Japan/Australia Tour October 1998

Review by Atsuko Fukuda

The following is a part of my message I sent to a friend who had asked me how the shows were. I'm forwarding this to the list too so that I don't have to rewrite the whole thing. :)
 

(I rearranged some parts for the list though) ---------------------------
 

>How were Devin's shows?
 

AWESOME. I've never attended shows like that, where the kids diving over the moshing crowd here and there, and they never stopped..it was crazy as hell. I was at almost the front row but had to get out in the middle of the show as it seemed too dangerous for girls. (I lost one of my favorite Follie Folie earing among the moshing crowd, damnit..I shouldn't have worn them!) Although the shows were short - about an hour even for the full SYL show, and only 30-40 minutes when they opened for the WiLDHEARTS - Devin was great. I mean, the band was great. Very intense. And the audience really loved them. They didn't go home even after the band were gone, even after all the lights in the venue were turned on and there was an announcement that the show was over so that people should go home now, everybody just stayed there and kept on and on screaming like "Deeevin! <clap-clap-clap> Deeevin! <clap-clap-clap>.." And finally, Devin appeared on stage again, this time with an interpreter, and he thanked us, apologized and explained that they had no other songs that they could play because this was the first tour for their keyboard player. But told us that he would come back in February next year, for more shows to play everything from SYL/OM/Infinity!
 

The funniest part of the show was when he appeared in front of us with a Japanese conversation book and read several short phrases such as greetings. I heard that he's interested in learning the language, and seems like he's serious about it.
 

I didn't have a chance to meet Devin myself, but met Gene at a Tower Records before the Oct 20th show, so I could talk to him. He was very nice and a fun to talk with, and I got his autograph on my ticket. (Hey, having the artist's autograph on the ticket of the show you actually attended means something slightly different from just owning an autograph, don't you think, Thomas? :) ) A friend of mine who did an interview with Dev and Gene next day told me that Devin seemed quite happy to be here. That was the last interview of that day for the band and the last thing they had done before they went to Sushi dinner. :)
 

Another funny moment I just got reminded...was that Ginger and Devin kissed each other on stage when Dev joined the WiLDHEARTS for "Sucker Punch"... :)
 

Atsuko