Photo credit: Elaine Tantra
ATARASHII GAKKO! – Festival Hall
ATARASHII GAKKO! Bring Unmatched Energy to Their First Melbourne Headline Show
Japanese girl group Atarashii Gakko! lit up Festival Hall for their first-ever solo headline show in Melbourne – and if their show proved anything, it’s that we’ve been waiting far too long for this. After making waves at Meredith and becoming viral sensations online, AG brought their mix of choreography, chaos, and heartfelt connection to a sold-out crowd that was more than ready to match their energy.
From the moment Go Wild kicked off the set, the venue erupted. Singing from behind lecterns turned into synchronised towel-spinning and coordinated dance moves, as the quartet launched into Change, which had the crowd bouncing along. ‘Melbourne, we are AG — are you ready?!’ they shouted – and the crowd made it clear they were.
Toryanse and Omakase followed, both showing different sides of the group. While Toryanse went off with one of the strongest reactions of the night, Omakase slowed things down slightly – giving fans a breather and letting the members showcase tighter vocals and stage effects that felt like magic.
The pounding Essa Hoisa picked the tempo right back up, complete with visuals of Mount Fuji and rapping that hit like a bolt of electricity. Giri Giri and crowd fave Otona Blue were up next. Needless to say, AG’s signature blend of quirky movements and on-point vocals made every second feel electric. Arigato carried on the funk-driven tracks, while Forever Sisters and CANDY provided comic moments.
Pineapple Kryptonite was a set highlight, which threw the crowd into chaos, and saw the group members play-fighting onstage, before taking a few moments for a dance break.
‘This is our first solo show in Melbourne,’ they told the crowd. ‘We are so happy to be here. Are you having fun? Do you want to dance more?’ The answer was an obvious yes. ‘Now it’s your turn!’ the audience was told before leading into WOO! GO! and Suki Lie.
A remix of Pineapple Kryptonite and snippets of ARMSTRONG, AG’s collab with MILLI, turned the venue into a rave and had punters jumping along in a collective mass. Donning boxing gloves for Fly High, the good times kept rolling with the anthemic Tokyo Calling which had everyone pounding their fists in the air.
During set closer One Heart, Suzuka jumped into the crowd for a dance party, tossed off her socks, and sang along with their adoring fans. ‘Everybody’s so beautiful,’ she told the crowd, along with ‘We’re so happy.’
For the encore, they returned with NAINAINAI, with Suzuka climbing onto the shoulders of Kanon to sing to the crowd one last time. ‘Australia… Melbourne… your culture is amazing,’ she said, before the final closer Que Sera Sera brought everything down to a dreamy, singalong finish.
‘We want to come back to Australia,’ they told the audience – and if the reaction from the Melbourne crowd is anything to go by, the feeling is more than mutual.
Photo Credit: Elaine Tantra