Dir en grey prove they can still enthral the Budokan!
Before I begin, I must confess that I am a massive Dir en grey fan, this marks the 15th time that I have seen them. 10 times in the UK and the 5th time in Japan. It has been a long time goal of mine to see them at the Nippon Budokan (日本武道館). This is one of the biggest and best venues in all of Japan and is always featured on their spectacular live DVDs. Finally I was able to experience it in person.
As part of the final days of their 2015-2016 tour that has spanned countries worldwide, Dir en grey returned to the Budokan for the first time in 2 years to perform a special 2 day set of gigs entitled ARCHE, named after their current album. I managed to get a ticket for day 2, which was officially sold out, placing myself in standing block F. Which is at the back right of the arena, I feared this would place me far from the stage with an awful view but I found myself front left of my block and therefore central in the area. With the big advantage of being a tall foreigner I was able to get a clear view of the entire stage throughout, awesome!
Unfortunately when I arrived almost all of the merchandise had sold out but I got myself a key chain and sticker as a souvenir, its not everyday you get to go to the Budokan, its a shame because the clothing designs looked fantastic. Outside there was a cool viewing area displaying the band's signature instruments as well as an eerie art installation based on the album artwork. While promotional videos for the tour were being played on a TV another screen displayed live tweets and instagram posts that were made with the #ARCHE and #DIR武道館 tags. Check them out for yourself to see all of the fan posts!
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| You can see mine in the bottom right! |
The organization of the arena was really well done. You could buy a 40L plastic bag for 500yen which you could store all of your stuff in, with a ticket to collect after. Much more effective than a locker system!
After a long cold wait I was able to enter and got to my place in F block, thankful once again for the numbered ticketing system and the great manners of Japanese fans it was a pleasant stress free experience with none of the pushing found abroad.
The arena is BIG, but didn't feel as colossal as it sometimes appears on the DVD's, big enough to have the awe factor but not at the cost of ruining the live experience! Now, let's get onto the actual live!
After a long cold wait I was able to enter and got to my place in F block, thankful once again for the numbered ticketing system and the great manners of Japanese fans it was a pleasant stress free experience with none of the pushing found abroad.
The arena is BIG, but didn't feel as colossal as it sometimes appears on the DVD's, big enough to have the awe factor but not at the cost of ruining the live experience! Now, let's get onto the actual live!
Day 2 Setlist:
01: and Zero
02: 空谷の跫音
03: Behind a vacant image
04: SUSTAIN THE UNTRUTH
05: 鱗
06: 懐春
07: Phenomenon
08: てふてふ
- Acapella - (Roughly around here I forget)
09: 輪郭
10: 禍夜想
11: 咀嚼
12: Midwife
13: Cause of fickleness
14: Chain Repulsion
15: Revelation of mankind
16: The Inferno
Encore:
01: 濤声
02: THE FINAL
03: OBSCURE
04: MARMALADE CHAINSAW
05: 激しさと、この胸の中で絡み付いた灼熱の闇
06: Un deux
As you can see here, the set list was predominantly ARCHE material with the encore containing a mix of classics. The live had a distinct set of three phrases for me, beginning with a dark and awe inspiring atmospheric set of songs followed by a really hard hitting heavy set of songs before reaching the encore which was a nostalgic mix of songs that brought all of the fans together in unison for a goose-bump inducing finale.
The lights dimmed and the sombre tones of 'and Zero' rang out across the arena, the entire crowd was silent. Unlike the exciting G.D.S intro of times past this track does an awesome job of building tension and with the steady build up of atmosphere it sets your skin of edge. The band gradually take to the stage, all clad in black. Shinya with his blonde hair and Die with a long flowing jacket, having returned to his LONG straight hair style. Kaoru looked freaking incredible with a long sleeveless jacket and baggy pants/skirt combo, he was also sporting some splotchy stitchlike black makeup across his cheeks. Toshiya on the other hand looked very ominous and somewhat undertaker like, with his hair covering the majority of his face. Then Kyo came to the stage to a huge roar from the crowd, having closely shaved hair and wearing what I can only describe as a dictators outfit, black gloves, leather black army hat and a flowing cloak. He looked like a complete badass and ready to command and we were ready to march.
The band launched into '空谷の跫音' which despite not being the next track on the CD connects REALLY well off the intro. My first immediate though was 'Damn the arena sound really is something else', the acoustics amplify everything tenfold and the harmonic tones of the guitars, the deep reverberating base and Kyo's ghostlike vocals shudder through you. The climax of the song really impressed me and proves that Kyo can still reach those high sustained notes without his voice breaking. I was worried that with extensive touring and growling tracks he wouldn't be able to but I was SO happy he instantly prove that wrong. There was one point where he raised the mic stand out to the crowd and he cast a perfect dictator silhouette. Commanding the masses.
Next came 'Behind a vacant image', the band were playing in front of a HUGE screen and these showed dark menacing visuals to match the songs. As the song broke down into the heavy later verse the crowd began to shift and head bang to Kyo's eccentric roars and wails. As my friend said earlier today 'Kyo is the only person I know who can go from whale song to orc roar in a second'.
'SUSTAIN THE UNTRUTH' is one of my favourites on the ARCHE album, it has a punchy set of riffs that automatically make you rock your body back and forth. The crowd, rocking with hands raised in a waving motion sang out in unison to the chorus creating a wall of passionate sound. The lurching guitar sections sound fantastic in the arena! They immediately jumped into '鱗', another favourite of the album, the screen showing the music overlapped with 5 live camera shots of the individual members. The crowd. went. nuts. It was a sensory overload with flashing lighting, punchy guitars, harmonious solos, Kyo's volatile yet soothing vocals. The fans surged forward in a wave of headbanging, fist pumping and jumping. I can't find the words to accurately depict how intense it was, I was lost in the moment. As with any good band, Dir en grey's songs live sound ten times as good as the CD version.
'懐春' followed next which is a very atmospheric and instrumental song interlaced with long sustained vocals. To be honest this was one of the more forgetful tracks but ends on a really well done guitar solo. 'Phenomenon' kicked in next, if one track on ARCHE could be described as 'funky' it would be this one. It has a thunderous wicked dark tone that the Budokan accentuates really well, as Kyo sang he danced a hypotic set of hand movements to the beat. We were enthralled.
'てふてふ' is one of the best ARCHE songs live, mainly because I like to watch Die throughout as he goes absolutely mental when playing the chorus! It is one of my favourite parts of the song as I loved the fast frantic pace of his playing. Whenever Kyo sings the line 'さあ、楽しもう...!' it makes my skin tingle and seeing how Kaoru and Die play off each other during the guitar solo make this definitely one of my favourite performances of the show.
It was around this time that Kyo did his acapella, swathed in a great mist of red smoke he performed accompanied by an old bell that he rang to create haunting echoing sounds. The big screen cast his silhouetted image across the arena and he looked somewhat zombie-like in his movements as he reached upwards. It was definitely one of the most powerful acapellas that I have seen him make to date. '輪郭' continued this vibe and whilst it isn't one of my most liked songs I really enjoyed seeing Kaoru and Die thrash wildly as the song built up to its climax.
'禍夜想' is one song where Toshiya's bass really commands the song. Sadly it's one of the songs I remember the least as it doesn't really stand out apart from the epic basslines although the later half is much better than the beginning. ' 咀嚼' turned things around and kicked the live back into gear. ARCHE in my opinion is one of Dir en greys tightest and well put together albums from a composition perspective and this song really highlights their command of their genre, a fantastic intro, beautiful guitar solos and vocals that reach lofty heights and the lowest depths.
'Midwife' marked the point where the band GOT HEAVY. The screen showed some real dark images, centipedes, a pregnant women pawing around in the darkness. The song is a complete wall of sound live that envelops you. The transitions are really rapid and irregular though and the thrashy fast riffs made it hard to 'rock out' too. With some fans choosing to head bang wildly while others settled for punching the air rapidly. Definitely one of the 'screamer' tracks of the night, albeit one of the messier ones.
'Cause of fickleness' reminds me a lot of their earlier albums combined with their 'Withering to death' era. The crowd went freaking mental, especially during the chorus, screaming out 'WAKE ME UP' together with arms raised in the chorus. I love how the crowds at Japanese gigs flawlessly act as one, all of the motions, from head banging etc. all happen together naturally. Even if the song is really hardcore, no-one is clashing, but enjoying everything together. In the UK gigs I always felt crushed or as if someone was trying to push me out of place. I love Japanese gigs. The song ended with a MASSIVE smoke explosion that caught me by surprise!
Wow...this is becoming a long report! Thanks for staying this far!
'Chain repulsion' is another 'technically tight' song, that rips back and force at a high pace, it carries you a long with it and you can't help but shake your body and head to it. The crowd roared along with the members' backing vocals toward the end.The visuals were vividly bright and trippy throughout which was a bright contrast to the earlier visuals. The whole song was a shock to the system.
Following hot in the wake was 'Revelation of mankind', another intense song, which was accompanied by the great PV video on the giant screen. I can imagine it will look fantastic on the DVD recording.
Dir en grey finished their main set with 'The Inferno'...the performance definitely matched the name as they performed a blistering performance with a backdrop of about 10 flame spewing torches, I could feel the heat despite being pretty far back! It was a really heavy way to end the set and I loved every damn second of it. Every fan was united together as we roared out during the chorus, it was one of those songs where you all lurch back and forth in one giant head bang tsunami, then smash your fist high as your roar out the words. You need to be there to understand.
Dir en grey finished their main set with 'The Inferno'...the performance definitely matched the name as they performed a blistering performance with a backdrop of about 10 flame spewing torches, I could feel the heat despite being pretty far back! It was a really heavy way to end the set and I loved every damn second of it. Every fan was united together as we roared out during the chorus, it was one of those songs where you all lurch back and forth in one giant head bang tsunami, then smash your fist high as your roar out the words. You need to be there to understand.
They left to a roaring applause before the encore chants began...the band eventually returned, dressed down. Beginning with the slow and calming 'ballad' of the album '濤声'. It is a great song to build up the atmosphere again with lots of layered guitars and a beautiful guitar solo. After Kyo did some MC yelling "男...男...男！生きてるか！？" (Guys...are you alive!?) With all the men roaring after each pause, and he did the same for girls after, Toshiya smashing his bass, sending it rumbling through the air after each roar. Then the intro to 'THE FINAL' began, accompanied by the screen showing a montage of live video and photos taken from the previous dates of the tour leading up to this finale. The lyrics appeared as subtitles on top of the footage and we sang every word with a freshly revived fervour. This song always sounds amazing live and this was no exception, the video was an added touch and I saw online on twitter that it touched many fans, especially those who were lucky enough to go to the other tour dates. It was a climax of everything that got them this far on this tour.
They then began playing a song I have not heard live for many years...OBSCURE! Immediately the entire crowd leant forward resting on each others back from leverage and began to sweep into some immense deep head bangs to match the pace. This was the newer remade version, having seen both live I feel that I prefer the original one a lot more as it has a lot more slow impact and artistic value whereas this version is more hardcore and a lot faster. Both still blow my mind though. During this song they also raised a new backdrop screen that had 'Dir en grey' written out in giant letters.
In complete contrast they sped into MARMALADE CHAINSAW, another Vulgar era song that I totally wasn't expecting! It's upbeat, fun and felt a lot lighter in tone compared to the dark vibes of the entire set beforehand. The band members ran around the stage swapping positions and gesturing to everyone and you could see that they were letting loose too.
Before the next song, Kyo did more MC and one line that he yelled at us stuck with me.
"お前らと俺らの未来の為にひとつなれんのか!?" "Can you all become one with us for the sake of our future!?" It kind of had a deep meaning that we should all unite together. Not just for the band's future, but for ourselves. The fans roared their answer loud and clear.
激しさと、この胸の中で絡み付いた灼熱の闇 was the perfect time for band and fans to become one. This is one of their very best songs live, it is heavy, had a clear melody, it is fast yet easy to follow. With a set of brutal verses and a chorus that allows fans to sing their absolute hearts out alongside Kyo. The entire arena sung out their resolve in one giant harmony before swinging back down into a head banging thrashing frenzy. It was one of the best feelings ever. The backdrop screen was showing the real time live footage of the members performing individually on top of the seething crowd, band and fans as one. It was amazing.
As with the last time I saw them in Namba, they announced their last song and Kyo screamed at us if we could sing as one, hell yes we could. Un deux began and real time live footage of the arena and band began playing. Below, the song's subtitles appeared and everyone once again united in celebration of their favourite band. It was a truly moving experience that I can't put into words but it was incredibly powerful as we all sang and rocked together. My voice was near to breaking point but I sang every single word with everyone I had, as did everyone around me. The screen began playing a 'credits' list of all the tour dates they had performed for that year, ending with the Budokan dates.
And then...it was over. It felt so much faster than the track list would have you believe.
The band lingered for a while handing out various picks etc before leaving the stage. Even Kyo had a rare grin on his face as he gestured to the crowd, something you don't normally see!
We thought it was over and the music was but the hype wasn't!
White text began to fill the screen with some ambient sound and new announcements began appearing.
BUDOKAN LIVE DVD RELEASED JUNE 2016
*cue the entire crowd shouting for joy as we realize we can have a video memory of this awesome show*
NEW SINGLE RELEASED JULY 2016
*more hyped shouting*
NEW 2016-2017 TOUR: FROM DEPRESSION TO _ _ _ _ _
Wait what...!? new tour!? awesome? What does the _ _ _ _ _ ? mean....!_
FROM DEPRESSION TO _ _ _ _ Part 1...
[Mode of VULGAR] June 2016
Holy shiiiiiit they are doing an entire live tour of the Vulgar album, one of my all time favourites!
TOTALLY GOING!
FROM DEPRESSION TO _ _ _ _ Part 2...
[Mode of Dum Spiro Spero] September 2016
AWESOME! Another tour, not my favourite album by far but ...great!
FROM DEPRESSION TO _ _ _ _ Part 3...
[Mode of Kisou] November 2016
I literally screamed with happiness when I saw this. One of my favourite all time album and has tracks that I NEVER thought I would hear them perform since the songs are so old. I am going to this gig even if I have to risk my job calling sick or whatever. I AM GOING.
Thus ended one of the best nights of my damn life.
I wish I was back there already.
Thanks for reading.
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