Moran: The Cult Musical at Shibuya O-West

Moran’s devotion to their fans and the crowd’s uncapped enthusiasm made the show at Shibuya O-West unforgettable. Between ballads, raging head-bangers and feel-good jazz, the band put on a heartfelt performance.    Background music of real show-tunes from the CHICAGO soundtrack gave way to the opening numbers, “Minami he,” “Manicure,” and “Breakfast on Monday,” which streadily rose from an explosive start to a near atomic finish. Hundreds of multicolored light-up rings flashed erractively overhead in an onslaught of bass, funky guitar, swinging cymbals and hot, smoky vocals for rhe next wave of jazzy sounds. Hitomi’s lyrical yells were expressed with rising body rolls and Sizna cut an animalist profile in his darkly lit territory to the side of the stage. On drums, Soan’s never-ending font of energy smashed away at his cymbals while Shingo’s fingers were infused with Zill’s will as well as a flair all his own.

“What type of person are you? Do you like my singing? Do you need my singing? These are the people that support me. If your heart is weak and you hate people and you can’t forgive yourself, I hope I can take your hand with this song.” Throughout Hitomi’s monologue, sweet music built to a head. “I think it will take me to the same place you are–into the same darkness. Somehow–let me reach you! ” The prayer concluded with a raw scream as dry ice misted across the stage floor and Hitomi’s smoky tones crooned over the powerful music of “Onaji yami no naka de.” Lights flashed, whiting out the stage on another emotional scream before blindness subsided as the music faded back in. Next, the cello-fed classical opening of “fender” heralded a new atmosphere of tinkling rhythms and pre-recorded classical-pop strings.

“Since Sizna joined Moran, we’ve been walking down many roads and have been able to make some new music. It’s wonderful.” Here, the so-far smooth operation ground to a halt as the emcee took a comical detour. Sizna squeaked out his trademark character voice in answer to Hitomi’s questions before the band discussed Soan’s prowess at darts with the ability to perform (in his own words) a “hat-trick,” getting three darts in a row in the central zone on a regular basis. “Soan’s really good at bowling,” Hitomi announced, in apology for doubting the drummer’s darts skill. “I’m terrible,” he added.

Eventually, Hitomi suggested that Sizna announce the feel-good new song he had written. In that crazy voice, the guitarist announced a title making light of Hitomi’s erlier ‘feel-good’ conversation. Cutting off halfway through his repeat of the title, Hitomi complained, “I’m not singing something called that! The real title is “Ashita he no hakuri.”” Feel-good was an accurate description of the number, full of strong beats for the guitarist to snap, flail, and spasm to while his fingers picked a complicated but aurally simple tune beneath the melody. The sudden ending seemed incomplete and a moment later, Hitomi explained without batting an eye-lid, “There’s been some trouble. So I’m going to sing ’rub’ which we hadn’t planned to perform today.” Just like that, he began a heart-felt a capella performance and soon Shingo was adding gentle bass, then Sizna brought it home with guitar.  A roll of cymbal snapped the set back on track, heralding the sultry opening of “Helpless.” The beat took off with that good-old Moran swing, Hitomi twirling his white baton about in relation to trickles of piano in the instrumental.

“Hey, O-West! Can you keep up? Amid the pure white rain…” “White Out” struck up hard with a burst of jets which obscured the stage in a curtain of smoke, swiftly blown away as Hitomi sang the darkly worded opening lines. The intensity continued in “Kare” and “Benizashi,” The piece had the feel of a wild, sexy night out like a 1940’s underground scene.

“Are you guys putting it all out?” Hitomi asked of the band. “Soan! Make some noise! Beat that bass drum so like a heart-beat.” After Soan smashed a riff full of kick-bass, Hitomi turned to Shingo. “Sound that growling bass.” Shingo ripped out a sick little bass solo. “Sizna. Wring out that screaming, wailing guitar!” When the guitarist was done molesting strings and ears, Hitomi turned to the audience: “Now it’s our turn! You know what to sound, right?” When one fan sincerely cried “Our hearts!” Hitomi never missed a beat. “Hearts… and voices. Now scream!” He soon joined in with some wordless, throat-tearing cries. “This sound that screeches out in the live-house is Moran! “’Konya, tsuki no nai kaigan de.’” This is music.”

The number had the potential to be moody and darkly atmospheric but the band’s unstoppable grins infused it with sense of fun.“O-West! Come at me with everything! This music we’re ‘gonna play is like a beam of light! Ready? Last!” “Stage Gazer” took off hot and heavy and shouts of “Music like a lazer!” accompanied Hitomi’s vocals. Feeling the final beats, Hitomi walked straight offstage, Sizna and Soan growled, gnashed their teeth and saluted each other and the crowd before they took their leave, the drummer getting wound up into Sizna’s unique tension.

The live had only just begun. A desperate chant from the crowd recalled the band, Soan and Sizna still caught somewhere between hyper and rocker-cool. In strutted Hitomi like a cowboy. “With this number, we’ll complete Tricolore,” he said. Another musically powerful ballad swept the crowd up into its strong but simple vocal line, instruments working to a crescendo, until the number, “Haruka na Ao” brought Hitomi to his knees during the guitar solo, the vocalist rising to sing the chorus in harmony with the swelling music “Let’s get mussed up, dirty and bad! This one feels the best!” Hitomi cried, introducing the wild and violent “Silent Whisper.” Smoke jetted into the air to finish, framing the three forward members before all were veiled. “Holic! Come on! How are you doing? We’re ready for it! How about you? The truth is, I’m really very passive… but onstage I’m a total carnivore. By speed, I’m a cheetah, by strength a lion and my cool looks are a tiger. Give me your meat! Eat each other up! Let’s go crazy until you howl!” “Sea of fingers” required the crowd’s cries, transforming them into a kind of percussion between the smooth, silky vocals.

“I can’t help it!” Hitomi cried when it was over. “I’m having too much fun! I don’t want to finish! But… there’s only one song left in the set list. One isn’t enough! I don’t wanna finish! Do something! Who should I ask?” The vocalist continued, “When I made the set list, I didn’t consider my own feelings during the live. What the fuck! It isn’t enough! Soan, do something.” Hitomi was already decided, though, and soon had Sizna and Shingo picking two extra songs which resulted in a sudden addition of “Hameln” via Sizna and a repeat of “Silent Whisper” at Shingo’s request. Soan, however, looked troubled and the crowd appealed to him with a yell. “Let’s do it!” he responded, “but I’m ‘gonna look at this chart because I haven’t practiced this one,” he said with a nervous laugh, flashing a piece of paper in the air for the crowd to witness. The number had a different kind of groove, the guitar sound developing a wild edge while Soan smashed out a difficult series of cymbal crashes. Hitomi’s spoken lines rose to a scream until he clutched at his head in a fit of despair. “Silent Whisper” was only more hardcore the second time around, the whole venue in an uproar.

“Now, let’s outdo it all and have an amazing party,” Hitomi announced, heralding “Party Monster.” With a bang, sprinkles of tinsel burst overhead and trickled down as Moran threw a wonderful party, Sizna squeaking the title lyrics and toting his glow-ring in his mouth when they stage blacked out for the instrumental, hundreds of little lights floating above the crowd on raised hands. Biting off his gloves, the vocalist marked the beginning of a stand-alone riff, the band going crazy. One more go and a very wrecked group of men stumbled offstage, Sizna thanking the fans in his squeak. “I’m totally messed up right now,” Hitomi muttered, rambling a little before he left-off mid-word and staggered offstage.

Neither the two extra songs nor an announcement screen of lives and releases to come would satisfy the crowd. They wanted more… and luckily for them, Moran wanted to give it even if Sizna was already in his street clothes or if continuing to lengthen the show would cost extra in venue-hire. Hitomi joked that the crowd should pay an extension fee, but then assured them that Soan would provide from his own pocket. “Soan will do something,” he said with confidence.

The final number sounded just great, but on a visual level, the band were obviously done in, Hitomi lying down for half the song before struggling to his feet to scream the lyrics. Saying goodbye to first stage left and the stage right, Hitomi dragged Soan along with him. “And centre! The centre who I love from the bottom of my heart! Thank you!” After a cameo re-entrance by Sizna and brief farewell from Soan, Hitomi closed the show. “They’re weird members but I’m proud of them. And I’m proud of you ‘Holics’ gathered here. We’ll become a band you can be proud to be a fan of so come with us! Thank you Holics!”

With that, the show came to an end for real, but the memory will remain long after like the wailing feedback of a guitar left behind. “Don’t miss Moran in 2012,” a video warned the reeling crowd.

Set List

1. Minami he
2. Manicure
3. Breakfast on Monday
4. Kekkan no Detail
5. Lost Sheep
6. Arikata
7. Onaji yami no naka de
8. fender
9. Ashita he no hakuri
10. -　rub　a capella　-
11. Helpless
12. White Out
13. Kare
14. Benizashi
15. Konya, tsuki no nai kaigan de
16. Stage gazer

Encore 1

1. Haruka na Ao
2. Silent whisper
3. Sea of fingers
4. Hameln
5. Silent whisper (2)
6. Party Monster

Encore 2

1. Manicure (2)

There are 22 photos in this visual kei exclusive.

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