It was the third day since he arrived in Japan. His busy but fulfilling Japan tour was certainly underway. Nick's solo live performance at Harakad was surely an unforgettable moment for those who had been waiting for his visit to Japan.
The next morning, the band members, a cameraman, and one staff member set off for Nagoya in a car for their performance there. The car wasn't particularly spacious. The long drive of about four hours each way may have been a bit tough for them, but the rest time at the rest area gave them a few interesting stories to share.
Nick is enjoying a coffee and relaxing by himself. Andrew is making the most of the convenience store staples like soft serve ice cream, dorayaki, and onigiri. Sam is enjoying sweets with the staff. Each has their own style.
As we got closer and closer to Nagoya, the Tomei Expressway passed by the seaside. They rolled down the windows and enjoyed the smell of the ocean, saying, "It's like Hawaii." Seeing them, I felt a sense of identity in their lives by the sea.
The weather gradually became more ominous, and as soon as we entered Nagoya city, heavy rain began to fall. It looked like rain was falling outside the venue where the live concert was scheduled for Saturday night.
They arrived at the venue just before 3pm, and it was clear that they looked a little tired.
The venue in Nagoya, which normally operates as a cafe, does not have any equipment, so they had to procure everything themselves. All the venue staff and performers worked together to create everything from scratch.
Once the equipment was set up and the acoustics were adjusted, the sound check in Nagoya began. The high-quality sound that had been heard even during rehearsals rang out, and all the staff in the venue, hearing the band perform for the first time, stopped what they were doing and listened intently, holding their breath.
And so, preparations were complete for Bombye's first performance in Japan.
The doors opened at 5pm and DJ KENTA welcomed the crowd with his performance. I am so grateful to all the people who came out to see the show, even in the rain. With the show starting at 6pm, everyone turned their attention to the stage, waiting for their turn.
The show began at 6pm. The entire audience was clearly getting into the groove as ISO spoke. Aiko Sugawara, who was invited to perform a duet with her on this tour, was also preparing a solo performance. This Nagoya performance was the only one of the tour to feature a solo performance.
For the Nagoya performance, they wanted to create a different production and loyalty than for the Tokyo performance. POOL SIDE has planned and held several events in Tokyo, so they have experience holding live shows in Tokyo, but performing in Nagoya was an unknown quantity. That's why they incorporated specialties other than the live performance, and conveyed the message that they want people to enjoy their time.
At the time of Aiko's solo, no one knew about her duet with Bombye.
Bombye appeared in a good mood.
They have almost no experience performing outside of Tokyo, so for most people from outside the city, this was their first live performance. The moment their live music and vocals rang out, they immediately captured the attention of the entire venue. It was a quiet yet surprisingly synchronized performance.
Their set list and allotted time were set longer for the Nagoya performance, so those who went to the Nagoya performance were able to enjoy the titles that could be said to be the roots of their music. However, they did not have a set list (song order) prepared, and they quietly announced "next song" to each other as the live performance progressed. For those of us who watched all the performances, It seemed like the songs were perfectly selected to match the atmosphere, environment, and enthusiasm of the venue.
The concert came to an end. After about an hour and a half of performance, the expressions on the faces of the audience were filled with a sense of accomplishment. As the concert was set up so that the audience could freely enjoy themselves by taking photos and signing autographs, the whole venue had an atmosphere of unity even after the concert.
Heavy rain falls on Amagasaka.
We returned to our lodging feeling moderately tired and relieved that our first performance had ended safely.