The Ocean was one of the first “djent bands” in my library, so I was really happy when I heard that they will be playing live in Tokyo. It was also my first time visiting the famous Shimo-Kitazawa area and also ages since the last time I’d been to such a small venue.

I didn’t realize there would be four (!) other bands playing too, The Ocean had all my attention. Some of them were more experimental (reminding me of Deafhaven) while others less so, but to be honest after a while they just felt long.

But the wait was worth it, as The Ocean delivered magnificently. It was also fun to see the community culture centered around the venue. Reminded me a lot of the university music club.

The other day i went to Osaka for the second Opeth gig since i’m in Japan (the first was back in 2009), and it was awesome. Although back when the Heritage album came out, i wasn’t exactly happy with it, since then it grew on me, and i didn’t mind all that much that many of the songs at the show were from that album.

It was nice to have more quiet songs, songs when the people around me didn’t want to mosh (i don’t think Opeth is the kind of music you’re supposed to mosh to), but when i heard the first sounds of Face of Melinda, Heir Apparent or the Grand Conjuration, my heart skipped a beat. Ghost Reveries is still my favorite Opeth album, so i was very happy that they played at least one song off it.

Sunday was the day of my first real gig in the year, Helloween with guest Stratovarius in Namba Hatch, Osaka.

Getting there was a bit troublesome, because i started out late and i also forgot my ticket at home so by the time i got there, Stratovarius were already in the middle of their first song. Shame on me.

The Stratovarius tracklist was pretty amazing. They played great songs, like Legions, Twilight Symphony, Forever and Hunting High and Low among others. The only problem was it felt way too short, they played “only” for an hour or so.

After a break came Helloween. I couldn’t really enjoy the first two songs (both from the most recent album), because some guy behind me was screaming into my ears like a madman. Later however i let a six-or-so years old little boy sit on my shoulder so he could see at least one song.

The Helloween tracklist wasn’t as good as i hoped, but it had many of their classics, and also a medley of their longer songs like Keeper of the Seven Keys and Halloween. Even after the so-so start with recent songs, later the show turned great. The japanese seemed unfamiliar with the “happy happy Helloween” chant, so i showed them that too.

To put it short: fun!

Dear AC/DC, you should seriously contact Metallica. Because what they did this sunday, that is what i call a show. Unlike yours. The two opening acts, The Sword and Fear Factory played for the usual “opening band” duration, not too short but not long enough to get fed up with it either.

And then, and then, and then, Metallica came on stage. Although i wasn’t in the standing-moshing crowd, because i could only buy a seat ticket to the opposite end of the arena, it still sends shivers down my spine when i think about it, and i have to say this wasn’t my first metal gig either. Although i think there were problems with the sound during the opening acts, the whole performance of Metallica, the whole show of Metallica, the whole concert Metallica gave, it was, to put it short, perfect. (Except for a bit of the background screen that died midway.) They played great old songs as well as newer hits, and though i didn’t know just like half of the songs (the Great Old Ones—although they didn’t play the Call of the Ktulu), it was fantastic, i didn’t even have time to space out.

Not to mention the feeling of looking down at the pit, for example during the Master of Puppets and seeing four meatgrinder moshpits swirling in the crowd. I so much wanted to be down there.

Do you listen, AC/DC? This is how you do a great show. You should’ve been there, it was epic. They even invited one guy, for whom this was his 100th Metallica show, on stage. Amazing. Now i understand why so many people have been there both days. I wish i was one of them.

Friday afternoon there was a really nice punk rock party at the B♭ (B-flat) live house in Otsu, just about an hour by train from here. It was organised by Spike (スパイク), a local (?) punk band. Because i had an exam in the afternoon i was roughly half an hour late compared to the official start time, but actually i just arrived a few minutes before the first band would start to play.

The problem is, that except for Saboten and Spike, i had no idea who are playing at the moment. Apparently mostly everyone in the crowd knew all of them, so they didn’t see the need to introduce themselves—i only recognised Saboten because in an mc the (ex-)bassist-vocalist (he apparently has problems with his wrist so he stopped playing the bass) referred to themselves by name, and Spike because every other band said Spike’d be the last, and they were.

Most of the bands played fast and energetic punk rock. There were eight bands altogether, Saboten, Garlic boys, Shachi, Tac, Spike, the all-(cute-)girls Kurikinton (くりキントン), Lagoazul and Highmount 40. From six pm, they played straight till eleven, so by the end i was pretty tired, but it was really fun. (Also i’ve seen ads that Maximum the Hormone will be playing there in august, naturally in the few days when i’ll be at Okinawa. Just my luck.)

June 22, 7 pm was the start of a great event at CLUB QUATTRO in Nagoya. Although due to school schedules i was late by roughly twenty minutes, i could still catch a few songs of the support band Supe. They played the same kind of music that Story of the Year played later, but i simply don’t know its genre. It’s a great genre for sure, a mix of In Flames and Sum 41, or something along those line, i hope you get my drift. The thing is, gigs of this kind tend to be great. Great. Although Rancid is not of that kind, their speedy music is what made their live in Tokyo so great, and i probably need not say how fantastic In Flames was.

Even though i had no idea what Supe was, after their performance i was seriously considering buying their album as an act of good faith. They played great.

And after a short brake came the main event of the night, Story of the Year. To be honest, i don’t know Story of the Year but for a single song (Wake up).