Hatsune Miku concert review: What it’s like to watch a vocaloid performer live

Sydneysiders may have been puzzled by the influx of youngsters wearing blue wigs and carrying leeks into the city on Wednesday afternoon.

If you had followed the trail, it would lead you to the ICC in Darling Harbour, where up to 9000 fans gathered – all to see an empty stage.

Instead of seeing someone sing and dance on stage like a more traditional concerts, the crowd focused on the screen at the back of the stage, which housed the popstar many of them have followed for years – Hatsune Miku.

Watch the video above

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Except, Miku isn’t a real person. She’s a character developed by Japanese media company Crypton Future Media to be the persona for their singing voice synthesizer software.

With this software, anyone can create their own songs and lyrics and ensure that it is their beloved Miku that is singing it.

The sky is the limit when it comes to creating Hatsune Miku songs, with every creator being able to input their own genre preferences and tastes into their masterpieces.

The songs are shared with fans across the globe, with some of them becoming so popular that they are selected to be performed by Miku and her other Vocaloid friends – Kaito, Meiko, Megurine Luka, Kagamine Len and Kagamine Rin – on her world tour, Miku Expo.

She’s even performed previously at Coachella, opened for Lady Gaga on her world tour, collaborated with Pharrell Williams and made it onto the David Letterman Show.

The singing avatars are accompanied by a live band on stage (made of real people), with members playing their instruments non-stop for almost two hours – because it’s not like Miku needs a break.

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Everyone at the event could agree that the band was electric. They deftly kept up with the intensity and tempo changes of the songs, whether it was an R&B song or even a Spanish-inspired number.

Elaine, a 64-year-old grandmother who drove her granddaughter two hours to get to the concert, was blown away by the band’s prowess, stressing that they were “excellent”.

Indeed, it seemed that there was an added layer of appreciation for the band at the concert, as without them, Miku’s music would not be possible to listen to.

It’s something 18-year-old Jude picked up on during the concert, even though he admitted he was only a casual Vocaloid fan.

“There was a lot of appreciation from the audience with the people who are actually playing the instruments, which is really nice,” he said.

“I don’t know, it feels like there was more attention or [awareness]. We’re seeing Miku isn’t a real person, but it’s [about] the music and [the fans were] very appreciative of that.”

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This was indicated by the sea of green light sticks being shaken and twirled in every and all directions to the choreography that everyone seemed to know.

The green would change to orange, yellow, blue, red and pink according to who was performing, including duets where concertgoers would switch their pair of light stick colours to represent one of each character.

On top of the loud music that rocked the Darling Harbour venue was the deafening screams of fans who have waited 10 years to see their idol in the flesh – despite her not having any physical form.

Concert-goers belted along to fan favourites, including Miku, The Vampire, RedLandMarker, MikuFiesta, Luka Luka★Night Fever, and more, performed by Miku and the other Vocaloids.

But Miku is more than just a performer. Her personalised nature means that anyone can alter parts of her character to fit their own personal expression, especially when it comes to fashion – as long as they keep her signature blue hair in ponytails, they stressed to me.

With the globalisation of the fandom, many fans have included some national pride into their costumes – and of course, Aussies couldn’t be left out, with many fans at the concert sporting a Bunnings uniform with their blue wig.

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One of these fans was 29-year-old Morgan, who was swamped by fans throughout the night, asking for a picture with her.

“It’s just really nice being able to meet people,” she said of the fandom’s community.

“I can’t really talk to people normally when [I’m] in public, and because everyone has a shared interest in Miku and the Vocaloids, it’s so easy to just talk to people here.”

This concert may seem to have come out of the blue, but it is in fact part of a cultural movement that has been growing for decades.

Asian pop has been a staple for many Aussies who grew up listening to Asian music such as K-pop and J-pop and immersing themselves in sub cultures such as Vocaloid performers, K-dramas and anime.

Data recently compiled by Live Nation Australia indicated that Asian pop is a cultural phenomenon that is only just seeing the surface.

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Over the last decade, there has been a reported 600 per cent increase in Asian Pop shows and a 275 per cent surge in the number of artists in Australia and New Zealand.

About 98 per cent of Asian pop fans stated that they listen to music in languages other than English, with over 60 per cent saying they prefer it despite English being their dominant language.

In fact, three out of four fans say it’s not important that they don’t speak or even understand the language of their favourite tunes, as they prioritise understanding a different culture.

Miku’s popularity all over the world is indicative of this.

And with the Vocaloid marking her first Australia and New Zealand tour, fans are excited to support her and see what comes next.

Aunchita, a 19-year-old fan, put it best when she said: “We’ve all grown up seeing her 3D modelled and on a screen, and then you see her in real life, and it’s completely different.

“It’s like this actual pop star, this person that we’ve been treating like a pop star – even though she’s not real, has turned into reality for us.”

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