Japanese Rock group ONE OK ROCK recently took their ‘2024 Premonition World Tour' to a sold out Los Angeles’ Kia Forum. Following stops in Tokyo, Kaohsiung, Dusseldorf, Paris, London and Toronto the group made their way to Los Angeles on October 23rd, the tour’s final stop.
Made up of four members; vocalist Taka (森内 貴寬), guitarist Toru (山下 亨), bassist Ryota (小浜 良太) and drummer Tomoya (神吉 智也) the group debuted in 2007 and has since gone on to achieve international success.
Photo Rebecca R.
Afraid I wouldn’t be able to stay through the show, as I was supposed to catch a 6AM flight I hadn’t yet packed for, I was so grateful I decided to risk forgetting something and stay to enjoy their performance.
Diving straight into ‘Delusional:All’, Toru, Ryota and Tomoya hit the stage first to provide their instrumental intro, before Taka made his way onstage to lend his powerhouse vocals to the track. Exploding through ‘Deeper Deeper’ and ‘Taking Off’ the group made their way around the stage, Toru and Ryota banging their heads as they rock guitar and bass, Tomoya explosively hitting on the drums while Taka explored the stage extension, jumping high and singing to the audience.
Photo Rebecca R.
Taka, contrary to his booming singing voice, asks the crowd “You guys having a good time?” in his surprisingly soft spoken tone. The crowd ignited with cheers, one fan near me even screaming “You guys saved my life!” ONE OK ROCK continued performing songs from across their discography including ‘Make It Out Alive’ of their newest studio album of the same name and crowd favorite ‘Renegades’.
Taking a moment to add to the intimacy of their performance, the group transitioned into an acoustic set, performing ‘Wherever You Are’. Fans took out today's modern lighter, the cellphone flashlight, Taka sat at the edge of the stage, breaking the barrier between audience and set, while Toru accompanied him on the guitar, creating a moment of solace and closeness within the crowded arena.
Taking note of the sold out crowd in front of them, the members reflected back on their time in Los Angeles, mentioning playing to a crowd of 10 people at Warped Tour. From their DJ booth, a.k.a. “Fucking bullshit stage” as Ryota called it, to renowned arena Kia Forum, ONE OK ROCK has made the leap to international fame.
Beginning to wrap up their set, the group performed global hit ‘The Beginning’ off their album JinseixBoku=. Taka headed straight to the center GA pit to perform within the crowd, fans jumping with the singer in unison as they sing ‘Mighty Long Fall’. Fans shouted back lyrics enthusiastically to outcast anthem ‘Stand Out Fit In’, a song about being yourself and criticizing societal pressures to conform.
Photo Rebecca R.
Needing to rush home and beat the traffic out of the arena to pack before leaving in just a few hours, unfortunately this is where I took my leave and sadly missed the encore. All I can say is, If you ever get the opportunity to experience ONE OK ROCK live, take it. With energy that pounds through the arena, electric stage presence and extensive talent, ONE OK ROCK is exceptionally impressive.
PREMONITION World Tour 2024 at Kaohsiung National Stadium will be streaming on December 7th, 2024 08:00pm(JST) / 03:00am(PST) / 06:00am(EST) / 11:00am(GMT), view more information and ticketing HERE
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