Dir en Grey, The Pledge – “No one is able to Heal it. No one” This song is so incredibly beautiful.
Tagged: Dir en Grey, Jrock
One week and one day ago I saw Dir en Grey in Leeds!!! Why didn’t I post about this sooner? I guess because I’m feeling kind of down now and I don’t really feel like doing much. But I will talk about it now :D No pictures because my sister (my photographer :P) hasn’t sent them to me yet.
Overall Dir en Grey were fucking awesome but the night itself didn’t seem quite as worth it as I would have wanted. I think I got my hopes up too much though…. Like I always do. I get excited; allow my imagination to run away with me. Read about things; get my hopes up even more. So when things don’t happen “just so” I end up feeling a painful disappointment.
Well basically it started at 18:00 and we arrived about 17:30 (me and my sister). The queues were very long and me and my sister spent the time talking about the various idiots that turned out. We ended up waiting around for ages and it was really cold. By this point I was pretty nervous, fidgety..jumpy and excited at the same time. At one point my sister had to leave me to get money and that was even scarier. I felt like I do when I walk into Aflecks palace (a hang out for those with rather “different” fashion senses) rather out of place. Like they know I have no fucking idea what I’m doing. I was there for Dir en Grey and Dir en Grey alone. And everything else besides seeing Dir en Grey scared me. The actual seeing Dir en Grey bit was really exciting. Hehe.
So after much queuing and waiting we were told the balcony seat people had to join another queue only to have to join another queue after that. By this point it was starting and I realised wow… it was REALLY LOUD. Became even more nervous yet so excited that it was actually happening. My sister kept giving me dodgy looks because I was at this point, pretty over excited. She doesn’t understand what it’s like being such a closeted fan suddenly being able to actually get in touch with your own fandom away from the internet.
So we finally got in and sat down in the balcony. Thankfully this was the calmer area which meant no getting squished :D The first band came up and they were OK, the second were also OK and they had a really hot drummer so it was fine. It was loud but not crowded. And we had a good view. And I could sit and absorb stuff and just watch quietly whilst my sisters’ duty was to take pictures.
Then FINALLY it was Dir en Grey. We had to wait so long for them to prepare and by this point I was just high. Completely high. Finally they started their set!!
I have never fangirl screamed outloud until that moment. I literally slid to the edge of my seat craning forward to see them. The hall suddenly filled up with people to see them. I kept hitting my sister and grinning at her. And then I looked at Kyo and I couldn’t look away, my eyes focused completely on him occasionally drifting across the other members of the band- trying to absorb every moment and engrain on my memory forever.
It was the best. They played Sa Bir, Dozing Green, Conceived sorrow and others I can’t remember. It was completely surreal. Dir en Grey are just amazing live. Kyo is very short, and he was wearing the most hideous orange tracksuit but I loved how he was standing on the box and the way he moved was completely sexy. Shinya on drums was also so awesome. He had a 12 piece drum set o_o I got lost in the set and forgot to see how he played that thing though! Afterwards I’d see in the pictures and video how he flailed his arms around. That takes skill. Dir en Grey’s music is really good to listen to, but something about seeing it live… makes it even more incredibly powerful. There was so much energy when they performed, and so much emotion.
But it felt like just as it started it was over. They didn’t have a long set at all!! It probably took longer for them to set up than to play. I just was so disappointed. I had heard they would play the final but they didn’t. In fact their set was really really short. All the excitement left me and I felt kinda numb. It was awesome, but now it was over.
And it was shocking because they are such a huge band, and yet the next band was so shit. Completely immature, unprofessional and the guy couldn’t even sing and kept spitting everywhere o_o Me and my sister were horrified. I was even more horrified that the Dir en Grey was being paired up with this shit. Why not give dir en grey the longer set and get rid of that shitty band? Hmm… I was also getting anxious about getting the signed Uroboros. We saw a sign then that said Merchandise will be available downstairs after the show and we couldn’t go downstairs till then. So we waited through the shit band. Then there was just the last band we had to sit through but they were actually (and thankfully) really good. Not my thing, but they were at least professional and entertaining with decent music. They had the complete stage to themselves and the longest set which I again thought was unfair to Dir en Grey who deserved a lot more than they were given (in my opinion). And then it was over and I dragged my sister downstairs. She told me to calm down and I was acting like an “excited fangirl”. Indeed. I bought Uroboros and then waited anxiously, looking for Dir en Grey eagerly. We didn’t see them and I continued to wait, starting to get even more anxious.
Continued to Wait. Didn’t see them.
Continued to Wait. Didn’t see them. Others were waiting around too.
Asked staff. They didn’t know what was happening.
Continued to Wait.
They started to shove people out, told them to leave.
Tried to stay, still waiting. Still searching the thinning crowd for any signs of them.
Asked someone else…
Dir en Grey had left.
I could have cried. I nearly did. I felt angry, and everything felt so unfair.
I realise now it could have been worse- the London one was cancelled.
But still. Dir en Greys bus was still outside. They were still there. But no more signing. I HAD MISSED THEM.
I’d spent so much to see them- and their set was short as hell. And then I couldn’t even get it signed because they were signing immediately after their set, and because of course we weren’t allowed downstairs it would have been impossible. So I couldn’t get it signed just because I didn’t want to get squished and chose the balcony?! Or were you allowed to go downstairs?! Either way I was angry and felt let down. And apparently there was a special disk for sale. What fucking special disk?
ARGHHH.
But in the end it was still amazing. I am glad to have experienced it. Those few songs they played… it was really amazing. Surrounded by all those other people who loved them just as much… feeling like I was part of something. It was great like that. It was just too short and too fleeting. And it did feel completely unfair (yes I know it’s because I got my hopes up but STILL). Every time I look at Uroboros I will be filled with a feeling of regret that “there could have been more”.
I have decided that after I turn 17 if any of the bands I really truly like come over to the UK on individual gigs I will try and get down to London. I think it will be best like that. I’m actually hoping that in July someone will announce a world tour caus’ you know it could be my 17th birthday extra special birthday present (I might even choose it over driving lessons :P)