Smoke, lights… and Canada’s CRYSTAL CASTLES enter the stage. The moment the band break into the opening song, the crowd picks up the beat, jumping and dancing to constant light flashes. Although support act Sleigh Bells cancelled their set (much to the chagrin of devoted fans), the Akasaka Blitz crowds do not seem to miss them one bit.
Compared to the usual Crystal Castles gigs where the crowds go completely mental, this Tokyo crowd is quite tame. Nevertheless, this does not stop singer Alice Glass, famous for her chaotic style of performance, from getting close into the crowds, performing most of the concert off the stage. Wearing a “Napalm Death” T-Shirt, she perfectly feeds on the vibe and atmosphere of the crowd and animates them to get the floor bouncing, while Ethan Kath mixes the mesmerizing music. They play only a handful of new songs off the new album “(III),” most of the long set coming from their first album “Crystal Castles.”
Seeing them for the first time, I was mind blown by the power of this band. For roughly one hour, Crystal Castles gave a non-stop sense-blasting show from the minute they entered the stage until they left it behind. In their wake, I barely remembered that Sleigh Bells hadn’t made it (refunds were thankfully available for those who didn’t forget…). As for Alice and co., they continue onwards to Osaka and Yokohama before attacking the rest of their busy world tour.