camino at A-Kon

For at least a half hour before camino appeared on stage, the fans crowded as close to the stage as they could get, waiting for the main musical event of A-kon. When the band was announced and filed onto the stage one by one, the venue erupted into frenzied screams for the long-awaited group.

The show opened with Piece Of Blue from the new album NEW LIFE, a song with a slow pace but hard rock feel, softened by chimes and keyboard from RYOSUKE. TAKA’s bass was featured prominently throughout, and the fans nodded along to the catchy beat. 4 U’s heavy guitars and propelling beat had the audience bouncing. The next song, STORY, was their first fast-paced song of the night, and it seemed to be a fan favorite as the crowd pumped their fists and headbanged during the fast chorus. KIKU gave a wild and impressive guitar solo that showcased his undeniable mastery of the instrument. By now a large group of people in the back of the hall had gathered and were raving with green glow sticks.

HAYATO then gave an MC mostly in English, expressing his gratitude for the invitation to return to A-Kon for its 20th anniversary. HAYATO demonstrated an ease with English that strengthened the closeness between him and an audience who hung on his every word, responding warmly with enthusiastic cheers to everything he said.

With the audience pumped up from HAYATO's MC, the momentum continued with the fast paced, hard rock Wake Up, to which the fans sang the words “wake up” along with HAYATO during the chorus. KIKU treated the crowd to a wild guitar solo during the bridge and got the audience even more energized. HAYATO also used this song to introduce REHIT, who performed a short but intense drum solo, and TAKA who showed off his bass prowess with a pulsing solo of his own. The succeeding Freedom had the fans pumping their hands in the air and HAYATO showed everyone his hard rock singing as he belted out the lyrics with all his energy. Silver Phantom seemed to offer the fans a chance to cool down and led into HAYATO's second MC of the night.

The following song, RIGHT NOW, was introduced by a call and response exercise prior to the music starting. HAYATO had the fans yell together “Right now!” after pausing for a beat. It took a while for the crowd to get the timing correct, at which HAYATO laughed, apparently enjoying their failed attempts. Soon the crowd had it right and when the band launched into the song, everyone yelled “Right now” during the chorus in this new take on a fan favorite from one of camino's first releases.

So Sweet Lo... from the single, STORY charmed everyone in the audience into dancing and waving their hands in the air along to its beautiful and familiar melodies. It also offered RYOSUKE a chance to showcase his playing with a sparkling keyboard solo. The show continued with the familiar and beloved Nostalgia, a ballad of soft piano and heavy guitars. The fans were utterly entranced as they listened to HAYATO’s emotional singing, and REHIT smashed the drums powerfully as though to destroy them during the chorus.

The pace slowed down with Lunatic, which cast an unusual atmosphere over the hall with its dark, eerie melodies in the verses, and towards the end KIKU showed off his exceptional speed playing. Next was Drive, which drastically changed the mood in the hall with its more aggressive sound. HAYATO belted out the last note powerfully to great applause. After another well-received MC, camino launched into another song from new album, The Life. The fans punched the air along to a driving rhythm created by REHIT, which left them wanting more.

Following the band's exit from the stage and several minutes of consistent calls from the audience, begging for an encore, camino returned with One Way To Rock, an excellent way to end the night. With its cheerful synths, driving pace and optimistic melodies, this song filled the hall with positive energy. The members seemed to go all out during this last song, and the fans too enjoyed it to the fullest, dancing and punching the air. It seemed to be another audience favorite, though the heightened energy in the hall was also a final thank you to the band.

Ultimately, even those with no previous knowledge of camino were charmed by HAYATO’s charisma and expert vocal skills. For the many fans familiar with the band who had appeared at A-Kon twice before, it was a great opportunity to show off their newer songs as well as play some old favorites and a new version of what could be considered a camino classic. By all accounts it was an incredible night, and seemed to be equally enjoyable for the band and for the fans.


Set list:

1. Piece Of Blue
2. "4 U"
3. Story
- MC -
4. Wake Up
(Drum & Bass solo)
5. Freedom
6. Silver Phantom
- MC -
7. RIGHT NOW
8. So Sweet Lo...
(Piano solo)
9. Nostalgia
(Guitar solo)
10. Lunatic
11. Drive
- MC -
12. The Life
- encore -
13. One Way To Rock


Many thanks to camino and Avex Entertainment Inc. More information and links about camino can be found at their artist file.