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zhaleys · 4 years

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Dir en Grey NA Tour Sacramento live report

Wanted to get this out earlier but I had so much going on. Im still traveling back as I write this. Below is my written live report for This Way to Self Destruction in Sacramento Ace of Spades 12/6! Im so grateful I got to be a part of this tour. I will have a drawn live report in the next few days so please look forward to that!

I'll try not to focus on mundane stuff since there's so much footage going around. Just my whole trip getting to Sacramento was a hellish scape because I was battling against the clock. I stayed at a friend's place the night before (thank you Ying!) I had planned to get in line around 1 or 2 but ppl on Twitter were saying there was barely anyone so me and my friends just waited til 5 since we realized it was a weekday. Thank God we did because it was right when the line wasn't really forming but there was still some people. I had GA ticket and I was maybe 20 from the front (VIP line had about 50 or so people?) Once it was time for doors to open the line had wrapped around the block. We all went in by sections to check bag/ID etc.

Once I got in everyone was dispersed around the hall. There was two bars next to the stage, one raised on a platform but not taller than the stage. The whole venue was TINY /tinier than others I've been/ but there was balcony seating and still plenty of space so ofc I went straight to shimote since there was maybe 3 rows formed barely. Once I was in place we stood maybe an hour and a half waiting for everyone else to come in. I also met a wonderful follower from IG KAI THANK YOU FOR SAYING HI. Im sorry if im awkward around new people but it was really nice still!

The lights went out and everyone immediately screamed of course. They had their usual video playback going on and some mellow tune as all the members walked out. Shinya, Kaoru, Toshiya/Die and finally Kyo. He was wearing his hair slicked and that half eye-closed look for a good 5 minutes as the crowd kept cheering. SO MUCH MORE TINY THAN I EXPECTED! I knew he was short but I felt I could squish him even though im the same height. Kaoru also looked really small but I think it was his pants that were giving that Illusion. Toshiya was pointing at the crowd getting us riled up with his white and black bass and the great wardrobe choice of that black vest 👀. They started the set immediately with Zetsuentai and everyone went batshit crazy. My row and especially people in center front were headbanging so hard I could see all the hair in the crowd. My shoe immediately unsnapped but I didn't notice until later when I was jumping harder. This is the full setlist (might have errors)

Zetsuentai

Ningen wo kaburu

Rubbish heap

Devote my life

Celebrate empty howls

Keibetsu to hajimari

Merciless cult

Values of madness

Aka

Downfall

Keigaku no yoku

Ranunculus

The world of Mercy

ENCORE

Hydra 666

Followers

Utafumi

The audio was absolutely fantastic. I could hear all the instruments and Kyo's voice clearly even though I was in the front and sometimes it tends to get all meshed. Now time for some highlights during the set!

Ningen was right after Zetsuentai and it was one of the tracks I was super excited for since the crowd singing and headbang after the first verse always looked so much fun and once it came to it I was not disappointed at how great it was! I understand this isn't a Japanese audience so the singing wasn't as loud lol I knew some of us were really on the lyrics. I was also surprised many fans also synced movements like at japan lives. It was very lively. No one was too still for a long time. I had to switch arms sometimes to keep waving lol

For the start of Values of Madness and I think also Devote my Life Die flipped off the crowd before he started playing. He's so beautiful dammit. By the middle of the set I was already in second row barricade because of the moshing in the back. We were sardines.

During times they switched guitars the crowd sometimes chanted diru or members names. I screamed for Kaoru at one point. This one guy at the elevated bar kept chanting dir en grey and Shinya name but it was kind of annoying.

When Ranunculus played we were all in really nice sync (at least my area) and we did hand waves during the chorus. I was so surprised when kyo was still breathing into the mic and then the music suddenly merged into WoM. I knew they might play it but was still surreal to me. I think a few of us mightve sang the first verse but it could've been my ears ringing. That part in the middle of the song when Kyo started to bite his wrist and pretend to take out his intestines had me terrified and in awe at the same time. His art and commitment to the performance was 100/10 I love this man. He smeared his lips and eyes too. The screaming part has us going crazy during the end as always. Such a supreme song live I couldnt believe it.

Waiting for encore felt eternal but we chanted probably through most of it. "one more song!" and "DIR EN GREY" until they came out. Poor Shinya almost tripped when he went around his set! There was no outfit changes except kyo who came out with his mask from WoM promo👀 (no bandages though) It started with Hydra666 which was a surprise for most of us but I could tell we were all happy since the crowd chanting was on the dot for it. Kyo removed his mask at the end to reveal joker makeup (super sexy imo 😔💕) The second song was Followers and then Kyo stuttered announcing "les,...Last Song" xD I was hoping between Child Prey or Utafumi and sure enough I was deafened by that amp sound once the Utafumi beat kicked in (it actually hurt my ears a little for how long it was) at the bridge part Kaoru extended his riff by a minute while Kyo stared down the crowd. He was making scrunchy face like "hurry up kyo!" Haha! I forget if this is where I made eye contact with him but I know he was right at the ledge with us as he played. I sang the bridge with kyo since it's one of my faves and then the set was over.

Kyo clapped then left immediately LOL but other members stayed. Toshiya and Kaoru baptized me with water as they started throwing their picks and drum sticks. ( I got none ofc fk) I was hoping Die might do a little speech like in EU but he didn't :/ Once the members all left the stage I was on a MISSION to get them their gift! I chased down the guy inside barracade who was filming and I think I caught him with another staff guy. Thank God I could speak Japanese so I asked them if they were staff and if they would give my gift to them. The non camera guy said it was fine and asked me for who it was and I was just like for all them ahsjsk ( my friends were looking for me at this point) so I didn't want to lose them. I thanked staffさん for their blessing then met up with my friends. It was pouring right when we exited and the venue workers were shooing us. After a while we all reconvened and picked out a place to eat. The rest in history~ Thank you Diru 💕💀

Other things I recalled from the set:

- during the bridge and last chorus of Values of Madness me and a bunch of people were screaming/singing with kyo it was so cool I felt so alive AAAA

- Totchi hugging his bass in the middle of WoM

- Die coming over to Shimote

- Shinya going crazy during Devote my Life

- Totchi headbang sometime at the latter half of the set

- Kaoru pointing at the crowd and shouting

#dir en grey #this way to self destruction #diru live #jrock #vkei #visual kei #vkei band #live report #ace of spades #my live

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