9GOATS BLACK OUT at Shibuya O-WEST

For 9GOATS BLACK OUT, this day was especially memorable, not because their tickets sold out, or because it was their tour final. September 21st was also a day of “loss” that made their bond stronger; their existence as a living proof of their lost ones.

It was ten past the opening as the usual SE began and glowing green lights lit the stage. First, the support members, drummer aki and manipulator akaya - with a new, shaved head hairdo - entered the stage with audience calling out their names, showing the support members had gained more popularity. They were followed by bassist hati and guitarist utA, who had dyed his hair blond, surprising everyone at the venue. Unlike the previous tour final Bright Garden, screams of the members' name could be heard from the start, showing that their lives have become more energetic.

As the bloody red lights gradually tainted the stage, utA’s screeching guitar echoed the venue, creating a haunting atmosphere. Vocalist ryo showed up with a petrifying welcome to the audience, “ Welcome to the hell of this world.” From start, the audience was mesmerized by the dark, erotic, yet heavy Belzebuth. The red lights made ryo look like a messenger from hell, and when he sang out the word “usotsuki” (liar), he emphasized every inch of this word, as if putting his deepest feelings in it. Red and orange lights started to flash as the song became faster and ryo’s voice mixed with aki’s drum, making this unique rhythm stay in everyone's memories.

red shoes, a song they had been playing from the Bright Garden Act II tour, had a rather romantic taste, with ryo’s deep voice in the first part of the song. Gradually, the song changed to a much heavier tempo; at the peak of the song, ryo’s high toned voice and hati’s weighty bass wove a balanced melody, and the blistering light effect made the rap part of the song agitating. Ending with ryo’s trembling, eerie voice, the red spotlight landed on ryo, who murmured out some words for the next song, raw. ryo’s high voice and akaya’s chorus made this song a remorseful one.

The band continued with SALOME, a very dramatic song. ryo used every inch of his body, sometimes binding his fingers together, and pantomimed pulling something over. akaya’s chorus overlapped with ryo’s well, giving the song a seductive taste, while utA and hati’s high pitched chorus made the sung words seem very tragic. The audience was engulfed into their world, and the stage took was set for the cold-blooded Lestat. ryo bent his back like an old man and made a beckoning gesture as his choked voice wrung out, “Come here… come here…” Drawn to it, the audience gradually moved to the music. utA sometimes played his guitar facing aki, and hati began to aggressively play his bass. akaya moved his body as he played the keyboard.

ryo's screams triggered the audience into headbanging, and the screams of audience nearly drowned him out as Lestat finished with ryo’s eerie “thank you." The mood changed as blue and green lights glowed faintly, and the audience's excited screams could be heard. Then gradually, the screams calmed, and silence embraced the venue for a few moments.

The silence was broken as utA’s guitar struck the first chord, and ryo began singing the beautiful lyrics of Den lillle Havfrue. With spotlights on the two, utA would sing the chorus, which was very meaningful. ryo’s voice gently sang the sad words as if he treasured them. The song echoed the venue peacefully and flowed smoothly to the next song, Sleeping Beauty. The stage was lit by blue and white lights, creating the image of snow. The sound of utA’s guitar flowed through the calm venue, and aki’s drums provided a quiet background. Contrary to the gracious music, ryo’s vocals were very powerful, especially during the main part, where the mirror ball started rotating. During the tour, 9GOATS BLACK OUT had added a sequel to this song, which ryo sang agonizingly, leaving a sorrowful impression.

At once the blue and green lights cast the stage into a dense atmosphere for in the rain. A deluge of emotions were poured into the song as seen in the members' aggressive playing during the main melody. The dramatic song ended with ryo dropping to the floor. Then everyone, except akaya and utA, left the stage.

akaya started playing a rhythm, and uta joined in with his solo: a crisp clear arpeggio, somewhat reserved and gentle, unlike the energetic solos he’d done in the previous one-man tour. Pink lights set the stage aglow, and as if this was their cue, the other members returned to the stage. ROMEO started with ryo’s hoarse rapping, and the venue began to heat up once again. utA would come to the front of the stage, appealing to the audience more. ryo’s use of different voices in this song was noteworthy; his voice changed as though he were possessed, sometimes sending chills up the spine.

Yasou~nocturne~ was more aggressive than usual, with ryo moving more on stage. Roaring at top of his lungs, ryo urged the audience to scream during float while moving from one end of the stage to the other. hati raised his hands up in the air, also moving rather aggressively. “Give us more of your voice!!” shouted ryo as the audience was driven into 690min. Intense as it already was, the thumping of hati’s bass and the crimson lights agitated the fans even more. An explosion of headbanging spread through the whole venue at once. Who’s the MAD, one of the new song by 9GOATS BLACK OUT, saw ryo’s repeated shouts fueling the audience even more.

The energy lasted through the heavier minus, and the members and the audience became one during the last song of the main gig, headache. utA and hati’s growling chorus and ryo’s brilliant voice accelerated the crowd into heavier thrashing. What was especially impressive came during the interlude of this song: akaya came forth to the front of the stage and enthusiastically encouraged the audience to move more. As the song ended, ryo’s face lit up. He looked delighted that he had given his all for this performance, and after bowing with the other members, they left the stage.

The members, save for ryo, came back on stage to answer the call for an encore. hati took the microphone and thanked the audience for the encore and for the sold out live. Then akaya told everyone of the additional one-man lives in November and December in Nagoya, Osaka, and Tokyo. hati added, “We hope with the additional one-mans, we can give you a glimpse of what we are trying to do.” utA also thanked the fans, saying, “It is all because of you all we were able to come this far, thank you.” Last, but not least, aki expressed his gratitude and said he would like to give his best to support the band.

After some applause, ryo came back. ryo commented, “I am very happy we were able to show you the world of our music. Thank you. This time we are challenging a new theme. The new theme is hell. It is a massive theme we are not able to complete here today. We would like to show you more of the theme in act two. We will be waiting for you. At our lives, we want you not just enjoy it like watching a movie, but be part of it.” After ryo made a few more comments, the encore started with the rather jazzy Rakujitsu. Near the end, when ryo sang solo, the spotlight illuminated him, making him seem like the bird in the song. The last melodies of Rakujitsu faded, and then aki’s drums quietly introduced Tenshi. The audience appreciated the tender song, and as it came to an end, ryo voiced another warm thank you.

"Before we end this day with the key song of this tour, I would like to say a few words.” When the audience seemed to grow concerned, ryo stressed, “Don’t worry, it isn’t bad news. To us, the start of 9GOATS BLACK OUT was about loss - the loss of our loved ones. My father had passed away this July, and one of our fellow musicians passed away this summer. September 21st is also the day utA’s father passed away.

"We were at the point of deciding what to do, and we chose to do what we believed - that is, to continue our music as living proof of our lost loved ones. Losing someone is sad, but think what we, the ones who are left, feel and can do. Please listen with your soul, Heaven.”

The mirror ball on the ceiling rotated quietly - a breathtaking moment. utA’s guitar solo echoed gently, wrapping the venue. ryo's very emotional singing was flooded by feelings that could be felt from this song. Ending with utA and hati singing the chorus, the last song of the day came to an end.

From the audience, applause arose. ryo, very touched by the audience, said, “I am very, very happy. Thank you." He blew kisses to the crowd. With the venue filled with fans shouting the members’ name, the band bowed and left the stage, ending an unforgettable live.

Contrary to the previous tour, as the theme for this tour was hell, 9GOATS BLACK OUT showed more of their aggressive side. They also showed that they are not afraid to bring out new ideas to the stage, which indeed, is not an easy task, and they did it successfully. True to what they believe in, we can definitely anticipate more great things from 9GOATS BLACK OUT.


Set List

1. Belzebuth
2. red shoes
3. raw
4. SALOME
5. Lestat
SE
6. Den lille Havfrue
7. Sleeping Beauty
8. in the rain
9. SE~Guitar solo~SE(moses)※
10. ROMEO
11. 夜想
12. float
13. 690min
14. Who’s the MAD
15. minus
16. headache

encore

17. 落日
18. 天使
19. Heaven