Rocking out at STUDIO COAST with DIR EN GREY

Shinkiba STUDIO COAST, October 19th. The venue is sold out and it takes less than half an hour to get the whole venue filled. It is the second day the band is playing at STUDIO COAST and also almost the end of the GHOUL tour in Japan. After two more concerts in Namba HATCH, Osaka, DIR EN GREY leave for the US for the remainder of their tour.

A little past 7 p.m. the intro kicks in. Its melodic and powerful tones contrast with the previous intro Kyoukotsu no nari, which had an ominous atmosphere thanks to the dissonant sounds. One by one the members walk on stage. Kyo is the last one to arrive, his face painted to resemble a monstrous skull. Screens on the stage show the word GHOUL.

The first song Reiketsu Nariseba promises tonight will be a rough and heavy concert. From the start the band members give it their all. There’s a lot happening on stage. Guitarists Kaoru and Die as well as bassist Toshiya move around while Shinya’s drum kit is on a platform in the back to make him more visible for the audience. The big screens show parts of the Reiketsu Nariseba PV, and the lightshow is amazing, making it a real spectacle. The crowd shouts when Kyo stands on the platform, his back to the public and arms spread. Once he reaches the word "Destroy" in the lyrics, the audience is jumping up and down with fists in the air, going wild while Kaoru headbangs.

The setlist is well-balanced with a variation between hard songs and somewhat softer ones. After the somewhat quieter LOTUS, where the band uses excerpts from its PV, OBSCURE is met with wild enthusiasm. The light changing of colors makes it an intense and heavy performance. The interaction between band and audience is great: the members often switch places and encourage the audience, who reply with loud screams. Toshiya, especially, loves getting the audience riled up, and they gladly obey his every command. It seems as if he can’t get enough of it during the entire set, a feeling which seems to be echoed by the audience. During the last refrain, the audience sings along with Kyo.

After playing Kiri to mayu, Kyo starts his inward scream. He now wears a veil covering his face, making his appearance not only creepy but mysterious, too. The unnerving sounds of drums and ringing of bells intensify this atmosphere. Smoke starts to cover parts of the stage while the singer stands alone in the center of the stage. The audience is completely silent, listening to the dark and eerie sounds he produces. The whole experience is unnerving. Kyo definitely knows how to creep out his fans.

A screen comes down and covers the stage before BUGABOO starts. For a moment the audience is unable to see the band, but when the lights come on the members’ shadows become visible. Diverse lights manipulate the image on the screen, creating distorted shadows. However, in the next song, Tsumi to batsu, the screen remains in position. Close to the ending, the screen is lifted, signaling the start for the second inward scream. The atmosphere is different from the first one because of the different background music, which gives a different but nevertheless eerie feeling.

Seeing as DIR EN GREY put so much effort in the visuals of this show, it’s no surprise that the use of light is impressive. The latter is ever-changing and never repetitive. The combination of the visuals with the lightshow makes the show truly amazing. During Kasumi, a self-cover featured on the mini-album THE UNRAVELING, there’s only blue light in the right corner, giving the stage a soft and calm feeling, while during OBSCURE, the lighting was fast-paced in order to get the crowd riled up. After playing Kasumi the band leaves the stage and immediately the audience start saying "encore".

And what a surprising encore it is, as HADES is performed. The audience shouts and screams excitedly as each respective band member shows their enthusiasm and energy while they interchange places on stage. The guitarists take over the right side of the stage while Kyo is on the left with Toshiya. Shinya gives everything he has while Toshiya shows that he has got it, too, by jumping on the crate and giving his best performance. Kyo interacts with the audience who can’t get enough of it. It’s quite a surprise to see this track on the setlist, but seeing the audience and band being so energetic, it is a very well-chosen one.

THE FINAL puts an end to this relentless concert. The audience sings along to the refrain and the sentence "I can’t live" while Kyo is gives his all along with all the other members. Afterwards the members take their time to say goodbye to their fans who are clapping and cheering, thanking them for the performance. After throwing picks, drumsticks and water bottles to the mass of people, they leave the stage.

Tonight’s show in STUDIO COAST can only be described as phenomenal. Not only because the band gave an amazing performance but also because of the theatrics: visuals, screens, smoke and lighting. In addition, Kyo’s creepy appearance gives the concert that little extra, which makes GHOUL a perfectly fitting name for this tour.

DIR EN GREY then announced two new shows for next year. They are playing two consecutive days in Nippon Budokan with DUM SPIRO SPERO on the 8th and 9th of March. The band also announced the release of a new single for next year, Sustain the UNtruth, which will be out on January 22nd.


Setlist
SE
1. Reiketsu Nariseba
2. Unknown.despair.Lost
3. KARMA
4. LOTUS
5. OBSCURE
6. Kiri to mayu
7. audience KILLER LOOP
8. BUGABOO
9. Tsumi to batsu
10. Rinkaku
11. “Yokusou ni DREAMBOX” aruiwa seijuku no rinen to tsumetai ame
12. Unraveling
13. Juuyoku
14. Kasumi
Encore
15. Gaika, chinmoku ga nemuru koro
16. HADES
17. STUCK MAN
18. THE FINAL