MARY'S BLOOD MAKE THE NEW WORLD TOUR 2018 June 9, 2018, Umeda CLUB QUATTRO Despite the onset of the rainy season, Osaka was blessed with clear skies and a summer-like heat of 29 degrees Celsius, making people hesitant to walk outside. Umeda CLUB QUATTRO is conveniently located east of Osaka Station's underground shopping mall, Whity Umeda, just up from the Fountain Plaza. The live venue is on the 10th floor of the building, and access is restricted until 3:00 PM when merchandise sales begin. Unlike other venues, there's no waiting area near the venue, which is located next to an elevated main road, so I spent time exploring around Osaka Station, securing a coin locker, and having a meal before the merchandise sale. When I arrived at Quattro at 3:00 PM for merchandise, there was already a line snaking up about three flights of stairs. That's Mary's Blood for you! I got the T-shirt and towel I wanted, and when I went downstairs, I ran into SUGY-san and Ji-man-san, fellow BABYMETAL and Mary's Blood fans from Okayama. Although there aren't that many overlapping fans of BABYMETAL and Mary's Blood, it's always special to meet people like SUGY-san and the others at tour locations. I'm grateful for these wonderful comrades! I immediately changed into my REVENANT T-shirt for the show. When it comes to metal, it seems like there are only black T-shirts, and my closet is already overflowing with them, so this white Mary's Blood T-shirt is a treasure. When I returned to Quattro before 5:00 PM for the opening, there was a waiting line on the stairs. My number, A87, was about one floor down. With the ticket I had initially secured, I would have been much further back, and I wouldn't have been able to get near Chucky. I'm so grateful to Tsurugi-san for giving me this good number. After paying the 600 yen drink fee and having my ticket torn, I entered the venue. The left side was empty, but I was aiming for the right side, so I waited in the fifth row, slightly towards the center-right. For some reason, Anthrax's "For All Kings" was playing endlessly as the background music. Usually, it's a compilation, so I wondered what the intention was, and I got excited, wondering if they might play Anthrax live, but nothing like that happened. Thanks to Anthrax, I got a headbanging flying start. As the clock passed 6:00 PM, EYE's voice flowed from the speakers, and the venue erupted. In sync with that, the house lights went out, and the live started on time. In Nagoya, they started with "World's End," but in Osaka, they started with "Tsukiyomi," which wasn't on the Nagoya setlist. When I first heard "REVENANT," I thought "Tsukiyomi" was a bit of a strange song, but it had become my favorite song, so I was thrilled. Thanks to that, I had a super-excited start. EYE's MC is full of laughter and very enjoyable. Just listening to her makes me feel relaxed. She suddenly drops a bombshell, saying, "Yesterday was the first day, and today is the semi-final." If you listen closely, you can hear the frustration, but she turns it into a self-deprecating gag, making the venue laugh. I thought that was amazing. Even with a popular new album tour, there's the harsh reality of only one day each in three venues: Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka. This isn't just a problem for Mary's Blood; it's an industry-wide issue. Rock and metal, in general, are declining in popularity, and it's difficult to secure live venues. Although the number of days is small, it would be good if they could make it a rich experience. I thought EYE was amazing for being able to deliver such a wonderful MC. As a metalhead, I feel a bit of resistance to the flag, but it's also an excellent source of comedy. Bus guide, race queen, etc.... Anyway, they played the new album one after another. In the end, they played all the songs, which was really amazing. When we chanted "Mary's Blood" for the encore, the members seemed quite moved. As a member of the enthusiastic Osaka audience, from an objective point of view, it was a pretty awesome call, and the "Say Love" chorus was also so wonderful that it brought tears to my eyes. It wasn't just a semi-final; it was probably the coolest semi-final. It was a great live, including EYE getting emotional and Chucky breaking a string.