Spent a lovely evening with Atarashii Gakko! It's not surprising that the gateway drug that is BABYMETAL has had me open up to more Japanese music, and this dance idol quartet inevitably pinged my radar. They have an impressive catalogue of groovy tunes, that while not metal, genre-blend a very wide range of non-metal music. Their repertoire of songs is as energetic as it is catchy, and the ladies, themselves, make great entertainment both performing for and engaging the crowd.
Lead singer, Suzuka, who shares the same first name as SU-METAL, does everything with her stage presence and vocal tones to distinguish herself from her metal sister. Where SU-METAL (on-stage) is always dignified and regal, Suzuka is zany and erratic with her movements and vocalizations. Vocally, where SU-METAL goes high and is precisely controlled, Suzuka goes deep and shouty with occasional bursts of high-pitched screams. She may seem random, but Suzuka is well-practiced in her stage persona, so there is discernible method to her madness.
From the pix (above), Suzuka is at 12 o'clock. At 9 o'clock is Rin. Sporting shaved sides and back, she is the group's rapper and her solo dance movements tend to comprise electric tics, like a short-circuiting robot. Suzuka and Rin provide the vocal punch to their songs. At 6 o'clock, is Mizyu (twin pony tails), while Kanon (untied long, flowing hair) is at 3 o'clock. These two add the sweet harmonies, rounding out the total package that AG delivers.
The group seemed extra hyped in this evening's performance. Maybe it's because after tonight, they go on a 3-month vacation before commencing Part 2 of their world tour in September. Suzuka had to be supported by the security guys a couple of times as she tried to pitch herself into the audience. With enthusiastic high kicks, she also launched two shoes into the crowd and I don't know how or even if she got them back. Well, maybe it's something she is known to do, and she keeps a stock of spare shoes handy upstage and out of sight. And for a surprise, during the encore, they walked into the audience and cheered with us from the stands.
This is Suzuka just two or three rows in front of me, while Mizyu surprised me as she drifted past my right shoulder and I only caught a fleeting glimpse of her passing by. Too late for a photo.
Atarashii Gakko are an idol group, but they style themselves like very down to earth people. They remind me of friends and neighbours, colleagues, and familiar faces like maybe in the supermarket or hawker centre that we encounter daily. It's this kind of closeness they project that makes up much of their charm.
To round up this entry, let me put up the set list for Atarashii Gakko World Tour 2024 Pt 1, Theatre at MediaCorp, Singapore, 29 June 2024:
- Toryanse
- Omakase
- Giri Giri
- Pineapple Kryptonite (they didn't actually sing this, but the instrumental played in the background while they interacted with the audience. A pity 'cos I like this song -- the lyrics are quite sad)
- Otonablue
- Arigato
- Hello (from the Tiger's Apprentice)
- Forever Sisters
- Candy
- Fantastico
- Woo! Go!
- Suki Lie
- Fly High
- Tokyo Calling
- Nainainai (for the 'live' show, Suzuka adds lines about not wanting to go home, while Rin insists that they have to)
- Free Your Mind (encore)
- Que Sera, Sera
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