How I Got Hooked on The Alfee

The Alfee had a concert in Sapporo the other day, so I went!
During that time, my eldest son went to see the Mario movie with his dad, and my second son was looked after by his grandmother.

The Alfee has become so popular that it's been impossible to get concert tickets for the past few years, so I'm grateful that I was able to get a ticket and attend again this year.
I had a seat on the first floor right in front of Takamizawa-san, and I was able to fully enjoy his powerful and beautiful performance!

The reason I got hooked on The Alfee was the song "LOVE NEVER DIES."
It's a song from 1996, and when I first saw it on a music TV show, I fell in love at first sight, thinking the melody was wonderful and Takamizawa-san was so cool!
That was 30 years ago, and I was still in junior high school at the time. Even back then, people thought it was rare for a junior high student to like The Alfee, but it's an amazing band since new teenage fans are still joining their ranks one after another today.

For the younger generation who don't know The Alfee, it seems surprising that Sakurai-san, the bassist on the far left, is the main vocalist. When they appeared on the Kohaku Uta Gassen two years ago, it apparently went a little viral on social media with people saying, "Wait, you're the one singing?!"

Actually, when I first became a fan, I also thought, "Wait, you're the one singing?!" (laughs)
That's because since I started with "LOVE NEVER DIES," I assumed that Sakurai-san was the vocalist for this band, and I didn't think the other two would take on main vocals.
When I listened to the album "LOVE" that was released after that, I remember being very surprised that Takamizawa-san was singing on a song called "Ame no Shozo"!
But "Ame no Shozo" is a melodious ballad, so I was convinced that it fit Takamizawa-san's image perfectly! However!
With the following track, "Renai Ronri," I was completely blown away!
It was incredibly hard rock, and he was even using a gravelly voice... Huh? Is this the same Takamizawa-san?? I was completely caught off guard.
At the time, I was still unaware of even harder songs like "Koutetsu no Kyojin" or "Higeki Jutai"...

Perhaps it's because of that unforgettable and impactful encounter that I've been continuing my "oshi-katsu" (fan activities) for 30 years.