The Mell concert was, in a word, fascinating.
That's one of those words that you use without really thinking about what it means. We think it means "interesting", when it more accurately expresses the inability to sever one's attention from the object of fascination. Mell did that. Her movements, costumes, and singing conspired to force you to look at her and not look away, as long as she was on stage -- and when she stepped off for an intermission, they had a magician perform. I am not making this up. It was an environment calculated to demand total sensory involvement.
Perhaps the most fascinating thing about her was the contrast between her music and her onstage personality. I mean, think of the music. I've Sound has a distinct house style. Uptempo, strong electronic feel. Synthpop, but not as cute. Mell's like that. The songs that she's best known for have a little bit of darkness about them. They're not happy, poppy songs. They have a sort of depth to them, something a bit guttural. It's an emotional reaction for me, not an intellectual one.
But then, whenever she waved at the audience and smiled, the effect was just. . . Moe!! It was so bizarre, so out-of-character. Think about songs like Red Fraction, or Virgin's High. They're rock. Gritty. But you wouldn't know it to watch her,
And there was a huge difference between her singing and speaking voice. She could have stepped out of a maid cafe. When she spoke, you expected her to make music like Momoi Halko, not Kotoko. And when she spoke English, it was so endearing. We don't often use that word in its strictest technical sense, but it fits here.
And that, too, was fascinating.