the GazettE at Nara Centennial Hall

After their 13th Anniversary, the GazettE announced their PROJECT:DARK AGE with a new album and two tours throughout Japan. The first was during autumn 2015 and the second, Tour 15-16 DOGMATIC-DUE-, took place during winter 2015 and 2016, ending on January 24th at the Nara Centennial Hall after 42 live shows all around Japan. This was one of the biggest venues of the tour, with three floors and people all around the place, some of them even without a seat for the seated live. That’s how many people the GazettE have been moving in their latest tours.

When the lights went off, NIHIL floated in the air while red, white and blue lights illuminated the curtains with DOGMA’s symbols covering the stage. Then the curtains went up and DOGMA started with each member ready in their position, RUKI in front with a mask. As the music started, the crowd followed the rhythm and started to move all together like a cult, something simply amazing to see.

RAGE, DAWN, DEPRAVITY and PARALYSIS followed DOMGA, giving a sense of how on the side of the heavy metal the new album of the GazettE is. After this a new habit of the band’s live shows followed: DERANGEMENT played, a very different song from DOGMA’s style but which in a weird way fits really well with the DARK AGE atmosphere. During DERACINE, white lights followed RUKI, who made movements like he was trying to catch them. As is common with the GazettE’s ballads, even though this was a heavy one, the crowd remained still while the band put all their energy into sending their feelings to their fans.

Before GODDESS, KAI played what looked like a new intro with a traditional Japanese drumming style, which fit really well with this, one of the newest songs of the band. After this introduction the song continued as usual, with the melodic voice of RUKI and an amazing guitar solo from AOI.

These few slow songs were followed by HEADACHE MAN, LUCY, INCUBUS, UGLY and BLEMISH, songs that pushed into madness fans who headbanged along with the band and joined in with RUKI’s furitsuke like there was no tomorrow. But when the first notes of DEUX played, the crowd again went still to listen carefully to the other ballad of the album.

With RUKI still on the floor after finishing the last song, OMINOUS started with him singing with a censer in his hands. Slowly, lights of blue, white and green played along with the band and white smoke started to cover the stage until at the end of the song all you could see of the band were shadows in red lights. That is the moment they chose to leave the stage, first REITA, then AOI followed by URUHA on his own side of the stage, and finally KAI and RUKI.

After fifteen minutes of fans singing together for the encore, KAI, URUHA, REITA and AOI finally got out onto the stage for the second part. Before starting to play again, KAI gave a little speech talking about the final show of the tour at Yoyogi National Gymnasium and giving thanks to the fans that follow and support them. With RUKI already onstage, they started to play one of their classics, Agony, for which URUHA and RUKI gave their usual fanservice. After this followed INSIDE BEAST, a song where fans could dance, jump and headbang with the band to the rhythm of KAI’s drum.

After INSIDE BEAST, RUKI briefly talked about the tour and the famous Nara Park with the deer and the great Buddha that is there. At the end of this, all the band thanked the fans for their support. IN THE MIDDLE OF CHAOS followed as the band went to the front of the stage to start the song, then played running around the stage while bonding with fans. ATTITUDE was next with fans singing along with RUKI the words “Until Die.”

TOMORROW NEVER DIES was the closing song for the tour, so when this song started all the fans knew the end was close and put all their energy into this last song. URUHA’s guitar solo in this song put the guitarist on the front of the stage for the moment, and at the end of the song the name of the band appeared on the back of the stage on a metal board behind the band as they finished the song with AOI, RUKI and REITA looking at KAI while URUHA looked to the crowd.

As the band left the stage, fans starting calling for a second encore until the band came back to the stage after a few minutes. With RUKI shouting “Last song!” the catchy rhythm of LINDA ~candydrive pinky heaven~ began, with fans’ clapping following AOI’s example to start this mythical song of the GazettE. Just before the guitar solo, REITA pointed to AOI with his bass as a signal to him to go and take over the front of the stage for the song's solo.

As promised, this was the last song and after that the band left the stage until February 28th, when they will have their final show of this long tour.

Set List

01. NIHIL
02. DOGMA
03. RAGE
04. DAWN
05. DEPRAVITY
06. PARALYSIS
07. DERANGEMENT
08. BIZARRE
09. DERACINE
10. GRUDGE
11. GODDESS
12. WASTELAND
13. HEADACHE MAN
14. LUCY
15. INCUBUS
16. UGLY
17. BLEMISH
18. DEUX
19. OMINOUS

Encore

20. Agony
21. INSIDE BEAST
22. IN THE MIDDLE OF CHAOS
23. ATTITUDE
24. TOMORROW NEVER DIES

2nd Encore

25. LINDA ~candydive pinky heaven~