Plastic Tree live in Yoyogi 2nd Gymnasium (12/28/2005)
I was walking across the overpass from Harajuku station, tapping my heels on the stony road on the way to Yoyogi National Stadium. It was so cold that you could see peoples breath in the air as they rapidly went toward Yoyogi 2nd Gymnasium, escaping from the cold. Down the wide steps in front of the gymnasium, many girls wearing antique dresses or suits were waiting for the opening. The girls didnt seem to mind the freezing cold, as their expectations and growing excitement kept them warm.
There was a merchandise shop under the outside tent. Scarves and gloves were sold among towels, bags, and telephone straps. At the corner of the shop counter, I found gold and silver leaves that were sold for charity, made for the Protecting Forests Green Campaign. People write messages on the leaves and bind them on the branches of two leafless trees beside the shop counter. The trees shimmered gold and silver with many warmhearted messages.
I entered the gymnasium, took a good seat behind the PA set. The hall was smoky and illuminated by a blue light. The screen on the stage showed orbiting satellites and random numbers. The huge round ceiling - a red and a white ribbon-like curtain - made it seem like a mysterious circus tent. While the hall was filled with people, girls were cheering for their reunion and showing costumes to each other. That brought me back to reality.
The hall became dark as the organ resounded like circus SE. Cheers of the audience became louder, and then members appeared on the stage. Vocalist Ryutaro wore a black jacket on a white standard collar shirt, putting on white shoes. Drummer Hiroshi hit powerful a rhythm while Tadashis bass sounded low and heavy. Akiras guitar shook the hall psychedelically. Ryutaro started singing with sweet gentle voice, and then the mysterious world of Plastic Tree began.
This live was their 3rd time year-end live. Plastic Tree hadnt had a live for three months since their 2005 summer tour because they released a single three months in a row and most of their work was in the studio. Ive suffered from Plastic withdrawal symptom! Ryutaro shouted, and then the audience cheered Cute! He stood on the amp and sang like he was talking to the audience with a sweet, slightly bashful voice as he sometimes played guitar. Hiroshi kept a crisp and clear rhythm on drums. Tadashi played his bass rhythmically while moving and jumping around on the stage. Akira changed his guitar sound with the various effecters fitting to each song. In the last song of the first half of the live called Barrier, Ryutaro started moving erratically, singing and bending his body. He introduced this song as his long-term insuperable barrier. He must have turn his inner thoughts toward this song.
For the preparation of the latter half of the live, the video was projected on the screen of recording, rehearsal, and private images of the members. The title was Plastic daily report, which was called Pura-Nippou for short. The old popular song Akogare no Hawaii Kouro played in the back ground, black-and-white film with intentional scratches seemed nostalgic. Funny comments made by the members spurred the audience to laugh, and the hall was wrapped by a soft atmosphere for a while.
Then the live called Hana moete Bourei no Namida Tenmaku ni ochiru (After flowers burn, the ghosts tears fall onto the tent) started and was projected on the stage. The white curtain pitched between the stage and the audience obscured our view and the song Circus was played on the stage. The shadows of the members were reflected on the white curtain. While the audience increased their expectations to see the members more, suddenly the curtain fell down, and the mysterious circus world of Plastic Tree came into our view! Eccentric dancers performed an outlandish dance on the stands of the stage. The odd images of circus members were projected on the screen. Members put masks on their faces. Ryutaro stood in his dyed blond hair wearing a red jacket as if he were the leader of the circus. Starting with quiet piano, the drums sounded suddenly, and the low heavy bass and a distorting guitar resounded. The world of a flying trapeze of the song Ku-chu-buranko jumped into senses.
Members took off their masks as the danceable songs began. Audience members stretched their hands, shaking and clapping to the songs. The band was moving around and jumping on the stage, standing on the amp, and stirring the audience. I cant live without lives! Wont you play with me some more? Ryutaro shouted like a crazy rock vocalist. In the song of CREAM, the upbeat rhythm and flashing guitar riff was so cool that I almost couldnt take a seat gripping my pen. In the song Saishu-Ressha (The Last Train), Ryutaro sang quietly while playing guitar. The lyrics were projected on the screen, and the hall was surrounded by a gentle and quiet atmosphere.
After the members left the stage, calls for an encore began. Members appeared on the stage, wearing white T-shirts which would be presents for fans on the mobile telephone web site. The first song of the encore was the beautiful ballad Tsumetai-Hikari (The cold light. In the blue light, fine powder snow was falling on the stage. Ryutaro sang dramatically while his voice sometimes cracked, but still moved us into the fragile sorrowful world.
Suddenly the last two songs turned hard at the climax of the live. I stood up and started dancing while I kept my balance away from rolling down the steep stairs of the stand seats. All the members ran around on the stage. Ryutaro sang and bended his body and finally came down to the audience. Security guards followed him cautiously while the audience was left in confusion. Ryutaro went back to the stage while shouting and shaking his head, and then fell into exhaustion at the end of the live.
The music of Plastic Tree was mixed and original. Powerful drumming and bass kept the loud and hard rock sound, and the drawling guitar sound made a hysterical and stimulating atmosphere. The delicate, unstable, and introverted lyrics of Ryutaro showed us his spiritual world. Their music filled us with stimulation caused by their child-like pureness. And above all, I felt strongly that their performance seemed like an underground band in a live house, even though they played on such a big stage. I think they would work steadily on any stage as artists making sound and expressing themselves in their music.
When the schedule of the spring live tour was projected on the screen, there were big cheers of joy and surprise among the audience. Next time, I want to see their performance in a live house.
Set list:
1. Irogoto
2. Melankolikku(=Melancholic)
Ryutaro MC
3. Zetsubou no Oka(=the desperate hill)
4. Seiza Tsukuri
5. Sanbika(=the anthem)
Ryutaro MC
6. Namae no nai Hana(=the nameless flower)
7. Mizuiro Girlfriend (=water color girlfriend)
Ryutaro MC
8. Yuki-Hotaru(=Snow Firefly)
9. Zange wa Yokushitsu de
10. Barrier
Images
11. Circus
12. Ku-chu-buranko(=the flying trapeze)
13. Tsuki no Hikari o tayorini
Tadashi MC
14: Uwa no sora(=absent mind)
15. Dance Makabura
Akira MC
16. Ghost
17. Kaibutsu kun(=Mr. Monster)
18. National Kid
Ryutaro MC
19. Cream
20. Saishuu-densha(=the last train)
en1. Tsumetai Hikari(=the cold light)
en2. Reset
en3. Psycho Garden
