10.03.2004
deadman oneman at Shibuya Club Quattro

So like... yeah... deadman! Meg wanted me to go with her to this oneman, and I had no qualms against it because deadman is good. I listened to their Site of Scaffold CD when it came out years ago, but had never heard anything after that or seen them live before. So that was probably a bad idea, going to a oneman of a band you only know 5 old songs of.

So we got lost trying to find Quattro but luckily we met Lauren who knew where it was, and then we waited hours for them letting people in. It was really crowded, cuz apparently deadman doesn't have onemans like ever, and this one was special as they were giving out a free CD. We got in near the end because we had Pia tickets from Osaka or something, but as soon as we entered the place, Meg took off and managed to get up near the front. I wandered around looking for a place to stand, which was hard because there were sooo many people I couldn't see. Quattro is a really nice place but weirdly shaped, with raised side areas with tables, small enclosed smoking section in the back, and a pit in the front middle. And then Lauren came in and she took me into the middle area. I wasn't planning on getting in the pit but there I was!

But it turns out there was no mosh pit anyway. What they say about deadman fans not moving is true. At the beginning everyone mashed forward (making me a lot closer to the stage than expected) but they were pretty much statues the rest of the time. There was some bouncing, hand movements, and very little headbanging (which was apparently a groundbreaking occurrence for deadman fans), but none of which was done in a way that your feet had to move at all. It was a huge change of pace from my normal live circuit. But it was all right, because it was like watching a play. The band's totally boring except for Mako. Mako was the most interesting person I have ever seen on stage... He's completely in his own dimension (and dementia) and just does the weirdest shit ever ("my arm has a life of its own! Better try to keep it away from me! Now I'm gonna try to... hang myself! And claw through invisible dirt! And smear white paint everywhere! And roll on the floor and lick fake blood off my hands!! Wooo!").

But when he didn't happen to be moving or doing anything particularly interesting, staring at the speaker was more exciting. That's just the way those bands go though... Blast was the same way except Yuina didn't do weird shit. And I knew all Blast's music when I saw them live. Deadman played about 4 songs I knew, but changed the lyrics/music around some so I was all confused (they were actually remakes). They also didn't speak at all... it was one song to the next with nothing in between. Mako actually MCed for like 30 seconds and everyone crapped their pants.

So I was fun I guess, but my legs were so numb afterwards from not moving... I went to get a drink while the audience was deciding whether or not to call them back for an encore... And of course for the encore they play two songs I know and love, when I was in the back and couldn't see crap. Bastards.

If you wanna read details of this live up to the color of Aie's underwear, and see the setlist, read Meg's live report: here.