For this episode of fresh faces Indie Idol spotlight I wanted to do something special and give you the Indie live treatment. Therefore, I have acted as producer/promoter in this case and put together lives from a range of artists to make my own PIH concert special, lol, what I like to call “Indie Fresh Faces Concert Special Vol 1”
So get your glow sticks, your free tickets and come with me as I take you to the live houses of Japan’s underground Idols. In Indie lives, you often have between 5-10 acts performing in one night. The smaller the number of groups the more songs they play, these groups often perform about five songs each or a 2-3 hr block of rented time total for all groups. Some shows groups have a staggered number of songs that grows larger the higher up the show you are listed to 8-10 songs.
For this special post I have selected seven groups from across Japan that we have not done a full feature on or they had just a little preview. I have arranged the groups in my own promoter’s hat order in a way to give you a feel of a live event with an opener up to a headline host, so please watch each group in order to get the full live experience, lol.
Indie Fresh Faces Concert Special Vol 1
Line Up
1. Barbie Lips
2. Pastel Color
3. Mari7
3B. Himekyun Fruit Can [Special Guest]
3C. VIC: CESS [Special Guest]
4. Csli
5. SKETCH
Pastel Color [They do a mix of own works and covers, standard Indie style live set]
Enter MC
Please Welcome To the Stage Soloist Mari7
There is a brief break as the MC asks the crowd to look at the video screen.
We would now like to present a video by Himekyun Fruit Can ,who due to a scheduling issue was not able to attend .So they sent the following PV
The MC presents a PV by VIC: CESS who due to a scheduling issue was not able to attend
Please welcome to the Stage Tonight’s First Co-Headline unit
Csli
[they do mostly 48`s,H!P ,KARA, and other Major units covers as they don`t have much own stuff yet ,changes each live .This live it`s 48`s songs] They do a good job on their covers.
[Units without a fulltime songwriter do mostly cover sets as they are D.I.Y. Idols and everything is run by the group from song selections to making costumes to sale of tickets. They take what they can afford and make to sale and do their best ,until a label picks them up.]
Enter MC
Please welcome to the Stage Tonight’s Second Co-Headline unit SKETCH
[One of those things Csli set is longer , but SKETCH has an encore ,so split bill,lol]
Footnote -By the way this is Csli own song that they sell at lives
Thanks for coming with me for the Indie Fresh Faces Concert Special Vol 1 Debut Show ,more will come in the future .
Also coming soon PIH`s Indie Idol Celebration. IIC or whatever it`s official name will be, with any luck will top anything we have ever presented to date on PIH.
[Photo-Ricotta Veil ,Official image group for this series]
Osaka has as many idols as Tokyo ,in the first five volumes I have shown you Tokyo, Osaka,Hiroshima ,other cities and several units from Eastern Prefectures ,now it`s time for some more Osaka -Kansai Idols and a trip to Western Japan.
If you recall at the end of the fifth series ,I said that part 6 would have a connection to Ricotta Veil.
Here is the first connection. If you remember the video for Ricotta Veil performing a street live in one of the earlier previews ,there was a girl in the upper left behind the group ,dressed like an Idol ,watching the group perform.
Well that girl is a member of the first group in this preview .Connection #2 is this group ,Mary Angel ,Ricotta Veil are from Osaka-Kansai and often perform at the same lives.
Keep in mind when viewing any group in this series that Indies do their own songs , covers of top singles on the charts ,classic songs ,anime songs and it`s normal ,legal . Many groups create their own dances ,tempo changes to fit their style to cover songs . I respect the groups that actually sing their covers and not just pretend they are AKB or who ever. The very reason CDs include instrumentals is for groups to use the track for covers and for auditions. The artist gets a royalty payment so it`s all good. They are not trying to be anything but themselves.
S-Qty
[This unit does their own songs, plus pop covers that are not from the 48`s or H!P as part of their live , but they have a full album worth of originals] They have been active since 2010. They also have a very cool web site that’s worth watching .Even if you pass on this group ,go watch their web site .Don`t click anything on their web site just let it play for 5-10 minutes
HR [Hakata Reboot ] Fukuoka
I actually covered this group last year when they had their debut ,but they only had covers of H!P and AKB on a news clip. They were to be Fukuoka`s answer to AKB48 , but Aki-P has decided to put his own group there it seems . It remains to be seen if this theater unit can last with Aki-P`s invasion of Hakata coming. If they don`t it`s a shame because they had an entire island they could rule.
Speaking of Fukuoka . The local Indies are not going down without a fight with HKT48 and Aki-P. Five local units have stepped up to face them .
Fresh Faces will preview the Fukuoka idols in the future.
