The fast growing band End Of The World held the final of their first arena tour at Tokyo’s Yoyogi National Gymnasium.
End Of The World (Sekai no Owari in Japanese) started their first arena tour, ENTERTAINMENT, in January. This tour was titled after their debut major album that was released last July. Just like every live event in the past, all of the tour tickets sold out instantly, and extra seats were even placed urgently for the final to meet the fans' enthusiasm.
On February 23rd, a crowd of more than 13,000 fans gathered in Tokyo’s Yoyogi National Gymnasium. Fans, most of whom were young adults and teenagers, waited for the doors to open under the clear blue sky. A delightful announcement was made to the fans before the show: they were allowed to take photos during the show just for this day, as long as they did not use camera flash and video or audio recorders. They were also asked to wear a special wristband placed on each seat. While they wondered what the wristband was for, an instrumental version of Fukaimori being played in the arena suddenly grew louder, signalling the start of the concert. Immediately, the fans stood up for the beginning of non-stop entertainment.
Suddenly, footage from a comical “South Park”-like animation started to roll on the stage screen. The story humorously described the band’s history, and it ended with the members literally killing their own pasts to start over. Then as red lights lit the arena, the band members made their way to the stage and fans welcomed them with a large round of applause. Soon, however, a black out ensued.
As the darkness began to fade, starlight-like lighting illuminated the arena and the sweet, high-toned voice of PEACE started the opening song, Starlight Parade, with SAORI’s piano playing gently beside him. Fans cheered when the members finally made their appearances under full stage lighting. “How are you doing, Yoyogi!? We are End Of The World!!” 1 shouted to the fans as he strummed his guitar. DJ LOVE gave a beat and groove from his DJ booth, while sometimes jumping around with his arms open wide. In response, fans shook the arena by following his example. Enthusiasm rose further when the fans’ wristbands started to shine during the song, which altogether created a spectacular milky way in the arena.
The band then went straight into the second song, Nijiiro no sensou, which is actually a song about the conflict between nature and human civilization. This is just one of the most remarkable characteristics of the band—they can pose such serious questions in a very melodious way. “Can you sing?” PEACE encouraged the fans to sing along, and more than 13,000 fans responded. Their wristbands then flashed rainbow colors. “Good!” the vocalist said, pleased with the fans’ voices.
After this song, the band greeted the fans. SAORI wore an elegant white dress and the rest of members were in white shirts and black trousers. Strangely, all members had small red stains on their shirts, and it was later revealed that the stains represented the blood of each of their pasts, which they had killed in the animated movie. With that, the band was now ready to begin a new chapter.
With a scratching sound coming from the DJ booth, DJ LOVE took fans to the third song, Fantasy. PEACE and 1 led the singing in this song, and together the two frontmen moved around the stage while DJ LOVE and SAORI encouraged fans to clap along. Subsequently, this uplifting number turned the arena into a dance floor, and as lyrics appeared on the screen during the song’s bridge, the fans merrily sang along. Everyone could see SAORI's joy in accompanying the crowd with her piano as she joined them in backing up the chorus. Next was Tenshi to akuma, and here, the band’s highly calculated balance and chemistry of pop, classic and club music was evident. Afterwards, PEACE’s warm voice embraced a beauty of life beyond human finitude in Shi no mahou and Fushichou.
SAORI then changed the emotional mood in the arena with her cheerful speech, explaining why she changed her hair color to blonde. According to PEACE, who dyed his hair red himself, he suggested that she go blonde before the band’s showcase in France in January so that she would become more noticeable to foreigners. Laughter spread throughout the arena. After that, SAORI introduced the seventh song, the ballad Kachoufugetsu, during which 1 gave a beautiful high-toned chorus. The moon appeared on the screen as SAORI’s piano closed the song.
Once again, the band played tuneful numbers. Fans swung the band towels around as DJ LOVE spun the beat during Seibutsugakuteki gensokyoku, and a skillful interaction of 1’s guitar solo and SAORI’s piano solo during illusion thrilled the crowd even more.
As the show was entering its halftime, the resourceful band still had a lot more to offer. More footage started to play on the screen, and this time it was a parody of an old school role-playing game featuring DJ LOVE. The story went on as such: the band manager forced DJ LOVE to go out and collect balloons. The fans laughed hard when the animated DJ LOVE took a hilarious fall into the water in an attempt to catch a balloon. Suddenly, a balloon and DJ LOVE himself entered the arena from midair. A jaw dropping moment it was—all eyes were on “the funny guy.” He walked cheerfully in the air, waved at fans and finally grabbed the balloon as wire ropes carried him to the stage set on the runway. An ovation rose when he made a successful landing.
“DJ LOVE in the sky! I bet he never dreamed of finding himself that high up in the air at his age of 27!” remarked band leader 1 cheekily. The show stopper made his way to the runway stage and didn’t forget to strike a pose for fans who were taking photos. He then grabbed an acoustic guitar set on the runway stage, where the rest of members joined him as he sang the lead in TONIGHT. During the chorus, the harmony of his clear voice with PEACE’s falsetto showed their great singing ability, and throughout the song, SAORI played the keyboard harmonica while DJ LOVE supported the rhythm with his cajon. Fans adored this intimate acoustic song at a closer distance, and they of course did not miss this prime photo shooting opportunity.
Later, the stage lights dimmed and a different kind of footage began to roll on the screen. The footage showed the statistics of war and terrorism victims in the past, as well as quotes from historic figures. Green beams of light shone on the fans who stood still in silence. The band then started Sekaiheiwa, where PEACE’s voice projected his strong objection to the common idea of peace that is found in a human-centered world view. The strobe lights on the main stage further enhanced a fury demonstrated by 1’s intense guitar solo and SAORI’s hard-hitting piano play, and altogether the song proved End Of The World’s edge as a rock band.
Next up was Love the warz. Flames suddenly rose from the stage and the heat of the fire could actually be felt from a distance. The bridge's lyrics, “Just what are we forgetting? Where’s the love?” appeared on the screen and PEACE, sometimes with voice effects, sang and shouted his relentless question against a vicious circle of lovelessness and self-righteousness that is present all over the world.
A while later, the gentle sound of the piano softened the mood of the arena. PEACE sat on the chair for the next song, Never Ending World, and sang in a tender voice as if he was speaking to the fans. Fans saw in the vocalist a representation of the dreamer within themselves who choose to believe, dream on, embrace life, and love people. The band lifted the hopeful spirits even more with their popular song, Nemuri hime. Countless soap bubbles floated around during the song and created a theme park-like atmosphere in the arena. “My voice is getting hoarse,” PEACE laughed. However, he had more than enough in his voice left to finish the show with yume and Fukai mori.
Calls for an encore were eventually stopped by a video announcement about the band’s first-ever two-day outdoor event on October 12th and 13th, titled Honou to mori no Carnival. Dressed in the band’s black hoodies, the members came back to the stage and announced that they will release a new single, RPG, on May 1st. The fans exploded with joy.
“We will do three more songs!” declared PEACE. Fans danced to Fight Music and showed their great appreciation for the future single, RPG. “This is the last song. Please sing with us,” he said to the fans. Instant Radio made a grand finale of the ENTERTAINMENT tour. Explosions of silver celebration ribbons went off around the arena, and fans jumped up to catch them. Once again, a big wave of rainbow lights from the wristbands filled the arena as hundreds of soap bubbles rose up to the roof. DJ LOVE wowed the fans with his skilled scratching solo, and 1 played a guitar solo on the runway while enjoying the interaction with fans. Also, PEACE moved around the stage to stir up the fans to sing along, and they joined the party at the top of their lungs. SAORI, just like all fans in the arena, was full of smiles. “Thank you!” she shouted at the end of the song. With that, the band took their last bow, and the fans gave a huge applause to the band that filled them with maximum satisfaction.
At this show, End Of The World showed everyone what they are capable of. With ever growing popularity in their home ground, they are now planning to expand their activities abroad. Stay tuned for future announcements!
Set List
01. Starlight Parade
02. Nijiiro no sensou
03. Fantasy
04. Tenshi to akuma
05. Shi no mahou
06. Fushichou
07. Kachoufugetsu
08. Seibutsugakuteki gensoukyoku
09. illusion
10. TONIGHT
11. Aoi taiyou
12. Sekaiheiwa
13. Love the warz
14. Never Ending World
15. Maboroshi no inochi
16. Nemuri hime
17. yume
18. Fukai mori
Encore
19. Fight Music
20. RPG
21. Instant Radio
