the GazettE LIVE TOUR 15-16 DOGMATIC FINAL ‘Shikkoku’ at Yoyogi 1st Gymnasium

the GazettE recently held the finale of their Japan tour that began last September, having already announced that the band will soon embark on a world tour, the GazettE WORLD TOUR 16 DOGMATIC - TROIS. During the world tour, the band will have 16 shows in South America, North America, Eastern Asia, Europe and Russia, beginning April 15th in Mexico and finishing June 12th in Moscow. Also, after the finale, the band announced their standing live tour during summer, DOGMATIC - ANOTHER FATE, and their live release coming this winter.

A capacity crowd filled the venue. The blackest night started as more than 13,000 fans, most of whom were clad in black, clapped to the opening background music NIHIL. Soon, shouts of awe arose when the band members emerged from five different stages. Guitarist AOI, guitarist URUHA, bassist REITA, and vocalist RUKI appeared on four separate small stages located in each corner of the venue, with drummer KAI positioned on the main stage.

The band cast the venue into utter darkness with the gothic and ominous song DOGMA. RUKI’s vocals conveyed the all-rejecting yet all-consuming darkness while the rest of the band played a haunting melody with heavy guitar sounds. The four members on the smaller stages disappeared into trap doors as the song ended.

Suddenly, fire exploded from the main stage when the band began the second song RAGE. During the song, RUKI’s deathly voice led fans into possessed head banging while wrathful drum beats and guitar riffs blasted out from the main stage. Meanwhile, visual effects of the image of a flock of ravens flying above a graveyard appeared on the stage screen, and beaming red stage lights intensified the band’s performance. The band continued the live manifestation of their dogma with the gothic and melodic hard core song DAWN. The resonance of the band’s sound continued to guide fans deeper into the serial side of human nature during BIZZARE.

Later, during GRUDGE, RUKI sometimes screamed his anguish out while the guitarist produced raging guitar sounds alongside him. His sweet voice with its occasional beautiful falsetto dramatically contrasted with KAI’s striking drum beat.

During the next song GODDESS, his hauntingly glamorous voice expressed a longing for hope in the midst of frozen mindscape, while AOI’s melancholic guitar sounds penetrated fans’ hearts as he choked his guitar strings. However, even such a glimpse of hope seemed to fail when the next song WASTELAND started to play. Images of mandalas and Headless Kannon appeared on the stage screen as flames emerged from the dark stage. Fans froze at the possessed look in RUKI’s eyes that appeared on the stage screen, and the vocalist swayed in the midst of mercilessly heavy sounds as an image of the red moon onscreen filled the venue with a sinister atmosphere.

“Are you guys having a great time? Get ready to swing your head! Bring it on!” RUKI yelled, agitating fans before the band played PARALYSIS. Fans released their aggression as they fist pumped to REITA’s shouts and URUHA’s relentless guitar strokes. Later, the band unleashed their hatred during UGLY. Every shout, guitar stroke, and drum beat was fully loaded with enmity. The unforgiving song fostered a surreal view as more than 13,000 fans swung their heads up and down together. Once again, the red moon appeared onscreen for the last time as DEUX started to play its dramatic modulations. The band at times intoxicated fans with its mellifluous melody, while at other times deranged them with a brutally heavy sound.

After the song, gentle strumming sounds of URUHA’s acoustic guitar flew out from the dark stage as OMINOUS started to play. This lullaby of the blackest night was later followed by the first live performance of the band’s new song UNDYING. After the song, the GazettE’s members left the dark stage one by one as it filled with smoke.

The show had two encores. During the second, RUKI shared his heartfelt thoughts with fans. “It has been a great tour, so good that it makes me want to continue with the band for the rest of my life,” RUKI said. Later, the band played Shunsetsu no koro, a song about graduating from school with a bittersweet memory of unrequited love. In contrast with the darkness they expressed before, the band showed their human touch and treated those who would graduate from their schools in March.

“It was the best show of the tour, let’s do it again!” RUKI thanked fans in the end. The band closed the show with LINDA～candydive Pinky heaven～ and bid farewell.

Set list

-SE- NIHIL
01. DOGMA
02. RAGE
03. DAWN
04. SLUDGY CULT
05. VENOMOUS SPIDER’S WEB
06. BIZARRE
07. DERACINE
08. GRUDGE
09. GODDESS
10. WASTELAND
11. PARALYSIS
12. LUCY
13. INCUBUS
14. UGLY
15. BLEMISH
16. DEUX
17. OMINOUS
18. UNDYING

Encore 1

19. INSIDE BEAST
20. VERMIN
21. COCKROACH
22. ATTITUDE
23. TOMORROW NEVER DIES

Encore 2

24. Kaleuta
25. Shunsetsu no koro
26. LINDA～candydive Pinky heaven～