Jun Togawa WITH VAMPILLIA
Avant garde invades the Cafe de Paris
Vampillia may take the stage first but this set is focused upon Jun Togowa. The avant garde artist enters in maid uniform with cat ears attached, cutting an entirely pathetic figure as she sits on stage. She’s barely visible to the capacity crowd, who cry her name in support. After a short welcome the band eases into it with a soft lonely soundscape with Jun’s trembling voice the centerpiece.
This calm is shattered by a metal breakdown, Vampillia bring everything crashing down in a wall of sound. They may be dressed like high school anime characters that have run away to the circus but it’s clear they know what they’re doing. Indeed, the main disappointment of the set is that they barely get to flex their musical muscles. The mix of power pop and metal is still intriguing as it beguiles and smashes in equal parts, matching Jun’s abrupt changes of mood.
For those that know Jun’s life story, it has not been an easy path for the unusual artist and has included two suicide attempts. This is reflected in her music that is a mix of deranged sadness and hesitant cheerfulness that twists into anger. This is most evident on “Suki Suki Daisuki” that sees Jun rouse herself to tortured screams. The band follows her with crushing riffs and violin skating a high melody over the top of the metal breakdown.
As someone who walked in without full knowledge of Jun’s past, it was hard to appreciate the set fully. But judging by the supportive reception and ending applause in the fully packed Cafe de Paris, the true fans fully appreciated the effort of Jun putting herself out here for them.
