[LIVE REPORT] Dir en grey @ Matsumoto Bunka Kaikan
DIR EN GREY: TOUR04 OVER THE CODE VULGAR[ism]
[ March 29, 2004 ] 18:30
Naganoken Matsumoto Bunka Kaikan [ Middle Hall ]
The hall reminded me of a slightly smaller version of the conference hall at AX last year where BLOOD and Duel Jewel played. It surprised me somewhat since I thought they would be playing at a larger or at least more snazzy-looking venue. This place reminded me of my grade school community hall. Then again, that's kind of what it was I suppose. After the live started, the place itself really didn't matter though. Everything they needed was onstage. There was room for one monitor to the left of the stage flashing the gerneral pre-show warnings: 'NO DIVE, NO CAMERAS, NO RECORDING DEVICES, NO FUN!' Well, not the last but that's what it seemed. If the thing showed anything during the actual live, I never saw it. ^^ It was all the way on the other side of the stage and well.... just didn't seem any more interesting than what was in front of me. About three-fourths of the way back were the sound boards, and there were green metal fence/support bars set up around the area where most of the audience stayed.
I angled for a spot just inside the bars, on Die's side- about 15-20 feet or so from the stage. In my 4-inch heels, I pretty much towered over everyone around me- even the five or so males in my direct proximity. The bulk of the crush pit was about 5 feet away so I still had a pretty good view and was able to stand/dance/headbang comfortably and without killing anyone, also without getting anyone else's sweat on me but my own. I know that's part of the 'experience' and all but I was happy just being there. Besides, my feet hurt and if anyone had made me jump up and down, I would have cheerfully landed my stomper boots right into their ass. There was Metallica playing when we entered- I'm not sure what song it was but I know the voice anywhere. A few more songs played before the show actually started but I didn't recognize any of them. After a while, Inoue-san (their manager) came out and gave the standard warnings- or so I assume since I didn't understand him.
Minutes after that, the lights went down, the band ran out, the lights flashed, and Kyo's scream of welcome reverberated through the hall.
I can't remember the exact setlist in order but I'm pretty sure the following songs were played at some time during the night:
audience KILLER LOOP
OBSCURE
Mr.NEWSMAN
Red...[em]
The IIID Empire
DRAIN AWAY
Kasumi
Shokubeni
New Age Culture
The FINAL
Asunaki koufuku, koenaki asu
Fukai
children
Marmalade Chainsaw
Sajou no uta
umbrella
R to the Core
CHILD PREY
I want to say they played either "Increase Blue," "HADES," or "AMBER" as well but but since I've been watching the Blitz live DVD's since I got back, I can't be sure if everything's just blurring into one big mass of live Dir en grey or if I actually saw it in Nagano. ^^
Despite my initial impression of the hall, the sound quality was better than expected. Even though I was standing right in front of the amps, the volume was just right and there was virtually no distortion. I know they have excellent equipment and an extremely skilled crew but I figured there is only so much you can do to integrate with the facilities at the venue if they're not up to par. I needn't have worried though. Every song was flawlessly performed and if there were any mistakes, I didn't notice them. Not that I've listened to VULGAR anywhere near enough to be able to detect little nuances but the execution and performance was right on the ball. There was one track... "Shokubeni" I believe- where Kyo started singing- or rather screaming- towards the end without the instruments or the microphone. It was disconcerting at first since he tends to immerse himself fully in the song but it did make for a powerful if disturbing performance. If he inflicted any sort of pain on himself- as he's been apt to do in past lives- I didn't witness it. Again, bear in mind I wasn't really watching him the entire time. There were no spitting or bubbling theatrics either until he sprayed water onto the crowd at the very end. All in all, it was a 'clean' performance.
The look was the latest from The FINAL- and each costume was faithfully depicted save Shinya who sported had a shock of pink bangs and Toshiya who had discarded the shades in favor of really really messy eye makeup. The set was played three or so songs at a time, with frequent breaks to check for the fallen. The band usually left the stage during these short breaks. Sometimes one or two would linger, sucking on a water bottle or taunting fans who could still see them. Shinya stayed out for most of them though, perched calmly on his drum seat, glaring balefully at us from underneath his bright fringe and black braids. A total of two girls were hauled out from what I could see but otherwise everyone held up pretty well. It wasn't as crowded as I thought either- and a lot of people were behind me, staying well away from the crush in front.
Aside from two pop princesses (complete with pink heels and tiaras), everyone else seemed ready to jam. And jam they did. When the harder songs were played, there was scarcely an unmoving body to be found- everyone would be bouncing to the beat- jumping up and down the entire song with their hands in the air. One thing I have learned about Dir en grey fans- their endurance is amazing. I don't think I could bounce incessantly up and down on beat and headbang for songs on end and still have enough energy for 10 minutes of 'EN-CO-RE!' chants at the end of the show.
The band members themselves- while not sacrificing the performance or the music, seemed not quite bored but not quite all there either. I've seen recordings of past lives where they're all energy and charge- this live lacked some of that until the very very end during "CHILD PREY" when they all finally seemed to cut loose a little bit. I admit, since I was on Die's side, most of my attention was focused on him and Shinya (one-eyed glaring and all), as well as Kyo because- let's face it, it's hard to watch a Dir en grey show and not see the man. Maybe it was that they figured most of the audience was there for Toshiya and just didn't bother. I don't know.
Kaoru visited our side twice but retreated to his own for most of the night. Toshiya went largely unnoticed by me until the very end when everyone in the house's attention fell on him. More about that later. :p I did note that he was holding his bass almost like an upright- at least at the beginning of the show. He didn't seem all out and charged up considering this was his hometown but maybe I was just expecting a different reaction. :p Kyo was... Kyo. There is no describing Kyo. He just is. He looked far less demented and much more professional from where I was standing so that was a welcome surprise. Shinya was an absolute madman back there. He came out wearing a sleeveless shirt and his arms have gotten larger since I last paid attention. He might even dwarf Die now in that department and that's something considering Die was closer to me and should have therefore appeared bigger by perspective alone. >_> Die... what can I say? He is a master at what he does. Cool and collected, he was very focused and somewhat subdued during most of the show, except when he'd break off every now and again to bounce around and headbang or stand on the amp in front of him and remind the already churning crowd that they had to give more and more- the screaming and jumping just wasn't enough. The rest of his crowd interaction consisted of trying to get everyone to flip him off. Since the bulk of the mass were on Toshiya's side, the space in front of him was nowhere near as crowded though he did have some die-hards (excuse the pun) screaming his name every so often.
Highlights- as if the entire show wasn't one giant bright spot already- would have to include "Red... [em]" of course- the guitar solo is mind-blowing live. "DRAIN AWAY" and "kasumi" were both surprisingly beautiful- I love the songs already but there is a certain energy to them live- to every song on VULGAR really- that the recorded versions just don't capture. The music, the performance, accented with the lights and lasers make the songs something really special. "Umbrella" and "R to the Core" were definitely charged but there was more to the harder songs than I expected. "Marmalade Chainsaw" and "New Age Culture" (which I didn't much care for on the album) were just plain FUN. "audience KILLER LOOP" and "OBSCURE" which kicked off the live in that order really set the stage. I remember thinking sometime in the middle of "OBSCURE" how I was going to be able to stand the rest of the concert, maintaining that level of energy. I wondered how all of us would make it through. The songs absolutely ROCKED. "Mr.NEWSMAN," "Asunaki koufuku, koenaki asu," and "children" were great to hear as well- something about the new arrangement of "children" making it particularly fun to jam to. They looked like they were having fun with it.
The best surprise was actually "The FINAL." I'd heard the song only a few times before I left and I already loved it. I wasn't expecting anything special during the live but Kyo's performance... I'm not entirely sure when I stopped listening to the music and when it just became a part of me, moving me before I was even aware of the change. All I could remember was clawing towards the stage with single-minded determination, reaching for... I don't know what. It was like some elusive, unnamed thing that only the music could appease. "DRAIN AWAY" with its white lights and "kasumi" with its green provoked similar but not as violent reactions.
The entire live in retrospect had that sort of feeling- especially now that I'm listening to the songs again. Certain aspects of them, impressions and emotions I got from the live are conspicuously and sadly absent when listening to the recorded versions. I know that's to be expected and only logical but still. There is enough in the music though to bring the memories back and I actually appreciate the live more now than I did when I was actually there.
Other things... the encores. I've been to lives where fans would scream "ENCORE" for maybe 2-3 minutes, just to let the band know they were still out there- then subside to wait. Maybe a few random screams here and there but nothing more. Dir en grey encore chants last upwards of 5-10 minutes without flagging. The band takes their time. The fans do not let up. I'd heard about this from others but it's almost fascinating to be in the middle of it. The second encore... was something else entirely. If I haven't stated it already, Toshiya is from Nagano. Whether he's from Matsumoto, Nagano City, or one of the other cities in the prefecture, I don't know but the fans here were clearly proud of their hometown hero. His birthday was in two days. They decided to celebrate early. The second time the band disappeared, the entire left section of the audience started singing "Happy Birthday."
"Happi baasdeiii tuuu yuuuuuu
Happi baasdeiii tuuu yuuuuu
Happi baaasdeiii diiiiaaaa
TOSHIYAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!
Happi baaassdeiiii tuuuu yuuuuuuuuu!!!!"
By the second or third round, the entire venue- even those who weren't singing- would join in screaming "TOSHIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!" when that part of the song came. This went on and on and didn't flag for the ENTIRE 10 minutes the band was away doing whatever it is that they do while we stand there and wait. When Toshiya FINALLY stumbled out, his face was in his hands. Amidst a gigantic cheer, he made it to the center of the stage, slid his hands from his face into a prayer position above his head, and bowed low several times, thanking everyone for their... I would say well wishes but it seemed something more than that. I could have sworn he was crying. By the time he was finished, his side was in an uproar and he stared out into the crowd, swiping at his eyes, beaming from ear to ear. It still makes me smile thinking about it. The rest of the band allowed him to bask in the attention, to the point to where they left him onstage for what seemed like a few minutes by himself and had to coerce the others back out. Still bowing and grinning, he bounded to the side of the stage and made a few frantic flapping/waving motions before Shinya finally emerged- to more screaming- and took his place at the drums. The rest of the band filed out and they started up the last segment of what had been a truly memorable night. By the time Kyo screamed "LAST SONG!!!!" Everyone was in a frenzy trying to milk every second of whatever the band had left to give. They ended with "CHILD PREY." Fists were in the air. Voices overshadowed the vocals. You couldn't cut through the crush without incurring some sort of bodily harm. It was exhausting, it was insane, none of us wanted it to end.
Eventually it had to though and before I knew it. Kyo was spraying the crowd, Die was hurling waterbottles clear across the hall, Kaoru had disappeared, and Toshiya was left onstage hurling picks at his raving serenaders. I lost track of Shinya at that point as well and if the band reappeared at all, I was already being pulled towards the exit by my exhausted companion.
The main thing I got from this entire experience is the confirmation that Dir en grey is very much a live band. The recorded music- while powerful in itself- is almost half of what they can be live. That is a testament to the talent and potential of this band. Anything can be done to a song in a studio. To play live, flawlessly, and with that much added charge, takes so much more. And to be able to convey the sheer emotion behind a song to even a small portion of the crowd takes power, charisma, and a lot of sheer energy. These are all things each member has in abundance. Even with the relatively toned down performance, what was vital and what made this live something more than just playing on a stage, was the music which became a living, breathing entity that just picked you up in its teeth and never let you go.
That is Dir en grey.
Remaining Tour Dates:
04.05 (Monday) - Nagoya Diamond Hall
04.06 (Tuesday) - Nagoya Diamond Hall
04.08 (Thursday) -NANBA Hatch
04.09 (Friday) - NANBA Hatch
04.12 (Monday) - Kobe Chicken George
04.13 (Tuesday) - Kobe Chicken George
04.15 (Thursday) - Hiroshima Club Quattro
04.16 (Friday) - Hiroshima Club Quattro
04.18 (Sunday) - Zepp Fukuoka
04.21 (Wednesday) - Zepp Sendai
04.24 (Saturday) - Zepp Tokyo
04.25 (Sunday) - Zepp Tokyo
For more information visit their website in English or Japanese.
[ March 29, 2004 ] 18:30
Naganoken Matsumoto Bunka Kaikan [ Middle Hall ]
The hall reminded me of a slightly smaller version of the conference hall at AX last year where BLOOD and Duel Jewel played. It surprised me somewhat since I thought they would be playing at a larger or at least more snazzy-looking venue. This place reminded me of my grade school community hall. Then again, that's kind of what it was I suppose. After the live started, the place itself really didn't matter though. Everything they needed was onstage. There was room for one monitor to the left of the stage flashing the gerneral pre-show warnings: 'NO DIVE, NO CAMERAS, NO RECORDING DEVICES, NO FUN!' Well, not the last but that's what it seemed. If the thing showed anything during the actual live, I never saw it. ^^ It was all the way on the other side of the stage and well.... just didn't seem any more interesting than what was in front of me. About three-fourths of the way back were the sound boards, and there were green metal fence/support bars set up around the area where most of the audience stayed.
I angled for a spot just inside the bars, on Die's side- about 15-20 feet or so from the stage. In my 4-inch heels, I pretty much towered over everyone around me- even the five or so males in my direct proximity. The bulk of the crush pit was about 5 feet away so I still had a pretty good view and was able to stand/dance/headbang comfortably and without killing anyone, also without getting anyone else's sweat on me but my own. I know that's part of the 'experience' and all but I was happy just being there. Besides, my feet hurt and if anyone had made me jump up and down, I would have cheerfully landed my stomper boots right into their ass. There was Metallica playing when we entered- I'm not sure what song it was but I know the voice anywhere. A few more songs played before the show actually started but I didn't recognize any of them. After a while, Inoue-san (their manager) came out and gave the standard warnings- or so I assume since I didn't understand him.
Minutes after that, the lights went down, the band ran out, the lights flashed, and Kyo's scream of welcome reverberated through the hall.
I can't remember the exact setlist in order but I'm pretty sure the following songs were played at some time during the night:
audience KILLER LOOP
OBSCURE
Mr.NEWSMAN
Red...[em]
The IIID Empire
DRAIN AWAY
Kasumi
Shokubeni
New Age Culture
The FINAL
Asunaki koufuku, koenaki asu
Fukai
children
Marmalade Chainsaw
Sajou no uta
umbrella
R to the Core
CHILD PREY
I want to say they played either "Increase Blue," "HADES," or "AMBER" as well but but since I've been watching the Blitz live DVD's since I got back, I can't be sure if everything's just blurring into one big mass of live Dir en grey or if I actually saw it in Nagano. ^^
Despite my initial impression of the hall, the sound quality was better than expected. Even though I was standing right in front of the amps, the volume was just right and there was virtually no distortion. I know they have excellent equipment and an extremely skilled crew but I figured there is only so much you can do to integrate with the facilities at the venue if they're not up to par. I needn't have worried though. Every song was flawlessly performed and if there were any mistakes, I didn't notice them. Not that I've listened to VULGAR anywhere near enough to be able to detect little nuances but the execution and performance was right on the ball. There was one track... "Shokubeni" I believe- where Kyo started singing- or rather screaming- towards the end without the instruments or the microphone. It was disconcerting at first since he tends to immerse himself fully in the song but it did make for a powerful if disturbing performance. If he inflicted any sort of pain on himself- as he's been apt to do in past lives- I didn't witness it. Again, bear in mind I wasn't really watching him the entire time. There were no spitting or bubbling theatrics either until he sprayed water onto the crowd at the very end. All in all, it was a 'clean' performance.
The look was the latest from The FINAL- and each costume was faithfully depicted save Shinya who sported had a shock of pink bangs and Toshiya who had discarded the shades in favor of really really messy eye makeup. The set was played three or so songs at a time, with frequent breaks to check for the fallen. The band usually left the stage during these short breaks. Sometimes one or two would linger, sucking on a water bottle or taunting fans who could still see them. Shinya stayed out for most of them though, perched calmly on his drum seat, glaring balefully at us from underneath his bright fringe and black braids. A total of two girls were hauled out from what I could see but otherwise everyone held up pretty well. It wasn't as crowded as I thought either- and a lot of people were behind me, staying well away from the crush in front.
Aside from two pop princesses (complete with pink heels and tiaras), everyone else seemed ready to jam. And jam they did. When the harder songs were played, there was scarcely an unmoving body to be found- everyone would be bouncing to the beat- jumping up and down the entire song with their hands in the air. One thing I have learned about Dir en grey fans- their endurance is amazing. I don't think I could bounce incessantly up and down on beat and headbang for songs on end and still have enough energy for 10 minutes of 'EN-CO-RE!' chants at the end of the show.
The band members themselves- while not sacrificing the performance or the music, seemed not quite bored but not quite all there either. I've seen recordings of past lives where they're all energy and charge- this live lacked some of that until the very very end during "CHILD PREY" when they all finally seemed to cut loose a little bit. I admit, since I was on Die's side, most of my attention was focused on him and Shinya (one-eyed glaring and all), as well as Kyo because- let's face it, it's hard to watch a Dir en grey show and not see the man. Maybe it was that they figured most of the audience was there for Toshiya and just didn't bother. I don't know.
Kaoru visited our side twice but retreated to his own for most of the night. Toshiya went largely unnoticed by me until the very end when everyone in the house's attention fell on him. More about that later. :p I did note that he was holding his bass almost like an upright- at least at the beginning of the show. He didn't seem all out and charged up considering this was his hometown but maybe I was just expecting a different reaction. :p Kyo was... Kyo. There is no describing Kyo. He just is. He looked far less demented and much more professional from where I was standing so that was a welcome surprise. Shinya was an absolute madman back there. He came out wearing a sleeveless shirt and his arms have gotten larger since I last paid attention. He might even dwarf Die now in that department and that's something considering Die was closer to me and should have therefore appeared bigger by perspective alone. >_> Die... what can I say? He is a master at what he does. Cool and collected, he was very focused and somewhat subdued during most of the show, except when he'd break off every now and again to bounce around and headbang or stand on the amp in front of him and remind the already churning crowd that they had to give more and more- the screaming and jumping just wasn't enough. The rest of his crowd interaction consisted of trying to get everyone to flip him off. Since the bulk of the mass were on Toshiya's side, the space in front of him was nowhere near as crowded though he did have some die-hards (excuse the pun) screaming his name every so often.
Highlights- as if the entire show wasn't one giant bright spot already- would have to include "Red... [em]" of course- the guitar solo is mind-blowing live. "DRAIN AWAY" and "kasumi" were both surprisingly beautiful- I love the songs already but there is a certain energy to them live- to every song on VULGAR really- that the recorded versions just don't capture. The music, the performance, accented with the lights and lasers make the songs something really special. "Umbrella" and "R to the Core" were definitely charged but there was more to the harder songs than I expected. "Marmalade Chainsaw" and "New Age Culture" (which I didn't much care for on the album) were just plain FUN. "audience KILLER LOOP" and "OBSCURE" which kicked off the live in that order really set the stage. I remember thinking sometime in the middle of "OBSCURE" how I was going to be able to stand the rest of the concert, maintaining that level of energy. I wondered how all of us would make it through. The songs absolutely ROCKED. "Mr.NEWSMAN," "Asunaki koufuku, koenaki asu," and "children" were great to hear as well- something about the new arrangement of "children" making it particularly fun to jam to. They looked like they were having fun with it.
The best surprise was actually "The FINAL." I'd heard the song only a few times before I left and I already loved it. I wasn't expecting anything special during the live but Kyo's performance... I'm not entirely sure when I stopped listening to the music and when it just became a part of me, moving me before I was even aware of the change. All I could remember was clawing towards the stage with single-minded determination, reaching for... I don't know what. It was like some elusive, unnamed thing that only the music could appease. "DRAIN AWAY" with its white lights and "kasumi" with its green provoked similar but not as violent reactions.
The entire live in retrospect had that sort of feeling- especially now that I'm listening to the songs again. Certain aspects of them, impressions and emotions I got from the live are conspicuously and sadly absent when listening to the recorded versions. I know that's to be expected and only logical but still. There is enough in the music though to bring the memories back and I actually appreciate the live more now than I did when I was actually there.
Other things... the encores. I've been to lives where fans would scream "ENCORE" for maybe 2-3 minutes, just to let the band know they were still out there- then subside to wait. Maybe a few random screams here and there but nothing more. Dir en grey encore chants last upwards of 5-10 minutes without flagging. The band takes their time. The fans do not let up. I'd heard about this from others but it's almost fascinating to be in the middle of it. The second encore... was something else entirely. If I haven't stated it already, Toshiya is from Nagano. Whether he's from Matsumoto, Nagano City, or one of the other cities in the prefecture, I don't know but the fans here were clearly proud of their hometown hero. His birthday was in two days. They decided to celebrate early. The second time the band disappeared, the entire left section of the audience started singing "Happy Birthday."
"Happi baasdeiii tuuu yuuuuuu
Happi baasdeiii tuuu yuuuuu
Happi baaasdeiii diiiiaaaa
TOSHIYAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!
Happi baaassdeiiii tuuuu yuuuuuuuuu!!!!"
By the second or third round, the entire venue- even those who weren't singing- would join in screaming "TOSHIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!" when that part of the song came. This went on and on and didn't flag for the ENTIRE 10 minutes the band was away doing whatever it is that they do while we stand there and wait. When Toshiya FINALLY stumbled out, his face was in his hands. Amidst a gigantic cheer, he made it to the center of the stage, slid his hands from his face into a prayer position above his head, and bowed low several times, thanking everyone for their... I would say well wishes but it seemed something more than that. I could have sworn he was crying. By the time he was finished, his side was in an uproar and he stared out into the crowd, swiping at his eyes, beaming from ear to ear. It still makes me smile thinking about it. The rest of the band allowed him to bask in the attention, to the point to where they left him onstage for what seemed like a few minutes by himself and had to coerce the others back out. Still bowing and grinning, he bounded to the side of the stage and made a few frantic flapping/waving motions before Shinya finally emerged- to more screaming- and took his place at the drums. The rest of the band filed out and they started up the last segment of what had been a truly memorable night. By the time Kyo screamed "LAST SONG!!!!" Everyone was in a frenzy trying to milk every second of whatever the band had left to give. They ended with "CHILD PREY." Fists were in the air. Voices overshadowed the vocals. You couldn't cut through the crush without incurring some sort of bodily harm. It was exhausting, it was insane, none of us wanted it to end.
Eventually it had to though and before I knew it. Kyo was spraying the crowd, Die was hurling waterbottles clear across the hall, Kaoru had disappeared, and Toshiya was left onstage hurling picks at his raving serenaders. I lost track of Shinya at that point as well and if the band reappeared at all, I was already being pulled towards the exit by my exhausted companion.
The main thing I got from this entire experience is the confirmation that Dir en grey is very much a live band. The recorded music- while powerful in itself- is almost half of what they can be live. That is a testament to the talent and potential of this band. Anything can be done to a song in a studio. To play live, flawlessly, and with that much added charge, takes so much more. And to be able to convey the sheer emotion behind a song to even a small portion of the crowd takes power, charisma, and a lot of sheer energy. These are all things each member has in abundance. Even with the relatively toned down performance, what was vital and what made this live something more than just playing on a stage, was the music which became a living, breathing entity that just picked you up in its teeth and never let you go.
That is Dir en grey.
Remaining Tour Dates:
04.05 (Monday) - Nagoya Diamond Hall
04.06 (Tuesday) - Nagoya Diamond Hall
04.08 (Thursday) -NANBA Hatch
04.09 (Friday) - NANBA Hatch
04.12 (Monday) - Kobe Chicken George
04.13 (Tuesday) - Kobe Chicken George
04.15 (Thursday) - Hiroshima Club Quattro
04.16 (Friday) - Hiroshima Club Quattro
04.18 (Sunday) - Zepp Fukuoka
04.21 (Wednesday) - Zepp Sendai
04.24 (Saturday) - Zepp Tokyo
04.25 (Sunday) - Zepp Tokyo
For more information visit their website in English or Japanese.