I started listening to Envy back in 2007 (proof!; albeit in a not-so-great light), and when doing random searching lead me to this page, I shot an email and had my tickets reserved. This was bound to be AWESOME
And about 40 people believed that, too. I’m a little sure though that some were just curious, and wouldn’t mind spending 200RMB on some visiting Japanese rock band.
Since Mao Livehouse is across the river, and I wasn’t so sure where it was, I was more than an hour early. I expected lines of eager gig-goers, but I was greeted with the staff of the club doing their business, and a table of Envy merchandise. The face of disappointment was appearing, but hell-should-I-care. I quickly snatched the a dead stinking story CD and transfovista DVD, and found myself in a nearby cafe to kill time.
I’ll be watching Envy, and I am fucking excited.
Around 10, the local band 21 Grams played (photo and blurb), and I took my place in front of the stage. A handful of people were with me, none looked the type who listened to this sort of thing. Props to them, though, and I bet 2 or 3 didn’t know how lucky they were.
Envy played, a guesstimate, only a few cuts from the new record, Recitation. Lovely album, but I much prefer the older, heavier music. I lost count how many songs they did, I was headbanging all throughout, since I couldn’t mosh with the 5 people behind me with a camera.
What ran through my head the whole time was what the band was thinking. Maybe they won’t fill stadiums, but an act of their calibre must be wondering why they were booked here. Not enough publicity? I do hope so, because I did miss Mono at their April 30 gig.
There was no autograph signing session, or anyone wanting to linger but for a few who wanted leftover guitar picks.
DAMN.
As predicted, the experience of watching Envy was AWESOME. There’s also another word you’d usually find in the band’s videos online that you really wouldn’t associate with screaming a song: BEAUTIFUL. I wholeheartedly agree though. You can hear it already on the record, and seeing it fleshed out is an opportunity I was more than glad to partake in.
I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that as an amateur gig photographer, I can actually shoot Envy. I’m just glad that the stage height was just alright, and that I could be near it without any fuss. I can’t say I found the perfect spot, but having Tetsuya Fukagawa in an almost-silhouette, with his profile outlined by light, getting that sort of image was very satisfying.
The Flickr photoset in slideshow format can be seen here, AND here’s a excerpt from the DVD that YOU MUST WATCH: