One of its defining movements was the rise of visual kei,
sparked by X JAPAN,
with GLAY standing at its peak.

At the same time,
the core of this era was supported by bands formed by members of the legendary BOØWY,
whose influence shaped the very structure of the scene.

Then there was the outlier—
B’z—
who carved out their own path,
while the deeper roots of it all trace back to THE BLUE HEARTS.

Within this multilayered current,
one moment stands out in particular:

Tomoyasu Hotei’s “Bambina.”

With its visually striking music video,
it embodies the point where rock transcended music itself
and fully embraced entertainment.

In the mid-1980s,
it was THE BLUE HEARTS who lit the spark.

But this era cannot be told through the mainstream alone.

Beneath the surface,
there was another massive current—
a dense, surging mass of countless rock bands.

An intensity that television could never capture.
A live energy so fierce it felt like it could tear you apart.

That explosive, uncontrollable heat of live performances—

that is one of the reasons
I call the 1990s the era of live music.