FACT – THE PIPELINE – LONDON – 01/03/2013 – REVIEW
Japanese bands can attract very different crowds, and even if recognisable faces show up at several gigs throughout the year in the UK, they can behave very differently from one gig to the next. FACT is one of the bands with a particularly strong effect on their fans. The Pipeline didn’t know what had hit it on March 1st; suddenly packed to the rafters with screaming, crowd-surfing, FACT-lovers who kept the band running at full power until the very end! FACT are Kazuki, Adam and Takahiro on guitar, Hiro on lead vocal, Eiji on drums, and Tomohiro on bass.
It was quite a long night, and we had a few support acts to get us pumped before the main attraction.The Social Club played energetic rock with a distinctly American feel (JPU Records likened their style to Weezer), really carried by the keyboard. The end of their set saw the beginning of AREA 11’s, who were playing their first live show since the release of their new album. They gave a great performance, getting everyone bouncing before FACT finally showed their faces.The sound levels erupted instantly.
‘1000 miles’ opened the setlist, which set the pace for a hugely exciting performance, with everyone chanting ‘F.A.C.T’ in the breakdown, already reaching for the tops of their voices. FACT went on to play ‘tonight’, one of the heavier songs of the night, and the front four or five rows went completely insane- dancing, pushing and head-banging- all the time encouraged by the band who looked like they were having just as great a time too. After a moment to catch their breath, Adam introduced them- a band “from Japan! And Northwich! That’s in Cheshire!”
‘FOSS’ then truly kicked off the night, which saw new member Adam providing support vocals, as he did throughout, for lead vocalist Hiro. In fact (no pun intended), all of the members provided backing vocals, which produced a dynamic and varied sound- although the inevitable sound restrictions of a small venue made Hiro’s vocal difficult to hear at times. ‘Slip of the lip’ followed closely behind, another of their most well-known songs. The chorus really made this song- the entire room was jumping in time to the catchy lyrics, while Hiro grinned at the front and jumped along with us. Most of the setlist was made up of their singles and most popular tracks, so fans were more than happy the entire night- every track was given a very loud and enthusiastic welcome.
The band took some time on stage to mess around and show off their informal style of interaction with the fans- they even hung back in the bar area afterwards to say hello to everyone. The band moved forwards with a couple of songs from the mini album, Eat Your Words; ‘the shadow of envy’, and then ‘Error’. Both were played with similar force to the others, and ‘Error’ in particular seemed popular with the crowd, making it a highlight of the concert. ‘This is the End’ took the band back to the Burundanga album, and kept the darker string of songs going strong.
Eiji proved to be the most charismatic member on the night, frequently having input in the MCs and interacting with the audience. It seemed fitting then that he was the one to announce the next performance- “We Do It In Our Way All The Way’! This song really captures what FACT is all about; their individual style and performances, so it was an ideal choice for the set list.
Next, Adam took a moment to talk about a more serious subject. He admitted that FACT weren’t a political band, but emphasised the importance of their song ‘eighty six’, as a heartfelt message, despite its upbeat style, criticising the handling of some aspects of the earthquake disaster by the Japanese government. This was one of the best performances of the night, with spot-on instrumentals and yet another great vocal.
The mood then switched back to the relentless energy and aggression from before- possibly even more, with the intensifying of the mosh pit and my sudden realisation that the liquid dripping on my shoulder was not someone’s spilling drink but condensation from the ceiling! The songs played in this section were ‘Fog’ and ‘Purple Eyes’, both of which were full on assaults on both the tech at the venue and our ears!
To finish off the main part of the show, the band played ‘sunset’, which featured one of my favourite melodic guitar riffs and some great harmonies in the vocals, and finally their most famous single ‘A Fact Of Life’. This final track had the entire crowd singing along at full volume, and it was here that the crowd surfing really took off- by the end of the night we’d carried both Hiro and Eiji several times!
The minute they left the stage the fans were screaming for more, and the band didn’t wait long before returning for their encore, which began with ‘Pressure’, just to give our insides a final pummelling. And so, after a fantastic set, FACT concluded the night, and indeed their UK tour, with ‘temptation’, from the Burundanga album. The final moment, when the audience sang in unison, “Give you my heart, give you it all”, was the perfect way to say goodbye to yet another very successful tour for the band. That said, once they had said a quick hello to the band offstage, most of the audience seemed determined to get out into the fresh air as quickly as humanly possible.
FACT put on the best hardcore show I’ve ever been to, thanks to JPU, the support bands, and the absolutely crazy fans. I have no doubt they’ll be back before long!
Words by Lauren du Plessis