Math rock might not be the top of most J-pop fans’ agendas, but as a genre, it has a great following and the crowd in the surprisingly spacious Belgrave Music Hall were clearly ready to show their love for tricot. But in a quite unpredictable move for a Japanese band, the surprises started with a support act. Local Leeds band Bearfoot Beware had been chosen to open the show and they deserve an honourable mention; a perfect match of style for the evening.
After a quick turnaround tricot walked out to big cheers, but looked somewhat nervous, even after Nakajima Ikkyu announced a welcome message in English and the crowd got louder. Opener Pieeen was technically perfect and energetic, and it didn’t take long before the trio and their amazing session drummer - more on her later - were moving comfortably around the stage.
Kida Motoko was particularly quick to settle, encouraging the crowd from a dark corner of the stage and leading cheers when Sagane Hiromi concentrated on her backing vocals. Sound levels were generally well mixed but slightly favoured bass, something common to many British venues, and technical notes could be easily picked out.
The first half of the show was entertaining, but it wasn’t until about halfway through, when the three girls launched into the familiar sounds of E, sending the crowd absolutely crazy, that the curtain of apparent nerves dissipated as if a switch had been flicked. The band exuded energy, and following up with the distinctive opening of Ochansensu-Su, there didn’t seem to be a person in the audience who wasn’t singing along (or at least trying to).
From that moment, everyone on the stage was smiling and moving through the set and onstage was the tricot the fans were expecting. There was just enough crowd interaction, with a quick Japanese lesson from Ikumi helping the crowd understand what the random cheers of “saiko” actually meant.
Throughout the set, the trio interacted with the session drummer, Yamaguchi Miyoko of DETROITSEVEN, as if she were a regular part of the band. Such a show wouldn’t work without confidence in the rhythm section, and Miyoko’s precise timing and chemistry with her fellow performers really shone throughout.
Heading towards the climax, tricot had one last surprise in store for the crowd. “Leeds, do you like to dance?” they asked, and the response was clear. This was a crowd that had been dancing all night, but also knew the band’s music, and the yells of “Samba!” in reply were met with huge smiles from the girls. The Leeds crowd had helped them make this a night to remember, and they were rewarded with Niwa, featuring an extended samba section complete with whistles, cowbells and shakers, and finally an encore.
All in all, tricot were technically fantastic throughout the night. The set was enjoyable to start with, but at that pivotal halfway point, everything went up a gear, making the show a feast of energy that easily bridged gaps between genres for a number of music lovers.
Set list
01. Pieeen
02. Anamein
03. Omotenashi
04. artsick
05. Oyasumi
06. Pork Ginger
07. Ochansensu-Su
08. E
09. C&C
10. poolside
11. POOL
12. Niwa
13. 99.974℃
