Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on March 2014

Seasoned rock ‘n’ roll fanatics are difficult to impress. They—we—own large music collections and have attended a variety of standalone concerts and festivals, big and small, popular and underground, in several countries. Germany? Check. Russia? Check. Canada? Cheeeeeck!

One could say that we are a bit spoiled.

On March 4, however, I was blown away by Morrie’s solo concert, Half-Century Anniversary of Flesh, at Akasaka Blitz, just like the birthday candles on his cake in the finale. It is not easy for me to think of another musician who combines such a broad vocal range, a tight performance, consistent aesthetics, and creative diversity that is still all his own.

Considering the occasion, the event was one of a kind. Even the venue foyer was filled with lavish birthday bouquets from several well-known Japanese bands that this artist influenced, such as Buck-Tick. A well-planned and lengthy 26-song set list offered something for everyone in attendance.

Loyal fans were treated to a number of Dead End classics such as “Heaven” (1988) and “Crash 49” (1989). Special guests Sugizo of Luna Sea and Kiyoharu of Kuroyume each had a back-to-back opportunity to add their own unique sound to this performance. Indeed, it was Sugizo’s “space violin” in a duet with Morrie that was my personal highlight.

“Please, sir[s], I want some more!”

As the saying goes, the devil is in the details, and the complete aesthetic experience of this nature could only be appreciated in a live setting. The inclusion of additional instruments beyond the standard guitar-bass-drums combination provided another dimension to the concert. Moreover, art lovers, specifically, would’ve noted a number of projected backdrop paintings, obscured by black-and-white, blurring, and zooming in a kind of a visual game, including Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights and the Disquieting Muses by de Chirico.

At times cheerful, at times apocalyptic, this was music with an exclamation point.