ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION – O2 ACADEMY ISLINGTON – LONDON – 31/05/2013 – REVIEW
From struggling to book shows back in 1999, ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION (or Ajikan as they are known to their fans) are now one of the biggest and most influential indie rock bands to come out of Japan, and for the first time since they formed back in 1996, the 4-piece rock legends took to London, managing to completely sell out the popular O2 Academy Islington without any major advertisement. Despite finding worldwide fame for their work used in the openings of some of the most popular animes from the last decade such as Naruto, Full Metal Alchemist, and Bleach, the band aren’t your typical Japanese rock idol group, with sounds closely reminiscent to that of popular western acts Weezer, and even the Beatles. But it’s not just their music they are well know for; in 2003 they founded the ‘Nano Mugen Festival’ which helps introduce smaller musical acts from Asia and the West, lead singer Goto Masafumi became the editor-in-chief of a free news paper called ‘The Future Times’ in 2011, and the band also organised ‘No Nukes’, the first anti-nuclear festival in Tokyo which started in 2012 and this year will hold performances from the likes of avengers in sci-fi, 9mm Parabellum Bullet, ACIDMAN and many more. It’s easy to understand just why ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION are as big as they are, but how does this reflect in their live performance?
An early start, like all good Japanese shows here in the UK, with an awkward shuffle through the venue doors at 6pm. Just by looking at the queue it was easy to see how diverse their fan base has become over the years, with a slew of different cultures all lined up ready to catch of glimpse of their favourite rock stars from the east. After an hour long wait, the show kicked off rather suddenly as the band waltzed on stage getting straight into their first song of the night, ‘Shinseiki no Love Song’ from their 2010 album ‘Magic Disk’, instantly giving away that we would be hearing a wide range of tracks from their entire discography spanning over a decade. Next came the title track ‘Magic Disk’, then ‘Angou no Waltz’ from their 2006 album ‘Fanclub’. A great start to the night, though about half of the crowd still remained stationery, they still had a long way to go if they want 100% crowd participation.
A handful of well performed tracks passed, including ‘Re:Re:’, ‘Night Diving’, and their 2011 single ‘Marching Band’. Although the majority of the crowd lapped up the mix of old and new songs, to an outsider this portion of show started to blend together, making it difficult to differentiate each song from the next. It wasn’t until the 3rd quarter of the show that things really started to kick off with arguably their most popular track, ‘Haruka Kanata’, made famous back in 2003 when it was used in the opening of the highly successful animated series, ‘Naruto’. As the song kicked in, bodies started to fly, with the first (and only) crowd surf of the night. This was the crowd response we were waiting for, it’s a shame it didn’t come sooner.
The 4th quarter saw more varied tracks, including yet another crowd favourite, ‘Rewrite’, and for the encore, their 2010 single ‘Solanin’, first used in Takahiro Miki’s live action adaptation of Inio Asano’s 2005 manga of the same name, and then wrapping up the night with slow tempo track ‘Anemone No Saku Haru Ni’, the final track from their latest album ‘Landmark’.
ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION supplied a great night of music to their UK fans, and as far as first performances in a foreign country goes, they certainly entertained. However, as a newcomer to their work, the show lacked the impact you would expect from a band as sought after as Ajikan. Songs managed to blend together, and although the setlist was vast with a commendable 20 songs, there were only a handful of truly memorable tracks to walk away with. Interaction with the crowd was limited, and the band’s overall energy seemed low at first, but as the crowd’s spirits grew, so did the band’s. With an early end to the night (9pm to be precise), some left the venue with cherished memories of the first time Ajikan rocked London, and some left with a slight sense of apathy, hoping for more from these apparent Japanese rock giants. In the end, Ajikan has shown the UK what they can do, performing the songs that took them where they are today, and doing it well. Some may think otherwise, but even if you do, you can respect the hard work put into everything the band have done for music and people all across Japan.
Words and photos by Charles Shepherd