SHINJUKU LOFT KABUKI-CHO 20TH ANNIVERSARY『GANG PARADE SPECIAL LIVE 』

A series of live performances have been organized to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Shinjuku Loft Kabuki-cho live venue. On the 16th of June, GANG PARADE took part in it.

With its pop music (the genre is coincidentally the former name of the group) and the teachings of the WACK school, the label that is also home to BiS, BiSH, EMPiRE and BiLLIE IDLE®, GANG PARADE appears as an alternative to the traditional groups such as those from Hello! Project or the 46/48 groups. Right now GANG PARADE's popularity is peaking: they recently signed with Warner Music Japan.

Originally named Pla2me (pronounced "pull-anime"), the group was at first composed of two members. It then became POP and then GANG PARADE, and now counts as many as 10 active members. KAMIYASAKI, the original member, leads the way with a unique style that could come from one of Ai Yazawa's (the author of "Nana") manga. However, pay attention to the other members as well. Besides their looks, they have original names that could originate from Hirohiko Araki's (known for "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure") imagination.

The Shinjuku Loft venue is situated in the Kabuki-cho area, which is mainly known overseas for the restaurant where you are served by robots, but also because several places in the video game "Ryu ga Gotoku", known as “Yakuza”, have been inspired by Kabuki-cho.

The venue is crowded. However, there are several screens which allow fans at the back to have a better view of what is happening on stage. As soon as the audience hears the first notes of who am I? everyone runs towards the stage to enjoy the show. It allows those at the back to enjoy a calmer atmosphere with much more space.

The next song is Happy Happy Kirakira Lucky, one of GANG PARADE's most dynamic songs from the POP era. Everyone claps their hands according to the rhythm, both on stage and among the crowd. Many people wear a LED bracelet that lights up according to the official color of their favorite member(s): it further deepens the meaning of the song since "kirakira" could be translated into "glittering light".

An MC, during which everyone can catch their breath, comes after BREAKING THE ROAD. Then GANG PARADE keeps up the good work with their newest track so far: BRAND NEW PARADE. The rhythm reaches a crescendo! It is followed by tracks such as pretty pretty good and LAST, both well-known by the audience.

GANG PARADE take the fans higher (a reference to their album GANG PARADE takes themselves higher!!) with the second part of the concert. They perform a very energetic last part with titles such as QUEEN OF POP and FOUL, during which the number of members makes sense because the members sing, with the crowd shouting along "BODY & 10SOUL". The chorus has been changed from "BODY & 9SOUL" to "BODY & 10SOUL" for the arrival of the new member, NARUHAWORLD.

Then it's time for the encore! It starts with a new track called Hontou ni boku ga ikitakatta no wa konnanja ne! which could be translated into "That is why I want to live!" Of course, the live show couldn't end without the famous track Plastic 2 Mercy, a song that has the fans end up in each other's arms as always. There could be no better song to end the performance!

To sum it up, if you ever get the chance to go to Japan, don't hesitate to go and see GANG PARADE during a taiban (a live show during which you get to see many different groups for a reduced price, usually around 4000 yen). But before you seize this opportunity, you can check the group's YouTube channel or their official Twitter account.

Set list

01. who am I?
02. Happy Lucky Kirakira Lucky
03. BREAKING THE ROAD
MC1. All members’ self-introduction
04. BRAND NEW PARADE
05. GANG PARADE
06. pretty pretty good
07. Dreamer
08. LAST
MC2. YUMENOYUA
09. Beyond the Mountain
10. Jealousy Marionnette
11. QUEEN OF POP
12. Are you kidding?
13. FOUL

Encore