MUCC TOUR 2019 "Kowareta Piano to Living Dead" (Live Report)

MUCC
MUCC TOUR 2019 “Kowareta Piano to Living Dead”
Zepp Osaka Bayside
Live Report – February 17th, 2019
by Michelle Minikhiem

MUCC’s dedication to the creepy, 1930s aesthetic of their newest concept album Kowareta Piano to Living Dead was evident in the red velvet curtains and elaborate illustrated backdrop – the same illustration as featured on the album’s jacket. A baby grand piano sat center stage, though this one was clearly not broken like the one described in the album title. This piano was being played by guest support member Tooru Yoshida, who lent his talents to enhance the turn-of-the-century sound and atmosphere. Miya’s DJ setup and SATOchi’s drum kit were draped in red velvet as well.

Kowareta Piano to Living Dead is a solid entry into MUCC’s already stellar discography, and though fairly brief at just 9 tracks, every song is so well-executed and such a banger that you still feel satisfied by the end. A plus of the short tracklist is that MUCC was able to perform every one of the songs during their Osaka show.

“Psycho” is a great hard-rock tune that features Tatsuro’s signature harmonica skills. “Iris” is a slow burn, meandering and chaotic, a fresh and wild song that Tatsuro really got into as he and the other members headbanged their hearts out.

During “Jiko Keno”, a single released last summer, Miya appeared to go into a frenzy. He went behind Yoshida and pretended to violently murder him, then slammed his hands and arms onto the piano before Yoshida seemed to come back to life, rising up from the floor to resume his place at the keys. It was an unexpectedly theatrical treat.

“Vampire” had Tatsuro’s charisma cranked to maximum as he abandoned his top hat atop his mic stand so he could freely and expressively gesticulate, and he spiced things up with some wide-stanced hip-grinding against his mic stand near the song’s end. “In The Shadows” is clearly an old-school MUCC song calling back to their hard rock roots when the demo was likely made. It’s a rap-rock song echoing in a haunted house, and it broke the tense atmosphere the impressive ballad “Requiem” left in its wake.

Tatsuro lifted a candle with a burning flame into a lantern before launching into the breathtaking “sekisou”. It was an absolutely arresting performance of the ballad, and a true example of how MUCC has elevated their craft and evolved into a force to be reckoned with. All eyes were on him up until the very end when he blew the candle out.

The highlight of the night was “Living Dead”, no question. If you could serve a ballad to a metal head as a delicious dessert, this is what it would sound like. The light design was fantastic, really setting the mood and locking down the night’s cinematic feeling.

If you happen to have the opportunity to check out the band’s upcoming shows on March 31st and April 1st, do it — even if you have to be the living dead to make it there.

SET LIST
01. Psycho
02. Iris
03. orugooru
04. Vampire
05. G.G
06. zetsubou rakuen
07. TIMER
08. Jiko Keno
09. Magenta
10. chintsuuzai
11. Requiem
12. In The Shadows
13. sekisou
14. yuri to tsubasa
15. Melt
16. haide
17. Flight
18. Countdown
19. Living Dead
EN1. Superhero
EN2. Mr. Liar
EN3. ranchuu
EN4. sei to shi to kimi