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I'm currently interested in :

人間椅子 (NINGEN ISU)

聖飢魔Ⅱ (Seikima-II)

東京事変 (Tokyo Incidents)

I've been to gigs of :

Dexcore

Deviloof

King Gnu

Paledusk

Coldrain

ONE OK ROCK

RADWIMPS

世界の終わり (SEKAI NO OWARI)

和楽器バンド (Wagakki Band)

Well, in my experience, most Japanese bands have amazing live performances that are far better than their discographies. But honestly I haven't found another band that I like as much as DIR EN GREY. (I haven't been to any of their shows though)

It's not DIR EN GREY related, but do you have music recommendations for other Japanese bands? My problem with new bands is the anime-ish vibe I get from music, even "metal" or vkei ones (Don't know how to describe it better). I'd be eager to know if you or your followers can recommend any. Thanks!

Eh I literally tolerate only Dir en grey and sukekiyo's full discography. I gave other bands a try but I often find them very boring...

I purchased one album from The GazettE and Maximum The Hormone, if that counts?

Other than that, here are other bands that a portion of Dir en grey fans also like: lynch., l'Arc-en-Ciel, Mucc, Kizu, Mucc, Madmans Esprit (but South Korean), ling toshite sigure...

And of course, give a chance to Kyo's third band, Petit Brabancon.

#answered #anon #japanese band

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The last episode of TFOE!

Kaoru actually singing live on air!

It was Joe's birthday recently, so Kaoru and Tasai sang Happy Birthday. In reality, it was more like talking the lyrics, but still!! 😂

Kaoru also explained a bit about the music video for The Devil in Me. The members were filmed in front of a green screen, and the background is a mixture of AI and CG, with director Kondo still hard at work on the full video. This approach was decided upon through discussions between the members and Director Kondo. Kaoru said he was thinking about showcasing the full video had it been ready, but alas, it isn't ready yet.

They asked viewers to write questions about the mv in the comments. I asked what the meaning of all the pink was, Joe read this out, and Kaoru answered "Pink". They laughed at this...so did I!

For the main they did a TFOE quiz, with 5 questions about the first ever Niconama broadcast where Kaoru was dressed as Sweeny Todd (Flashbacks to my UK dentist nightmare 😂).

They then read out a few of the comments people had sent in about things they had graduated from. Following this, Kaoru was brought two trays full of prawn/shrimp dishes, since he recently 'graduated' from his dislike of shrimp. He happily tried them all.

To finish the free part, Kaoru mentioned that there are still quite a lot of tickets left for the Osaka dates of the upcoming tour, since this venue is quite large. Get your tickets everyone!!

#kaoru #薫 #The Freedom of Expression #TFOE #screenshot #pic: kaoru #translation summary #The Devil in Me

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|| i want you to kiss me

#fanart #sukekiyo fanart #sukekiyo #kyo #京 #Scarlet

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ain't afraid to die 🪷

、shinya

(1/?) hoping to make these into a series,, aftd era seriously has some of my favourite makeup/ costumes from early diru,, i want to make it a challenge for myself to draw all of the members !!

#fanart #diru fanart #shinya #dir en grey #ain't afraid to die

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Toshiya OFFICIAL PHOTOBOOK 「 泡沫 - overflow - 01 」

#toshiya #pic: toshiya #utakata #photobook

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#kyo #京 #dir en grey #twitter #京言京語 #🤣 #psychonnect #tour24 psychonnect #goods #merch

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I like the fact that someone is sharing a screenshot of my TFOE summary on X/Twitter and spouting disinformation with it, and then blocking me when I call them out.

Can we just make one thing clear?

The members were not starved and mistreated on tour. Whatever you may think of the management, there is NO reason to assume they are holding the members prisoners under draconian, cheapskate conditions. And certainly no reason to spout such assumption as fact in public.

Yes, Kyo was complaining, but Kyo just complains. Thats how he is. Those of you subscribed to TheThe Day can see how much Kaoru suffered on tour (i.e He didn't).

As for the new MV, this seemingly was also not solely a result of management demanding cheapness, as we heard from Kaoru recently when he was describing some of the background.

As for the complaint about the overseas merch store, Dir en grey are a niche band in Japan, and an even nicher one overseas. As a first go at setting up a store for overseas fsns, it seems perfectly fine to me. If the merch sells, they will probably continue invest more in it, like any business. Give them a chance, instead of just instant condemnation. Don't even get me started on how many Japanese fans LOVED the merch in the overseas store.

Based on the amount of people who apparently complained profusely in the tour survey about use of AI etc, I would honestly not be surprised if the management think twice about sending the band to Europe again soon. Why would they send them after getting so many complaints??

I really wish people would consider this.

#dir en grey #argumentl

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Dir en grey - PSYCHONNECT -mode of "GAUZE"?- tour pamphlet

1999

#dir en grey #gauze #psychonnect #mode of gauze #scan

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Dir En Grey Warsaw day 2 🇵🇱❤️

#dir en grey #kyo #京 #inconvenient ideal #mode of Uroboros #Europe tour 2024 #Warsaw #video post

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MOAN by sukekiyo

#gif #gif: kyo #kyo #京 #sukekiyo #moan

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This pic of Toshiya had me going insane I had to draw Levi as it 🤫

#fanart #toshiya #levi ackerman #敏彌兵長

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I had a lot to say initially, but now...take care, everyone.

#fanart #diru fanart #dir en grey #kyo #京

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|| 嗚呼　子宮が欲しい

#fanart #sukekiyo fanart #kyo #京 #sukekiyo

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More juicy Dir en Details I managed to squeeze out of local crew friends

Dir en Grey doesn't tour Europe every day, so when they do, yo daddy DirEnDetails uses his network to wring juicy info on our dearest band from the people who actually spent time with them.

For if Japanese band management chooses to stay tight-lipped on the innocuous but fun little details that make people human, my promoter and press friends sure don't. Up your derrières, Sun-Krad!

Enjoy the pointless and mundane but fun details! I'll try to get more, but can't promise.

I obviously can't name these people because

1. privacy,

2. they could lose their jobs,

3. Sun-Krad is a shark.

So I'll use nicknames and vague job descriptions:

"Sally" > Long-time friend and booking agent/tour promoter crew, had never worked with DEG before but knows the J-rock scene very well (this promoter company specialises in J-rock). Spent two days with the band.

"Anne" > reporter colleague, doesn't specialise in J-rock but works with the metal scene and has interviewed Dir en Grey a bunch of times. Spent a few hours with the band.

Come closer, Tumblr person and read juicy, pointless stuff about us, dixit GIF Toshiya (GIF by japanese-zombie-heroez)

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

Sally:

"They're extremely professional and have their logistics down to a T. Their managers on the scene do most of the pre-show work. They're also super protective of the band and make sure they don't encounter fans or that nobody crosses the line with them. They'll literally stand on the side of the stage looking on like bouncers. They're practically on stage with them. The band hang around the room on occasion but not much."

Anne:

"Brilliant band. Their sound is like nothing I've listened to before. Can't say much about the people because I didn't exactly hang out with them. Their fans are very intense but surprisingly tame during the show. Only 2-3 crowd surfers, really?"

"Friendly reminder to stay hydrated" - GIF Die. (GIF by japanese-zombie-heroez.)

DIE IMPRESSIONS

Sally:

"He hung around a lot, and he's very nice. He also speaks some English. He and Toshiya are the only ones who attempt to communicate in English. Everyone else just shoots panicked glances at the translator when someone talks to them lol."

Anne:

"Very polite person. Jealous of his hair and kind of pissed that I don't have such nice hair. His guitar playing is weird, though. Sometimes he pulls off super hard stuff, but can get kind of sloppy with the easy stuff."

"Would you like smth from my mini fridge? " - GIF Kaoru (GIF by japanese-zombie-heroez)

KAORU IMPRESSIONS

Sally:

"I read the part where you mentioned his room being a mess, but did you see any of the other rooms? They were all a mess during stage prep. They left them super clean when they left, though. Not one tissue or can left behind. Even the trashcans had been emptied. On Kaoru, he did a lot of the talking and is very much at ease with people but doesn't speak much English. I agree that he's a chill guy. but very fussy about sound quality and stuff."

Anne:

"That's the guy who looks like Johnny Depp. Solid guitarist although he doesn't play the hard parts much. I don't remember seeing much of him on stage, which is a shame because when he moves from his spot he has great charisma."

"It says here that I'm awesome and stuff." - GIF Toshiya. (GIF by Totchiiiii)

TOSHIYA IMPRESSIONS

Sally:

"Lovely. Hands-down the sweetest person in that band. He has a very calm and patient demeanour. Cool dad energy, really."

Anne:

"My first thought was 'ouch, his poor back". Why does he have to wear his bass so low? I'm genuinely worried about his vertebrae. I liked his wedding (?) stage dress. Very well-dressed off-stage too. He was very nice and smiley."

"Apparently I'm a slightly annoyed but polite little guy, heh." - GIF Kyo. (GIF by yridenergyyridenergy)

KYO IMPRESSIONS

Sally:

"Honestly? Barely saw him. He didn't do any of the sound tests himself. He reeked of Chanel no. 5 or some other very strong perfume. You knew when he was in the room because you could smell him. You mentioned him walking up and down the hallway for no reason - he also did that before the show. I think he was nervous. "

Anne:

"Crazy looks. He has these huge eyes and I can see why people say he looks scary. Would play a great demon child in a film. He looked tired and kind of annoyed during the whole convo but was very polite whenever we talked to him. I think he was more intimidated by us than us by him. On stage, he does a complete 180."

"Just so you know, I'm not hiding in Kaoru's mini-fridge. I'm alive and well." - GIF Shinya. (GIF by totchiiiiiii)

SHINYA IMPRESSIONS

Sally:

"He looks like... wow. The most androgynous person ever. He's also so, so thin. He was surprisingly outgoing and seemed to have a sense of humour. People in his staff talked to him a lot and he made these funny, startled faces. I think he's the band's comic relief. His drum set took a long time to put together too."

Anne:

"How can that guy drum like that? You can barely see him on stage but you sure can hear him. His image doesn't match his drum ability at all. Whatever brief interactions I had with him, he was extremely nice. Shy but nice."

---

Let me know if I messed up GIF crediting. I'm trying.

#dir en grey #kyo #京 #toshiya #薫 #kaoru #die #shinya #fan live report #impression #Europe tour 2024

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Juicy impressions upon spending time with the Greys in the flesh

Okay, y'all, buckle up.

I'm going to try to word this in a vague enough fashion so as not to have Sun-Krad & Friends come for me. (For in the world of Japanese bands, even sharing the tiniest of details and impressions gathered upon being in the same room as their money-makers is an offense punishable with the bull of Phalaris.)

So I didn't interview Dir en Grey last week - another reporter did that.

But.

I was much luckier!!!!111!!! I was given a backstage pass by the local crew (who are friends). That means I got to spend several hours in the venue while the band rehearsed and the sound crew worked.

To be fair, most of it was boring. I sat at the bar through what felt like endless back and forths between the band's crew and the local engineers. Pump up the bass, turn down the bass, more this, less that, you get the picture. Pretty standard small venue stuff where the sound quality objectively sucks.

And in case you're wondering - no, the band didn't rehearse on stage while I was there. I suppose they might have played some songs in the morning, but it was mostly their crew playing the instruments and one guy making random sounds on the mic. Only Kaoru and Die came in at times to test things out. BUT. I still got to see all band members (minus Shinya, more on that later), and even have some brief conversations. I know you want me to cut to the juicy details, and I will, just after this Kaoru gif.

I just had to post that. Gif by Kaito.

DIE

I remember that in the mid-2000s Die was branded the band's party animal. Well, I'm not convinced he ever was one. He was definitely the most outgoing of the band members I met that day, and also the only one who attempted to speak to people in English so everyone would feel included, but he still struck me as a very shy guy. Also, he kept making a beeline for the bar to get... mineral water. That he drank while scrolling on his phone, sitting at a table, alone. Local crew occasionally went and asked him things. Die just flashed people his 10000 megawatt smile and nodded, which in Die language probably means 'leave me alone".

In another note, no homo, but Die looks hella good. Even the bar staff turned their heads to look whenever he walked by in his red t-shirt and fluffy black slippers.

KAORU

Kaoru is an insanely chill guy, and I still can't wrap my head around the fact that he's a rockstar. He shook my hand and gave me a very manly pat on the shoulder. He was drinking beer in his backstage room with a guy from his staff. His room was an absolute mess. Clothes, towels, makeup, hair products, papers, at least two open suitcases. I stepped inside to greet him for a minute, and my dad instinct immediately kicked in: if I stayed for one more second, I'd have have told him to clean his room or I'll take away his Xbox.

By the way, he asked me if I wanted "something from (his) mini fridge" since he was drinking. I told him I was alright. I'll regret it forever. I could have gotten "something from Kaoru's mini fridge", which might very well have been code for the world's coolest drugs.

(I'm kidding you kids, Kaoru doesn't do drugs. Kaoru is a straightedge guy. Inside his mini fridge were only a few sad bottles of coke and possibly Shinya).

TOSHIYA

Barely knew this guy, but for some reason I was under the impression he was a bit of a cocky jock. I was wrong. Toshiya is an extremely nice and warm dude. And when I mean warm, I mean... literally. For some reason Toshiya had sweat dripping from his temples and his hand was clammy and wet when I shook it. So evidently I had my hand coated in Toshiya-brand sweat, but didn't complain. He said he remembered me, even though in the past I spoke to him for a total of 3 seconds. So... unless yo boy Toshiya has photographic memory, he obviously didn't. But he was trying to be nice. Chitchatted with us and said that he was sad the weather was bad or else he'd have liked to go drink wine outside. I regret not telling him to just go get something from Kaoru's mini fridge. KYO

Kyo gives small animal vibes. Sorry to everyone who thinks he must be incredibly intense or the kind of guy who lunges at you with his unhinged stage persona and a blood-stained knife. He doesn't even give half the intimidating vibes he sends off during interviews or on social media. Kyo is a small squirrel in an oversized hoodie who hobbles around with his eyes riveted to his phone. He smokes, holds his cigarette in a funny way and seems completely oblivious to the fact that the venue has smoke detectors that he might set off at any time. Also, at one point he was eating a banana in his backstage room. A BANANA. You're welcome, I know this is a mental image you'll cherish for years to come.

At one point I shook his hand and told him I was with the press, he obviously didn't remember me from last time. He thanked me for my "hard work", although I was doing no hard work at all. His handshake is still very firm and the guy's stare still very intense, but he quickly retreats to his business, which appears to consist of doing things on his phone, walking back and forth in a hallway and eating bananas in a room. Alone.

SHINYA

Was notoriously absent from the venue and its backstage. I asked staff if they knew where he was, but no one knew. Was Shinya in a room somewhere, negotiating good rates with Kyo's banana supplier? Hiding in Kaoru's mini fridge? We'll never know.

#dir en grey #kyo #京 #toshiya #薫 #kaoru #die #shinya #fan live report #impression #Europe tour 2024 #backstage

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Psathyrella aquatica, the only gilled mushroom discovered to live underwater💧

#drawing #illustration #插圖 #digital art #funguary #擬人

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Eukaryotic cell gang!! We love women in STEM.

The organelles of the cells have been translated into human anatomy, so the nucleus is the brain, the vacuole function as the lungs, and the mitochondria is the heart since it’s the… you already know, I don’t have to say it ;)

#drawing #illustration #插圖 #digital art #character design #biology #women in stem #擬人 #cute