MONO were, as expected, transcendently amazing. What was new to us was the venue - Trinity Arts Centre in Bristol. Great sound, great vibe, great staff. Just a brilliant, wonderful experience all round.
Posted by Neil Hopkins on 10/06/2023
Mono, Trinity Centre, Bristol - 1st June 2023
The venue is shrouded in darkness, the stage is backlit by only the faintest of lights. Me and my partner have positioned ourselves to the left of the stage and landed upon the perfect view, eager with anticipation as excitement grabs a hold of us both as we await the bands arrival on stage. A plethora of emotions pulsate through me as the time draws closer to the beginning of their set. Mono walk on the stage, they go straight into their opening song, Riptide... I can barely contain myself! I am speechless and hooked from the very first note, they're even better than I expected. Riptide is followed up with, Imperfect Things, and then flawlessly flows into the next song, Nowhere, Now Here. I am in awe, the band has myself and fellow audience members in the palm of their hands and I'm in a euphoric trance where all of my surroundings suddenly don't exist anymore and I am at the bands mercy. Innocence and Sorrow are the next two tracks performed, each keeping the audience engrossed and myself standing and admiring the performers, circulating back and forth between each band member and getting absorbed by the stories portrayed by them told through their instruments. Conjuring up visions of far off desolate landscapes that are baron of all life. Next up was a nod to their earlier work and a song I personally am not familiar with, Halycon (Beautiful Days), and this song certainly lived up to its name as it truly was a beautiful piece of music and tied right in with the flow of the setlist perfectly, not much more to say about this one, I just found it to be a gorgeous piece. Second to last song we have one of my all time favourites of theirs, Ashes in the Snow off arguably my favourite album (Hymn to the Immortal Wind), a song that I had been desperate too hear in person by them for several years after being fixated and obsessed with it ever since it first landed in my ears. This song starts off so gentle with the delicate use of xylophone and light strumming of guitars, then leading into harrowing and wailing guitar sounds that strike an air of desperation and unbridled anguish that just burst out and fills the room. All this gradually and steadily builds to the mammoth crescendo were suddenly all hope has returned and not been vanquished. All order is restored. Mono exit the stage and shortly after make their way back on for the encore, Com(?), a track from their debut album and a perfect way to close out what has been the ultimate music journey that will always be ingrained in my head for eternity. Com(?) is just pure art at its finest and a song that takes a tight grip of you and makes you pay attention, just like the entire Mono performance. From start to finish an absolute thrill ride and an unforgettable experience that I will never forget. Who needs lyrics when you can let the music tell the story?
Posted by Brian Stanley on 05/06/2023
Mono, Band on the Wall, Manchester - 3rd June 2023
Truly original, Tokyo sonic artists Mono are a band without peers or comparisons. Combining elements of post rock, neo classical and art rock; they are an irresistible creative force with each song a euphoric expression of joy and cathartic sorrow.
Formed in Tokyo in 1999, their band members include Takaakira Goto (lead guitar), Hideki Suematsu (rhythm guitar), Tamaki Kunishi (bass guitar), and Dahm Majuri Cipolla (drums). Writing prolifically, they have released eleven studio albums including latest title Pilgrimage of the Soul and composed the film score for My Story, the Buraku Story.
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