the Gazette celebrated ten years of making music as a band, showing how they have changed and what has remained the same.
“To convey the love of ten years,” as the band put it themselves, the GazettE gathered about 20,000 of their most devoted fans for a retrospective show at Makuhari Messe. With the lights still on, the crowd clapped, voices rising as the members made their entrance, one by one, while pictures of the band over their ten years on the road flashed on the two giant screens.
A shower of silver strips fell from the sky with a blast as Miseinen kicked off the show. URUHA sped away with a fiery guitar solo and the crowd moved their arms to the beat. “On bass~!” RUKI yelled out, calling REITA to the front, the crowd accompanying him with shouts of “Hei!” “Lend me your voices!” the vocalist demanded for Akai Onepiece, and the audience gladly complied. After another hot guitar solo that brought URUHA to the front, fingers flying over the strings, all hell broke loose with the long awaited headbanging.
Hair flying and arms moving right and left to the choreography, the crowd warmed up for Harunichirikeri, miwakareru de gozaimasu. The complex arm movements continued, RUKI jumping effusively as he either sang or growled. Bending over his guitar, URUHA took the hall on an ardent guitar ride that allowed the crowd to fully appreciate the guitarist’s skills as he effortlessly switched from electric to acoustic.
“Welcome!” the front man greeted. “It has been ten years and we want to share with you today ten years of hard work. Can you keep up?” Keep up the crowd did. AOI opened ~zetsu~, the lights dancing as shouts of “Oi!” were repeated to the beat. The warm pink and purple lights that embraced the hall helped set the mood for Psychedelic Heroine. The song opened with a short drum solo, KAI pounding the drums with vigor before the words “Let’s dance!” left RUKI’s mouth daringly as they embarked on a fast paced and loud number that got crowd and band moving.
In the same fashion, SWALLOWTAIL ON THE DEATH VALLEY opened with a short hot solo, this time with REITA under the spotlight. The guitars joined in as an electronic funky beat resounded in the background mingling nicely with the sweet vocals. A curtain of fire emerged in front of RUKI for Ganges ni akai bara, the red lights and dramatic tone giving the vocalist a demoniacal appearance. The way the words left his lips not only emphasized the lyrics but added an edge to the number. It was one of the highlights for the show with instruments, vocals and staging coming together perfectly for a visually and musically strong performance.
Some popular slower songs followed, allowing the crowd to fully appreciate RUKI’s voice and the instrumentals. Sumire with its jazzy piano was followed by Kareuta. An approving yell shook the venue for the later, the questioning lament accompanied by haunting guitar riffs and powerful bass lines that delighted the fans. The show got even hotter with the major hit Cassis. Faithful to the song’s PV and past performances, the vocalist took the forefront with a guitar in hand. Pink and purple lights fell on the stage, AOI now sitting as he played an acoustic guitar. The sweet vocals mingled with the bass and drums powerfully in a revised version of the classic with stronger riffs that made clear the band’s new orientation and growth.
“I was nervous before coming on stage today since it is difficult to convey ten years of work in one show, but looking at your faces in front of me I realized nothing has changed,” the vocalist confessed in an emotional emcee. “Let’s make this the hottest live of our career!” With RUKI’s evil laughter echoing throughout the hall, the band dove into The Social riot machines. Pumping fists and shouts of “Oi” took the hall by assault. With the four men in the front headbanging and the crowd mimicking them, RUKI asked, “I am?” and the crowd cheered in anticipation as they knew what was coming next.
The ground shook with the heavier numbers that followed as the crowd jumped and headbanged frantically for Ruder, VERMIN and VORTEX. Moving around a lot, the GazettE displayed superb crowd control, encouraging the fans to follow the choreography and moving around the stage constantly. The audience was transported into the depths of hell as smoke crept across the stage under hot red lights for HEADACHEMAN. The crowd twirled wildly, bodies crashing into each other, bumper-cars style. The moshing continued for IN THE MIDDLE OF CHAOS, band and fans giving it their all before all hell broke loose for Filth in the beauty. The song opened with a yell, bodies moving in synchrony with the heated choreography that got the crowd jumping, headbanging and curling over themselves as they yelled with the band.
The band hadn’t even left the stage when the encore demand started loud and strong. KAI and REITA returned for the instrumental Ride with the Rockers, sharing some warm words with the fans. The strong rain that had been falling outside since earlier that day opened the chat as the bassist exclaimed, “It figures the weather would be bad for our tenth anniversary live.” As if not to lose to the rain, drums and bass engaged in a scalding duet. “I want to thank you all for being here today! I must say that it would be cooler if it was a typhoon outside, but rain…” KAI confessed with a smile. “Please have fun! Let’s go!” The instrumental number continued for a few more minutes, now with both guitarists helping out with the growls while the crowd pumped fists.
With RUKI back on stage, the popular yet nostalgic numbers continued. The audience followed the furi for Nausea & Shudder, either curling over themselves for the heavier parts, or crossing arms in the air for the softer moments. Very dramatic, RUKI moved to the song, arms contorting slowly to emphasize the lyrics. REITA took over 14sai no knife and the strong bass lines continued for Dorodarakeno seishun.
“Thank you for coming today!” the vocalist thanked the fans solemnly. “After ten years we are here! We had our first live at Meikan (famous live house) at around this time ten years ago. We had about ten people watching at that point!” he remembered with a grin. “We were a strange band… well, we are still strange!” The crowd laughed with RUKI before he continued, “We came from nothing but we kept positive and came a long way. Many good things and many bad things have happened over these years. There were times we thought we could do anything and others where we thought maybe we should give up. It is thanks to all of you who believed in us that we kept going and are here today! Love you!”
Arms moved right and left for Anata no tame no kono inochi to potent guitar riffs that brought URUHA to the forefront. “Welcome to hell!” RUKI yelled, causing heads to thrash for the popular Kanto dogeza kumiai. As one, the hall moved to the familiar song in a visually memorable moment. While the hall thrashed their heads to effusive shouts of “Oi!” the band moved around making full use of the stage and engaging in some warmly welcomed fan-service. AOI’s hip-wriggle was particularly amusing.
The show ended in the same fashion with LINDA~candydive pinky heaven~. Hair flew and bodies crashed as fans and band gave it all for the last song. Between claps and cheers, the band bowed, bidding farewells. Knocking on heaven’s door by Guns N’ Roses played in the background while the crowd shouted “Encore” over and over again.
“There is a song we would like to play for you! If it wasn’t for this song, there would be no the GazettE! It was our first song and for us it is very important!” With these words RUKI announced Wakaremichi. It was a beautiful moment that saw the audience singing in unison as the instruments ceased in a touching moment. Shunsetsu no koro ended the show, a shower of white confetti slowly cascading from the sky.
Before leaving, the band shared some warm words with the fans. “I never thought we would go on for ten years. It seems like a dream!” RUKI confessed with clear emotion, adding with a smile, “Yes, there are a few of us about to cry!” The hall went silent. “We are a band but mostly we are five people heading together towards a dream. Thank you all, we have had a blast! With your support we will continue and celebrate twenty, thirty, forty and fifty years together! I would like you all to hold the hands of the people next to you. Yes they might smell but you are all friends!” he added with an amused grin. “Let’s head to space, all together in a jump!”
SET LIST
Miseinen
Akai Onepiece
Harunichirikeri, Miwakarerudegozaimasu
~zetsu~
Psychedelic Heroine
SWALLOWTAIL ON THE DEATH VALLEY
Ganges ni Akai Bara
Sumire
Kareuta
Cassis
The Social riot machines
Ruder
VERMIN
VORTEX
HEADACHEMAN
IN THE MIDDLE OF CHAOS
Filth in the beauty
ENCORE
Ride with the Rockers
Nausea & Shudder
14sai no knife
Dorodarakeno seishun
Anatanotamenokonoinochi.
Kanto Dogeza Kumiai
LINDA~candydive pinky heaven~
ENCORE 2
Wakaremichi
Shunsetsu no koro
