With their one of a kind tracks seamlessly fusing pop and electro, along with their cute characteristics, mesmerising dance moves and heart stopping light shows, Perfume have been one of the most talked about Japanese pop groups worldwide for over half a decade. In 2010 they shook Tokyo dome with ‘1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11’, a fanclub-exclusive show which blew away fans across the globe, setting the bar high for future shows from then on. After touring Japan on numerous occasions since, including their recent Zepp tour playing alongside the likes of Japanese metallers Maximum the Hormone, the girls took over Europe for three nights only with shows in Cologne, London, and Paris. As the time approached for the girls to take to the London stage, our curiosity rose as to whether or not this milestone performance would be on par with the shows that have left a generation of home grown and international fans alike awe-inspired all these years.
Held at the renowned O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London was the only sold out date of the tour (probably due to the cheaper ticket prices). Fans flocked from far and wide to see the girls in action, forming a queue that reached past the venue’s stage doors and into the local residential area which felt like it went on for miles. As anxious attendees were herded in welcomed by the sign of ‘World Tour 2nd’ projected onto the stage backdrop, I was taken away by the sight of such a diverse crowd of men and women, young and old, metalheads and suits, animal hats and trilbies. Before the show had even started it was easy to see that this wasn’t going to be your average run of the mill pop show.
The girls of the hour Kashiyuka, A-chan, and Nocchi, entered the stage, accompanied by a futuristic projection making for a stunning intro which lead straight into the first song of the night, their August 2012 single ‘Spending All My Time’. The ear drum piercing roar from the crowd was astronomical, sending sound waves throughout the venue as the crowd swung their hands and jumped to the rhythm. This great start to the night was followed up by their latest single ‘Magic of Love’ and the 2011 classic ‘Laser Beam’. At this point the venue erupted as- you guessed it- lasers filled the air creating yet another stunning scene. As the first quarter came to a close with the 2007 single ‘Polyrhythm’, the singing and dancing stopped for a rather lengthy banter with the crowd, even going as far as to handing a microphone to a member of the audience to assist with translating. Their charming interaction with the crowd was a breath of fresh air, and though expected, even the ‘fish and chips’ conversation came off as cute and humorous.
Next up, the 2012 spring time anthem, ‘Spring of Life’, followed by Polyrhythm B-side ‘Seventh Heaven’ and the 2011 track ‘Spice’ which served as the slow portion of the night, lowering the tempo and providing an apt moment for wide spread sways. Then it was time for the outfit change, keeping the audience eager with a visual interlude played to the rhythm of the instrumental track of Magic of Love B-side, ‘Handy Man’. After already hearing some of the best songs from their extensive discography, we could only wait in anticipation for what was to come next.
The third quarter featured the likes of the overly catchy ‘Daijobanai’ and ‘Electro World’, followed by the next section of chitchat, including a pleasing rendition of Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’ which got the crowd grinning from ear to ear.
As the crowd was at their peak the next song caught onlookers by surprise. The heart thumping, hair raising 2010 B-side ‘Fake It’ flooded through the sound system causing a chain of cheers and jumping from the ground floor up to the highest balcony, serving as a real high point of the night. This was followed up by ‘Dream Fighter’ and the song a lot of fans had been waiting for, their peppiest 2007 hit, ‘Chocolate Disco’. Last up was ‘My Colour’, a perfect farewell song for what had been an overall perfect night for J-pop fans in the UK.
As the trio left the stage, shouts for an encore started almost instantly and it was not long until they took centre stage for the last time. Though much to everyone’s delight, this wasn’t your normal everyday encore, as a choice of three songs appeared on the projector, leaving the crowd to decide which song to play as their send off to London. With a choice between, ‘Nee’, their 2010 single, ‘GLITTER’, their 2011 B-side, and the 2008 number one hit, ‘Love The World’, audience members waved franticly to get their votes in, but it was unanimous as GLITTER was awarded to be the final song of the night, and a good choice it was too. Both the crowd and the girls themselves gave it their all before leaving the stage for the final time, and as the audience exited the venue, an excited thank you message came from off stage, assuring that this wasn’t the last we would be seeing of them.
Having never been to a pop show in all my time of attending concerts, I had my expectations, but Perfume completely blew them out the water. Everything from the diverse crowd to the dance club-esque response completely caught me off guard. The heavy use of visual aids throughout showed an impressive quality of polish for what was a considerably small scale show compared to those held in their home country. Choreography was spot on with no slip ups seen for the entire night and their uplifting sense of humour was a refreshing change from almost scripted nature of other performances seen today. Tonight, Perfume have shown why they are number one in the pop world, with an outstanding performance filled with spellbinding choreography, superb visuals and capital interaction with the audience. They have proven that their success doesn’t just lie in Japan, but throughout the world, welcomed by all and cherished by many. We hope this won’t be the last we see of Perfume around these parts, and we’re sure their fans would agree.
Words by Charles Shepherd
