Report by Sara Crane
Photos provided by DEAD END ©2009

It’s not every day one gets to see living legends in action, but on the afternoon of August 15th, 2009, thousands of hot, tired, music fans had the opportunity to do just that, as they were about to witness the re-emergence of legendary rock band DEAD END.

Though much of the crowd appeared to be too young to be first generation DEAD END fans, there was a nervous excitement in the air before the band took the stage. Fans were definitely ready and waiting. Whether they had experienced DEAD END first hand, through parents and older siblings, or whether vocalist MORRIE’s most recent project, “Creature Creature”, had grabbed their attention, these fans were expecting something big. And they got it.

From the moment the band took the stage, they had the FULL attention of the audience. Tens of thousands of eyes were glued to the stage, as guitarist You rocked out with the intro to “Danse Macabre”, and the audience erupted in to screams for more.

Minato’s sometimes pounding, sometimes hypnotic drum work paved the way for “Psychomania”, during which You once again let rip with an amazing guitar solo that left the audience breathless. Next up was “I want your love”, which was Minato’s turn to shine, as the bass in this song rang out loud and clear, even to fans in the back of the massive hall.

Observers would never have guessed that this band last played together more than a decade before. From the hard rockin’ songs, to the sultry and seductive “Serafine”, their musicianship was tight, timing perfect, and the members were absolutely ON. The audience wailed for more as MORRIE strutted out on to the central cat walk and struck a pose, working up fans on either side of the stage.

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, DEAD END should count themselves as some of the most flattered men in music. Listening to their live, one could easily pick characteristics out of the music that can be found in today’s most popular bands. Even if one has never heard DEAD END before, it becomes immediately obvious that they’ve influenced bands such as L’arc~En~Ciel, Buck-Tick, Luna Sea, and more.

Perhaps it was this taste of “something familiar” that caused the youngsters in the crowd to embrace this band so whole heartedly, or perhaps it was the energy of long-time fans and the band alike, but the screams never let up throughout their set, even when the band played a new song, “Dress Burning”.

Unfortunately, their short set was over with just six songs, but it ended with an amazing performance of the fan favorite “Perfume of Violence”, which sounded better than ever. They say the best things only get better with age, and DEAD END songs are no exception!

DEAD END are: MORRIE (vocal), You (guitar), CRAZY COOL JOE (bass) and Minato (drums).

Set List:
Danse Macabre
Psychomania
I Want Your Love
Serafine
Dress Burning
Perfume Of Violence