Tue 23 Aug – DIR EN GREY: TOUR2011 PARADOX OF RETALIATION
The area were already pretty crowded when we showed up bit late with my gf.
The line consisted of surprisingly casual-suited people, giving me the aspect that Diru's fanbase had grown with the band from the vk era. (Of course there were some hc fans to make an expection to this)
The line moved slowly to the entrance and people were still gathering to the queue.
Inside was the merchandise desk where were three different tour shirts and one zip hoodie on sale. (No DSS related stuff at all, meh)
I struggled with the choosing, couldn't make my mind which t-shirt I'd take (and of course, the coolest t-shirt was girlie-sized only) and finally decided to buy the zip hoodie AND t-shirt. W.I.N.
It had been a while since last being at Nosturi, and couldn't remember how annoying
the concert hall's structure is: as you enter the hall, the stage is right next to you on the left. So no chance getting in to the 1st row if you haven't come waiting hours before. And the place were c r o w d e d.
After getting some water against dehydration, I went in to the mass.
As Kyokotsu no nari's dissonating piano intro started exactly 20.30 o'clock, I finally realized this is it.
Hageshisa to, kono mune no naka de karamitsuita shakunetsu no yami opened the set with Shinya's drum fill and the crowd went wild. The humidity went up and it was like swimming in the crowd. So I dived to the 6th or 5th row.
After the song ended, the hall filled up with screams which didn't end while Obscure's first beats came in. I were even a bit confused as the music got mixed up with the screams. The new arrangement's trash parts worked wonderfully.
Lotus had it place as the last of the opening trio. For me it could have come later in the set, cause it has many same elements as Hageshisa... Audience sang with Kyo through the whole song.
Then came Red Soil and Agitated Screams of Maggots. Red Soil made the audience go mad and on Agitated, I shouted the shit out of my lungs - as did the rest. Still wasn't able to lose my voice.
As Different Sense blasted in, the sweat got my right earplugg off. After trying to replace it by keeping a finger in my ear, I took the other earplugg off too and decided to suffer - hoping it will be worth it. Kaoru made justice to the solo. It kicked some ass and I got in to the 3rd row.
Decayed Crow felt kinda long and is maybe the weakest song on the new album for me. It lacks uniqueness and is very incoherent by its structure.
"Yokusou ni DREAMBOX" Aruiwa seijuku no rinen to tsumetai ame followed and made the show back to interesting. It was the first song on DSS that I fell in love with.
Either Kyo couldn't sing the low parts as low as they're meant to be, or the mic's EQ weren't ok, but it didn't matter. The song's controlled chaos got to the audience and some girls were even singing with Kyo in the song's most chaotic parts. O_o I wondered how in the hell they had managed to catch up with the words, I couldn't keep up though I have the lyrics.
-karasu- surprised me, and was a very nostalgic piece to hear from DEG's earlier career. Then they took it back to the oldies, some re-constructed oldies I mean.
TSUMI TO BATSU (or Tsumi to kisei) and Hydra -666- took turns and Hydra -666- hit me hard. It really works as a "live" song. In between were the sets second INWARD SCREAM part, which gave me continuous chills.
AMON started. It has some familiarity with Tsumi to kisei, yet it took over and went to its own way through the high guitar parts and fastening tempo.
Reiketsu Nariseba and -ZAN- was next. Two very trashy songs before the band went to backstage.
Zakuro started encore and it felt like the whole consert hall got inner peace. Everyone moved left to right in a wave and listened how the song danced forward.
-Saku- broke the peacefullness and made the hall shout every DICK MEN out from cover.
Kyo started his crowd boosting by yelling 'last song' in finnish, which was hilarious. We did scream with him and then Toshiya smashed Rasetsukoku on move.
Setlist were good, but it would been awesome if they had played The IIID Empire, Juuyoku, Vinushka, Ugly or Ain't Afraid to Die.
Kyo did one solo in some part of the set before the Inward Scream before Hydra -666-, just can't remember clearly where.
Aftermath:
1st wavemoshing experience ever, litres of sweat, 3days long tinnitus ( curse you, squealing beauties!), love seen live, ultimate pain