At one of the largest anime conventions in North America, Anime Expo, crowds of con-goers and music fans filled up the largest west hall of the Convention Center. Musicians from CURE made videos to introduce themselves and then present their newest promotional video (PV) to warm up the audience, give them a taste of what they were about to see.
Then the entire hall went silent, Cell appeared on the stage as the first band of three for Friday night’s performance. The bright red hair and blood stained clothes kept everyone’s attention before a strong steady bass started and the audience exploded with people jumping to their feet. Stomping and jumping and yelling with Kon’s loud voice –coaxing the audience to come closer. Even assigned seating couldn’t keep the people down.
Each member of Cell made every effort possible to connect with the fans. Climbing onto speakers and shouting out, reaching out to grab at hands that tried so hard to reach towards the stage. The sounds comes out rough and raw, promoting Cell’s meaning of the blood and cell that are in every person – reminding everyone that they’re alive. Cell rocked hard against their instruments, throwing themselves at the music; giving the fans the enthusiasm to hit back as well. It wasn’t a lonesome struggle but a joint effort.
Although there was a language barrier, it didn’t stop Kon from giving an MC over the show, Yuki (bassist) was very enthusiastic to give his friend a helping hand by cheering with the crowd. The minimal English was there, but it was more important to get the points out: Is everyone enjoying themselves?
Of course, the crowd that was overly excited, rocked hard and shared their excitement. Soon, a heavy silence carried over the room after the MC broken only by Kou’s quiet voice muttering darkly, “Korosu”. Kill. The words directed at a mannequin’s head for another song, projecting a deep anger and complicated endearment. It subtlety of the song proves that louder does not always equates to deeper understanding. The vocals build up into a strong bass that thumped hard enough to have the audience getting drawn into the performance again.
Finally in the typical rock star fashion, the show simply didn’t just end by dying down, it went out with a blast. With the energy and great sound, they’re definitely a band to watch.
Live report by: Jess
Edited and contributed by: AliW