Blog - Weekly revue: 2019 week #30 (July 20 to 26)

Weekly revue: 2019 week #30 (July 20 to 26)

Food: - Lamb meatball curry at World Meatball Classic, Shinjuku-Gyoenmae
- Fried rice and gyōza at Sen Yō (圳陽), Higashi-Kōenji

Music events: - On Saturday July 20 was the Tokyo finale of SOLEIL's "Lollipop Sixteen Tour", just 3 days after the release of 3rd album "Lollipop Sixteen"! The show was held at WWW X, and the place was quite packed. This time the band was accompanied by drummer Shirane Kenichi (Great 3), guitarist Hirakawa Yūichi (The Pen Friend Club) and chorist Moeka (Machida Girls' Choir). The show had a great setlist of over 20 songs, with 8 from the latest album(!) and also plenty of favorites from their growing repertory.

The new songs sounded excellent! The first to show up was "Anachronic Girl", written by Frenesi, during which Soleil showed ribbon gymnastics skills while singing! "5-4-3-2-1" was also awesome, it's one of my favorites as it has references of Sally Kubota's 90's band Les 5-4-3-2-1 (starting with the "5, 4, 3, 2, 1" typical phrase). For "Red Balloon", Soleil performed a solo on Andes pianica, and for "School's Out" she faked a guitar solo on her cardboard guitar. Album opening track "Le Cœur Qui Fuzz" (written by Tweedees) was also a definite highlight.

Another nice addition to the set was a Batman/Wipe Out instrumental cover, played while the singer went to change into the "Mellotron Girl" outfit as seen in the video. Until then she wore a 60's style dress by starblinc (the brand that made almost all of Vanilla Beans' stage outfits). For the encore, Soleil played drums as she always does. Every time her drum skills are brushed up a bit. The show ended with "Summer of 2019", a melancholic and moving song despite being instrumental, written by former guitarist Nakamori Yasuhiro who quit the band with the completion of the album. There was a birthday cake surprise, as it was her 16th birthday that very day!

Also, I finally got to see the full version of the "Mellotron Girl" music video, which is included on DVD in the new photobook that was photographed by Shindō Mitsuo. The full video is even better, as it also shows the band "before" and also the rise of the zombies. Haha!

Upcoming shows were announced, three of which will be in collaboration with starblinc and held at Shibuya O-Crest, on September 15, October 13 and November 15, and also a Christmas show on December 22 at label Victor's new venue Shibuya Veats. Another show with The Pen Friend Club will be held on December 28.

Set list: Do You Believe in Magic? / Sweet Boy / Apple Princess Go Go! / Baby Boo / Anachronic Girl / Bittersweet Graduation / High School Lullaby / Pieces of Candy / Captain Scarlet theme song / 5-4-3-2-1 / koi no Happy Date (Gotta Pull Myself Together) / Batman/Wipe Out / Mellotron Girl / Red Balloon / Sweet Fifteen / School's Out / Le Cœur Qui Fuzz / Are You Happy? / Theme of SOLEIL
Encore: Session / Guitar in Love / Pinky Fluffy / Summer of 2019

- I dropped by Tower Records Shinjuku for an in-store event by Maika Loubté, who played a generous set in minimal solo style, mainly with just a beatbox and a keyboard, but with also some mixers and other gear. She sang 5 songs from new album "Closer", though the version of "Skydiver" was yet a bit different so she called it "Skydiver III", plus the B-side of CD single "Nobara" (sold only at Tower Records Shinjuku and Online), which the event promoted. That was a very fun set, also feeling kind of close-and-personal as goes the theme of her album. I got her autograph after the show! Maika will play a solo show on Wednesday August 21 at WWW in Shibuya.

Set list: Mountaintop / Runaway / Skydiver III / Tout en rose / Niet / Nobara

- And on Friday I went to Ginza Sony Park for a free show of the "Park Live" series, this time featuring Kaji Hideki! He and guitarist Ushio Kenta (of Otogivanashi) played a generous one-hour set. That included 4 songs from his excellent new album "Goth Romance" which is produced by Horie Hirohisa. On the third song Kaji-kun had a string break, and support guitarist went to change it backstage while lending his guitar so that the show could go on. He then played a bit of Ohtaki Eiichi's "FUN×4", and then the intro of SOLEIL's "Are You Happy?" requested by a fan sitting front row!

Set list: Ivy Ivory Ivy / Cecil Cut (of the Summer End) / anettai Girl / bits of "FUN×4" (Ohtaki Eiichi) and "Are You Happy?" (SOLEIL) / French Cinema! / amai koibito / My Favorite Tofflor (atarashii Sabot) / kimi wa chikara / Spray and Fanfare / Sunday Baby / My Boom Is Me
Encore: Siesta (kimi no Heart no Natural)