JAPAN: Robot band members hit the stage with pop singers

Record ID: 401881

  • Title: JAPAN: Robot band members hit the stage with pop singers
  • Date: 24th June 2013
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (JUNE 24, 2013) (REUTERS) STAGE OPENING TO SHOW Z-MACHINES ROBOT ROCK BAND ROBOT GUITARIST MORE OF BAND PLAYING DANCERS IN FRONT OF ROBOT ROCK BAND ROBOT GUITARIST MORE OF BAND PLAYING VARIOUS OF BAND PLAYING (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 21-YEAR-OLD CONCERT-GOER MAYU KOBAYASHI SAYING: "Their whole atmosphere was very futuristic and fun and I was just so exc
  • Embargoed: 9th July 2013 13:00
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  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Reuters ID: LVA6JXRRPWO3FLWBTOQE2SO48Z50
  • Story Text: In what may be a sign of the future of music, three robot band members took to the stage in Tokyo on Monday (June 24) in a collaboration with two Japanese pop singers, to electrify a crowd of nearly 100 people.
    The event saw the three custom-made robots, a guitarist, drummer and keyboardist.
    Although this wasn't the first time robots have performed on stage, those who attended the concert said they enjoyed the show.
    "Their whole atmosphere was very futuristic and fun and I was just so excited the whole time," said 21-year-old Mayu Kobayashi.
    "This is the first time I've seen this sort of thing live, so it was quite the experience," said 28-year-old Tsuneaki Takahashi.
    For pop group Amoyamo who performed a song together with the group, they said that even though they only had one rehearsal to practice beforehand, the robots managed to pull everything off perfectly.
    "I was worried whether it would be okay, but as they were indeed robots they managed to pull off the main performance completely spot-on as well," singer Ayamo of the group said.
    Tokyo University professor Yoichiro Kawaguchi, who helped with some of the design of the robots, said that he eventually hopes that this sort of concert may one day head off-planet as well.
    "I'd like to do this whether it's on the moon or on the north pole of Mars, or for instance on the moons of Saturn such as the ice moon Europa. My end goal is to even leave the solar system and do this on the planet of another solar system," Kawaguchi said.
    The concert lasted for around 30 minutes, organisers their next performance has yet to be scheduled.
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