A live report of Metronome during their live, entitled [Cycle Re-Cycle~May Day X'mas~], at Kawasaki CLUB CITTA on December 22, 2006.
The last day of the Cycle Re-Cycle tour (which consisted of 12 lives in 7 venues) was a one-man live in Kawasaki CLUB CITTA. The live house had high ceilings which was set with a lighting fixture in the shape of a star, with a mirror ball in the center. In an almost full venue, some fans wore silver costumes with black lines, some wore black costumes with yellow lines, and some wore shirts with black and white lines. The live was held near Christmas day, so there was even a fan who wore a cute Santa Claus costume. There were 2 huge screens on the stage, 8 TV monitors, and 3 runways from the stage. Electric SE sounded in the smoky hall.
When the 1st instrumental song from their new album Cycle Re-Cycle started, white smoke blew up in the front of the stage, and the audience loudly began to cheer. Metronome's members appeared, wearing for the first time in public their new black costumes with yellow lines.
Sharaku shouted 'We are Metronome!', then the 1st song Boku Sonzai Setsu started. The audience started jumping to its pop rhythms. Screens and TV monitors on the stage projected pop geographic figures, and colorful showy lighting flashed in time with the music. Isshu-kan, Neji-shiki, and Tokyo Babylon were performed. Yuichiro rhythmically played drums while Riu played a heavy and hard bass and Fukusuke stood with his legs wide open playing guitar while stirring up the audience. Synthesizer and computer programmed music sounded as Sharaku quietly sang honest words about weakness, anxiety, and the despair of humanity, looking downward and walking around on the stage. He seemed like a robot with his voice and movement. The audience danced and sang with the music, responded to Sharaku's calls moving from side-to-side and front to back, raising their fists up into the air.
During the MC, a shy Sharaku looked downward, and said 'Doing a live in CITTA is best!', then INFORMATION from the new album started. Fukusuke kept dancing and playing guitar. Riu played a heavy bass with his fingers as he jumped rhythmically to the music. Aquarium and Mahou had fresh pop melodies fused with hard rock, followed by Fukigen na Android which sounded similar to rap music. Various geographic figures were projected on the screens one after another, and laser beams flitted around with other showy lighting, turning the hall into a huge disco.
PSYCHO ENEMY and Kakusho BIAS A GO!GO! sounded as dynamic and progressive music which soon complicated rhythms followed. During Boku no Miginou Saruno Sanou, the audience raised their hands, moving up and down and, alternately, doing a monkey dance. During Puchi Tenpenchii, Sharaku shouted 'Why do you have a head? To shake it!' and the audience started head banging with the hard music all at once. Members walked the runways often touching fans' hands, and climbed on to Yuichiro's elevated drum platform, making the most of this huge stage. During the bright fresh song, Arigato, silver ribbon-like tapes blast into the audience. When the song finished, everyone raised their hands and jumped all at once, then the members left the stage.
Answering the calls for an encore, members appeared on the stage one by one, and played encore songs one after another. In the venue, several cameras shot their performance, smoke erupted, and finally huge balloons appeared and flew around among the audience. Sharaku was surprised at this effect, and ran into the runway. What was worse, the huge balloons popped and many smaller balloons flew out from inside. The audience made a big cheer with this unexpected surprise. At last members and fans jumped together, then this showy and flashy live ended.
Their electronic pop music mixed with heavy, hard, and real instrumental sounds created bright and loud music. Withdrawn, delicate, and maybe even slightly masochistic lyrics written by Sharaku (who sings like an immovable robot) make the original, unique world of Metronome. Lighting and images materialize the world of Metronome's sound making a strange and futuristic space. I look forward to the DVD release of this artistic live.
Set list
SE
Boku Sonzai Setsu
Isshukan
Neji-shiki
Tokyo Babylon
MC
INFORMATION
Aquarium
Mahou
Fukigen na Android
answer
MC
Boku no Michi
8 bit Girls Bravo
Delete
Computer
MC
PSYCHO-ENEMY
Kakusho BIAS A GO!GO!
Boku no Miginou Saru no Sanou
Puchi Tenpenchii
MC
Arigato
EN1
Shinsekai
Mendokusai
Mittsu kazoero
Zetsubou-san
EN2
Hello
φD-SANSKRIT
