Concert Review: NOCTSCURE @ Ikebukuro Black Hole (Tokyo)

Kanade (gt.), Teika (ba.), Kai (vo.), Nagisa (dr.) & Rio (gt.)

On the evening of Halloween I was lucky enough to attend the first one man live of NOCTSCURE at Ikebukuro Black Hole in Tokyo. I had never heard of the band before, but they caught my attention with their promotional flyer. In Japan they usually give you a bunch of flyers when you buy CDs.

The venue itself was pretty easy to find thanks to the instructions of the venue site. (Only a 1 minute walk from the station exit!) While waiting there was a Black Hole staff member to keep the waiting line in order. Doors went open with a 20 minute delay. Once you got in you had to take the stairs to the basement. The walls were covered with signed posters of bands that had once played there. What was new to me was the fact that you had to buy a drink ticket for ¥500. I was pleasantly surprised by all the flyers of upcoming performances I got though. 

When I finally entered the stage room I was a bit disappointed by the size of it, but it was actually very cozy. I also noticed a lot of differences. People sat themselves on the floor and put their bags (with valuable things) on the sides of the room. In Europe we keep our bags with us and wait standing. They may be small differences but I did notice them.

With a loud blast it was announced that the members of NOCTSCURE would come on stage. Immediately everybody got up and took their places in front of the stage. I was lucky enough to be in the third row. As soon as the band started playing the fans went wild. The girls in the front row even took a hold of the fence in front of them so they could headbang with all their might. When the music got softer everyone started to do some hand moves. They were pretty simple so you pick them up with ease and enjoy "dancing" along with the rest of the fans. It surprised me that everyone knew the exact movements and when to use them. I really had no clue whatsoever so I simply looked at the girls in front of me. One tip I can give you if you attend a concert in Japan, make sure that you leave enough space in front of you. The headbanging and dance moves can get pretty wild.

The band members were as energetic as their fans. They jumped around the whole stage with a smile on their faces. It was no effort to get the crowd pumped up. Everyone had been excited since the moment they took the stage. Vocalist Kai also talked a lot with his audience. He was very outgoing but he also had a very soft side. He thanked everyone multiple times for celebrating Halloween with them and for being a fan. Kai made clear that they would be nothing without them. The room always went silent after those little speeches. The interaction with the other members was also great. You could see that they really enjoyed what they were doing.

At the end of the encore bassist Teika started throwing water bottles in the audience, Kai drenched the first rows with his leftover water and guitarist Rio was throwing around some of his picks. At one point I caught Rio's attention and he asked with gestures if I also wanted a pick. I nodded and he threw one right at me. For me it was a great ending to an amazing performance.

I can't tell you a lot about the songs since I didn't know the band before this, but I recommend to check them out if you're into heavier music.

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