Ordered the latest live DVD by The GazettE back in November (What a coincidence :'D didn't even remember that it happened to coincide with a lot of my difficult times. The end of the year was such a blur to me now), even though it was released back in June, but because of not having had the money for it then I with-held getting it right away. Luckily for me, Yesasia had it at a reduced price at their end-of-the-year sale, so I had to jump on the opportunity to buy it now because of the lower pricetag.
As with most Japanese artists and bands, this release came in two different editions, and being the collector that I am, I had to get the Limited Edition with all the extras. This time the extras were quite the same as in the TOUR11-12 VENOMOUS CELL FINALE OMEGA release, meaning a lenticular lens on top of the package and a ~100 page booklet with pictures and interviews of the band members alongside a documentary of the live.
The concert itself consisted of a total of 28 songs, and is as follows:
DISC1
01.[Diplosomia～XI］
02.DERANGEMENT
03.GABRIEL ON THE GALLOWS
04.VENOMOUS SPIDER'S WEB
05.VORTEX
06.CLEVER MONKEY
07.THE SUICIDE CIRCUS
08.DRIPPING INSANITY
09.余韻
10.影踏み
11.籠の蛹
12.[Depth]
13.歪
14.ヘドロ
15.VERMIN
16.SLUDGY CULT
17.HEADACHE MAN
18.ATTITUDE
19.REQUIRED MALFUNCTION
20.[Melt]
DISC2
01.Ride with the Rockers
02.赤いワンピース
03.Psychedelic Heroine
04.Filth in the beauty
05.COCKROACH
06.LINDA ～candydive pinky heaven～
07.関東土下座組合
08.☆BEST FRIENDS☆
The whole concert starts of with a lot of power, being very strong and fast right from the start, and the visual is just amazing. The intrumental intro used by putting together Diplosomia and XI is brilliant, and the scenes on the screens at the back of the stage look fantastic. A good start for another tour final for The Gazette. The whole setlist really highlights the Division album that was released prior to the tour that ended in this live performance by the band, and being a real showstopper with every single song from the album making an appearence during the live which is a thrill to hear and see. The first seven songs of the list go by in an instant, before slowing down for DRIPPING INSANITY, setting a different mood altogether. The calm song makes for a good change from the headbanging and fast cheering from some of the best songs from both the Toxic and Division albums, and Clever Monkey (a B-track from the Remember the Urge single) also making an appearence. The songs roll perfectly from one to the other without problems, and the band are as good as ever performing their roles to give a good show for the fans.
We get a lot of old classics, and this time around the song LINDA ～candydive pinky heaven～ didn't end the live, which was a surprise for me because they usually play it last. As I said, the whole live is very Division heavy, but for some reason I don't miss other songs on the DVD, because this package is enough. A perfect mix of new and old. If I want to listen to some of their other songs live, I can just pick up another DVD from my shelf. The encore is very simple, the only surprise in the songs being ☆BEST FRIENDS☆ that hasn't been on a live DVD since the 2004 Tokyo saihan ～JUDGMENT DAY～ release.
At the end of the main setlist, during [Melt] the band really put in everything they had to create a spectacle for the audience. The show came to an end with a bang when a bombs and spraks start flying around the stage and different equipment start partly falling down from the ceiling in mid-air. The visual effect of it all was just mind-blowing. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the whole thing for the first time, because there was no way of expecting it.
During the encore, Ruki made a bold stroll through the crows on both sides of the arena, making for quite a spectacle to see as disoriented fans screamed and tried to reach him from behind the barriers. I'm sure it made the night for many fans that night.
Overall, the whole package is beatiful as always, can't ever expect anything less from these guys. The show and DVD are a pleasure to look at, and Ruki sure knows his stuff when it comes to the visual parts. The releases always stand out from everyone elses in so many ways. Just the box in itself is so beatiful and has that special something that all the releases over here in the western world can just dream of. But for all it's worth, with the amount of money going into buying these releases you really wouldn't settle for anything less. Once again a release by The GazettE worth getting if you have the chance.
As a little sidenote to the DVD, I decided to give my thoughts on the live show The GazettE had here in Finland during their World Tour 13. I managed to acquire VIP tickets thanks to a good friend of mine, and had good places in the venue thanks to that, even though they had sold a ridiculous amount of VIP tickets for the show (possibly 100-200 or over what it felt like at least). A slight misscalculation there, because I think they should be a bit more priviledged, and really get front row tickets or close to. Well, no chance for that during this show. When I got in everyone got a VIP laminate as a gift for the show, and apparently they had special posters too for the VIP ticket holders, but these had ran out already during earlier parts of the tour which was a shame, because early access and a laminate for almost double the price of the ticket felt kinda stupid before the show started, but alas, that's life. But when the concert started, everything just went away for the remainder of the show.
The setlist went as follows:
[XI]
01. VORTEX
02. LEECH
03. BEFORE I DECAY
04. GABRIEL ON THE GALLOWS
05. VENOMOUS SPIDER’S WEB
06. THE SUICIDE CIRCUS
07. DRIPPING INSANITY
08. UNTITLED
09. DERANGEMENT 10. HEADACHE MAN 11. SLUDGY CULT 12. COCKROACH 13. Filth in the Beauty
ENCORE:
14. SHIVER
15. RUDER
16. Linda ~candydive pinky heaven~
The whole show was a blast, even though the venue was so packed it felt like being crushed part of the time. During the show I had perfect view of Ruki for most of the time, and people were jumping and partying so crazy that I moved around a lot with the crowd during the whole concert.
Only thing that I found a bit of a shame during this concert is how short it was. I understand that it's tough on the boys during a large tour like this, but 16 songs is a little for these guys, when they easily play 20 songs at concerts in Japan. My personal favourite songs from the live were Leech, The Suicide Circus, Derangement and Headache Man if I have to name the ones I liked best. During The Suicide Circus I actually found myself crying in disbelief because I had waited for this concert to happen for so many years, and finally seeing the band live was such a thrill.
The merch booth had way too much to offer, and with my little money, I had to go by with just buying a bag with the band's name on it, and then a large towel with the tourdates and a nice skull picture on it. A friend of mine got the hoodie, which turned out to be really nice and I would have liked it, but there was no way I could have afforded it at the time.
My luck was with me though after the live, because when the band threw pics and drumsticks, I managed to get one of Uruha's pics to someone elses disappointment, because I somehow managed to grab it from under her hand apparently making her stare murderously at me afterwards from what I heard ^^; Gomenne, but I had to get it.
The concert ended way too fast, and felt like no time at all. They boys were in top shape during the live, even though it wasn't anything special visually from them. This time though I hope it won't take them seven years to come again for a performance. The concert sold out fast, so they certainly have a good fanbase here. Now to wait for the documentary DVD about the tour that should come out next month~
No comments:
Post a Comment