MU celebrated their second anniversary and the release of their first album with a memorable show at Takadanobaba Phase.
MU gathered their fans at Takadanobaba Phase on May 18th to celebrate their second anniversary with a oneman show, and JaME was there to celebrate this date with the band for a third consecutive year.
As the lights went down, the opening SE – a mix of celtic, oriental and electronic sounds – heralded the band’s entrance. The members walked out onstage one by one, greeting the crowd in dramatic fashion. The set started with [Rama:yana], one of the band’s earliest songs, welcoming the audience into the world of MU with dark and heavy sounds. "Let’s jump!" called AIKA, and the crowd raised their hands in unison, jumping to the bright melodies of GOD CHILD. In an unexpected twist on the song, AIKA's soaring falsetto intertwined with DAISHI's operatic guitars, making a strong impact on the listener. USHI's shouts kept the crowd fired up as the temperature in the livehouse rose to the funky grooves of [inno:vator].
AIKA welcomed the fans to this anniversary oneman and expressed his happiness at being able to celebrate this day with everyone in attendance. The set continued with ALMA, the song’s heavy electronic sounds bringing forth a dark and mysterious atmosphere which continued through Shinsekai. These songs, like others, highlighted some of the defining characteristics of MU's music, such as the stark contrasts present in many of their compositions, and the fusion of modern and archaic musical styles from all corners of the globe. The whole show felt as if it were telling the audience a story, and was carried through not only in the music, but in the MC as well.
In the MC, as the stage lights dimmed, AIKA started to tell the story of the lost continent of Mu, where in ancient times a civilization prospered, and welcomed the audience to hear about these long forgotten times. He read aloud from a book about the people of the continent, and how they lived in peace and harmony but were forced to hunt, so as to feed themselves and their loved ones. As he announced the birth of the sea spirit, the stage became bathed in blue light, and heavy techno sounds heralded JET's bass solo. The fans clapped to the catchy beats that made you want to dance as if you were in a nightclub.
Returning to his book, AIKA continued telling of the people of Mu, who discovered agriculture and began to develop a sense of ownership. As he announced the birth of the spirit of the Earth, it was time for another solo. Oriental sounds started off USHI's solo, in which powerful drumming with irregular twists interchanged with softer moments, bringing forth a rich palette of sounds that made one forget where one was. AIKA came out for the third time to talk of humans’ ability to hope for the future, which made mankind different from other species. Then he announced the birth of the spirit of air, and DAISHI's solo followed. Boasting epic sounds as if from a fantasy movie soundtrack with light and dark tonal shifts, the guitarist never failed to surprise the fans with his virtuosic skill.
To conclude his story, AIKA spoke of how the continent of Mu sank beneath the waves and its civilization perished, and declared that he was the spirit of time. Inviting the audience to join him in aiming for the safety of heaven, he announced the beginning of Akaki ryuu no kishi no monogatari, which carried the story on with its medieval-inspired elements.
In the slower, quieter Subaru, AIKA's soft yet strong vocals enchanted the listener. Yggdrasil had all the fans raising their hands together with the band members in an impressive show of unity, and as the crowd jumped to the song’s positive, upbeat melody, the band all smiled, seemingly enjoying the show as much as the audience were. More action ensued with Yumemigaoka as the fans moshed to the fast melodies with a Spanish flair, and the members bounced from one side of the stage to the other. "Onemans are awesome!" exclaimed AIKA, and thanked the fans for all the support that allowed the band to keep performing, and promised that they would aim to do onemans in many different places.
USHI's fast, thunderous drumming almost swept the fans of their feet during the speedy [sankta-milito], and this fast pace continued into the energetic Souseiki whilst USHI’s bandmates moved around the stage, egging the crowd on. With its prominent jazzy bass, CARNAVAL had one’s body unconsciously joining the crowd as they performed what looked like a Japanese festival dance. Fans united in swinging their towels in the air to the energetic Esperanto, which concluded the main set. The quartet members greeted the crowd’s screams with smiles and urged them on, thanking the fans before leaving the stage.
Responding to the calls for an encore, MU soon returned to the stage, taking time to talk to the crowd. USHI thanked the fans and admitted that he hadn’t thought about what to say, and his bandmates looked on with devilish smiles the drummer struggled to conclude his MC. The “god of MCs” JET took over, making sure to tease USHI before revealing his bass solo earlier had been the first of his career. DAISHI disclosed that he was happy to be able to play songs that they couldn’t play at event lives, as songs were like children and it was exciting to watch them grow. He also revealed his desire to go on a oneman tour, taking the fans to places that they haven’t yet seen.
AIKA announced the next song, Shiawase no daisho, a fan-favourite rarely played at lives. Opening with an acoustic guitar, this beautiful song’s light melodies touched the listener’s heart and brought a breath of fresh air into the dark livehouse.
In another MC, the band announced the release of their first album Discovery of the AVALON, which went on sale May 21st, several days after the show. JET noted that he was happy to be able to perform on stage, but that with this album, they had created something everlasting that would become proof of their existence. The band also expressed a desire to play overseas and hoped that this would soon be possible. Any fans wanting to learn some English were invited to check out USHI’s Twitter.
Looking satisfied but ready to rock more, MU invited the crowd to join them for one last song: “Let’s celebrate these two years together!” The band called on the crowd to raise their fists as one to the fast beats of ENCOUNTER⇔INFINITY, and the audience happily obliged.
Thanking the crowd and asking them for their continuing support, MU thus concluded their rousing anniversary show, leaving the audience feeling full of hope that there will be many more memorable anniversary lives to come for this talented young band.
Setlist
~Opening SE~
01 [Rama:yana]
02 GOD CHILD
03 [inno:vator]
~MC~
04 ALMA
05 Shinsekai
~solo time~
06 Akaki ryuu no kishi no monogatari
07 Subaru
08 Yggdrasil
09 Yumemigaoka
~MC~
10 [sankta-milito]
11 Souseiki
12 CARNAVAL
13 Esperanto
~Ending SE~
Encore
~MC~
14 Shiawase no daishou
~MC~
15 ENCOUNTER⇔INFINITY
~Final SE~
