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 —better known as "fanks" — 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.
For more information, visit www.tm30th.jp.
