ConcertReport NingenIsu November 13,2016 Japan

In the beginning

Well, here I am. “Season of Hell”, the tour of the “Ningen Isu”.

This year’s “Ningen Isu” are full of love for their hometown.

I feel as if we meet every month.

I was thinking that it was raining and gusting wind in the afternoon, so I thought the weather would be very bad, but when I arrived at the live music club, it had stopped raining.

But it was still cold in Aomori in November.

I lined up in the order of numbers and waited for the venue to open.

As usual, I put my parka away in my bag, exchanged my drink ticket for a beer, and drank slowly while listening to the music.

Today’s soundtrack is “Cactus”?

I looked around at the customers around me.

No T-shirts other than the “Ningen Isu”… Oh, there was “Metallica”!

I wore a “Rage” T-shirt.

The lights went down on time, and “Shigan-Goeika” started.

How very disciplined of them.

Ahodara-Kyo

The first song was this one, which was very groovy.

It was a good choice for the opening song, as it featured the vocals of all three performers.

But it’s a little late to mention this, but Wajima’s guitar is so good!

Very catchy and a great song.

Neputa-no-Mondoriko

As usual, the opening riff got the blood boiling.

The audience was quite excited.

Do they do this at other places?　Is it Aomori-specific?

It’s one of my favorite songs.

Banter

They are going to play a lot of old songs since the old albums are being re-released.

I’m so glad to hear that.

After the fourth album, they dropped down to indies and had a hard time.

Rashomon

Oh, it’s been a long time since I last saw them.

It’s a long song, but the well-crafted development keeps me going.

The slow riffs are irresistible.

And the change to a more intense development towards the end is also wonderful.

A great song.

Yurei-Ressha  Ghost Train

They haven’t played this one for a long time.

The song is an unquestionable masterpiece.

I have already written many times about how great the song is, so I won’t repeat it here.

Banter

In “Yurei-Ressha,” they can see the audience singing the chorus with them.

When they see the audience singing along perfectly, they think they can never get the lyrics wrong.

However, they said that there has never been a live performance where they did not get the lyrics wrong.

Suzuki said that he would have to make a toast if he could do a live performance without making a single mistake.

Wajima said that live performances are good because of the mistakes.

They talked about the “Ningen-Isu-Club” that used to be broadcast on TV.

Suzuki said that the show is still available on Youtube, but it was not well received at the time of broadcast.

The show was not funny at all, but people had no choice but to watch it because there were no other programs on at that time of the day, and the reputation of the show was not good.

However, Wajima says he is glad to see that there are now people who enjoy watching the program.

For example, if you search for “King Crimson,” you will find a video of “Ningen Isu”‘s cover of “King Crimson,” and Wajima said that “Ningen Isu” is lurking in many places.

Since “King Crimson” was mentioned, he suggested a prog rock song, and they moved on to the next song.

Maboroshiiro-no-Kotoh  Isolated island of phantom color

I haven’t heard this one in quite a while…I think.

The progressive section that starts in the middle of the song is one of the best parts of the song.

The breathtaking and relentless development from quiet part to odd time signature to polyrhythm is just too much.

The development that is carried out in this way and that way again and again gives me goosebumps.

Ningen-Shikkaku  No Longer Human

Wow, I missed this song.

How many years has it been since I heard this live?

The song has the unique sludgeiness of the early days.

Maybe this is the first time I have seen Nobu playing the drums on this song!

The quiet part in the middle of the song and then the emotional development towards the end of the song is superb.

Banter

Wajima and Suzuki said they couldn’t remember the names of the songs.

In “Ningen-Shikkaku,” Suzuki’s shout just before the climax of the song is supposed to be a reminder that “I am no linger human!”

Wajima says that the development is just as in the novel.

Hoichi-Junan  Hoichi’s Passion

I thought the slow intro riff sounded like something, but I finally figured it out.

It sounds a bit like the song “Bloodline” from “Slayer.”

Only the intro.

The song is still a very exciting song.

The verse makes me want to sway from side to side.

In the bridge, I can hear the chorus work as if it were the “Alice” of yesteryear.

The chorus of “Ho-izy!”.

A great song.

Doro-no-Ame  Mud Rain

Oh!

Finally, the song that we couldn’t hear at the record release tour!

The tempo is weird, and the song has a strong sense of blame.

I was glad to hear it for the first time.

The highlight of the song is the middle part, “Shito shito.”

I was impressed by how well the guitar expresses the feeling of the rain drizzling down.

It is a great part that is similar to the “ah gokuraku” part of “Shitsu-Busshoh” and the “yuki-ga” part of “Yuki-onna”.

After all, Wajima values Japanese sensibility.

It is wonderful.

Banter

Talking about Hirosaki.

Wajima used to live in Matsubara (the name of a place in Hirosaki), which has now been torn down and turned into a road.

The road has become much more convenient since it was built.

Suzuki was laughing and said, “Wajima’s house was demolished and it became very convenient!”

It is said that Dazai Osamu lodged in the neighborhood of Wajima’s house.

This is also an amazing story.

From Dazai to Tanizaki, we moved on to the next song.

Chijin-no-Ai  Naomi

The last song of the album.

What should be noted is the development of the last part.

The catharsis alone is worth listening to.

A masterpiece of the literature series by “Ningen Isu.”

Senrei  Baptism

I don’t really like the riff, but Suzuki was in the groove.

The performance was enjoyable enough.

Mishiranu-Sekai  Strange World

This is the last song on the album, but it is a simple song without being obsessively crafted.

The catchy melody and riffs complemented the simplicity of the song.

I love this song.

Banter

Nobu’s banter.

He said he would learn a little more Tsugaru dialect by the time he comes back next time.

Because he only knows “Jongatteruze!” is the only thing he knows.

From there, they talked in Tsugaru dialect for a while.

Last night, Nobu was spoken to by Suzuki’s father, Nobu said.

But he didn’t know what Suzuki’s father was talking about.

Apparently, what he meant is “It must have been tough for you to come to Aomori on such a cold day.”

Suzuki said that there is no standard Japanese word for “urugasu.”

It was funny to hear him say that there is no such a pathetic thing as soaking rice in water.

I wonder if “urugasu” is, well, how should I say it, translated as “dipping the rice in water”?

The nuance is slightly different, though.

It has an added flavor of “letting it sit for a little time.”

Ah, it’s hard to explain.

So, while the Tsugaru dialect talk was going on, they started the song with “This is a song we rarely play!” and so it began.

Doutei  Journey

When have I heard this song?

I don’t think they’ve played it recently.

I thought that today, they might play “Tokai-no-Dowa” or “Amairo-no-Scarf” or something like that, but it didn’t come true.

The songs were super exciting.

Jigoku-no-Kyuen  Hell’s Ball

This riff is really comfortable, isn’t it?

The exchange between Suzuki and Wajima in the bridge.

The arm twirling part in the “groong-groong.”

There are many “Jigoku” series, but this one is one of the best.

At the beginning of the solo, I want to say “Kattobase wa, ji, ma!”

Tengoku-ni-Musubu-Koi  Love Tied to Heaven

No need to explain.

It’s so exciting!

But it’s a sick lyric.

The part where I scooped menstrual blood from her shoe with my finger…….is crazy.

Hari-no-Yama  The Hell Mountain of Needles

This song is always played at the end of the main program these days.

It’s so exciting!

The jumps during the interlude are super fun.

So, here comes the encore.

Akuma-to-Seppun  Kiss with the Devil

It’s a very exciting song.

It makes me want to drink absinthe.

This song makes me want to drink.

Dynamite

Suzuki sings with a microphone “in his hand.”

Maybe it was because of the open strings, but he played while pulling the bass.

It made a great impact.

Dottoharai  The End

The last song was a familiar one, and we parted with this song.

Oh, I’m starting to understand the progressive part in the middle.

How many years did it take me to understand it?

At the End

So, there were many rare songs, and even the regulars were able to enjoy the show!

“Ningen Isu” is the best!

I bought a tour T-shirt and went home.

It’s an excellent design that I can use on a daily basis.

I heard that they will still come to Aomori in the spring, though they can’t announce it yet.

Let’s wait for that day.

November 14,2016　Freakz

(Postscript)

“Ningen Isu”‘s cover of “King Crimson” is pretty hard to top nowadays.

It’s an awesome great cover, so if you haven’t seen it, please do.

But I’m not sure if it’s because I was young too, but I have an amazing memory.

How can I remember the banters and the order of the songs?

Thanks to that, I enjoyed it very much even though I wrote it myself.

February 17,2023