Continued from here.

So having built up a charge of energy worthy of a metal show far beyond that which I had expected for a show of this size. I waited to see if the following band would do anything to let me release that charge…

In two words… FU*K YES!

The last time I saw Liguria was in the midst of hard-core bands and thus they were not a band apart At Love Rock 4 however, they were the only band with the energy to set me off. Knowing this, I let loose and ripped it up in the mini pit wit the few likeminded guys that were there.

In the short time since I saw them the first time, their act had drastically improved. The most noticeable change was with the guitarist. She had grown in confidence and her enhanced stage personality helped drive the energy and skill of their live to a higher level

This time they also covered Deluhi’s G.A.L.D. While their skill was still quite a ways away from real deal, they did indeed have the general sound and feeling pinned down. So well in fact that I didn’t care much for their original tracks. It was beyond phenomenal.

After the brutal screams and powerful riffs came a completely different band yet equally energetic ska band. Frankie was on guitar and heir vocalist was also a lady and while her voice was not hard-core in even the vaguest sense of the word, but I have not seen proper ska live since I left home. They got me stomping around and having a good time.

The biggest problem is that I was the only one doing so. I don't know why the skank was unknown to such a large and diverse group of music fans, but I was the only person in that room who was doing more than standing in a hipster pose. Everyone was bobbing their heads and cheering but nobody skanked or did the スカーダンス as it is called here.

Next up was Frankie’s main band, Quintet Performance, and they were by far the biggest stars of the night for the crowd. Their energy levels were beyond my ability to adequately capture. The band was made up of all the best musicians from many of the previous bands that night. They were a tight, skilled unit who loved to perform.

they got a mosh pit going nice and quick with some guys who could bash me around nicely which is always rare and entertaining in Japan. I wouldn’t have personally chosen to mosh to that kind of music but who am I to turn my nose up at a mosh? that said I was getting tired so I didn’t go to every song. Besides I really wanted to listen to them properly.

It turned out the reason they were going so hard and playing so damn well was because it was their last show together. It had some fans in tears but it also spiked the energy levels.

The band after them were technically not the best of the lot. They had been going the longest though and they too were having their last performance ever. In this band I saw the deep bonds of friendship between everyone in the room, because the support was not based solely on their skill but also out of caring and compassion for the band and it’s members. They had been around for a few years and had made many beautiful memories for many in the audience and all that emotion was coming to a head in this last set.

Right at the end everyone got together and sang and partied and just had a good time together. They wished the band well on their new futures, some with shouts and others with tears. In the end everyone made one last beautiful memory together.