I LARPed as a bangya for 10 weeks straight, here’s what happened to my brain

[GreatNorthernVK]

Fest Vainqueur Live Addicts Free Live 10/07 @Takadanobaba Club Phase

I’m now half way through my trip, and want to thank everyone for their support so far. I’ve met some really nice people on my travels, and hope to meet some more of you. I’ve had a couple of epiphanies here, but I can tackle them as they become relevant to the reports.

On with the main feature…

So I finally get around to pulling my number yesterday for Fest Vainqueur’s Free live today.

A7

Damn! That sounds so good, I mean, this was a free live they released on Eplus. Only the cost of a drink ticket. They wouldn’t do a secret fanclub lottery for 100 tickets, would they?

Yeah.

So, no, I don’t think anyone is beating Ryutaro/Tatsuro in the “unlikely good position” lottery on this trip.

So I’m counting the people who aren’t bunched up near the S ticket holders, and I’m counting…15 of us? Tickets still listed as available? For a free live? Not to even mention the 20 or so fanclub tickets that didn’t show up. Are they losing their touch?

I don’t even see Wig Ojisan. How sad does it have to be when even he doesn’t come.

Oh, here he is. Three minutes after doors. Not even early. I finally get inside, and take a spot around the dead centre. The Ojisan has taken a spot diagonally behind me. He has forgone the wig tonight.

This doesn’t bode well.

The opening SE off their most recent album starts, and the members make their way out.

Heading straight into Regalia, the next song off of the album, audience furi participation seems mixed for the few songs.

It isn’t until the towels come out, and the number of guitar solos and duets increase that the audience starts being more in sync. Hal encourages the audience to yell and scream with him, which I oblige. I earn a couple of approving glances from him.

After a slower song, he picks up his own guitar and we have a three guitar set for the next few songs.

During Gendai-teki giwaku toshi Doubt!, Gaku, I’ll and Hiro take turns dueting with each other, Hal telling us to increase the speed of our furi (putting our arms in a quick V pose, bouncing on the spot four times, then six quick bows) for what must have been over six rounds before finally getting to the finishing part of the song, after that, ending the main set with Canary.

The guys keep the chatting towards the end, giving us a five minute MC both immediately before and after the two song encore, Utage and Gloria ~Eikou no Kizuna~

All in all, a solid 90 minutes of playtime for a show that only cost the price of a drink token.

The turnout may not have been full, and Wig Ojisan may have been wigless, but there still goes the most valuable free show I’ve had here so far.

Unless…

[zeetabyte]

@GreatNorthernVK

I’m counting…15 of us? Tickets still listed as available? For a free live?

I gotta say this hurts just a tiny bit…

[rukarukaruka]

@GreatNorthernVK

Honestly, two fun setlists kind of ruined by a venue where 1/3 of people can’t even see the stage at full capacity.

I hate Akabane Reny with a passion. The layout is horrible. I once got stuck on the shimote side behind the drink counter and could only see the bassist and nobody else. A girl also wrenched a pick from under my foot after pretending to be friendly with me, but I guess that’s not the venue’s fault lol.

@GreatNorthernVK

Wig Ojisan may have been wigless

Woah.

Are you going to see any other free shows on this trip?

[GreatNorthernVK]

Without any spoilers, there will be at least a couple more.

[GreatNorthernVK]

Kakumay 2 [Visual] Oneman Tour Free Show 10/08 @Shibuya WWW

Figuring that I’d go stake out the area, I stop in before doors to go pick up a towel. After having a bite at Shake Shack, I drop by again to ask about entering the waiting area indoors but they aren’t allowing anyone in earlier than 6, and loitering around directly outside is discouraged. Guess it’s waiting across the street for me for another 15 minutes

So they finally call Tojitsuken after 67 A tickets have been called. Heading downstairs and noticing that the front rows on all three tiers of the floor at Shibuya WWW have been claimed, I go and grab a third row spot on the first tier, in between left and centre.

No sign of Wig Ojisan.

The band comes on, Vocalist Mako really channeling his inner Ruki. After their opening song, going into Idol and Bite. Mako encouraging the audience to scream along with him, and getting probably one of the best level of response from the audience outside of Mad Pit Fest.

After a few more songs, including Welcome to the Darkness and Unchain, they then finish off the first part of the set with 共依存, encouraging people to film it for social media. Most of the people around me were recording the whole song. Mako and drummer Haru leave the stage, Azamy and Yuito stay behind to banter with the crowd for five minutes before the other two come back out.

The second part of their set lasts about 30 minutes, and included songs like Artist, Freak Freak, and No 1, among others. All with plenty of hype, Mako still encouraging us to make plenty of noise all the way through. He plugs their eventual Zepp Shinjuku show next February, hoping it can be a big success.

I guess you could say he was encouraging us to be…うるさい?

But alas, when they finally left after about 85 ish minutes of raw play time, there was no encore.

Guess we weren’t Urusai enough.

[GreatNorthernVK]

Superknova/Z Clear Two-man Free Show 10/09 @Higashi-Koenji Den-Atsu 20,000V

Back to Higashi-Koenji 20,000V.

Will I get the sparsely populated smelly 20,000V or the packed, damp 20,000V?

Time will tell.

After heading downstairs and finding only what can presumed to be a band member taking cheki shots behind a curtain, I decide to make myself scarce for another 15 minutes. Passing by what I assume is a member of Superknova heading into the next door supermarket, I take a brief break at Family Mart.

I already know a bit about Z Clear, having seen them for the Kansai Rock Summit pre-show this year. Deciding to look up a bit more about Superknova, I take a look at the vocalist’s profile and I suddenly remember.

“Kouki aka King”.

I met this guy! Last year, Kansai Rock Summit 2023. He hands me a flyer, saying “My name Kouki, follow me on Twitter” before being told by the police to move along.

I did not, end up, following him on Twitter.

I give a few songs a listen, fairly standard pop rock with kirakira beats. Probably fun live. We’ll see. It is free, after all.

A group of bangya have joined me down here, most vaping or smoking. The venue staff calls for A tickets up to 10. Three girls join him. 15? Another seven leave with him. He makes rudimentary lines for 16 and 20 range tickets.

I don’t think I’ll have any problems getting into this one.

I count 33 total paid tickets, ten of which have not shown up. Looking around me, we’ll be adding another seven people to the room.

I get in, making my way to the right side of the stage, in the fourth row. I am immediately offered a spot trade. Second row Z Clear for fourth row Superknova.

I look around, and notice just how…small this place looks. It’s nuts to imagine that just a week and a half ago, this place housed 131 soaking wet fans, who were all rushing the stage, at some points leaving 40% of the floor unoccupied.

So Z Clear start up with Parapin, and I notice from the first song that only the Saizen and three of us on my side in the second row have any intention of moving or doing most furi.

This continued for the set, playing Junkie, and then an MC where they talk about being from Hiroshima. The vocalist Akira calls for what I think is “last song” (you can almost never tell if it’s “last song” or “next song”), when he calls Kouki from Superknova out from the back.

He asks for the crowd to be parted and him and Kouki hype up the crowd (not very successfully) before starting up Buta no Chokinbako.

It really just ends up being the Saizen girls and me bumping into each other, seeing after two rounds of this that they need to change it up, the main members of Z Clear all jump onto the floor, and play the rest of the song while we cheer and chant along (like, all seven of us).

They instruct us on the floor at one point for some floor head banging. I move my head in large, deliberate, clockwise motions, earning a slight “WTF” giggle from bassist Ko-chan.

We return to our places, and they play Inazuma and Big Mouse to close off the set.

So I switch back with the Superknova fan, and after buying a few cheki I take my place.

Superknova comes on with Dengeki Bililibili, and it’s light up rings everywhere, doing elaborate hand furi.

Kouki does his own call and response throughout the set, getting a marginal amount of success more than Akira (but just barely), even though more of the crowd are clearly there to see them over Z Clear.

Most of the way through the set, Akira comes back on stage riding guitarist Miyako and he provides backing vocals for Buzz Ranto Year.

I notice that there is definitely more MC time here. Despite being more popular, they don’t seem to have been around as long as Z Clear, so they have less material. So while I don’t know the exact order of most of their songs, chances are if it exists, they played it.

But, it was still a nice, energetic set and if they can stick with it they might release some good stuff down the road.

Maybe I will follow Kouki on Twitter.

[GreatNorthernVK]

Moi Dix Mois/E//+z/Schwarz Stein 10/10 @Spotify O-West

I met up briefly with two fellow Winnipegers for some chatting in the merch line before heading for a Yakiniku place for some dinner and drinks before the show.

I reconnect with them briefly when I get to the area, but they are expected to get to the main area, as they have pulled much better numbers than me. 68/69 (hehe) vs 417.

First impressions of the crowd are that there is a wider variety of people in general. More diverse age groups, more foreigners, more older people, slightly more men. Many more people dressed up, whether in EGL/EGA or in outright Mana or Közi cosplay, if not just full faces of makeup paired with EGL fashion.

And why not? It is, essentially, an unofficial Deep Sanctuary show. Közi and Mana have been rehearsing together, and they do have two potential vocalists for MM material in Seth and Kaya for this show. Seems inevitable that we’ll get at least a few Malice Mizer songs.

Pretty sure I missed my number call running for a public washroom in a park seven minutes away. I’m not in the very back, but fairly close.

Schwarz Stein

Illuminati? Already?

Before we know it, Mana and Közi are on either side of Kaya and Hora in their lab coats, riding crops in hand.

Recreating the Merveilles L’espace show, down to the mid song pose with Mana/Közi, with Kaya in Gackt’s place.

After that, they play Perfect Garden -Regencrate-, followed by a song off the newest album, Lover. Then, Succubus. Kaya lightly teasing Hora at times.

Aaaaaand, lights go up? Really?

Aaaand, hey! There’s Brandon from Seattle.

E//+Z

Közi comes on, doing just vocals on stage. Opening up with Grottesca, he’s accompanied by his two fellow keyboardists Yugami and Yashida on either side of him. The screen behind him displaying the glitchy graphics that kind of define the aesthetics of E//+Z.

By the time he gets to Chill, a more ambient track, I’m thinking to myself, “well, this is…different”

But he decides to hit us with something a bit more familiar to get the audience out of their trance…Ju te veux!!! Between that and Color me Blood red, he had the audience singing and moving their arms again.

Grottesca
New song
New song
Chill
Ju te Veux
Color me Blood Red

Curtains close

At some point, you have to wonder how many people here have only heard of newer stuff from these artists, who may very well be wondering “what are these songs? Why is everyone losing their shit?”

Moi Dix Mois

The guys gradually take the stage, saving Seth for last, but we all know who people were most excited to see, none other than Mana-sama himself.

Why not start off with the song that started Moi Dix Mois? They head right into Dialogue Symphonie, and I’m taken back to when I heard this song the first time so many years ago.

A surprise song, to which at first I couldn’t tell if this was another Moi Dix Mois song or if this was in fact, S-Conscious. But the “Cut it out!” chanting from the crowd made it very obvious.

After front et baiser, Seth announced their next surprise “Mayonaka”.

The audience has never been happier all show. Seth is great at singing Klaha’s songs. We get the loudest sing along so far.

The audience then gets four uninterrupted Moi Dix Mois songs, devil horns in the air and some headbanging, even near the back of the place.

Dialogue Symphonie
S-Conscious
Front et baiser
Mayonaka ni Kawashita yakusoku
Perish
Beast Side
Night Breed
Ange ~D Side Holy Wings~

Encore lighting goes up, and Seth introduces the band. But he says that there should probably be more right? He then introduces…Közi, carrying his guitar. The lights go down, and…

Tsuioku no Kakera. This here is what people came for. That dual guitar sound. Seth on vocals, sounding great. Mana and Közi playing back to back. They finish and then all bow. The other members depart first, leaving Közi and Mana to leave together arm in arm.

But six Malice Mizer songs is not enough. No, no.
The audience demands more. Encor-eh! Encor-eh!

They don’t keep us waiting long. But this time, Seth didn’t come alone. Kaya, following behind him, joins him in their one…last…song.

Nps Ngs

Never thought I’d hear this deep cut. Die game! Die game! the audience chants.

They finish and again, Mana and Közi come together centre stage to pose for the official cameraman and depart together.

But the lights have yet to go up. Double encore?!? Please say double encore.

Encore lighting back up, Ma Cherie starts playing. Közi and Mana back on stage, Mana carrying a sketchbook and merch bag.

After some banter (well, one sided banter on Közi’s part), Közi asks Mana when the next official Deep Sanctuary is. He writes “sometime next year”, and “we’ll meet again”

Közi thanks the crowd in Japanese, English and Spanish before leaving the stage one last time. Au revoir is playing on the speakers, everyone staying behind to sing along.

So on the way out, I see a man in a mask handing out flyers. We make eye contact, and he lets out a surprised “Oh?!” and when I take a look at the flyer I realize why.

It’s Kakeru from Zeke Deux. So I take it and head towards Shibuya station, but I stop half way and think “what other chance will I have to chat with him again? I get that he’s canvassing, but when it dies down he might have a chance to chat. I can just work on my live report until then”

So I get to work, but see a couple of people that I’ve seen before and talk to them for a while. In the mean time, Kakeru has run out of flyers and makes his way in the other direction. We do plug Zeke Deux to the Power Metal guy in the group that hadn’t checked them out yet, so it’s all good.

My teen self can rest

[GreatNorthernVK]

Androgynous The Final War Under a Blue Moon 10/11 @Yoyogi National Gymnasium

So today is a day where I get to socialize, boy howdy.

I arrive around 1:30 to the grounds of the National Gymnasium. Two t-shirts, a towel, tour program, Kyo figurine and couch pillow cover later, I find out that they don’t do bags. Oh well, that’s what the conbini is for.

I make my way back to the stadium to meet up with a couple of people from the RarezHut auction community to kill some time before the show. While waiting and chatting with them, I see a couple of guys who look like they might be bandmen walk through the gates. I pay it no mind, but eventually, they walk as a group back out and take a position kind of adjacent diagonally from us. The shorter guy in the group looks particularly familiar. Half blue, half black hair, big lips.

Then it dawns on me. That’s You Midorikawa from 0.1g no gosan! And from the looks of it, that’s the rest of the band as well. So I point it out to Heather and Trish, and by this time my side eyeing seems to have been noticed by the band. One of them notices a Japanese friend of hers, and goes to collect him. I figure “what the heck? What’s the worst that can happen?”

So I go up to him and tell him how cool it was to meet him but that I didn’t want to be a douche by asking for photos or bothering him.

So he said “Oh, like you’re doing right now?” I was taken aback and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off by saying “huh? Huh? What?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and heard him chuckle as I did. Then, I saw him walk out of the merch line with like, 15 merch lotto tickets without paying.

…no, not actually. But you could maybe see him doing that, right?

No, actually, I decided to be sane and ask him first if they were 0.1g no gosan. He didn’t fully understand at first, I guess because I was pronouncing the name how an English speaker would. But he understood the second time and confirmed that yeah, they were. So I told him that I saw them before with Psycho le Cemu. “Oh, Saikocem?” as he points to the tour merch bag that he’s carrying from that tour. We shake hands and he thanks me for coming to see them and that he’s glad that I had fun. Maybe I should have asked for a picture, but I didn’t want to overstep.

I rejoin the group, who has now been joined by Shintaro-san. The four of us decide to go hang out at Yoyogi Park while we kill time.

After doing some jump rope and grabbing Takoyaki for lunch, the four of us sit down on the grass and go over merch that we got. I demonstrate that yes, I can fit a medium t-shirt. I tell them around my travels and Heather shows Shintaro-San this thread. While scrolling through photos, he points out one of the guys that I took a 2-shot with and said “Oh, he’s my friend”.

So we finally make our way back to the National Gymnasium. Snapping a photo to remember us by, and friending Shintaro on Instagram (who I find out is a Japanese teacher), we part ways and head into the Stadium.

And boy, is it massive. I thought the Musashino Forest Sports Plaza was big, but this looks much larger. Turns out, Yoyogi Gymnasium holds over 13,000 people. Which, actually, is less than Winnipeg’s two largest concert venues. So no, in the grand scheme of things, while this show is big it isn’t the largest indoor crowd I’ve ever been in.

I grab a drink from the vending machine, making my way to my seat on the second floor, a slope being all that’s needed to take me up there while I wait for Pierrot.

They start up, and the crowd goes nuts. Opening with Haken Kreuz, Kirito comes out looking like some kind of dictator Leather Daddy, the screen on the back displaying a flag that looks like an allusion to a Nazi flag (the lyrics, of course, referring to how easily manipulated large crowds can be). The irony of a large crowd of people doing choreography that an artist is instructing them in to this song…

Speaking of which, I must admire the dedication of Pierrot fans doing the furi even all the way up on the second floor.

The dictator theme continues with Adolf, Kirito still leading the crowd in furi, followed by Mad Sky, the music video for that playing on the screen.

I went into this very much expecting older songs, as it seems that is what they play disproportionally every time they’ve played live in recent years.

After the audience getting a bit emotional for Powder Snow, and performing some passionate furi to Oni to Sakura, we get out first and only song of the set released after 2000, Rebirth Day.

Honestly, I’m excited. At the time, I hadn’t have seen that they also played it Day one of Androgynous 7 years ago so I thought they were throwing us a rare treat. Definitely singing along with those choruses.

They finish off with a few more songs, a ribbon cannon going off for Kumo no Ito, before announcing their last, Sepia.

Honestly, the one downside here is that so far, nothing particularly unusual has been played compared with years ago. Almost as if you’ve seen one Pierrot revival series, you’ve seen them all.

Pierrot

1. Haken Kreutz
2. Adolf
3. Mad Sky
4. Dracula
5. Enemy
6. Nounai Morphine
7. Guernica
8. Powder Snow
9. Oni to Sakura
10. Rebirth Day
11. Creature
12. Kumo no Ito
13. Human Gate
14. Sepia

After not very long, Dir en Grey takes their place and gets started.

Opening with 13 off of Phalaris, Kyo coming out in these pink/red long braid extensions wearing this kimono/corset combo. Die’s hair blowing in the fan from the very beginning. Kaoru sporting his new shaved sides and ponytail combo. We can already tell that they’ll make full use of those screens, playing some really great animations even when there is no music video to pull from.

After Ningen o Kaburu, they go into Domestic Fucker Family and I’m so prepared to sing along with the original that I forget that this is the “updated” version.

The occasional older cut thrown in there like Myaku and Kigan, the rest of the main set is still definitely on the side of newer material.

Even if I’m not super familiar with newer Dir en Grey, the performance is still top tier, Ranunculus being a particular highlight for me.

And when they get to that encore? Loved hearing Saku, and they finally let Kyo say a couple of sentences to the audience before closing off with Hageshisa to, Kyo’s mid song screams coming out raw, emotional and most importantly, completely audible even without the mic to help him out.

They gradually make their way off stage, Die and Kaoru staying to throw guitar picks into the audience as Toshiya takes his shirt off to cheers. Winds up…and then launches it far into the crowd, reaching the back of the VIP S section.

1. 13
2. Ningen o Kaburu
3. TDFF
4. Myaku
5. Perfume of Sins
6. The Devil in Me
7. Ranunculus
8. Rinkaku
9. Kamuy
10. Kigan
11. Eddie
12. Uroko
13. Utafumi
14. Rasetsukoku

Encore
15. G.D.S
16. Saku
17. Hageshisa to, Kono Mune no naka de karamitsuita Shakunetsu no Yami

I take this opportunity to meet up with two more people, this time from Reddit (who gifted me a cannon ribbon!!) We talk a bit more about everything over some Japanese Denny’s while we talk about just how much we’re anticipating tomorrow.

[Kaishiki]

@GreatNorthernVK

and friending Shintaro on Instagram (who I find out is a Japanese teacher)

Is that this Shintaro? He seems familiar (which would fit, if I’m right about that).

[zaa_zaa]

That’s the one, guess that’s why he seems familiar — Shintarou profile | しんたろうのプロフィール | vkgy (ブイケージ)

[Kaishiki]

I know, I am just curious, if it’s him or someone else.

[zaa_zaa]

The photo from vk matches his IG, so I guess that’s him SHINTARO on Instagram‎: "#自撮り #自撮り男子 #自撮り界隈の人と繋がりたい #美容 #美容好きな人と繋がりたい #美男美女と繋がりたい #雰囲気嫌いじゃないよって人いいね #v系好きな人と繋がりたい #麺 #日本 #shintaro #artist #igers #like4like #photooftheday #instagood #cool #beauty #boy #japanese #blackhairstyles #selfies #selfietime #asian #japonia #japão ‎#اليابان #ญี่ปุ่น"‎

[GreatNorthernVK]

Wow, great sleuthing. Yep, that is indeed him.

[Kaishiki]

It’s truly funny.
I didn’t know he started teaching English but when I found his IG there it was, plus the familiar face. It still could have been a coincidence, but that’s why I asked.

[badymaru]

@GreatNorthernVK

So he said “Oh, like you’re doing right now?” I was taken aback and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off by saying “huh? Huh? What?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and heard him chuckle as I did. Then, I saw him walk out of the merch line with like, 15 merch lotto tickets without paying.

The way I started cackling when I got to this part I love this meme

[GreatNorthernVK]

Androgynous The Final War - Under the Red Moon 10/12 @National Yoyogi Gymnasium

I decide to head there a bit later, as I didn’t have any plans to meet anyone and I didn’t want to wait around on the off chance that I’d have another magical bandman encounter.

A second day program, Dir en Grey shirt and two more mini figurines later, and I head to my seat on the north side, first floor.

Tonight is Pierrot’s night to finish, and people are half expecting a special announcement from them.

The lights go dark,

Kyo comes out with a long black braided wig and corpse/skull makeup this time.

That familiar melody…the triangle appears on screen. Yes! We’re starting off with World of Mercy. I remember hearing this live back in 2019 when it first came out, when Kyo accidentally disconnected his mic at the climax of the song so he fought through it and reached his arms out, essentially asking the audience to help him.

This time, there are no such technical issues. In fact, just basking in Dir en Grey’s sets over these past two days really confirms why Kyo keeps telling fans to just come to Japan to see them, and it’s not just because he gets cranky while travelling. The scale of the show, lighting, sound quality can’t be matched.

After that, it’s a repeat of Ningen wo Kaburu followed by moving The Devil in Me up in the set with TDFF right afterwards.

It isn’t until the next song where they throw us the next curveball, Ryoujoku no Ame, PV playing in the background.

After Perfume of Sins finishes, the guitar tones shift to some very familiar opening riffs. Is it? The Blossoming Beelzebub. I thought I would never hear this one, and it seems like most of the crowd around me barely had a reaction. They knock it out of the park, of course. I don’t even mind the filler videos that are probably AI that much.

More songs follow, Kyo still singing passionately for Ranunculus gyrating madly for Myaku.

Next, comes Eddie, Utafumi, and Resetsukoku. Until the end, where we get our very last surprise in Byou Shin (Six Ugly version), tons of fist pumping from the crowd.

They take off, and it’s about a 20 minute wait for Pierrot to head out.

So Pierrot decide to surprise us with a song they haven’t played yesterday, or seven years ago…Heaven!

Kirito, coming out in this long white coat that he was wearing in the VIP photos distributed yesterday.

The audience were certainly excited to hear it, which continued on with the next two songs, Psychedelic Lover and Magnet Holic, which weren’t repeats from yesterday. I was kind of crossing my fingers that Pierrot were going to have more variety in their set today and have fewer repeats.

They do go back to yesterday’s songs though for the next four, going through Haken Kreutz, Adolf, Enemy and Nounai morphine before coming back with the next song that was different, Last Cry in Hades (Not Guilty), church stained glass pattern behind them on the screen.

The main set was finishing up the rest of their repeaters, including Oni to Sakura, Dracula, Creature, Kumo no Ito and Mad Sky before heading backstage to await the inevitable encore call.

They come back on, Kirito wearing a Pierrot Androgynous shirt over his coat, playing Human Gate, before thanking the crowd and saying that Pierrot will not stop.

We get an announcement on the screen - Two concert dates next year, February at Tokyo Ariake Arena. Everyone goes wild. He announces the final song of the night - Child.

Damn, I was kind of expecting Agitator.

Oh well, the plus side is that Child is one of the songs that they did not play seven years ago, so it seems like Pierrot didn’t just entirely copy/paste from last Androgynous like I half expected them to tonight.

All in all, I think I actually preferred the sets of whichever band was not headlining on each respective day.

As for whether it’s worth it to attend such an event for two days. I’d say that it depends on the circumstances. For a band like Pierrot that up until now has seemed to be on indefinite hiatus, only rearing their head when the solo projects haven’t been profitable enough (cynical take, I know), I’d say that taking one of your only chances to see them is worth the two nights.

If they were as active as Dir en Grey, I might say to save the money and only go one night. The ratio of repeat songs to unique ones just wouldn’t be worth it for two fully active bands.

I head out, passing by and taking a picture of the Red Moon banner on my way out, gathering a collection of flyers that I pretty much already had from yesterday (only this time, I decided to actually stop and chat with Kakeru for thirty seconds before inevitably needing to move along).

Less than 30 days left to go…

[ridley]

@GreatNorthernVK

Damn, I was kind of expecting Agitator.

I was actually sad they didn’t play Agitator

[GreatNorthernVK]

Jiluka Halloween Fan Meetup 10/13 @Vision Nishi-Shinjuku

So I’m running just a touch late, as my pants and hair are still a bit damp from laundry/shower time.

But I still get there with plenty of time and I’m directed in line right next to a gya that I’ve talked to a couple of times. I pass another gya in line that the other gya doesn’t get along with. Fuuuuun.

Anyways, I’m Switzerland.

We get let in not very long afterwards, and led to the room with the talk set up. The person I’m with says that normally they would have a stage set up for a couple of songs before and after the talk, but the 2500¥ price that includes the talk and free 5-shot helps put it in perspective.

2-shots are discounted today as well. Normal price is a free 2-shot for every 10,000 spent on other merch. Today is 5,000 to buy outright, or to take your chance on winning a 2-shot via pulling a marked cheki during random draw.

The room is sparsely decorated, the occasional streamer or two on the wall. Some falling down. A cathedral backdrop where the guys are going to sit, so I was hoping that they’d use that for five shots. I notice the gift boxes on the far table and go over to drop my Cheezies in each one. Kind of funny, given the tendency of Jiluka fans to gift luxury products for Sena in particular, but not me. Fellas, you get Cheezies. I’m not made of Gucci.

So after waiting 15 minutes past the talk start time, they come in with their costumes. Looks to be kind of a “dark tanbi-kei” theme today, with Sena, Boogie and Zyean wearing these black French Aristocrat blazers (Sena almost tripping over his four inch heeled boots), and then Ricko walks in with this Gothic Marie Antoinette get up.

After the talk, they set up for five shots, where we’re admitted in the order of our ticket numbers.

It’s very quick, with us getting only a few seconds to say something to the guys before taking our photo and joining the cheki line.

So we join the line, and it moves for a little bit. Until we’re the sixth from the top, and then it just kind of…stops.

Then, they start calling people who only want to buy 2-shots outright to come pay for them.

They’re out of cheki. And believe me, my line companion has plenty to say about that. Apparently, they don’t have a reservation system to help them estimate how much cheki they need to pre-shoot and this happens often.

So we place our desired number of cheki with management, me going for a modest five, and them going for 30. I’ve pulled one signature cheki out of five twice now for Jiluka, so it’s probably my lucky number. I also decide to buy two 2-shot tickets outright, as Ricko’s costume has convinced me that I need one for him.

So, now we wait. I assume that Sena and Ricko are frantically shooting new cheki while this is happening, and the staff start setting up for the two of them to come out for 2-shots. While waiting, I strike up a conversation with a Japanese fan who said that she spent a year in Canada on Homestay.

I also get a surprise two shot ticket from someone who can’t stay later.

So Ricko comes out first, and I’m closest to him so I hop in line and I’m fourth. I tell him about the first time I saw them last year.

After that, I hop into the Sena line. I just default to English for him and let him know that I’ve seen him three times, and that I’m hoping to see him in Canada one day. To which he said that he does want to play eventually.

So I get back in line to await the new cheki. Boogie and Zyean’s cheki must have been finished up, because staff were counting it before the started selling.

The person I came with is pretty much at the start of the line. They probably really want to make sure they get there’s before Sena is done taking people. After one of two stragglers, the staff member is calling for any last Sena takers, Ricko still having a half decent line left.

I’m kind of starting to sweat for them here. Staff counting out 30 cheki now…

But really, it’s all good. The staff member by Sena’s station looks over at them and calls out their name. He knows what’s up.

So I get halfway up the line when staff told me I could have technically cut to the front because my cheki order was #4. Boogie and Zyean have a rush of people lining up for them at this point. So, no, actually. I’ll wait longer. Let the rush pass by.

I pull my five cheki and…no signature. Guess I have to choose Boogie or Zyean. Because the only member I’m missing from my pull was Boogie, guess I’m going with him. I do a mix this time, telling him that I saw him last year for the first time in Japanese while telling him that I hope to see them in Canada in English.

Shortest line: Inevitably, Sena
Longest line: Boogie

After friending the Japanese Homestay student and bidding the group of friends farewell, I head to Shinjuku Piccadilly Cinema for…

Dir en Grey - Mode of Uroboros

Heading straight into Vinushka in full

Opening comments from Toshiya

Kyo goes over things he doesn’t like about travelling

Kaoru is shown signing a green poster with a green marker. Who the hell is that for?

Some more street interviews with Shinya, Die

The concert continues, occasional cheers and enthusiastic audience shots but no singing along shown. I guess Uroboros is the turning point album where the songs become less sing-along like

They touch on Marrow of a Bone, Toshiya and Die mentioning that it was their first album really released after their overseas breakthrough. Shots of old mosh pits. Then they talk about how Uroboros compared to it. They are likely going over the reasons why they went with Uroboros as their second album feature and not Marrow.

After a few more songs, Kyo discusses his impressions of foreign fans. Some interviews with European fans, talking about personal reasons for listening to Dir en Grey despite not speaking Japanese. Flashbacks to fans singing The Final from last movie.

People shown mouthing the words to Dozing Green, but they are inaudible. When they finally get to Akuro no Oka, it’s an emotional performance with some screams from the audience being heard, but still not much in the way of singing along. A few choice edits of showing the show through someone’s camera phone. Can’t help but feel like maybe the audience was done a bit dirtier this time around. Felt like this movie was really more focused on just enjoying the full set.

[soinatos]

@GreatNorthernVK

Kaoru is shown signing a green poster with a green marker. Who the hell is that for?

some of the posters that were sold were autographed!

[GreatNorthernVK]

Oh yeah, of course. Just saying that when he signed them, they looked invisible from the audience view because of the marker matching the background of where he was signing.