The Last Rockstars Debut Tour 2023
February 10, 2023 @ Hollywood Palladium (Los Angeles)
Live Report by Nhu Nguyen
Photos by Christan Copeland (Ceceemagery)
“We are kind of like ‘The Avengers’ in a way,” said YOSHIKI — the renowned musician and leader of THE LAST ROCKSTARS — at the band’s tour finale at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Palladium on February 10. Despite only debuting last November and releasing one song, the claim seems a bit brazen. But when you’re a blockbuster band made up of four of Japan’s top-tier rock musicians including HYDE, SUGIZO, and MIYAVI, you probably should be. That bravado was evident in the electrifying sold-out show.
Selling out an L.A. venue is no easy feat. Even though the city of angels is YOSHIKI’s second home, he tells the audience that he’s hardly played the city. “You know why? Because you guys are so fucking hard to please,” he says with a laugh. “I’m joking — I’m completely joking!” The night would go on to include more surprising and refreshingly honest moments. When MIYAVI addressed the late-start and thanked fans for their patience, he low-key confirmed some J-Rock lore about the band leader’s involvement in past show delays, “One thing I can say is it was not because of YOSHIKI — it was not him!”
The band knew their audience. But going into it, the audience technically didn’t know the band aside from who the members were, their individual works, and the one single, “The Last Rockstars (Paris Mix)“. The setlist bridged that gap, not only including new material from the band like “Here’s The Love”, but also peppering in a few of each members’ work making for a welcomed nostalgic treat.
“Bang!”, originally recorded by MIYAVI, was one of the most energetic performances of the night. The guitarist’s exuberance took on new heights as he felt the whole venue enjoy his song. Natural grins came off of each men’s face as they watched the crowd jump with fists up in the air at each bang. All this combined with HYDE carrying the main vocals and MIYAVI’s vocals supporting him made for a fresh experience. Amusingly, the song was a follow-up to the band’s song “Up And Down” which included lyrics like “Bang, bang, up and down.” I see what you did there!
The two-hour show was packed with goodies. YOSHIKI’s powerful drum solo set against Tchaikovsky. A guitar battle between SUGIZO and MIYAVI. SUGIZO’s “Folly” which allowed him to showcase his mesmerizing violin playing. X Japan’s “Born to Be Free” taking on a new life with MIYAVI’s signature guitar style and HYDE’s unique vocals. “HONEY” by L’Arc-en-Ciel which was met with screams of recognition and ended with a slew of bras being flung on stage.
For all the excitement they built, slower songs did not dampen the mood, but only strengthened the emotional connection with the fans. New songs like “Hallelujah” performed by HYDE, SUGIZO, and MIYAVI, who played on his acoustic guitar, was celestial. The iconic X Japan song, “ENDLESS RAIN”, provided a perfect sing-along moment as lyrics appeared on the screen.
Fan participation would be furthered by a mini “YOSHIKI-sensei” music lesson on “Shine”. “We [would] have an amazing time here, but at the same time, there are people suffering somewhere around the world. So I want to dedicate this next song to those people,” YOSHIKI said as he introduced the song and directed us on how to sing it. The audience members joined in effortlessly with HYDE singing the melody. As MIYAVI sat with his acoustic guitar waiting for his part, he held out his cell phone with the flash on and the audience followed suit. A mirror ball lowered illuminating the venue. With lights shining from all around, the lyrics on the screen described the scene that emerged in front of the band: “Tonight we will shine / Tonight we will fly / To the sky where there is no light / We’ll give the light / Time after time.”
The night ended with a chaotic encore of “THE LAST ROCKSTARS”. HYDE banged on YOSHIKI’s drum set and at one point waved around — then smashed — the mic stand. MIYAVI climbed on the speakers. YOSHIKI jumped into the crowd. And fans around the world were able to witness it as the event was live-streamed online worldwide and showed in theaters across Japan. The tour may have finished, but the band truly is just getting started and already off with a bang.
