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Concert review: Luna Sea - The End Of The Dream | 4/5

SINGAPORE – At their press conference last week, Japanese rock band Luna Sea was quick to refute critics’ suggestions that their reunion and subsequent tour was a money grab.

SINGAPORE – At their press conference last week, Japanese rock band Luna Sea was quick to refute critics’ suggestions that their reunion and subsequent tour was a money grab. “These people wouldn’t even come to our shows, would they?” retorted the band’s bassist, Jun Onose, aka J. “It’s the same in any generation, even way back in 2003. It’s ridiculous to say we’re coming back (for the money) when we really aren’t that free. We’re already rich.” Luna Sea clearly haven’t lost their joie de vivre. Their Asian tour, dubbed The End Of The Dream, ended last Friday with a one-night concert at the Star Theatre. And while the name might have had a conclusive ring to it, nothing could be further from the truth. The band may be in the middle of middle-age - lead guitarist Yasuhiro “Sugizo” Sugihara’s daughter turns 17 this year, and drummer Shinya Yamada is clearly going stout – but they’re already prepping for a new album. And I didn’t see any of signs of ageing at their one-night-only concert. What I saw was a band that transformed from tired-looking, clearly-in-their-40’s stars to young punks performing at their peak, mingling and calling out to their fans who responded with gusto. They played to a packed audience of hardcore fans – who nickname themselves Slaves – who’d streamed in from as far off as the Philippines and Japan. (Incidentally, during their meet-and-greet last week, they confirmed plans to open their Slave fanclub worldwide. It was previously a Japan-only club.) As the lights dimmed and the strains of Loveless filtered in, everyone jumped to their feet and screams and cheers broke out. Which is pretty strange when you think about it: These fans are only in their 20’s and 30’s themselves. But hey, I was there, wasn’t I? Throughout the night, each band member took turns to exhort the crowd, though there was little need. Despite the cramped quarters and lack of an actual mosh pit, fans were on their feet all evening, screaming at every outstretched finger and cheering wildly. “Chilli crab? Yeah!” lead singer Ryuichi Kawamura cried at one point, thanking fans for their suggestions on what to eat here. “Lion city? Shinya said he wants to live here! Keep it up and maybe we’ll all want to live here!” If it’s a cash grab, Luna Sea didn’t show it, and their fans sure didn’t seem to care. Ryuichi grooved and slid all over Sugizo – who showed absolutely no sign of a bad leg from last year despite arriving with a walking stick – in their trademark suggestive poses during Gravity, while Shinya slammed so hard on his drums one stick went flying. Luna Sea was clearly comfortable with each other thanks to over two decades of hanging out – both J and Inoran went to the same high school – and solo careers in the past decade that kept them coming back to each other. Despite collaborations and smaller spin-offs with two or three of the members, it just wasn’t the same “without the family”, said drummer Shinya. “My identity has become too intertwined with Luna Sea,” he said, “The Shinya that is me and the Shinya that is Luna Sea are one.” It showed in their easy grace on stage, when they crooned their trademark hit I For You to their high-energy jump-fest classic visual-kei titles such as Moon. But it was their off-stage moments of lighthearted banter that made for the real sport. At their press conference last Thursday, their straight, poker faces hidden behind opaque sunglasses broke down whenever they turned to talk to each other. When a special commemorative Merlion stuffed toy was presented to each member, Inoran’s boyishly cute gasp of “Maji? Maji de Merlion ka?” (“Really? That’s really a Merlion?”) was met with a deadpan response from Shinya: “Yes, yes it is.” When asked about their time spent apart, Sugizo said, their time apart “was a time to train,” improve themselves, and realise their full potential. That change was “pretty luxurious”, he said, but it was also something the group needed. “Because it’s now,” said Sugizo matter-of-factly when asked about the timing of their reunion and tours, “and because the time is now, that we can fully understand the real mysteries behind rock and our music. Only now can (the band) accurately portray itself in the way it’s meant to be.”

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