the GazettE at Saitama Super Arena

2009 marked the seventh anniversary of the GazettE. Yet the tour they did to mark this event, as well as the release of their latest album DIM, were more than just birthday events. You could also see them as omens of what would be the band’s future. And planning the tour final at Saitama Super Arena, a much larger venue than the usual ones for the band, was proof of their ambition. But it was also an important test, and with such a huge crowd as the jury, an average mark would not be satisfying. So let’s see if the GazettE successfully passed the test with honours.

One thing was sure: at 5 pm, the announced starting time, Saitama Super Arena and its surroundings were filled with fans. As always, the show was as much in the audience as it was on stage, as spectators made great efforts to dress up for the event. Rarely have there been so many Reita cosplayers in such close quarters, and though the capacity was 20,000 people, the concert was still sold out. An impressive performance, especially at the end of a twenty-two dates tour in Japan, for which the GazettE deserved an A letter grade.

Shortly after the official start time, the concert began. Darkness covered the hall before the stage was lit, accompanied by the song DIM and the crowd’s applause. The stage was illuminated by a very bright red light, and each member’s arrival was marked by white lighting that cut through our sight. And suddenly, with our eyes still a bit dazzled from the band entrance, the first song, The Invisible Wall, started. It was a perfect starting point for the concert, giving the audience the opportunity to set the mood and adapt itself to the Saitama stage. A very plain stage, it had only two large screens, one on each side, to show the band playing, and six smaller screens. The musicians were also not too overdressed; vocalist Ruki appeared in a white shirt and black gloves, while the rest of the band were mostly clad in black.

As a result, it seemed the GazettE wanted to give the beginning of the show a very peculiar atmosphere, something for which the new DIM album could be quite suited. The audience felt this, and let itself be drawn by the mood of that first song, listening calmly for the most part while a few headbangers could be seen here and there. It ended with the man on the video screens committing suicide by blowing his head up, while Ruki mimicked him by pointing his finger to his temple. If the GazettE wanted to give their audience suicidal ideas, they might very well have succeeded, had they decided to keep this mood going. Thankfully, they had another project in mind.

Because the next song, LEECH, instantly took a different turn. The lights on stage and on the screens turned psychedelic, which seemed to drive the audience crazy. Everyone started to wave their arms and heads, jumping around till the whole place shook and the vibes reached every part of the hall. It was truly amazing to see how, in an instant, the GazettE could change the mood of the whole Saitama Super Arena hall. And it’s proof of the heights their mastery of live events has reached.

Then the hall went dark and was filled with screams from the audience for a little while, until Ruki introduced the next song, DISTRESS AND COMA. The lights turned green and the screens showed green binary lines, very much Matrix-like, mesmerizing the public who stood subdued and calm during the song. Even a brief solo from Uruha did not stir them. And it was only when the lights went out that the spell broke and the audience, finally realizing what had happened, started to shout again.

The next song kept that same mood, starting with purple lights focusing on Aoi, before the stage was plunged in a dim blue light, setting a more intimate atmosphere appropriate for a song with more quiet parts. It ended with Ruki on his knees. But the intent was not to make the audience despair or languish, and indeed the mood for the next songs was about to get as different as possible. The lights turned greenish, even unhealthy, and horrible faces filled the screens among which a strange young girl appeared. Silence filled the hall. And suddenly the colours mixed in the hall and Ruki gave a glimpse of the power of his voice and singing. In an instant, he drove the audience into a frenzied mass of head banging. After he called "Saitama" several times, the musicians and the crowd united in another common headbanging session. That song really drove everyone wild, and Ruki’s screams intensifying at the end only increased that effect. Now for HEADACHE MAN, the mood became eerie, close to madness, as the audience head banged as much as humanly possible. Multiple eyes watched from the screens, on a red background which turned white for the chorus. Far from frightening the audience, it drove them to new heights and they started to jump wildly.

A final laugh from Ruki plunged the hall into darkness. It was a brief and welcome respite after such an intense set, yet the audience kept on shouting for several minutes. The next song started much more quietly though, with the lights focusing on Ruki, with Uruha and Aoi both playing acoustic guitars. The audience listened respectfully before the band roused them again. The two guitarists kept on switching between electric and acoustic guitars, making for two completely different atmospheres. The way they played with the audience’s feelings was indeed impressive. Mesmerized, the crowd started to clap rhythmically, in a now psychedelic atmosphere. Blood whirled on the screens, over a white background, before waves of red spotlights filled the hall. In this dream-like haze, the audience stood very straight, very calm, listening with rapt attention to Ruki’s singing, while Reita accompanied him with a bass solo. The singer was finally illuminated by a blue light, before sending a last tortured call in front of a red and cloudy sky background.

Silence fell, and the crowd appeared to be in shock, still a bit dizzy from the last song. Aoi took center stage for a bit and played on his double neck guitar while Ruki let the audience rest a bit. It was as though everyone was hypnotized after the magical act, and only a snap of the fingers from the magician Ruki could draw them from their meditative state.

Applause and shouts finally filled the hall. The concert had only started one hour before, yet it had been very intense already. Ruki spoke a few words, making sure everyone was well awake. A needless precaution, because the audience was really getting worked up now and followed Ruki’s call to jump with obvious delight. A good thing, because for the next two songs, the crowd would have many opportunities to test its toughness. Fans waved their hands, jumped and head banged as much as they could, as the songs really tore their guts out. The atmosphere was really hot now and the audience was really starting to let loose. The musicians set an example for them, taking turns interacting with the crowd, Ruki getting closer to the edge of the stage, and each guitarist coming to the front. Each member also appeared on the smaller screens.

The atmosphere got harder for DISCHARGE, alternating with bursts of music, powerful sound and Ruki's strong voice. White lighting and smoke filled the hall, and the crowd looked like it was having an epileptic fit. The audience united for a respectful head bang for their gods, before going wild in a pagan salute. The last song, DIM SCENE, started in an ethereal atmosphere fitting the song, only to be broken by a bestial howl from Ruki. Meanwhile the screens behind him showed water steams full of foam with glimpses of breaking faces. Then the screens turned red again, and the last few words of Ruki were drowned in deafening sounds. He was finally left alone on stage in the dark, before staggering off.

Silence fell before the audience began to applaud and call for an encore. After ten minutes Reita and Kai came back on stage to stand side by side, each wearing a scarf around his neck and mouth. Reita started to scream “Saitama!” and the audience screamed back. After a few words, to warm up the audience, they started Ride with the Rockers. During that song, they kept playing with the crowd, Reita shouting and the fans answering. The next song, Ruder, was also all theirs, and the two of them put the Saitama audience to test. It was a show of head banging, dancing and shouting, everything the audience could do. Finally Uruha and Aoi rejoined their friends and started to take a part in the fun, while the audience went wild with calls of Reita and Aoi.

For THE $OCIAL RIOT MACHINE$, Ruki finally returned to the stage. It started with a solo from Uruha, and during that song, Reita, Uruha and Aoi each kept making solos in response to each other, while Ruki drove the audience to new heights. No more light shows and mood stuff now, it was all about strong and raw sounds, full of energy, spreading through the hall and making the audience ecstatic. The band couldn’t stop itself now, and the next song came without a break. The audience didn’t want to be left behind and kept the pace, responding to the musicians’ fierce head banging with their own.

The band took a small break on stage while the audience stayed as wild as ever. After saying a few words, Ruki called for Saitama to make itself heard even more. The following song started with great head banging and screaming from Ruki, while Reita and Uruha played together at the front of the stage. The hall became like a great human sea as long hair flew and waved through the rows of people.

Finally, it was time for the last song, LINDA. The audience felt this would be its last chance to enjoy the show and didn’t even take the time to rest. They just kept on headbanging, jumping and having fun. After a last solo from Aoi, it was all over. the GazettE started to salute everyone, Ruki shouting “thank you” over and over to the audience. After the band left the stage, the lights went out. "DIM SCENE" was written on the screens, while Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door by Bob Dylan was played. The audience kept screaming and asking for more, and it felt like they could go like this for a long time, just to have a bit longer with the band.

And the GazettE came back! The fans must have knocked so hard on the door that it broke because, to their delight, the band would perform one more song to end this show, and at the same time this long DIM tour. They probably felt they were in Heaven right then. Before starting, Ruki spoke a few words and his emotion really could be felt in his voice. The atmosphere for that last song was as wild as when the concert began several hours before. It was the last opportunity for the audience to get a last good look at the musicians as they appeared on screen, as well as hear solos from each of the guitarists. Each moment was savored because all too soon - although it had been over three hours - the concert finally came to an end.

To thunderous applause, the GazettE saluted their fans one more time. As a parting gift, they invited some of their staff on stage with them, and everyone held hands. The fans also joined hands before everyone made one last jump on Ruki's count. After the band left the stage, darkness fell one last time in the hall. the GazettE’s latest single was broadcast on the screen and a few announcements were made, including a live DVD of this concert and another show at the end of the year to celebrate Christmas the GazettE’s way.



If anyone had any doubts about the GazettE's ability to play in front of such a large audience, this date at the Saitama Super Arena should be proof that they are quite capable. The band gave a great show, playing not only great music but also creating different atmospheres throughout the night. And if this show was indeed a forecast of the band's future, then we can only wish them to continue this way. Because even if the GazettE just started playing on their own in such a big hall as the Saitama Super Arena, it already seems like it’s too small for them. Anyone knows when there is a free date at the Tokyo Dome?




Set list:

「剥離」「Hakuri」
1 THE INVISIBLE WALL
2 LEECH
3 Hyena
4 DISTRESS AND COMA
5 Shiroki Yuutsu (白き優鬱)
「エ リ カ」「Erika」
6 13STAIRS[-]1
7 HEADACHE MAN
8 WITHOUT A TRACE
「感触」「Kanshoku」
9 Nakigahara (泣ヶ原)
「子宮」「Shikyuu」
10 Guren (紅蓮)
11 A MOTH UNDER THE SKIN
12 COCKROACH
13 IN THE MIDDLE OF CHAOS
14 Filth in the beauty
15 OGRE
16 DISCHARGE
17 DIM SCENE
「朦朧」「Mourou」

Encore:
EN1 Ride with the Rockers
EN2 Ruder
EN3 THE $OCIAL RIOT MACHINE$
EN4 Anata no Tame no Kono Inochi. (貴女ノ為ノ此ノ命。)
EN5 Kanto dogeza kumiai (関東土下座組合)
EN6 LINDA~candydive pinky heaven~

Miseinen (未成年)