Neatsville: sekien@fab-space

Thursday, April 3, 2014

sekien@fab-space_姫路

sekien@fab-space_姫路

Even up until I now, as I post this, my ears are still ringing from the high frequencies my ears endured during this show. I've been in the studio while these guys practiced before and I was smart enough to bring some ear plugs but it went over my head to pick some up for their live show. It didn't help that I was planted in front of both the loudest speakers in the venue. At these kind of shows you basically have two choices of where to stand and watch the show - either up front where your head is eye level to the swinging guitars or on the outskirts of the mosh pit where eventually you become a wall barrier for it. Either way, you're coming out bruised or a drink or two spilt on your back, and to top it off, probably deaf.

What I love most about these shows in small venues is that the crowd is so involved with the show and performers, almost TOO involved. That's the beauty of it though, you'll randomly see fans of the bands run up on stage and grab the mic to sing part of a verse and stage dive off into the crowd. Everyone knows each other and if they don't, they'll meet acquaintances either in the pit or in the emergency room thereafter.

Luckily for me, I didn't have to break a single bone to get acquainted, thanks to my brother-in-law, Toshi, the lead guitar for sekien. Toshi's been heavily involved with the hardcore scene all over Japan for almost a decade. If you remember in Japan posts in 2011, I was only able to shoot practice pictures in the studio of his previous band, Gamvit. Three years later, I'm finally getting a dose of Toshi's stage presence which you can get a hint of yourself from the following pictures, yet they will never do justice in live action. For all the sekien fans and future fans, here's a message for all you from Toshi:

"自分の信じる道を行け！！"

ばい:１０４yuki (ギター）