HYDE and his audience spend 120 minutes in depth [INSIDE]: Concert recap

On October 26 and 27, HYDE appeared HYDE [INSIDE] LIVE 2024 -EXTRA- at Chiba's Makuhari Messe.

These shows were an extension of it HYDE [INSIDE] LIVE 2024the music club tour that started at Zepp Haneda, Tokyo (TOKYO) on June 22. As is clear from his name, this tour was in support of him HYDE [INSIDE]his first new album in five years. In 2024, HYDE also performed at many festivals across Japan such as OGA NAMAHAGE ROCK festival and the DEAD POP festival. Although a respected figure, always at the forefront of the rock world, he also has many rivals. His ever-evolving live performances have captured the hearts of a diverse fan base.

The show started with a countdown. At 17:06 (or 16:66), the sounds of the show's opening music filled the club, and then the band kicked things off with “LET IT OUT.” HYDE also performed this as the opening song at several of the shows on last year's tour, HYDE LIVE 2023but the band's stage reveal kicked things up a notch this year. HYDE stood atop a towering platform, looking down on the audience. He wore a military hat adorned with Swarovski crystals and his piercing gaze foreshadowed the excitement to come. On the next song, 'AFTER LIGHT', the volume of the crowd singing along to the chorus almost rivaled HYDE. The crowd was already clearly warmed up. The band then played “I GOT 666”, which was first revealed on HYDE's previous tour before being released about a year later HYDE [INSIDE]. As the song reached its chorus of “I'm aware!” the crowd started headbanging. The audience had reached a fever pitch.

HYDE then addressed the audience for the first time: “Welcome HYDE [INSIDE]! Let's enjoy reality!”. From the start, the show captivated the audience with powerful songs such as “BLEEDING”, in which HYDE looked directly into the camera, a multitude of expressions crossing his face, and “ON MY OWN”, during which he sang while holding up . a flag fluttering in the wind. It then smoothly shifted gears, with a mournful keyboard arpeggio leading naturally into “THE ABYSS”. HYDE also performed a solo cover of “TOKOSHIE”, a song he co-wrote with MY FIRST STORY as the final song for the Hashira training arc of the TV anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. The ever-changing drums were a perfect match for HYDE's narrative-like singing style. The two combined their talents to open the song and share its vision. It was a moment that made you acutely aware of HYDE's expressive range.

Towards the middle of the show, HYDE addressed the audience again, saying “I've done a lot of shows here at Makuhari. I want today to be the most chaotic of all!” On “6or9,” he had the audience take a seat, chanting “Sit down! We will all unite together.” He looked at the audience, looking for perfect timing, and then the band started playing and the audience jumped into the air as one. During the next song, “MAD QUALIA”, HYDE jumped into the crowd, one man facing 10,000. Strings of lights hung from the four corners of the stage, like a circus tent, and on the back curtain was an electric sign, brightly colored with the name 'HYDE'. As if HYDE was the ringmaster of the circus and had tamed the audience before him. Or, to put it another way, the audience saw the spectacle of a monster (HYDE) in a circus ring. HYDE showed the audience the highlight of the entertainment and he was also full of enthusiasm, telling the audience: “Please today! I can feel the heat coming off you!”

The deeply metal enriched 'SOCIAL VIRUS', its core HYDE [INSIDE]presented one of the highlights of the show. As the bass boomed during the long, heavy bridge, HYDE split the audience down the middle, dividing it into left and right sides. Then, as he sang 'I've gotta find a way, to see the light of day', the audience slammed back together into a wall of death, combining with HYDE's growl and the band's breakdown to create a chaotic spectacle . The last song of the set was the ballad “LAST SONG”. HYDE, face covered in blood, sang amidst a blizzard of red confetti, baring his heart and revealing the feelings deep within.

The curtains fell, but after a while, the guitarist took the stage, playing a guitar solo. The mobile drum then appeared in the crowd, above a stage set up in the middle of the dance floor. The audience chanted “HYDE-!” and HYDE popped out of a giant Pandora's box to perform the song “PANDORA”. The joy was evident on his face as he shouted “We really are all in this together!” He continued, “You have to live your life the way you want. I don't want to worry about what other people think, I want to do what I want. If you want to come with me, be my guest!” The audience burst into applause. “This world is just full of pain, isn't it! It makes you want to wrap yourself in an aura of joy!” he continued, and then invited a surprise guest: Hiro (singer for MY FIRST STORY), who had just announced his marriage a few days earlier. HYDE asked Hiro to advertise the audience, so Hiro spoke to the audience, saying, “You guys are smart, so I'm sure you've already figured it out. If I'm here on stage, that must mean…” and with that the band launched into “MUGEN”, the opening theme of the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira training arc. HYDE gave the ultimate performance, not only in the way he and Hiro were playing and harmonizing, but also in the part of the song he was shouting when he grabbed and held Hiro by the lapel.

“Thank you for your love for this crazy art!”

HYDE opened with “BELIEVING IN MYSELF” and “GLAMOROUS SKY” as the show drew to a close. He told the audience how many songs were left and the crowd went wild, focusing intently on each song. This excitement was reinforced by the last song, “SEX BLOOD ROCK N' ROLL”. “Show me what you got!” cried HYDE, in a hoarse voice, while the shouts of the crowd joined. “We tore things up! Don't forget it! And we will do it again! Just wait and see!” he yelled as he smashed the drum set and then left the stage.

The message that ran throughout the performance was the importance of the moment. It seems clear that this binds in [INSIDE]a reference to what lies at the heart of HYDE, but I will leave further interpretation to the readers. HYDE is now in the middle of a world tour, so who knows what else he may have in store before the year is out.