Just as the year drew to a close, so too did J-pop trio TM Network¡¯s touring schedule at the Tokyo International Forum¡¯s Hall A.
The Quit 30 tour was the group¡¯s second tour of the year and began in October. It was timed to coincide with the release of ¡°Quit 30,¡± a collection of new songs that the group played at the show.
While TM Network fans ¡ªbetter known as ¡°fanks¡± ¡ª are usually delighted with anything the group produces, the opening of the Dec. 10 concert provided some especially superb moments kicking off with the track ¡°Alive.¡±
Midway through ¡°Kimi ga Ite Yokatta¡± (¡°Glad You Were Here¡°), group leader and keyboardist Tetsuya Komuro and vocalist Takashi ¡°Utsu¡± Utsunomiya left the stage leaving guitarist Naoto Kine with an acoustic guitar by himself. The hall went silent as he struck up the ballad ¡°Looking at You.¡±
When the tune was done, Komuro and Utsu came back to the stage and performed the ballad ¡°Always Be There.¡± It was a touching moment that is at odds with Komuro¡¯s recent attempts at EDM (electronic dance music), and a welcome one.
The group then played ¡°Still Love Her,¡± which is also known as the ending theme to the TV anime ¡°City Hunter 2.¡±
After a brief interlude, the concert¡¯s second half was much livelier and reached an exciting climax with a 2014 version of the group¡¯s signature tune ¡°Get Wild.¡± The 30th anniversary celebrations are set to continue from next February, after the release of a film about the band on Jan. 17.
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