VKH Press has been following LM.C since January as they counted down to their 10th anniversary with a year of non-stop countrywide tours and activities. It all culminated in a magical grand finale held at Disney’s Maihama Amphitheatre.
The show began when strings of fairy lights suspended above the crowd lit up and a burst sweeping orchestral music played over the speakers. The crowd gasped in surprise as that was replaced by rainbow lights and flashing lasers for the SE “Be STRONG, Be POP.”. The support members all took the stage, waving to the cheering fans. Then the front of the stage opened up rising up from the space was a giant balloon shaped like the LM.C logo. The screams of excitement got even louder when everyone realised that Maya and Aiji were coming up along with the balloon. They both hopped off and took their positions.
They began with “LET ME CRAZY” and the crowd immediately started pumping their fists in time to the beat. The band had gone all out with the lights and lasers so it was like being inside a club. Firecrackers exploded into the air at the start of “Loud_Mucker_Complex” and the crowd yelled in surprise yet again. The energy in the air was electric and promised to only get better.
Maya quickly welcomed the crowd after that then they continued with a drum roll and the unmistakable beat of “Bell the CAT”. The band started clapping along, prompting the crowd to do the same. Maya couldn’t help but dance and twirl around the stage to the catchy music, getting the audience even more hyper and excited.The room was bathed in blue light and the energy calmed a little during “Rainmaker”. Maya took to the mic stand, focussing on his vocal delivery. Because of the slower tempo of this song, the band always made sure to put extra power in their delivery or risk it sounding too much like a ballad. As a result, the crowd was still fired up when Maya yelled “Let’s dance!” and they kicked off with “My Favorite Monster”.
The room was filled with chants and multicolored lights as everyone let loose and grooved to their hearts’ content. The crowd was jumping during the chorus and Maya enhanced the performance by adding different effects to his voices.
Everyone threw their hands up into the air and began clapping again when Aiji began playing the intro to “DOUBLE DRAGON”. From the back of the stage, two figures emerged. They were both dressed as Denki Man, LM.C’s dancer who hadn’t been seen in quite a while. Both of the Denki Men moved to the center of the stage and began to dance in a way that looked like they were sizing each other up for a fight. The crowd loved it and got even more hyped. When it was over, they bowed and left the stage.
Maya announced that the next song was “CRAZY A GO GO” and the room went wild. Fog cannons exploded into the air and Aiji moved to the edge of the stage as he played the rapid-fire riffs that had everyone headbanging non-stop. “Z-MAN” made sure that the crowd kept going crazy. At this point it was amazing to see the amount of energy that everyone in the venue had.
There was a moment’s pause then Aiji started the riffs for “OH MY JULIET”. The crowd started chanting along and Maya grabbed a bottle of water, took a swig and sprayed it over the stage as the rest of the instruments joined in. The fans were extremely responsive, yelling “Say yeah yeah yeah” along with the rest of the band. uring the last chorus, Maya trailed off and without hesitation, the audience began singing at the top of their lungs.
“Geki Fanfare” opened with a drumroll and the curtains that had sat behind the band unnoticed, were opened to reveal a wall of mirrors, making the spacious venue look even larger. Although this one was a bit more mellow, the crowd kept singing along with Maya so it was full of heart.
The crowd gave their undivided attention during “DREAMSCAPE”. Maya’s voice took on a raw, almost childlike quality as he poured all his feelings into the performance. The lights were soft during the verses and then exploded into a glittering shower during the chorus as a disco ball spun overhead. At Maya’s prompt, the fans gave their support again and joined with Maya to sing the final chorus. They followed up with “Tiny Circus” which was another pretty performance illuminated by the fairy lights overhead.
They paused for a break and Maya began to talk about the band’s experience performing at the Visual Japan Summit the day before. He mentioned that X Japan was his famous band growing up. Then Aiji asked if he had a favorite idol group and he answered that it was Backstreet Boys.
By the time they had finished talking, the crowd was laughing and ready for the next song. The catchy intro of “SUPER DUPER GALAXY” began and the crowd started clapping. This time, running out from backstage was an entire troupe of tiny children dressed as Denki Men. They immediately ran to the front of the stage and started getting the crowd even more excited. Not only did they amp up the energy in the room, they also danced along to the performance and it was so very cute. Maya moved in between them and the part of the stage they were on began to rotate so they were getting a view of every part of the audience.
The cheers were nonstop after the mini Denki Men left the stage but that wasn’t all LM.C had prepared. Next up was “MONROEwalk” and at Maya’s call, multiple smiling cheerleaders ran out from backstage into the audience. They were perfect for the peppy, upbeat energy of the song and they danced and kicked in the crowd before running down to join the band on the stage. At the final note of the song, they all posed and shook their pom-poms as they descended under the stage.
The crowd wasn’t the only one who enjoyed the performance. Maya couldn’t stop himself from saying, “I wanna do that again!” The room burst out laughing as he glanced backstage asking,
“Have the pretty girls already left? Can they come out again? They don’t have to catch the last train do they?”
Luckily Maya got his wish and the band geared up for another incredibly fun performance of “MONROEwalk” featuring the cheer girls.
When the girls had disappeared below the stage again, they continued immediately with “Brand New Rainbow”. After that, there was a hush as the keyboardist began playing a slow melody.
Maya thanked the crowd again and asked if they were having fun.
“I know I always ask if everyone’s having fun but I really want to hear you say it.”
He grinned at the crowd, “Do you love me?” Of course the crowd screamed their agreement,
“I’m a really annoying guy aren’t I (laughs).”
He went on to say that he really wanted their lives to be a place where you could come to forget about the stresses in life, even if it was for a moment.
“Why do I always end up talking about life? It’s this piano melody isn’t it?!!” The crowd burst out laughing but the sincerity in his words weren’t lost on them.
“There’s alot that happens in life so if you ever feel like running away, just come and have fun with us.”
Then he asked the crowd to sing with him and they all joined their voices for the beginning of “JUST LIKE THIS!!”. Then the beat came in, accompanied by flashing lasers and everyone began to dance. They followed with “We are LM.C!! ~the Anthem of Strong Pop~”. The audience pulled out their towels, waving them in the air and screaming at the top of their lungs.“The LOVE SONG” was next followed by “MOGURA” which was intense. Flame throwers shot fireballs into the air and Maya and Aiji moved to the very edge of the stage, whipping the audience into a frenzy. The crowd gave it their all and the room was buzzing with energy. By the time they moved to “Chameleon Dance”, the floor was shaking from the force of everyone’s jumps.
Pretty purple and yellow lights lit up the venue for “LIAR LIAR” and gold and silver tape exploded over the crowd. Everyone grabbed a fistful and waved them in the air.
It wouldn’t be an anniversary if they didn’t play their first every song and everyone got ready as shouts of “Rock, rock the LM.C” began blasting over the speakers. By the time Aiji’s guitar came in, everyone was dancing and rocking out. From above the stage, a sign with the name “LM.C” in brightly lit letters was lowered into view. At the same time, more huge LM.C bunny ear balloons were being inflated on either side of the stage. The cheerleaders ran out on stage along with the mini Denki Men and the LM.C staff showed up waving flags.
By the end of the performance, the stage was an explosion of activity and everyone was clearly enjoying themselves.
Amidst the chaos, Maya called the final song “PUNKY ❤️ HEART” . The lights in the venue all lit up and everyone was jumping and dancing. The performance was a flurry of activity and movement and it was impossible not to get swept up in the energy. When the music slowed for the bridge, the crowd continued their full bodied participation and sang at the top of their lungs.
The crowd couldn’t stop cheering the band, the support members and the cast of performers for the day. Before leaving the stage, Maya took a final swig from his bottle, passed it to Aiji and they both struck a pose, spraying the water into the air.
Aiji thanked the crowd over and over again for their continued support and at the count of three, LM.C and their fans all screamed “PEACE”, flashing the peace sign. Maya and Aiji gave each other a high five and left the crowd in smiles.
The last present to the fans was a video that listed every single performance that LM.C has ever done since they started. The number were tallied for a total of 341 lives and the final words on the screen were:
“Our Dream Isn’t Over Yet.”
Setlist:
SE - Be STRONG, Be POP.
- LET ME CRAZY
- Loud_Mucker_Complex.
- Bell the CAT
- Rainmaker (レインメーカー)
- My Favorite Monster
- DOUBLE DRAGON
- CRAZY A GO GO
- Z-MAN
- OH MY JULIET
- Geki FANFARE (激 FANFARE)
- DREAMscape
- Tiny Circus
- SUPER DUPER GALAXY
- MONROEwalk
- Brand New Rainbow
- JUST LIKE THIS!!
- We are LM.C!! ~the Anthem of Strong Pop~
- The LOVE SONG
- MOGURA
- Chameleon Dance
- LIAR LIAR
- ⭐️Rock the LM.C⭐️
- PUNKY ❤️ HEART
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