Dir En Grey Cologne!
Dirudirudirudirudirudiru....
LONG REVIEW ALERT - FOR SETLIST SEE BOTTOM
So Diru had me moving all the way to Cologne. It was quite a trip with delayed trains and lots of walking and it ended with me walking up 533 steps to
the top of the Dom tower, but if you want to read all about that you can visit my forum where I'll be delighted to bore you to wits end...
What to expect? I'd promised myself I wouldn't watch any of the songs from the new album except for the singles. And I'd buy The Insulated World at
the concert. But of the songs I did know, I was definitely hoping for Utafumi.
The main things I remember and love about the Eindhoven concert is, well, Kyo. I had promised myself to check out Toshiya's playing techniques (I'm a
bassist, see avatar), but hey, I had a bad crush on Kyo, and especially after the heart-breaking rendition of Tousei, he was all I could care
about.
And he looked back at me. A lot. I think, I had a crush. Often when artists do that at lives, that scares me. But Kyo had such a soft look in his
eyes, all I could feel at the time is that he was singing just for me. Even if they knocked me over in the mosh pit.
Three years later I have a real-life boyfriend who beats any dream about the most perfect man you could imagine. I have a job that gives me freedom
and confidence. How has this altered my experience with Kyo?
On 19th October 2018 in Cologne, I found out! The dance music starts, the crowd goes wild and claps along, the band members get on stage: first Shinya
shyly ducks behind the drum kit, Tochi looking all gorgeous with his top open and Kao in his gorgeous robe... Die with a flaming set of manes... and
then Kyo with creepy focus and stare at us in a challenging position. Then they burst out into the first song...
And it's Utafumi! Hey!
Straight from Utafumi I notice this crowd is not just double the side of the Eindhoven. It also does all the audience participation, and it totally
rocks!
Next song is Fukai, what a beautiful tune, and how powerful the delivery! I love the audience blurting along.
Third song - Ash - I don't recognize it. What an energy ball comes from the audience!
At around this point, the audience starts clapping in sync - sort of like Iceland football players. The band tries to look stoic but they seem to
approve of this spontaneous intermission.
Fourth song, Wake - and there was a lot of singing along!
On to Rinkaku: was it this song where Kyo demonstrated his dance? He has a move where he appears to be ripping his heart out of his chest, then
catapulting it into the audience. It became one of my favourite moves and would've been my favourite of the night if a certain something hadn't
happened...
Two songs I don't know: Devote My Life and Keibetsu to Hajimari - rock hard! With Keibetsu I find myself singing along although I have never heard it!
Not much later I just have to film a bit of the concert... it's Phenomenon... all dark and sexy with Kyo's gorgeous moves... It ends with a lot of
screaming and...
Kyo moves his microphone to belly button height. He tugs at his red extension cord, as if he was <i>disembowelling himself</i> as the new
song starts...
It's The Blossoming Beelzebub. As the guitars roar and Kyo outs his high notes, be continues to pull "gut", much to the hilarity of some members of
the audience. He then throws the pile of "guts" on top of his box and stomps on it!
Kyo turns towards a camera he has at the back of the stage - with his back to the audience, but his face in close-up with screwed colours on the big
screen, in a truly terrifying and amazing performance where he pulls slime out of his mouth...
Ranunculus, too, is amazing. Accompanied by the translation at the back I suddenly "get" the song.
Ningen wo Kaburu follows, then Values of Madness which I don't know yet, bounce bounce bounce... 3D Empire is a highly effective tune and there was
much jumping, and it ends with Beautiful Dirt.
The band leave the stage. We're all incredibly hot - to the point that the stewards hand out water. I'm soaked with sweat - my bad cold isn't
cooperating. The band is taking a drinking break, the instruments are tuned...
At at least four moments in the intermission, the entire audience starts shouting and clapping "DIR EN GREY!"
They come back! And with an audience favourite! The Final is sung along en masse, all hands up in the air... Kyo's final note seems to last
forever!
Second tune of the encore: Uroko! The crowd goes wild!
GERMANY! is shouted and bounced back, when "Last song!" is announced.
It's Raketsukoku! The heat and energy let Kyo take off his shirt. The applause is rampant.
The song ends. Kyo flicks the lid of his water bottle, spits on some of the audience and throws water at the rest. The other band members do the same.
I get close to catching some stuff and Kyo, Tochi and Kao got me literally wet. As the band leave one of the best audiences I've ever had the pleasure
of being in, the video of Ranunculus starts. The audience sings along. It gives me shivers.
Come back boys, come back!
Oh: and as for Instoppable World? It was sold out. I did get home with Dum Spiro Spero though!
SETLIST: Utafumi - Fukai - Ash - Wake - Rinkaku - Devote My Life - Keibetsu to Hajimari - Phenomenon - The Blossoming Beelzebub - Ranunculus - Ningen
wo Kaburu - Values of Madness - IIID Empire - Beautiful Dirt - The Final - Uroko - Raketsukoku
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