Måneskin in Tokyo, Japan - 2022.08.18

Miyuki Wang
Sep 8, 2022
3 min read

Updated: Sep 16, 2022

review & photo by Miyuki Wang

Måneskin Gloriously Conquered Toyosu Pit in Tokyo, Japan

Måneskin, the Eurovision winner and now the global rock stars had stepped on the land of Japan in a scorching heat this summer. They were here to play at the main stage of Summer Sonic in both Tokyo and Osaka but just before that, they had their own headliner show at Toyosu Pit in Tokyo.

Before the gig had begun, there was a speech by the Japanese promoter asking the crowd not to sing/shout/scream out loud and to push and mosh in the pit to keep the event safe from the COVID spread. Nevertheless, as the band opened their set with their Eurovision-winning song 'Zitti E Buoni,' 2,400 people in the room all flocked to the front, wishing to get closer to the band on stage. There was even a pleasant surprise of the sight of Japanese fans - certainly not famous for sing-alongs even in English - singing along to their Italian lyrics.

Damiano (Vo.) who was probably told about the covid rules beforehand was seemingly unsure about the way he should perform at the beginning; a natural reaction from a frontman who has been having a summer festival run at places such as Coachella (US), Pinkpop Festival (Netherlands) and Rock Werchter (Belgium) where people are ready to party. However, having been welcomed enthusiastically by the Japanese fans, he seemed to have understood the mission for the evening and rolled on with their most popular songs such as 'Beggin,' 'Mammamia' and 'Supermodel.'

The band started to ask for shouts and sing-alongs; the room became fully heated and the show went unstoppable.

Saying that they have always wanted to play in Japan, Damiano even sang a line from a song in his favourite Anime Attack on Titan to show how happy he was.

While I wish they had more original tracks, their covers were equally interesting and they did not undermine the overall experience of the show as they almost made classics such as 'Womanizer' by Britney Spears and 'I Wanna Be Your Dog' by The Stooges into their own songs by adding unique Måneskin twists. Especially fascinating was the cover of 'My Generation' by The Who where Damiano sang in a style which was almost like a speech; he proudly declared "this is my generation."

It would be unfair not to mention the other 3 members of the band:

Victoria (Ba.) deserves credit for adding extra energy to the gig with her dashing bass playing and for stealing the hearts of female fans in front of her and refusing to let them go by making occasional eye contact and winking at them.

Ethan (Dr.) on top of the stage was fully focused and had everything under control.

Their encore opened with Thomas' guitar solo which reminded me of a sky full of stars - it was a perfect intro to 'La Parole Lontane.'

They played their signature 'I Wanna Be Your Slave' once again as their last song. After, they gathered at the centre of the stage to say thank you to the crowd; Damiano spoke of the rumour that he has heard from everyone before they came to Japan, that the Japanese crowd is quiet, and said how it was simply proven to be wrong that evening. They bowed and left the stage in front of the fans who were already starting to miss them.

Afterwards, at the artist's exit, there was a mass of people wanting to see their favourite band once more.

Considering the way they had proved themselves to be a live rock band with an undeniable energy and charm, it was a shame that they had to cancel the Reading & Leeds fest in the UK this year to perform at an award show instead.

Nonetheless, it is already promised that they will grow even bigger along with their upcoming US tour later this year and the Europe tour next year.

Another thing for certain is that Måneskin knows that they now have a home to go back to in Japan; their Japanese fans will be patiently waiting for their next rock'n'roll party together.