Petit Brabancon isn’t a tiny pet but a ferocious beast whose bite can leave an indelible mark
On a sweltering heat of a Japanese summer night, supergroup Petit Brabancon kicked-off a highly anticipated tour humorously titled INDENTED BITE MARK to promote its freshly-released EP Automata (2023) and debut album Fetish (2022). To the delight of the audience, who was waiting patiently to party in chaos, the venue was air-conditioned. However, the extreme drop of temperature wouldn’t last long as Petit Brabancon was about to take over the stage and torch the place up.
The packed-up venue surely foreshadowed the epic night to come. As the clock drew near time for the show to begin, the enthusiastic fans were already in full force cheering wildly as each member walked to their respective place on stage. As Kyo appeared last, the beast was finally unleashed. After monotonous and ominous intro mind-blow, Petit Brabancon lit up the stage with a brand-new song, titled BATMAN, proving again how prolific and diligent they are in their songwriting. Next up, Ruin of Existence and Loser drew everyone into the fierce and enraged world of the supergroup. Mid-tempo electro-gothish rock ‘surely’ followed. Frantic pace slowed down but the band’s power did not fade the tiniest bit. With a stoic look upon his face, Kyo danced sensuously, swaying his hips along to the music. Drummer, yukihiro, admired by many for its power and dynamism, pulled off a subtle balance of precision and aggression, wildly beating the hell out of his set with surprising ease. The show continued with brutal songs ‘Pull the trigger‘ and Muchitsujo ha Mukuchi to Utau. The very hyped fans were headbanging as if there was no tomorrow. Kyo’s command to ‘bring it on‘ was not left unanswered. The hall erupted in screams and applause as fast as a blink of an eye. As the first notes of Koku resounded, another wave of energy rippled through the crowd who couldn’t hold back their feet and arms. Through sheer energy and sonic power, the venue rumbled. Next, Common destiny blasted through the speakers which kept Miya in high spirits. The composer/guitarist moved restlessly, his head was banging up-and-down while his legs were dancing side-to-side demonstrating amazing skills of body coordination. After slowing the pace with ‘I kill myself‘, the band performed their groovy hit OBEY. As the musicians approached the front of the stage, swapping places, the audience went into a trance: the clapping, jumping, head-banging and screaming continued till the last note of the song. The tension rose sky-high. Slow-paced song ‘come to a screaming halt‘ followed and calmed the audience down for a little while. Kyo, dressed in a black suit with a slicked-back hairstyle, singing in a deep and depressive voice looked like a crooner. The show continued with Kodou. With its visual-kei tint from the late 90/ early 00, the song came as a breeze of fresh air. Then, the musicians performed ‘Miserable‘ and ‘Don’t forget‘ with the kind of intensity that makes you want to headband ‘til you break your neck. The show was raw and caustic but the fans yearned for more. Guitarists Miya and Antz faced each other for an exhausting stretch of riffs. The band and fans exchanged glances and energy throughout the entirety of the track. Antz, whose attire was inspired by hip-hop fashion, was captivating. His genuine enjoyment of playing on stage with his friends was warm and contagious. On the other hand, Bassist, Takamatsu Hirofumi, who was wearing fit and flare pants inspired by the 1970s fashion trends, held a stoic stage presence while tapping his foot to the beat and flipping his shiny black hair. All members looked extremely different from one another but on stage, they combined into one strong unit. During the break of Shuchou ni Te wo Nobasu Shura, Kyo, like a lion in the Savanna, stared at the wild crowd as if he was looking for someone to eat. His hypnotising stage presence and constant engagement with the audience kept the crowd on their toes throughout the show. As Kawaki followed, Kyo challenged the audience one more: ‘bring it on! Are you still alive? I can’t hear ya. Show me what you got‘. The crowd was about to burst with excitement. Finally, Gion — the ultimate favorite song of the band (interview) — closed the set. The venue turned into one beautiful and colorful chaos.
The band performance tantalized the crowd, the lasers, smoke, lights as well as the band’s magnetizing stage presence and the yearning fans made the night one to remember.
Petit Brabancon isn’t a tiny pet but a ferocious beast whose bite can leave an indelible mark.
Mandah FRÉNOT
(c) VMJ
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[Petit Brabancon | SETLIST]
00. Opening. mind-blow
01. BATMAN
02. Ruin of Existence
03. Loser
04. surely
05. Pull the trigger
06. Muchitsujo ha Mukuchi to Utau (無秩序は無⼝と謳う)
07. Koku (刻)
08. Common destiny
09. I kill myself
10. OBEY
11. come to a screaming halt
12. Kodou (孤動)
13. Miserable
14. Don’t forget
15. Shuchou ni Te wo Nobasu Shura (主張に⼿を伸ばす修羅)
16. Kawaki (渇き)
17. Gion (疑⾳)
Photography by Petit Brabancon
