ConcertReport NingenIsu March 6,2016 Japan

In the Beginning

Ghost Stories Death and Eros – Release Commemoration One-Man Tour-

The “Ningen Isu”‘s live performances are often held on rainy days.

This is the reason why Suzuki’s banter often starts by saying, “It’s not a good day for you…”.

Today, as usual, it was raining.

I arrived a little before the doors opened.

I picked up the ticket I had reserved by phone.

March in Aomori is still winter.

The lowest temperature of the day was below zero.

There were about 200 people there.

I went inside, took off my hoodie and put it in my bag.

There appeared to be a small number of customers wearing band T-shirts.

Or perhaps it was because of the cold weather, but there were many customers wearing heavy clothes.

In other words, I had the impression that there were more people in normal clothes.

But there were some who were wearing “Loudness” hoodies and caps, and some who were wearing “Carcass” hoodies and towels.

I was wearing a “Seikima-II” T-shirt.

Today’s bgm was “Queen”.

I let myself fall into the rhythm of the famous song and wait for the show to start while drinking beer.

This moment is also enjoyable.

The lights go down on time and the show begins.

Now, let’s enjoy the show!

Shigan-Goeika

The members appeared on stage to the familiar tune.

The audience cheered.

I wonder if there is an appearance song with such a great atmosphere.

I would love to hear it performed live.

Yuki-Onna  Snow Woman

This is my favorite song in the new album.

Catchy melody, riff structure that the more I listen to it, the more I realize its depth.

The middle part “shi-roi” is especially excellent.

I can imagine a deep snowy landscape in my mind.

It might have been more exciting if played in the middle part of the live performance.

Wajima’s voice flips in the high part, but what is good is good.

Ohkami-no-Tasogare  Twilight of the Wolf

Another catchy song from the new album.

This catchiness is something that the old “Ningen Isu” didn’t have.

It seems that the band’s attitude has been changing little by little since their appearance at Ozzfest.

As with the new album in general, each riff seems to have been carefully thought out so that it sounds comfortable.

Banter

The songs are given tentative titles before lyrics are attached to them.

He said that “Twilight of the Wolf” was “I Don’t Know” by Ozzy, but when the lyrics were added, it became “Bark at the Moon”.

Incidentally, the tentative title of “Hell’s Ball Games” is “Motörhead”.

That makes sense.

They talked about the Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival.

About the restaurants that set up store there every year, and about the Smart Ball.

The motorcycle circus across the street.

There were full of stories that I’m sure other gigs wouldn’t be able to tell.

From the story of the freak show next to the motorcycle, they moved on to the next song.

Nemuri-Otoko  Sleeping Man

This is another song with a very well-constructed structure.

The riff in the main theme is so cool.

The thrash-like riff in the verse is also cool.

But what is a sleeping man?

Extremely eerie.

Yuigonjo-Hoso  Testament Broadcast

As soon as the performance started, there were cheers.

All the audience, including myself, were smiling.

Maybe many of them have been fans for a long time.

It was a pop song in the style of Ningen Isu, and one of my favorites.

It has been a long time since I heard this song.

banter

When they rehearsed the song ” Testament Broadcast ” together, they had memorized the lyrics almost perfectly.

Wajima was able to do the storytelling part in one shot.

However, he said that the lyrics of the songs he wrote recently were lost immediately.

After talking about when they were in junior high and high school, they moved on to the next song.

Madame Edwarda

One of the most profound songs on the new album.

It is a standard for “Ningen Isu” to close the album with a profound song.

I like this song very much because it has a melody like a melancholy song, such as the chorus and the part where the beat becomes 7 beats in the latter half of the song.

The sudden tempo changes are intentionally inserted, and the song is full of tricks to make the listener gasp.

Well, it is well-crafted.

Shimpan-no-Hi  Judgment Day

This is another song I haven’t heard in a while.

The bass solo is long in the introduction.

The last part is also long and has a guitar solo.

And the middle part is progressive.

The rhythm was so weird that I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and I couldn’t help but exclaim, “Wow!”

banter

Talking about the shooting of the PV of “The Great King of Terror”.

The female cameraman did a good job of getting the members excited.

However, after 13 hours of shooting, Suzuki became more and more grumpy.

Kyohu-no-Daioh  The Great King of Terror

So, the next song was “The Great King of Terror”.

The Star Wars-style introduction was uplifting.

It is a complicated composition that changes its development in various ways, but each part is fascinating and not unnatural.

The ending has one more riff, just like “Namahage”.

Hoich-Junan  Hoichi’s Passion

Let’s face it, this was the most exciting of the new songs.

Even before the door opened, I could hear the conversation among the audience members who had come in groups saying, “Hoizii!”

Everyone must have liked this song.

“Hell’s Ball Games” was not played at this show.

I guess it would have been more exciting, but I wondered which song the audience liked better.

Then the song was vigorous and high-tension, the riffs were well thought out.

Hoizii!

Kuroyuri-Nikki  Black Lily Diary

Hmmm, I wondered for a while what this song was about.

I didn’t study it well enough.

I like this song, but they didn’t play it during the “Mandoro” tour.

I’m glad I got to hear it today.

The ending riff is so cool.

banter

Wajima said he was glad that the audience remembered “Black Lily Diary”.

No…I forgot about it.

Yomigaeri-no-Machi  City of Resurrection

Suzuki called out the title, saying that Wajima’s Japanese horror was brilliant.

The part “Hakaga Mocchiagaru” was excellent.

What’s “Zomekidasu?”

It is one of the more subdued parts of the new album.

Still, there is an impressive progressive part in the middle section, and this new album is really great so I hardly have time to breathe.

Sokoku-no-Ie  House of rivalry

The original song that changes its development around and around.

Although “Ningen Isu” has always liked to use abrupt tempo changes, this song seems to have reached the ultimate in this regard.

It is a popular song often played at live concerts.

Suzuki’s movements become more intense on this song, and the audience gets excited.

The literary lyrics are also irresistible.

banter

As is customary, Nobu encourages the audience.

Chou-noryoku-ga-Atta-nara  If I had supernatural power

This is a great song.

The simple riffs, in a good sense, are a good refreshment for the live performance.

And the riff development is surprisingly well thought out.

The riff was created by Nobu.

But what about the last part, “Hi!　Hi!” at the end of the song, I wonder if Wajima would have thought of it.

Umi-Monogatari  Pus Story

This song was written in response to Nobu’s request, “Ken-chan, write a dirty lyric”.

The lyrics are grotesque.

Maybe we are perverts who are smiling and grooving to this song.

The melody, which has the power to kill, is also irresistible.

The highlight of the song is the melodious solo, which is rare for Wajima.

It can’t be helped that there is only one guitar, but I would love to hear it with two guitars.

Nobu’s shout of “Gah!” is also wonderful.

Tengoku-ni-Musubu-Koi  Love Tied to Heaven

A classic of all classic songs.

My neck hurts from headbanging too much.

Grotesque lyrics and paranoid beat.

This is one of the best songs of “Ningen Isu” in every way.

Hari-no-Yama  Hell’s Mountain Of Needles

The last song.

I got sweaty even though it was winter.

The jumping part in the interlude was too much fun.

Not that it matters, but the new song “Kikka-no-Kazoeuta” sounds like “Hell’s Mountain Of Needles”, doesn’t it?

Akuma-to-Seppun  Kiss with The Devil

Encore from here.

Absinthe drunkenness!

I can’t help but want to drink when I hear that verse.

I like this lyric.

I heard it before at Wajima’s solo concert.

In the middle section, Wajima laughed wryly when “akumato-” was not in time to mic.

Jigoku  Hell

A no-fail song.

My muscles ached from too much headbanging.

Suzuki’s brutal lyrics are pleasant.

No need to explain, it’s a great song without question.

Namahage

The second encore.

This is the song they often end the show with these days.

It is a well-crafted song that is typical of “Ningen Isu” so it was no wonder that they chose it to close the show.

Before Wajima’s solo, Suzuki’s facial expressions were even more brilliant, which must have been a shock to those who saw it for the first time.

At the End

And so the fun concert came to an end.

They are going to keep rocking until they die, and I look forward to seeing more and more of them.

I remember during one of the banters, there was a scene where Suzuki sat down to tune up because he was tired.

It would be funny if this becomes a regular thing.

The show was even better than I expected, and I’d like to go see at least one more.

I might consider it.

I really wanted to hear “Jigoku-no-Kyuen” and “Doro-no-Ame” as well.

I hope to come back to Aomori again very soon!

March 7,2016　Freakz

(Postscript)

That’s a good, carefully written report. Don’t tell me myself.

There are a few songs I’ve only heard at this concert.

And they still played 15 full-length songs in 2016.

And Suzuki is described as tired, so I am sure that is why they improved to the current 14 songs.

As the members get older, so do the fans, and it doesn’t feel like we’re missing anything at all.

It’s just that the “Hari-no-Yama” jumps are getting harder and harder.

I will continue to support “Ningen Isu”, who always show us how cool they are for their age.

June 11,2023　Freakz