Dir en grey at Namba Hatch 2015/09/20 Live Review

Dir en grey : TOUR15 NEVER FREE FROM THE AWAKENING

NAMBA HATCH // 2015/09/20

I have just come back from a phenomenal live show at Osaka's Namba Hatch as Dir en grey stopped for their 6th show on their current 'TOUR15 NEVER FREE FROM THE AWAKENING' tour. It has been about 2-3 years since I last saw them perform in London, UK and marks my 12th time seeing them live overall! This was my third time seeing them in Japan however!

Dir en grey proved to me once again why they are, and will remain my most favourite band of all time. Today they performed a dark and powerful set drawing mainly from their latest album release 'Arche' but also had some select classics dispersed through the set and one hell of an intense and surprising encore!

Tonight's set list:

01 Behind a vacant image

02 Sustain the Untruth

03 OBSCURE

04 DOZING GREEN

05 Merciless Cult

06 朔-saku-

07 てふてふ

08 輪郭 / Rinkaku

09 VINUSHKA

INWARD SCREAM

10 and zero

11 咀嚼 / Soshaku

12 Revelation of mankind

13 鱗 / Uroko

Encore:

14 ain't afraid to die

15 鼓動 / Kodou

16 THE IIID EMPIRE

17 激しさと、この胸の中で絡み付いた灼熱の闇 /
 hageshisa to kono mune no naka de karamitsuita shakunetsu no yami

18 un deux

Cool artwork in the venue lobby

Namba Hatch is a fantastic venue, the perfect size to be close to the band yet also have some breathing space. Plus if you are as tall as me you can have a clear view of the stage from anywhere in the venue. This time I stayed near the back as I has quite a late entry ticket #1939!! I usually spend Diru gigs in the thick of it at the front but this time enjoyed the show in its entirety without overdoing it in the pit area. Was a refreshing choice!

Unlike in the West there is actually a bit of breathing room in the gigs and people respect each others space. There is a great harmonious atmosphere overall as everyone fist pumps and head-bangs in unison, a tsunami of hair and raised hands...the best feeling in the world.

The first thing that struck me was the sheer power of their sound, Shinya's drum kit sounded immense tonight as he thunders through the darker songs from Arche and adds a great depth to their songs which really power the rest of the band's riffs. This was my first time hearing the Arche songs live and they really transition well to a live performance, very dark, brooding and atmospheric. Dir en grey invade your senses with a pounding assault accompanied by Kyo's wailing vocals. Whereas the faster tracks showcase Die and Kaorus ability to performance speedy solo's and chugging riffs. Die's performance in 鱗 / Uroko stood out in my mind especially, his solo was nuts.



Toshiya looked like a bad ass throughout, reminding me of an old school undertaker as he came out dressed in black with his hat casting a morbid silhouette. In deep contrast to Kyo who once again has gone for the skinhead look, he has become noticeably more built and with his tattoos looked pretty menacing.
Midway through they played Merciless Cult, a personal live favourite of mine and 朔-saku- which was a pleasant surprise and lit the crowd on fire. The set was well balanced, with heavy assaults and haunting melodies working together in unison. Kyo's vocal style has changed a lot over the years and I'm surprised he can still switch between death growls and high pitched melodies. His voice will never be like the Six Ugly days but he has still got it and has an incredible aura as a front man. You just need to take one look at the crowd to see the admiration that he commands.

After what seemed forever, they returned for a shocker of an encore...a familiar piano melody began to play and the crowd gasped together "Ooohhh...!" before falling deathly silent as they realised that Diru began to play 'ain't afraid to die', it was a beautiful performance, with the backing screen lit up in a glittery snowy background. It was one of the saddest and more heart rending versions of the song that I have heard, both live and on DVD, with Kyo getting lost in his words. I could hear sniffles nearby as a few girls shed tears with clasped hands...the song ended to a great applause.

Then they played...鼓動 / Kodou, this is one of my ALL TIME favourite songs, I used to be obsessed with it and committed the words to heart back in school before I even began studying Japanese so when this began playing I went absolutely nuts. So did everyone else! The crowd turned into a sea of raised hands and singing voices. I couldn't have been happier. Until...they began playing IIID EMPIRE! This song always makes me nostalgic of their earlier UK performances as it always used to be in their set and is a great song to jump and chant along to.
The entire encore was full of energy, the entire crowd singing verses or choruses together whenever Kyo gestured for it, the volume was electrifying, the kind of moment that makes your skin tingle all over.

Before the final song, 'Un Deux', Kyo asked the crowd to shout that they were still alive, together, women, men...then he asked us "Let me hear you! Can you become one!? Can you sing as one!?" He dropped his microphone and came to the edge of the stage in front of his mic stand. The lyric whirled in and out of the backing screen with the crowd all singing 'Un Deux' together in perfect harmony, it was an empowering end to a gig to see every fan singing every word together with Kyo fiercely shouting and gesturing to everyone as the other members rushed to different areas of the stage to greet fans in different sections.

...and then it was over, I so wish I was back there right now.

Swarm of fans leaving the venue after the show!

Japanese gigs have such a powerful aura, all the fans enjoying the show together with none of the violent or mean behaviour that often occurs in the Western gigs. The ticket number entry system is great too because you can come and go as you please and socialise whoever, no horrible and exhausting queues or drama! I met some nice fans who came up to me to ask where I got my clothing from since I had a London tour t-shirt and an a-knot towel from 2011 haha! They were pretty surprised but it was nice to talk with them! 

I really hope I can see them live again soon! Fingers crossed I can get a Budokan ticket for February!

No lines needed, you get called by number groups

Cool TV screen outside the venue