Live Review: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu

Tonight is not like any other gig. All the way from Tokyo, Japan, in addition to being a renowned fashion model, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is one of the world's biggest J-Pop superstars. She makes her Melbourne debut at Festival Hall this evening, having only visited the country once in the past to play in Sydney. Fans of the genre have definitely turned up.

This is a show that's like a spoilt child constantly demanding attention. The stage is laid out like a cartoon wonderland in line with the Pamyu style. Each track is presented with her 'singing' while performing heavily choreographed dance routines with a group of five-odd back-up dancers, all the while 'DJ Mushroom' dances in the background with a little light stick that has a picture of an eye on it.

Everything is in the high-BPM field and the sound is deafening. Not one real instrument is on stage and we're not sure about the production techniques, but it's highly unlikely that Pamyu is singing live, which is evident during ear-piercing peaks that occur when she enthusiastically screams at her fans. In fact, we doubt that DJ Mushroom is even a real DJ.

The western 'crossover' tunes get the biggest response here. PONPONPON is infectious and singing it is enough to make you go light-headed, while Candy Candy feels like a modernised Japanese take on '50s Western commercialism. There are many 'what the fuck' moments that include the dubstep-flavoured tunes, the roughly translated dance routines, the siren sample, the pretty impressive costume changes, all those dark ambient songs, the strange poetry/lullaby pieces she sings, Mushroom becoming a street-style ballet dancer — the list really does go on. 

It is perhaps too easy to describe this performance as a surreal experience. The pop aesthetic and how it relates to our own dumbed down, more broad/accessible pop market raises more questions than it answers. While this performance lacks the production values we expect from hyper J-Pop stardom, it is one that should be experienced at some point. Your head may hurt and you may actively seek out the most bland-looking pub for a stiff drink as comfort afterwards, but, on your way to that pub — with promotional material for the tour and some Japanese fashion mall thing known as Aeon in hand, you'll be singing, "PONPON way way way/PONPON way PON way PONPON."