SUICIDE ALI at Meguro LIVE STATION

A mixed crowd of female and many male fans of SUICIDE ALI gathered at Meguro LIVE STATION to celebrate the release of their single THE COLD BODY. Before the main part of the performance started, as fans sat down on the floor to allow a good view of the stage for everyone, the guitarist, dressed as a cloaked, bearded old man came out on stage to a mysterious SE. He welcomed the crowd and introduced the story behind the show, pointing out that everyone must have had a chance to read an introduction given to them when they entered the venue. With the help of self-painted pictures, he started telling the story of a salaryman, whose family was murdered and then went off to Faifilseea, a magic land SUICIDE ALI center their narratives around, to seek revenge. The old man explained that Faifilseea is like a dream — being there, you have no recollection of the real world. However, when you return to reality, you have a vague memory of the happenings in Faifilseea, and while this man is just a salaryman in the real world, he becomes just a killer in the magic world. Having induced a sinister atmosphere, the man went off the stage and the curtains closed.

The fans stood up, all of them making a big circle, putting their arms on the shoulders of the person next to them, friend or stranger, and together they gave a battle scream, getting ready for the show. After awhile, the background music faded away and the lights dimmed. The curtains reopened to the SE to reveal an empty stage on which cloths painted with sceneries of old, European style night streets with statues and street lights could be seen, taking the viewer away from Japan and into a mysterious, far away land. A short narrative welcoming the audience into the world of SUICIDE ALI and telling them to create their own story together with the band called the members up on stage one by one as the fans screamed.

The show kicked off with the heavy tsumetai kage, a song of contrasting shadow and lights. Bit el bedi hovered over the front rows, watching calmly and attentively as head banging broke out amongst the crowd. His emotional vocals, coupled with the moving instrumental harmonies of Representa, enchanted everyone, while the fast and energetic melodies of fuefuki douji to which Ravishan and Ooe Shundei screamed into their microphones set the crowd in motion. As the stage was illuminated by dark red lights, Bit el bedi struck a pose at the start of enzai and together with the crowd, moved his hands as if hammering away on something and screamed his soul out as the fans head banged. Aisubeki shikeidai, starting with a duo of guitar and vocals, had a more static, calm mood with the bass and guitar lines at the center of attention.

Even during the pause, fantasy-like music carried on the mood of the show and fans could not escape from the grip of the strong atmosphere in the hall. The vocalist seemed as if he was shaken by convulsions as the dark Stitch Doll started, the song seemingly telling its own narrative simply through the music with its alternating melodies, characteristic of SUICIDE ALI’s style. As the fans recognised the intro of CHAINSAW, they jumped with excitement and danced along together with Bit el bedi, while Ravishan and Ooe Shundei moved up and down as if placed on a scale, one outweighing the other over and over again. Rays of light emanating from behind the members' backs lit up the live house to the flowing, lustrous melodies of kaze no slave, the melancholic voice of the singer carrying fans away and fading into silence.

Bit el bedi greeted the crowd quietly, thanking the numerous people who came into Faifilseea and introducing the members who were taking this journey together with the fans. Encouraging the audience to scream more, the band asked them to continue the journey through the magic land with them. Aoi ookami ga mita zekkei started with catchy old-style synth melodies, which were transformed completely with the addition of heavy instrumentals to create peculiar, memorable harmonies. The members jumped together with the fans as Bit el bedi performed the dance known well by the fans from the band's PV for this song. The vocals, alternating between strong, even somewhat violent and soft, touching chants, captivated and moved the listener. The fans pumped their fists to HIY’s fast and powerful drumming in Perpetual check, and the hall exploded with energy and movement to yuukai gokko as Shundei spun unstoppably around the stage. Taking one another's hands, the fans jumped up all together synchronously with the drum beats. Simply watching the scenery made it almost impossible for one to stand still.

Illuminated from behind on the dark stage, Bit el bedi started his duet with ambient electronic melodies, first softly, then growing stronger and when joined by the other members’ instruments, THIS NEW ORDER continued as if in waves of quiet and heaviness. To the more positive harmonies of tadashii mahou no tsukurikata the crowd went moshing madly from side to side and jumped energetically, encouraged by the members. “Follow us with all your might!” commanded Bit el bedi, and like a conductor he moved his hands, coordinating the head banging of the heated up crowd to the final song Donor of lie, with prominent guitar lines reminiscent of Western nu-metal. “It was fun!” – to the loud screams of the fans the members thanked them and went off the stage.

Encore calls soon brought Ravishan onto the stage, and having greeted the fans he pointed to the new layout of the stage, in response to which voices calling “it’s cool!” could be heard from the audience. The other members soon joined him, and Bit el bedi thanked the audience for calling them and asked to continue the journey together a bit more, for which he called out a friend – a second guitarist, who would support them through the encore. “Let’s go!” and SUICIDE ALI played their new song THE COLD BODY, in which freshness of electronic melodies intertwined with dark and heavy guitar and bass sounds. The fans raised their hands to ningen no you and wildly head banged together with the members to the fast and hard chords. “Thank you!” screamed the band, and having greeted the fans once again left the stage.

Screams for an encore did not stop and Ooe Shundei returned to stage to thank the crowd. Bashful, being the only member out on stage, he was greeted with friendly laughter of the fans, and gaining more confidence he announced that he felt like they were able to express the world of Faifilseea well that day and asked the fans to continue following them. The other members soon rejoined, and Bit el bedi began speaking, telling the crowd that it was a fun journey for them and reminding them that a year ago they were also playing at the same place and had already decided to hold this concert. There were difficult times and the band fought hard to get to this place, and they were happy with the outcome. He then announced that at the gig on March 17th, the band will be distributing a free CD, so they invited all fans to come and have fun with them.

“Let’s go for the last song, a song we always play!” The fans screamed in excitement and jumped to the heavy melodies of Favourite song. As the members rocked out on their stage, releasing all their energy, Bit el bedi stretched his hand out to the fans, pulling more and more people towards the front, until most of the fans were crowded around the front rows, head banging and pumping their fists violently. It was a truly impressive sight, and the tension kept rising until the hottest culmination. The members touched the fans’ outstretched hands, thanked them and bowed. The audience, hot and happy, clapped and screamed, and as the band left the stage, everyone present in the live house was left with a lasting, strong impression of this atmospheric, unique night.


Set List:

01. Tsumetai kage
02. Representa
03. Fuefuki douji
SE
04. Enzai
05. Aisubeki shikeidai
SE
06. Stitch Doll
07. CHAINSAW
08. Kaze no slave
MC
09. Aoi ookami ga mita zekkei
10. Perpetual check
11. Yuukai gokko
SE
12. THIS NEW ORDER
13. Tadashii mahout no tsukurikata
14. Donor of lie

Encore 1:
01. THE COLD BODY
02. Ningen no you

Encore 2:
01. Favourite Song