Report on the final leg of the "Revolution Tour 2024" with The Empty and FOMARE!

It's sold out, isn't it great? The last tour final was held at Queblick (Fukuoka LIVE HOUSE), and when we decided to play at BEAT STATION (Fukuoka) this time, we were asked if it was too soon. It wasn't too early. It wasn't too soon, thanks to FOMARE and everyone! Hina Harumoto (Vo) of The Empty said in the beginning of the show.

Looking back, on December 25, 2023, The Empty's 1st EP "God's Gift e.p." was released and the tour final was held at Live House Queblick in Fukuoka, Japan. About a year has passed since then, and the final show of the tour for the second EP "Revolution e.p." was held at BEAT STATION in Fukuoka on December 18, 2024. The venue was packed to capacity with FOMARE as the guest performer on the final day of the 12-stop tour.

Opening with "Boku to Dawn," FOMARE fired up the audience from the very beginning. Are you ready to sing with all of us? Let's be as one! Amada Shinsuke (Vo/B) shouted, "Let's be one! Let's make it a live house! and the floor was stirred up into a mess with "Frozen," which featured two beats. The Empty are my juniors, or rather my friends," Amada reiterated, "Did you start a revolution? The Empty" to which the members replied, "Hokkaido, it was fun! The members replied, "Hokkaido was fun! Amada continued, "The Empty was in their early 20s, playing shows with confidence, something we didn't have back then. A really cool four-piece, I wrote this song when I was FOMARE 21 years old, and The Empty said they wanted to hear it," and here they played "mirror. The audience was intoxicated by the song's world as they unleashed a ballad full of songful, royal feelings. Kamata Ryoga's (G/Co) melancholy guitar solo was also excellent. However, after the performance, he said, "The song I wanted to listen to was a ballad, and I've never played a ballad as the fourth song. I've never played a ballad for the fourth song, so I'm not sure how I'm going to get back on track..." Amada revealed his feelings. Amada's timid comment may have been a prelude to the next song, "Song," which started with a passionate call and response, instantly transformed the audience into a rock band. The last part was "Continue" and "Kimi to Dawn", which shook the packed floor violently.

After FOMARE had warmed up the place more than enough, the SE played at 8:07 p.m. and it was finally The Empty's turn to come out. Shinnosuke Tokunaga (G), Kugakenosuke (B), and Taiki Kawakami (Dr) stood by and asked, "Tour final BEAT STATION, how are you doing? Hina called out, "How are you doing at BEAT STATION, the final stop of the tour?" and started with "I'll take you out tonight" from their latest 2nd EP "Kakumei e.p."!　From the slow start, the band's heavy sound pummeled the audience at once. The lyrics "How are you doing?" and "I want to be on your side forever," as if they were best friends, were the perfect opening number to light a fire in the audience's hearts. Countless fists were pumping from the floor, already coloring the venue in The Empty's colors.

Let's hear it from the gut!" and the next song was "Take Me Out. The audience sang along to the familiar melody reminiscent of a children's song, and by the latter half of the song, the crowd was so excited that many people were surfing on their shoulders. Hina sang with all her might, as if she didn't care if she burned out at this moment. The band's down-to-earth performance was also full of a stately air, and the band had matured beyond comparison to the last tour final.

The excitement of the audience was further boosted by "Kimi ga Kimi" and "MY SWEETIE," and the tension did not drop when they moved on to the slightly more mellow "Ultra Romantic. Hina even praised the audience during the song "Bachikoi" as "the best of this tour. Then came the avalanche of "Smile at Me" from "Kakumei e.p.". The ska rhythm that suddenly interrupted the song was also very exciting, and the band's momentum accelerated like a fish out of water at a live performance. After "Love Song," the band asked, "May I have a revolution with you? and dropped the title song of "Kakumei e.p.". The song was full of narrative with marching-like drums, melodious guitar, and mellow parts, drawing the audience in. The lyrics, "I love you, let's make a revolution, so much so that a gun looks small," also became a hook, and the number with a strong message of great love highlighted the band's new appeal.

At first I thought it was too many, but the 12 tours went by so fast, and people are still coming from all over the place today. I want you to take any memories back home with you," said Hina, and the flow of the song leading into "Memories Remain Sweet" was good. Then they performed "Riding on the Galactic Expressway," the only song from "Kakumei e.p." that they had not played yet. The lyrics were full of emotion, and the vocals, backed by lyrical guitar, melodious bass, and powerful drumming, shone even more brightly. The ending of the show was a bit of a surprise, as the band sang a verse from FOMARE's "Frozen".

If I hadn't met these guys, if I hadn't met everyone, if I hadn't met FOMARE, I might have been looking for a reason to quit the band," said Hina, sitting at the front of the stage and singing "Goodbye Youth" in close proximity to the audience. The show was reaching its climax as the band kept the audience on their toes with their impromptu performance. Some of you are seeing the show for the first time today. This is a song that you won't find on Subscribe or YouTube, and it's a song that I hope will make you shine. After an a cappella-like opening, the song switched from mid-tempo to up-tempo, a direct punk number, and the audience reacted favorably to the development similar to ELLEGARDEN's "Make A Wish". After closing the main part with "Good Night Lady" and "Sayonara Tears," the four members appeared on stage again to answer the endless encores.

When we offered FOMARE as a guest for the final leg of the tour, Amada responded immediately, and when we announced their Kyushu tour next March, which will take them to Oita, Miyazaki, and Kumamoto, the Kyushu audience, who had traveled to Fukuoka for the tour, cheered. After all, they must have been happy to have their favorite band come to their hometown. The band played "Tonight is Baby" and "Gift from God" as additional songs, and "Goodnight Reidy" again for the last song, and Shinnoske and Kennoske dived onto the floor!
The venue was festively filled with excitement, and the group performed vigorously on stage for about an hour and 15 minutes.

Compared to the last tour final, the band's singing voice and performance had been polished and their skills had improved in all aspects, including their ability to improvise and incite the audience to get involved. Nevertheless, the band has not lost a trace of the initial impulsive vigor that it had when it first started. The Empty's sharp and receptive approach to their music, which combines ferocious fangs and deep pockets, has made it impossible not to feel the band's growth. 2025 is sure to be a year of breakthroughs, with their passionate live performances attracting a lot of attention. The final show of the tour was a wonderful one, which strongly convinced me of this.

Text: Ryosuke Arakane Photos: Retsu