LIVE REPORT ~ ketchup mania: June 1, 2007
A-Kon Dallas, TX
With the sponsorship of JapanFiles.com, and the cooperation of ark music Ltd., and Toy's Factory, A-Kon 18 set the stage for the US debut of Japanese band ketchup mania in front of their largest audience to date.
Getting off to a late start only made the 2000+ crowd in the main ballroom swell with enthusiasm. With only a single row of chairs and the press, the only things between the already pulsing crowd and ketchup mania, it seemed like the barrier wouldn’t hold for long.
Hiro was given the task of MC and did so with confidence and without an ounce of hesitation. Although her English still needed some work, she did her best, and the crowd responded as if they understood every single word. ketchup mania began with Kiss. ketchup mania was anything but shy; with an audience of such size and energy, most bands would be intimidated, but not ketchup mania. No one would have ever guessed that this was their U.S. debut or that this was the largest crowd they have ever played. As Hiro’s intense vocals echoed throughout the main ballroom of the Adam’s Mark Convention Center, the horde behind the press surged with so much force that the chairs were pushed into the back of my legs. I looked behind me and the mass of people were leaning so far over the barrier I thought they would flip over.
Just when I thought the audience couldn’t get any louder I was proven wrong when Hiro ceased her vocals and began to play her melodica. The fans went absolutely crazy. I once again had a chair pushed into me.
The more ketchup mania played, the more they seemed to feed off the enthusiasm of the crowd, playing with more spirit with each song. Dai’s amazing abilities on the guitar were perfect: even when he played his guitar behind his head, he never missed a beat. Yosei contributed his awesome basslines with proficiency. Then there was Wani, in the back, but not forgotten, who produced the heartbeat of their unique sound with his impressive skills on the drums.
It was apparent from the way they played and the smiles on their faces how much energy the crowd had given them, and they gave it right back 100 times. After such a performance, there’s no argument as to how ketchup mania won 2007's Shojo Beat Top Punk Band Award. At the conclusion, each member took turns to say something to the crowd. Normally most bands would wave and disappear offstage, but ketchup mania was not done yet. It’s hard to figure out, with all the intensity they put into their performance, how they ended their show with as much energy as they began it. They jumped offstage and shook hands with the sea of fans to express their gratitude.
A-Kon 18 was my very first con and I have to admit that I knew absolutely nothing about ketchup mania before this concert. But I can say that they were instrumental in making my first con a mind-blowing experience that I'll never forget. I'm sure the rest of the audience felt the same.
set list
Kiss
BES-POSI
Namida Vacuum Sound
All Ok
POP POP POP POP POP POP POP LOLIPOP
NUMBER 1
ALWAYS GREAT DAYS
Sakurauta
Chapter 1
Your World
FREE STYLE!?
Girl's Mind
TOY BOX
REAL YA-YO
-ENCORE-
Himeno Omoi
report and photos by Kim
Thank you to JapanFiles.com and A-Kon for making this possible.
gallery
links
ketchup mania mp3s on JapanFiles.com
ketchup mania official website
ketchup mania MySpace (JapanFiles)
A-Kon
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