The Final Cut
I know, ominous title. Couldn’t help but get a Coheed and Cambria reference in there.
So my trip is finally coming to a close tomorrow, just one last live report left. Question is, what will it be?
My initial plan? Like, initial plan? Was to see Full on both days, both his solo show and Shilfee little known the next day.
But then…the Kishidan Banpaku lineup dropped.
Golden Bomber…The Gazette…and Gackt with his Yellow Fried Chickenz project.
15,000 yen, but fucking sign me up!
So I sadly gave up on seeing Full both days. I thought it was a done deal.
Until I actually got here. And experienced, and talked, and felt.
I developed bonds with people/bands I didn’t necessarily expect to. I did not go into this thinking that I would become dedicated to anyone in particular.
But then I heard about Zeke Deux’s third anniversary show at Meguro Rockmaykan. A mere 1000¥ ticket, to be in the middle of the room for a show that they’re not even sure they can sell out at that price.
Because I found out a few days ago that they are letting people in for free after all paid ticket holders head in at 5 pm.
So, before this, I figured “Well, I can do both can’t I? I can wait for that lineup…and not tell Kakeru I’m going until I know that I can catch either Gackt or The Gazette! That’s it!”
And turns out, I could hypothetically catch The Gazette….juuuuuust barely….
See, they go on at 3:30, and play for 35 minutes. That leaves me…
Like, no spare time at all to get there in time for the band to go on…
I could leave a little early, and get there a couple of minutes before they go on….or maybe catch an Uber! Shit, no, Uber doesn’t do planned pickups at any of these stations!
I rationalized to myself that I could make it work. I just would be near the back, right?
Until I actually went to Rockmaykan and saw the implications of being way in the back. There’s this lowered ceiling that a third of the audience is behind. You can’t see the band well, and the band pretty much can’t see you.
So…why miss Gackt and even part of The Gazette for a sub par experience with Zeke Deux…if I can even get in once they’ve let people in for free?
Everyone who I asked just said “Look, just go to Kishidan Banpaku. It’s such a big event and when will you get to see Gackt again?”
So I have to make a choice. Do I prioritize seeing and experiencing new things, shiny things, to say that I did? Or do I put my faith in the new bonds I’ve formed, even if part of it is just in my head?
A great lineup, great venue, great merch opportunities, seeing Gackt perform with MiA and Yohio on guitar, Golden Bomber’s crazy shows, which I have yet to have a chance to see, The Gazette, now as a four man band after the tragic passing of Reita. I got a chance to see them in Toronto and to shake their hands, for a set that was twice the length of this one.
I’d be crazy to give this up. And why? Because I keep running into the vocalist of the other band and because I promised him and the other members that I’d be there? That I’d finally take my 2-shot with poor neglected Maya? Because I want to say goodbye to them before I go? Because I’ve been wanting to ask that guy out to chat but justified to myself that even if he wanted to, he’s just so pre-occupied with this show that the timing just didn’t work?
But the reason why seeing Full yesterday strengthened my resolve was that it taught me an important lesson.
Prioritize those that you have a connection with. You never know when your last chance might be.
Gackt doesn’t know who I am. I met the Gazette once, but could any of them pick me out of a lineup? Nope. I don’t even know who most of the Golden Bomber members are.
But the guys in Zeke Deux…they would notice my absence. Would they care? Maybe, maybe not.
But one thing I do know for sure, is that if you ask Kakeru who “Katie” is, he’d know.
And in this isolating society, practically alone except for some acquaintances here and there, that makes the answer obvious.
I don’t care about Gackt. I don’t care about Golden Bomber, and you could say that I don’t even truly care about The Gazette. I care about Kakeru and I want his band to do well.
Enjoy Kishidan Banpaku, Bella!
So with that out of the way,
Zeke Deux Third Anniversary 11/10 @Meguro Rockmaykan
As I walk through the neighborhood that I’ve temporarily called home over the last 10 weeks, I’m struck by how beautiful the weather is. Maybe next time stick to late October to November?
After freshening up in the room, it’s off to Meguro. After taking a couple of pictures of their anniversary bouquets (two, really guys?), I wait around for a few more minutes before the start calling numbers.
A5 today, with SS and S tickets ahead of me. The man who returned my wallet to me comes out to ask people to hug the railing and not block foot traffic.
So I’m actually like, 33rd in the venue. For only 1000 yen, sick! I hop right into centre third row. But people are like…way too spread out. It makes this place look super small. Ten minutes until the show starts, we’re finally told to scootch in more. Even considering that, we’re nowhere close to full. There are four rows of people standing at full attention in tight rows, the rest of the people are just kind of waiting on the periphery.
From info that I could gather after the fact, several bandmen were in the audience, but there were also some non-bandmen male fans as well.
I probably would have been okay if I went to Gazette. Oh well. I made my choice, I stick by it. They call out again for the Saizen to pack closer together. Some spaces fill, some stubbornly don’t.
It’s time for them to start, and we’re slow clapping the members out, starting with Majyu, then Satsuki, followed by Maya and Haruka. The claps increase in speed when it’s time for Kakeru, who comes out on stage, periodically licking his lips while eyeballing the crowd.
Starting off with fan favourite Zero, the first three rows explore into headbanging. That is, except the lady right in front of me. She’s there with an older lady, not sure if that’s an older friend, her mom, aunt, work mentor, whatever. But it’s clear that the older lady is the fan between the two of them. It gets a little awkward maneuvering dives and bows around her because she doesn’t move much but I make do.
For the first half of the set, there are plenty of solo opportunities for each member, the centre section I was a part of spreading out arms for everyone pretty equally. Kakeru takes turns playing around with each member, sometimes extending his microphone to them.
After an emotional performance of Afterimage the lights go down, every member except Kakeru leaving the stage for Kakeru to sing a solo track, L, before he too, leaves the stage.
It’s not encore yet, as the members are back on stage right away for Alive and Fata Morgana.
They continue playing, debuting a new song for the Christmas season, Gift as well as the new single Killing Me Softly until Awake ~From the Darkness~ which is one of their traditional Saizen ramming songs. The two ladies in front of me not knowing what to do at first, I run forward to the barricade, and try turning around when I accidentally get smoked in the mouth by a guy. Nothing hurt, though.
The second time, I learn my lesson to not turn around too quickly and I lean over the barricade this time, taking a couple hits. On the third time, I smile up at Kakeru while taking hits and get a quick nod.
They head off stage for the first time, Haruka tossing his water bottle into the audience. The two ladies in front of me fumble it, and I grab it from right behind me. Encore call starts, and after about five minutes, they head back out in full costume and play three more, before heading off one more time after playing Advance to Glory and Lux en Athena
The second call is immediate. Perhaps I am the loudest out of anyone.
Five more minutes pass, and Haruka and Maya come out in special anniversary shirts that they offered to SS and S ticket holders. They banter for a bit before Majyu and Satsuki join them, followed by Kakeru a minute later, wearing the only multicoloured anniversary shirt. They prompt Satsuki for a speech, followed by Majyu and Maya. Haruka and Kakeru are last, Kakeru having a written statement prepared, which includes a tour announcement with a tour final at Shibuya Club Asia!
They then head into Place, followed by Lucifer, their other known Saizen ramming song. This time, the two ladies know what to do, so they do beat me to the barricade every time, but I do have fun crashing into others.
They finish off with Phantom Pain before saying goodbye for good.
The members, toss their towels into the audience. Kakeru, way in the back, Haruka’s goes to the enthusiastic guy beside me. Maya’s, to a fan on his side near the front. Satsuki throws it just a little farther back on that side. Majyu’s towel is heading right for me…until the fan adjacent to me barrels over and knocks me back, because she wants it. Go ahead, lady.
So lights go up and remaining goods sales take place. Thankfully, I got all my merch and three 2shot tickets already.
I hang back a bit, but eventually names start to get called. I want to make sure I don’t miss anyone, so I head to the front.
Kakeru is up first. I’m still a bit addled, so I forget my smart phone at first. I apologize and grab it for us, and I thank him once again, bidding him a Sayonara, to which he says “no, Mata ne”. “Itsu, shiranai” I respond, but he just smiles and tells me to hurry up coming back.
Haruka, I thank. He has a flash of recognition when he sees me. “Oh, you understand Japanese right?” He says (in Japanese, obviously). “Eee, chotto” I say back. Having his water bottle in hand, I offer him his straw for a drink, he just opts to point to my trophy instead.
Maya is last, probably the most popular man of the night, as he had previously announced that he would be stepping down as a full member after this live meaning that this might be one of the last few opportunities to get one with him at Zeke Deux lives.
“Tsuini!” I say to him, telling him that I’m heading back to Canada tomorrow and that it’s been a long ten weeks. He said that he hopes to visit Canada one day too.
And that’s how this story ends. Not with some magic moment, no once in a lifetime opportunity, but with business as usual. A fitting ending, a realistic ending.
Am I still glad that I picked this?
Yeah…yeah, I am.
It was one of the beefiest setlists from a smaller band that I’ve been to for a while, you can tell they really put a lot of effort into preparing for this one, and literally the only thing missing from a typical Zeke Deux one man/headline set was them trying to lean back into the crowd.
And getting to see the guys one last time in who knows how long was worth it, I think.
I have thoughts about my experience of course, might be open to an AMA from people after tomorow’s final commentary.
But first thing’s fucking first…
Good riddance. I’m sick of making typos
Every setlist sound just good, and c≠g,kein and Merry for me is just something to die for,there’s not much else to say 
