aside, it was a show that both audience and band will fondly remember for a while.


Set list:

1. Nemureru Mori
2. Irogoto
3. Elegy
4. Replay
5. Alone again, wonderful world
6. Kuuchuu Buranko
7. Yuki hotaru
8. Himitsu no Carnival
9. Hate red, dip it
10. Ruisen kairo
11. Melancolic
12. Ame ni utaeba

En.1 Ghost
En.2 Angel Dust