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The Freedom of Expression: Vol 11 - Looking back on 25 years of Dir en grey (Niconama)

K: Ok, here we go, this is Kaoru from Dir en grey with The Freedom of Expression on our Nico nico channel.

T: And I'm Tasai from Tokyo Sports.

K: So, today we have a guest with us. Its Gara from Merry.

G: I'm Gara, happy to be here. At last I'm here!

*applause*

K: It was quite short notice, so thanks for coming.

G: No, no, if I get a call from you, my schedule is open anytime!

K: haha

T: Ah, a comment asking, 'Where's Joe?'. As before, our friend Joe is having a day off today.

K: Basically, he's not here if we have a guest.

T: Haha, yeh. Whats all that about?

K: You could say that its because Joe's not here, that we actually invite guests.

T: Haha

K: Things would get bad if it was just me and you.

T: Ah, is that it? A guest will keep the show in check?

K: Hm, maybe.

T: Anyway, Kaoru, how's the baseball going?

K: Haha, baseball? Well, its already over for Hanshin...

T: But they made it into the Climax series, right?

K: Yeh, they burst through the first stage, and they made it to the final stage, but Yakult were just too strong.

T: Yeh, they were kinda overwhelming.

K: Mm, even now, Yakult are doing the Japan Series, and they are still doing well.

T: By the way, do you watch baseball, Gara?

G: Not much recently. But I did actually play baseball a lot when I was in elementary and junior high school.

K, T: Ohh!?

G: I was a baseball kid.

T: Wow, I would never have imagined that!

G: Yeh, I was even in the newspaper　taking part in the Gunma prefectural tournament.

T: Wow!

K: In the newspaper?

G: Yeh, I... (*2番セコンドで出てた...baseball, I dunno*)

K: I see.

G: But you know, back then there was that Giants player, Kawai, right? People in my hometown used to liken me to him, I used to bunt everyone.

K, T: Hahaha

T: You were like Gunma's own Kawai?

G: I was.

K: Haha, I see. Well, actually, if Hanshin had actually made it to the Japan series, we were thinking of watching a game again today.

T: Right? The timing would have been right. Hey, but maybe next year.

K: Yeah.

T: Ok, lets get on with the show. So, Kaoru, its Dir's 25th anniversary, and you've just started the new tour, havn't you? How were the opening shows?

K: Well, they were fun, yeh.

G: I saw the setlists, they were incredible.

T: Yeh, but we won't reveal them.

K: Yeh, we won't talk about them here. They weren't incredible though, not at all.

T: So, today we'll be looking back on the past 25 years, and our theme will be 'Anniversary talk '22: From TFOE, looking back on 25 years of Dir en grey'!

*applause*

T: So, Gara, you are the perfect guest for this talk. I think everyone already knows this, but could you just tell us what your connection with Dir en grey is?

G: Well, I just discovered something new actually. I'd always seen myself as the unofficial first roadie for Dir en grey, but now Kaoru tells me he doesn't think I was first.

K: Well, yeh, we just recorded a subscribers-only video before starting this broadcast, right? And while we were talking about it, a memory came to me that Gara wasn't actually the first one.

G: But I don't remember meeting anyone who was there before me.

K: No, I think there was someone. I don't remember who it was though.

T: You don't remember who??

G: Well, I didn't meet them.

K: Oh, was it that guy...I've forgotten...some guy who was the vocalist in another band?

G: A vocalist? Was there someone like that?

K: Yeh, briefly, I think.

G: Eh, really?

K: Yeh, if he was there even briefly, then he was the first.

G: I don't remember that at all. It must have been very briefly.

K: Mm, I get the feeling it was. But if we're talking first, it was him.

G: But I was with you since Missa, so it must have been before that.

K: Yeh, it was, probably.

T: Someone in the comments saying, 'Kaoru, don't you like Gara being the first?'

K: No, I'm just looking at the reality. I wouldn't mind it if Gara was the first, but strictly speaking, I don't think he was.

G: If the person in question is watching this, I'd really like them to comment.

T: Haha, thats a good idea.

G: I'd really like to sit down with them with a drink, and have a thorough talk about this.

T, K: Hahaha.

T: By the way Kaoru, do the other members see Gara as the first roadie?

K: My memory is sketchy, its like they wouldn't say he is, but they wouldn't say he isn't either. But actually, Die definitely says Gara wasn't first.

G: Yeh, he said to me before, "You were only there from the minus era to the zero era".

K: Yeh, thats right.

T: Haha, what does that mean?

G: Like, when the band first moved to Tokyo, they didn't really have roadies before then. It became a normal thing from around the time I started. So I don't know much about what happened before then.

T: If anyone knows who this first roadie was, please comment!

G: Yeh, I really want to talk with them.

T: Ok, so as its the 25th anniversary, we are asking for lots of comments and messages from viewers. If you have any thoughts, opinions, or requests, please send them in, anything is ok. If you are on Twitter, please use the tag, TFOE. Anyone can watch the first part of this show for free, but the second part is for channel members only. If you become a member, you can watch this live broadcast as many times as you like for free in the archives for 1 year. And we also have special videos for members only, so please join using the link at the top of the screen, and enjoy this broadcast to the end. The link is there, right Kaoru?

K: Yep *points*

T: Right, well regardless of whether or not Gara was the first roadie, lets have a look back at some history.

G: Lets just say I was for now, ok?

T: Haha, ok. So, I thought we could first look back at the years from 2015 to now.

K: Starting in the middle? Oh, right, we'll talk about the early years later?

T: Yeah, later on. Ok, lets look at your artist photo from 2015.

*Kaoru's Ningen wo kaburu solo shot is shown*

T: This is from the 'kaburu'(wearing) era?

K: Haha, yeh, and im 'wearing' that.

T: What do you remember about this photo shoot, Kaoru?

K: Nothing in particular, except I was wearing that hat, so it felt a bit different from usual.

T: Any unique points?

K: Well, it was quite an unusual costume. The sleeves were a bit weird, so it was an interesting outfit, but you can't really see it on this photo, can you?

T: No, we can't see any of that.

K: Our style became kinda dark from this point onwards.

T: Ah, I see. Gara, what do you think of this photo?

G: Oh, Dir's artist photos are always amazing, but Kaoru, do you guys decide on your costumes after you have the song? How do you do it?

K: Oh, afterwards, yeh. After we decide to make a video, then we decide on our outfits.

G: Do you have like a group discussion about it?

K: Oh, no no.

G: You just see what the others are wearing for the first time on the day of the shooting?

K: Yes. Its like, 'Ahh, so this is what they chose!'. I admire their choices.

G: Its amazing that no one ever turns up wearing the same outfit!

K: Yeh, I don't think thats happened.

T: Someone commented, 'At what point do you start thinking about your outfit?'

G: Yeh, I'd like to know this.

K: Well, a certain amount of time is needed to make it, so probably about a month in advanced. I inform my tailor of the date of the shoot, and then I'll send my requirements, which fabrics I want, I'll draw sketches, find images etc, and they make it for me.

T: Gara, how do Merry go about this kind of thing?

G: Well, we also start thinking about outfits after we have a song and a title, but we do have a group meeting to talk about what to wear. We tend to go for similar themed costumes. Like, all back, or all in suits etc.

K: You guys always used to wear suits when you started, right?

G: Yeah, we did.

T: Ok, lets take a look at the time line on Dir's official homepage. Lets look at 2015 first.

K: What did we do in 2015? Oh, tours?

T: Yeh, tours. Its hard to see. Namba Hatch, Jan 6th. 2014-15 BY THE GRACE OF GOD.

K: Ah, we went overseas that year too.

T: Oh yeh, you toured Europe. Do you have any memories of this? THE UNSTOPPABLE LIFE tour.

K: I don't remember much from back then.

T: Like, the places you went, and stuff? London, Germany, Warsaw...is that Poland?

K: Oh yeh, we went there too.

T: Belarus?

K: Yeh, and there.

T: What was it like in Belarus?

K: I don't remember.

T, G: Hahaha

K: Basically, we travel by bus, but we don't stay over in the cities. The bus driver also needs time to sleep, so we stop in places that are a bit removed from the cities, you know like out in the countryside. The bus is parked in the hotel parking area, and we reserve hotel rooms for members and staff just to take a shower. I mean, we can sleep there too if we want, but we usually sleep on the bus.

G: So you don't do a lot of sightseeing?

K: Well, we sometimes take the train into the city, or like, go out and find somewhere for dinner. Thats about it.

G: Were you ok with all the food overseas, Kaoru? I got the impression you were quite picky with food.

K: No, Im usually ok.

G: Is food one of the things to look forward to on overseas tours?

K: Well in Europe, its more or less the same everywhere you go. Its only Japan that has such a wide variety of foods in different regions. America is more or less all the same too. But I guess there are differences in European food in places that are near the ocean, and places which are inland. Oh, actually, I didn't really like some of the food in South America. It tasted good in Brazil though.

T: Yeh, that meat with loads of sauce, right? Someone said in the comments, 'Gara is really picky with food'.

G: Yeah, there are loads of things I can't eat, just because of how they look.

T: Like what?

G: Well, I can't eat KFC.

K: It looks disgusting?

G: That shape just makes me think of a chicken out in the countryside. When I see that chicken leg, i can't eat it.

K: The shape makes you think of thighs?

G: Yeh. Stuff that puts an image in my head, I can't eat.

K: So if its minced/ground chicken, its ok?

G: Yeah, thats fine. Yakitori is also fine. Its just things I look at, and then I can't. When we went overseas I basically lived off cup noodles and crackers.

T: Oh, that sounds tough! Ok, shall we have a look at 2016?

K: Oh, we did Arche at Budokan.

T: Yeh, and then a tour straight after that.

K: Oh, this was when we started the Mode of tours. Its was for our 20th anniversary.

T: 2016 is also when this show first started on the radio, and Utafumi was released this year too. Do you have any memories of this year, Kaoru?

K: Well, yeh, I remember the Mode of tours. We decided to start with Vulgar...actually, I think we decided in advance to do Vulgar and Dum, but after that we kinda just decided to continue depending on the response each time. Limiting the number of shows per tour was also important, because it would be tough for the less popular albums otherwise.

G: I get the feeling you played a lot of live shows in 2016 though. This year was also Merry's 15th anniversary, and I don't know if Kaoru remembers this, but this was the year I asked him if we could do a live together once.

K: Merry and Dir?

G: Yes. I actually contacted each member individually during this year, for our 15th anniversary. But it turned out they were too busy to manage it at the time. When I went to ask Kaoru though, he said he liked the idea.(*or words to that effect. This part confused me a bit*)

T: Do you remember this, Kaoru?

K: I remember that conversation, yeh.

T: Gara, how did you feel then?

G: Well, it was the first time for me to ask such a thing, so I was really nervous. And we are under the same label so I worried a bit about asking through the office, so I contacted each member individually. It was Kyo who said to me, "I don't mind, but you know we'll crush you".

T: Haha, of course he did.

G: But each member was basically like, 'If its Merry, we'll think about it'.

T: Oh, what a great story.

G: Yeh, so I remember this year well.

K: Well, there's no benefit for us in it.

T: Haha, you're not supposed to say that!

K: Hahaha

G: It was the year I found the courage to ask.

K: Well, we don't know what the future holds, there is still a chance it could happen.

T: Ahh!

G: That would be great.

T: Ok, should we move on to 2017? What happened in 2017? More Mode of tours, and, Ah! In July you did Androgynous.

G: Ohh, I had a lot of thoughts about this.

T: Tell us.

G: Well, when I was a roadie, Dir and Pierrot would play the same events, but they would have seperate dressing rooms, and never talk. I really sensed tension between them. And even the roadies didn't talk. So for both bands to play Yokohama arena together...even I went to see them.

T: Ahh, did it remind you of how it used to be back in the day?

G: Yeah, was that really 2017?

K: Yeah, 5 years ago.

T: People commenting that they want you to do more of this kind of thing. Oh, this came up in that Tanabata video that we did.

K: Oh yeah.

T: Maybe you might try it again if the opportunity arises?

K: Well, maybe, yeh.

T: Someone commented, 'I was so happy then!'

K: It might be interesting to include more bands if we did it again. Instead of just two bands.

G: Oh, thank you for the suggestion! Of couse we will be free.

K: Eh?

G: Our schedule is open.

K: Haha, is it?

G: Yes!

T: That was fast!

K: But I dont know about having bands that are from the same label?

G: Thats fine, isn't it? Its fine.

K: Hahaha, really?

G: Yes, Im sure.

T: Haha, someone commented, 'Reservation done'.

G: But actually, we did a Halloween event with Baroque in 2017 at Akasaka Blitz, and thier guitarist Kei suggested inviting a guest, specifically Kaoru. But he told me to contact Kaoru about it. So I contacted him and asked him to take part, which he did.

T: Kaoru, you are really generous!

K: No, no, Im not. Its just that the timing was right.

G: But it was like a dream come true for me, seeing Kaoru playing our songs. I was so happy. Afterwards we decided to go for drinks, but when we got to the bar, we realised Baroque had gone home! It was just Merry and Kaoru.

K: And there were no staff, it was just me and them!

T: Haha. Ok, lets look at 2018. You put a best of album out. Any thoughts on that, Kaoru?...Vestige of Scratches.

K: That must have come out on our 21st anniversary then? Hm, well, we formed in the February, so its still around the right time maybe...Im not sure.

T: The best of album was released on the 2nd of Jan, right?

K: Yeh, January. Gara, have you guys ever done a best of album?

G: Yeah.

K: Don't you think its pretty difficult?

G: Not really, I mean, ours was when we had just moved from indies to major, so we didnt have that many songs. It was pretty easy.

K: Ah, for us at this time, we already had 9 albums...8 or 9.

T: Yeah, Arche was the ninth.

K: We had a hundred songs, so it was so hard choosing which songs to include. It ended up as 3 disks. Like, it would be boring if it were only singles, and stuff. But even then we had 30 singles!

G: You'd even need three disks for the singles.

K: But these days, people make their own best of's by making playlists. I doubt best of albums will be a thing for much longer.

T: Yeah. So you released your 10th album in September of 2018.

K: Yeah, The Insulated World.

T: Ok, we don't have much time left. Lets look at 2019.

K: Oh, look! Free-Wil Slum, we DID do that! haha

G: Yeah, this was the first time we appeared at an event with Dir, this event held by our label.

T: Ah, in January.

G: Yeah, I was so nervous beforehand. We were in the dressing room doing our make up and stuff, then a staff member came an announced that Dir en grey were coming, and we were kicked out of the dressing room!

K: hahaha

G: We had to just stand in thr hallway and wait there untill it was time to perform. I was like...what?!

K: hahaha, Im sorry.

G: Oh, no, its ok. But I mean, the dressing room door said Merry and Dir en grey on it...but we were asked to leave and stand in the hallway outside when Dir en grey arrived. So that was Free Will Slum for us...standing in the hallway before the live.

T: Haha, there is some sympathy in the comments for you.

K: How was the live...Oh, I think I watched you.

G: It was good, but after you guys played, I felt like you dwarfed us. It motivated me to try harder. I remember talking to Tommy about it. We volunteered to go before Dir, it was only us before them. But it made me realise how high the Dir en grey wall actually is.

T: Ahh, Kaoru, do you remember this?

K: Yeah. I remember them being chased out and wondering where they went, haha.

G: We were all at the same level there. No one did rehearsals, we all just had to go on stage and play, but still, I was amazed by Dir.

T: Yeah. You also released your 30th single in 2019, The World of Mercy. 30 singles is incredible, isn't it?

K: Well, we have been around for 25 years, haha.

T: It was a long song. Anything to tell us about this?

K: Well, it was hard, haha. Hmm, it was put out between the end of one album, and looking towards the next one, so we thought we could make it long. But it didnt really look towards the next album in the end. It was quite difficult.

T: Ok, 2020. There was Covid, cancelled tours...

K: Yeah, covid happened just as we were finishing touring in Europe, after starting in 2019, and going to North America too. When we were at the airport before going to Europe, masks were on sale in stores as normal, so we bought a load, just in case. But when we returned, there were none left.

T: Ahh. Did it worry you when you saw the situation?

K: Well, I saw it on the news a bit, but there was nothing in Europe at that time, so it wasn't that easy to see. But masks became indispensable since, right?

T: Mm, well, you released your first digital single during covid too. So covid had a big effect on you.

K: Our tours were cancelled, so we thought we had to do something, so thats why we made it. But there was nothing to look forward to or work towards, so it was hard for the staff, as well as the members.

G: Yeah, it was so hard to stay motivated. Its like, you make songs to play them live, so without lives, what do you do? I remember seeing Dir's live broadcast. It was a year of changes. We (Merry) talked a lot about what to do because even if you postpone, you don't know how long for. It was a year I will never forget.

K: You played at Hibiya Open Air Concert Hall though, right?

G: We did, yes. Kaoru and Die came to see us then.

T: Oh, I bet you were happy about that.

G: I was really happy. And it was a bit hard to invite people under those kind of conditions, but he still came.

T: Ahh, Kaoru, you always go at the best times.

K: I mean, I don't really, haha.

G: I was really happy though.

T: Well, Dir have gradually restarted touring in 2021 and 2022. So, Gara, can you tell us about Merry's recent activities etc?

G: Well, this year is our 20th anniversary, so on the 12th of November, we will hold our White Sheep/Black Sheep live at Kanda Square Hall. The first part will be mainly acoustic, with a piano. But for the second part, the Black Sheep part, we are asking fans and aquaintances to each request 3 songs for us to play. And then we will make a setlist from that. So, Kaoru, Id love it if you could suggest 3 songs to us too.

K: Eh? I don't really know your songs though, haha.

G: No, no, Id really appreciate it if you could.

K: I only know the old ones.

G: Thats totally fine.

T: Ok, so in the second part of the show, we will talk about the times from the Indies era up to 2014, I wonder what stories we will hear from Gara.

G: I have some deep things to tell.

T: Really?

K: Well, he used to come over to my place a lot back then, in the indies and debut eras.

G: Yeah, I did.

T: Ohh, this will be good to hear about! So, the second part is for channel members only, so if you want to watch it, you need to subscribe. This will then be in the archives for one year, and we will also put out another members only video in the next few days. Ok, how to join...Kaoru is pointing to it now. If you click the link, a payment method screen will appear. Choose your method and click proceed. Then you can input your details. If you havnt yet joined, please do so now. And don't forget to check out Merry at Kanda Square Hall in November. And Kaoru will be doing the 25th anniversary tour...

K: Oh, someone commented Orix took the lead! (*baseball*).

T: Thats more important than the anniversary tour.

K: hahaha

T: Ok, see you in a min!

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