Here’s Perfume performing “Moon” a few times

It feels like “Moon” came and went like British Summer Time. 

I haven’t seen Perfume move on from a song this quick since “Time Warp”, which coincidentally also released in September. But as per “Time Warp”, we got some cool live performances of the song which help... *looks into the camera* spice up the song and deliver in ways that the underwhelming music video did not.

Perfume performing “Moon” on Music Fair | Video courtesy of prfm-multiverse (taopriest)

Perfume performing “Moon” on Buzz Rhythm 02 | Video courtesy of prfm-multiverse (taopriest)

Perfume performing “Moon” on Music Fair | Video courtesy of prfm-multiverse (taopriest)

Perfume performing “Moon” at Inazuma Rock Fes 2023 | Video courtesy of prfm-multiverse (taopriest)

Perfume performing “Moon” at Sweet Love Shower 2023 | Video courtesy of prfm-multiverse (taopriest)

I wrote a whole thing about how I felt about “Moon”, both the song and the music video. I do like the song. There’s not much about it which compels me to replay it. But there is something really good there. So hopefully Nakata will album mix it or give it the v1.1 treatment. Although given that v1.1’ing “Time Warp” didn’t do enough, v1.1’ing “Mawaru Kagami” made it worse and how controversial his album mixes have been, maybe it should be left alone. But with all this said, I do hope Perfume don’t just toss “Moon” aside the second the clock strikes and we’re in 2024, because the song has enough to it for it to be something which could stick.

Perfume squander too many opportunities to perform different songs in favour of performing “Polyrhythm” and “Chocolate Disco”. NO BITCH. Perform “Moon”. Perform “Time Warp”. Perform other songs. They won’t stick unless you make them. And Perfume also need to find ways to add moments to live performances that draw more people in. Over time “Polyrhythm”, “Chocolate Disco” and “Fake It” now have set sections during which a-chan screams into the microphone to hype up the audience. “Moon” is rousing enough for her to start screaming ‘DANCE! DANCE! SHAKE! SHAKE!’. But nope. It’s just shimmies. “Moon” could be a crowd pleaser, but Perfume have to do the work to make it so.

Too many artists play it safe with their setlists and I’m tired of it. Perform the flops. Mix it up. If the original version of the song ain’t hitting, then remix the damn thing. And this is why I get on Perfume for not giving us different versions of their songs. I wouldn’t mind “Polyrhythm” or “Chocolate Disco” being run into the ground if they were regularly switched up. And maybe songs like “Moon” and “Time Warp” would hit differently if they were also switched up for live performances. Given the sounds of “Moon” and “Time Warp” (which I consider sister songs), I think the special sauce would be a live band. But we ain’t ever getting that unless it’s for a Perfume FES, which is unfortunate. Especially given how good the live band version of “Natural ni Koishite” was.

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🎤 Perfume gig reviews: Code of Perfume | Plasma | Perfume Live [Polygon Wave] | Reframe | World Tour 3rd | World Tour 2nd

💿 Perfume album reviews: Plasma | The Best “P Cubed” | Future Pop | Cosmic Explorer | LEVEL3 | JPN | Triangle | Game | Complete Best

💽 Revised editions: 6 of Perfume’s albums, with the tracklistings they shoulda had