THE UNWAVERING FACT OF TOMORROW TOUR, Shinkiba STUDIO COAST 06.30.10
Butterfly
kameikosui woke me up to get ready to go. It was a little later than when I woke up the day before. It was very sunny, so I expected it to be hot. The outfit I had packed consisted of light blue denim overalls with my AVT shirt, along with black leggings, red socks, and combat boots. I decided to wear my new UNWAVERING FACT shirt instead. Since we left the hotel later than the day before, we skipped stopping for breakfast and headed straight for the venue, even though we didn’t need to wait in line.
We knew what train to take this time so we actually got to Shinkiba around the same time and snagged one of two lockers left. When we got to the bridge before STUDIO COAST, no one was lined up yet, so I assumed most people bought what they wanted the day before.
10:32AM The bridge had no one on it yet today.
We had planned on exploring Shinkiba some, then grabbing lunch before settling down around the venue to wait for doors to open, but I wanted a picture of the front of the venue without the weird angle, so kameikosui and I walked up to the front to take pictures.
10:32AM The front of STUDIO COAST.
10:35AM Close-up of the sign.
While we were there, merrilymemory popped up behind us and asked which one of us was kameikosui! She had taken a bus from Nagoya and had been waiting very close to the front of the line all morning. She needed to use the restroom, so we saved her spot for her until she got back. While she was gone, there was a swallowtail butterfly hovering around the plants by the stairs.
10:48AM The butterfly that was flying around by the stairs.
When she got back, there wasn’t much room for all three of us to sit in line together, so we sat on the stairs and talked, but we eventually moved to the circle benches and waited for more people to show. The fans in line watched us curiously the whole time as we laughed and conversed.
11:50AM The view of the line from the circle benches.
11:50AM Ground shot of the line.
11:51AM Ground shot of two fans.
I started to get really hungry, so kameikosui and I went to grab lunch at the curry restaurant in the station, and then pick up something for merrilymemory from the conbini on the way back. After eating and buying food and water at the 7-11, we gave merrilymemory her food, and went back to sitting on the circle bench. When it was time for the line to prepare to move, merrilymemory and the rest of the collection of foreign fans went to get back in line, while kameikosui and I stayed on the bench. Lunch had made me sleepy, so I kept dozing off under my umbrella, but I was still burning in the heat. When merch was laid out again, I gave kameikosui my camera to go take nice pictures of everything.
2:09PM Shot of the merch table.
When she came back, we decided to move to the outdoor stage down the stairs before the line moved and blocked us. It was nice in the shade and we both took a nap for a while.
Once merrilymemory bought her merchandise, which didn’t take long at all because she was in the first group, we went to the station to put all of our things in the locker. I remembered to take pain meds since I forgot the day before and brought some with me. We also had to figure out how to charge merrilymemory’s keitai because she needed it to find a friend she met on mixi as well as to get on her bus home. We ended up perched outside of a ramen shop, using their outlet behind the umbrella stand. Several people gave us strange looks and I kept making the door open without actually standing in front of it. After her phone was charged just enough, we went to 7-11 to use the restroom and buy water. After waiting in the long line to use the restroom, all the water sold out, so I bought green tea, thankfully normal green tea, to bring inside.
When we got back to STUDIO COAST, we tried to find merrilymemory’s mixi friend, but she was nowhere to be found. merrilymemory had a similar number that I had the previous day, so she went inside long before us. kameikosui and I had very high ticket numbers, hers 2,680 and mine 2,513 so we didn’t even bother walking to the doors when people were let inside. When it got close to number 2,000 we stood by the barricade. The tall English speaking boy said hi to me as he went inside, and my number was called not long after he went inside.
I made my way over to the center again, and the tall boy called me over to him. I pulled out the slip of paper with my facebook address from my front overall pocket and handed it to him, since I couldn’t find him the night before. He said it’d be ruined by water (sweat), but he took it anyway, and told me where to meet him after the show and to follow him into the crowd. When we stopped the girls behind him complained that he was too tall, which I thought was funny. He told me to stand in front of him again. He asked me if I was cursing the night before -- “Did you say fuck and shit last time?” -- to which I replied no. He asked if American fans normally curse and I said yes. (I didn’t say they say other embarrassing things.) After that I think he was trying to look kakkoii because he started randomly cursing a lot. All I could do was laugh. Then he whispered to his friend he called onii-san that he thought he saw his ex-girlfriend in the crowd ahead of us. (I don’t think it was really his brother because they didn’t look related.) I’m not sure if he was serious or not. He kept cursing saying, “Why the fuck is she here?” and “Fucking devil bitch!” while flipping her off. I didn’t know how to respond, so I just laughed. Then the lights went dim.
Remarkably I could move around and breathe, so I pushed forward and over until I was comfortable.
I had no idea what the opening song was and didn’t think it fit. I learned after the show what it was.
Then came Hageshisato and I knew it was going to be a different night. I sang and headbanged and much as my neck would let me. When Myaku started I was surprised. I like the way their current sound improves this song. I’d like to hear it remade.
I was glad to hear THE FATAL BELIEVER a second time, since it’s always a good song live, then along came four “new” songs: LIE BURIED WITH A VENGEANCE, STUCK MAN, Doukoku to Sarinu, and THE DEEPER VILENESS. It’s weird to think that songs from THE MARROW OF A BONE will be considered old in a couple of years and that songs from Withering to death. already are considered old. I wasn’t feeling the same as what I felt the first night. I could breathe and could move around very easily. The people around me weren’t as active either. My neck was a little sore, so I kept my movements to a minimum. I noticed what everyone was wearing -- Die had on a white shirt and long grey vest, Shinya had on a white long sleeved button down shirt, Kyo had on jeans, Toshiya had on one of his stretchy scoop-neck shirts with an apparent haircut, and Kaoru had on a black shirt with his giant cross necklace. I also thought the backdrop was different -- The white letters seemed silvery instead of white, but that must be my imagination.
This live’s Inward Scream was different from the previous day. It sounded more normal. Doesn’t mean I still wouldn’t pay for a CD, say, if Kyo puts out another poem book with a CD of songs like this.
When Toguro started my spirits lifted. I will always love this song.
Then came ROTTING ROOT and Shokubeni. kameikosui wanted to hear ROTTING ROOT again and she got her wish. I wanted to hear Shokubeni again so I could listen to the a cappella again without interruption for once.
I expected to hear another song from the previous night next... Not Sajou no Uta, another one of my cherished songs. I bounced when I recognized the beginning and then silently watched, not wanting it to end.
Up next came ASOM-unplugged- and DOZING GREEN again. ASOM-unplugged- sounded more like the recorded version, and DOZING GREEN sounded like... Well, DOZING GREEN.
Up next was New Age Culture, one of my favourite songs on VULGAR besides Amber and RED...[em]. I tried to soak it up as much as possible, especially since I wished to hear it the night before.
Up next were the last two songs before the encore, Saku and Zan. I watched Saku patiently and saved energy for the next song -- which ended up being Zan -- the same as the night before.
When the lights came up, the tall boy found me and tapped on my shoulder and asked me if I was having fun. I told him yes, then I made plans to shirk away when the encore started because I didn’t feel like being studied as a curiosity.
There was staff with glowing blue batons keeping everyone calm, making sure no one tried to do what happened during Child Prey the previous night.
The lights dimmed and embryo began. I was glad for another old song and quietly observed, making sure I wasn’t being watched. Up next was Gaika, which I have a slight aversion to for some reason, especially in encores. I have no problem with the song, it just shows up when I don’t want to hear it live. REPETITION OF HATRED made up for Gaika. I think REPETITION is a fun song and had no problem bouncing to it. Reiketsu was next and I had hoped Kyo would show off his tattoo again, but he didn’t. I’m very curious to see the finished product, even though I was sad to see his back covered.
I didn’t care if anyone was watching me during THE FINAL or not -- I sang to my heart’s content. That song was an instant Dir en grey classic and will always be welcome.
When Rasetsukoku was announced as the last song, I immediately started thinking of the Blitz 5 Days fanservice version and laughed. I wanted it to last as long as possible because I don’t know when I will see them perform again, but I know I will.
Again, I didn’t catch anything, but I really, really didn’t expect to being in the back.
I stood still and waited for the tall guy to find me. He asked me if I was hot and I said yes. I wasn’t nearly as sweaty and thirsty as I was the previous night. There wasn’t any pain in my feet or my head. I followed him toward the exit when he started rushing through the crowd and I lost him. I stood there for a minute and then headed outside.
I met back up with everyone outside and it took kameikosui a long time to show up and I was getting nervous, but she did eventually. She had lost her money in the pit so I lent her some. merrilymemory had found her mixi friend and was very excited to say the least. We were all excited.
Eventually we all headed to the station’s lockers and went our separate ways.
A drunk salary man called me cute on the train and kept mumbling to me, so I turned my back, but that’s Japan for you. I hate taking late trains.
Setlist:
[SE] Kimi Gayo
[02] 激しさと、この胸の中で絡み付いた灼熱の闇
[03] 脈
[04] THE FATAL BELIEVER
[05] LIE BURIED WITH A VENGEANCE
[06] STUCK MAN
[07] 慟哭と去りぬ
[08] THE DEEPER VILENESS
-INWARD SCREAM-
[09] 蜷局
[10] ROOTING ROOT
[11] 蝕紅
[12] 砂上の唄
[13] AGITATED SCREAMS OF MAGGOTS-unplugged-
[14] DOZING GREEN
[15] NEW AGE CULTURE
[16] 朔
[17] 残
[E1] embryo
[E2] 凱歌、沈黙が眠る頃
[E3] REPETITION OF HATRED
[E4] 冷血なりせば
[E5] THE FINAL
[E6] 羅刹国
* Day two was much like the butterfly I saw by the stairs. I was free to move about in the crowd, nothing was constricting me. I could breathe and I had plenty to drink. My feet didn’t hurt and neither did my head. The day was bright and warm. The night would be hard to grasp.
kameikosui woke me up to get ready to go. It was a little later than when I woke up the day before. It was very sunny, so I expected it to be hot. The outfit I had packed consisted of light blue denim overalls with my AVT shirt, along with black leggings, red socks, and combat boots. I decided to wear my new UNWAVERING FACT shirt instead. Since we left the hotel later than the day before, we skipped stopping for breakfast and headed straight for the venue, even though we didn’t need to wait in line.
We knew what train to take this time so we actually got to Shinkiba around the same time and snagged one of two lockers left. When we got to the bridge before STUDIO COAST, no one was lined up yet, so I assumed most people bought what they wanted the day before.
10:32AM The bridge had no one on it yet today.
We had planned on exploring Shinkiba some, then grabbing lunch before settling down around the venue to wait for doors to open, but I wanted a picture of the front of the venue without the weird angle, so kameikosui and I walked up to the front to take pictures.
10:32AM The front of STUDIO COAST.
10:35AM Close-up of the sign.
While we were there, merrilymemory popped up behind us and asked which one of us was kameikosui! She had taken a bus from Nagoya and had been waiting very close to the front of the line all morning. She needed to use the restroom, so we saved her spot for her until she got back. While she was gone, there was a swallowtail butterfly hovering around the plants by the stairs.
10:48AM The butterfly that was flying around by the stairs.
When she got back, there wasn’t much room for all three of us to sit in line together, so we sat on the stairs and talked, but we eventually moved to the circle benches and waited for more people to show. The fans in line watched us curiously the whole time as we laughed and conversed.
11:50AM The view of the line from the circle benches.
11:50AM Ground shot of the line.
11:51AM Ground shot of two fans.
I started to get really hungry, so kameikosui and I went to grab lunch at the curry restaurant in the station, and then pick up something for merrilymemory from the conbini on the way back. After eating and buying food and water at the 7-11, we gave merrilymemory her food, and went back to sitting on the circle bench. When it was time for the line to prepare to move, merrilymemory and the rest of the collection of foreign fans went to get back in line, while kameikosui and I stayed on the bench. Lunch had made me sleepy, so I kept dozing off under my umbrella, but I was still burning in the heat. When merch was laid out again, I gave kameikosui my camera to go take nice pictures of everything.
2:09PM Shot of the merch table.
When she came back, we decided to move to the outdoor stage down the stairs before the line moved and blocked us. It was nice in the shade and we both took a nap for a while.
Once merrilymemory bought her merchandise, which didn’t take long at all because she was in the first group, we went to the station to put all of our things in the locker. I remembered to take pain meds since I forgot the day before and brought some with me. We also had to figure out how to charge merrilymemory’s keitai because she needed it to find a friend she met on mixi as well as to get on her bus home. We ended up perched outside of a ramen shop, using their outlet behind the umbrella stand. Several people gave us strange looks and I kept making the door open without actually standing in front of it. After her phone was charged just enough, we went to 7-11 to use the restroom and buy water. After waiting in the long line to use the restroom, all the water sold out, so I bought green tea, thankfully normal green tea, to bring inside.
When we got back to STUDIO COAST, we tried to find merrilymemory’s mixi friend, but she was nowhere to be found. merrilymemory had a similar number that I had the previous day, so she went inside long before us. kameikosui and I had very high ticket numbers, hers 2,680 and mine 2,513 so we didn’t even bother walking to the doors when people were let inside. When it got close to number 2,000 we stood by the barricade. The tall English speaking boy said hi to me as he went inside, and my number was called not long after he went inside.
I made my way over to the center again, and the tall boy called me over to him. I pulled out the slip of paper with my facebook address from my front overall pocket and handed it to him, since I couldn’t find him the night before. He said it’d be ruined by water (sweat), but he took it anyway, and told me where to meet him after the show and to follow him into the crowd. When we stopped the girls behind him complained that he was too tall, which I thought was funny. He told me to stand in front of him again. He asked me if I was cursing the night before -- “Did you say fuck and shit last time?” -- to which I replied no. He asked if American fans normally curse and I said yes. (I didn’t say they say other embarrassing things.) After that I think he was trying to look kakkoii because he started randomly cursing a lot. All I could do was laugh. Then he whispered to his friend he called onii-san that he thought he saw his ex-girlfriend in the crowd ahead of us. (I don’t think it was really his brother because they didn’t look related.) I’m not sure if he was serious or not. He kept cursing saying, “Why the fuck is she here?” and “Fucking devil bitch!” while flipping her off. I didn’t know how to respond, so I just laughed. Then the lights went dim.
Remarkably I could move around and breathe, so I pushed forward and over until I was comfortable.
I had no idea what the opening song was and didn’t think it fit. I learned after the show what it was.
Then came Hageshisato and I knew it was going to be a different night. I sang and headbanged and much as my neck would let me. When Myaku started I was surprised. I like the way their current sound improves this song. I’d like to hear it remade.
I was glad to hear THE FATAL BELIEVER a second time, since it’s always a good song live, then along came four “new” songs: LIE BURIED WITH A VENGEANCE, STUCK MAN, Doukoku to Sarinu, and THE DEEPER VILENESS. It’s weird to think that songs from THE MARROW OF A BONE will be considered old in a couple of years and that songs from Withering to death. already are considered old. I wasn’t feeling the same as what I felt the first night. I could breathe and could move around very easily. The people around me weren’t as active either. My neck was a little sore, so I kept my movements to a minimum. I noticed what everyone was wearing -- Die had on a white shirt and long grey vest, Shinya had on a white long sleeved button down shirt, Kyo had on jeans, Toshiya had on one of his stretchy scoop-neck shirts with an apparent haircut, and Kaoru had on a black shirt with his giant cross necklace. I also thought the backdrop was different -- The white letters seemed silvery instead of white, but that must be my imagination.
This live’s Inward Scream was different from the previous day. It sounded more normal. Doesn’t mean I still wouldn’t pay for a CD, say, if Kyo puts out another poem book with a CD of songs like this.
When Toguro started my spirits lifted. I will always love this song.
Then came ROTTING ROOT and Shokubeni. kameikosui wanted to hear ROTTING ROOT again and she got her wish. I wanted to hear Shokubeni again so I could listen to the a cappella again without interruption for once.
I expected to hear another song from the previous night next... Not Sajou no Uta, another one of my cherished songs. I bounced when I recognized the beginning and then silently watched, not wanting it to end.
Up next came ASOM-unplugged- and DOZING GREEN again. ASOM-unplugged- sounded more like the recorded version, and DOZING GREEN sounded like... Well, DOZING GREEN.
Up next was New Age Culture, one of my favourite songs on VULGAR besides Amber and RED...[em]. I tried to soak it up as much as possible, especially since I wished to hear it the night before.
Up next were the last two songs before the encore, Saku and Zan. I watched Saku patiently and saved energy for the next song -- which ended up being Zan -- the same as the night before.
When the lights came up, the tall boy found me and tapped on my shoulder and asked me if I was having fun. I told him yes, then I made plans to shirk away when the encore started because I didn’t feel like being studied as a curiosity.
There was staff with glowing blue batons keeping everyone calm, making sure no one tried to do what happened during Child Prey the previous night.
The lights dimmed and embryo began. I was glad for another old song and quietly observed, making sure I wasn’t being watched. Up next was Gaika, which I have a slight aversion to for some reason, especially in encores. I have no problem with the song, it just shows up when I don’t want to hear it live. REPETITION OF HATRED made up for Gaika. I think REPETITION is a fun song and had no problem bouncing to it. Reiketsu was next and I had hoped Kyo would show off his tattoo again, but he didn’t. I’m very curious to see the finished product, even though I was sad to see his back covered.
I didn’t care if anyone was watching me during THE FINAL or not -- I sang to my heart’s content. That song was an instant Dir en grey classic and will always be welcome.
When Rasetsukoku was announced as the last song, I immediately started thinking of the Blitz 5 Days fanservice version and laughed. I wanted it to last as long as possible because I don’t know when I will see them perform again, but I know I will.
Again, I didn’t catch anything, but I really, really didn’t expect to being in the back.
I stood still and waited for the tall guy to find me. He asked me if I was hot and I said yes. I wasn’t nearly as sweaty and thirsty as I was the previous night. There wasn’t any pain in my feet or my head. I followed him toward the exit when he started rushing through the crowd and I lost him. I stood there for a minute and then headed outside.
I met back up with everyone outside and it took kameikosui a long time to show up and I was getting nervous, but she did eventually. She had lost her money in the pit so I lent her some. merrilymemory had found her mixi friend and was very excited to say the least. We were all excited.
Eventually we all headed to the station’s lockers and went our separate ways.
A drunk salary man called me cute on the train and kept mumbling to me, so I turned my back, but that’s Japan for you. I hate taking late trains.
Setlist:
[SE] Kimi Gayo
[02] 激しさと、この胸の中で絡み付いた灼熱の闇
[03] 脈
[04] THE FATAL BELIEVER
[05] LIE BURIED WITH A VENGEANCE
[06] STUCK MAN
[07] 慟哭と去りぬ
[08] THE DEEPER VILENESS
-INWARD SCREAM-
[09] 蜷局
[10] ROOTING ROOT
[11] 蝕紅
[12] 砂上の唄
[13] AGITATED SCREAMS OF MAGGOTS-unplugged-
[14] DOZING GREEN
[15] NEW AGE CULTURE
[16] 朔
[17] 残
[E1] embryo
[E2] 凱歌、沈黙が眠る頃
[E3] REPETITION OF HATRED
[E4] 冷血なりせば
[E5] THE FINAL
[E6] 羅刹国
* Day two was much like the butterfly I saw by the stairs. I was free to move about in the crowd, nothing was constricting me. I could breathe and I had plenty to drink. My feet didn’t hurt and neither did my head. The day was bright and warm. The night would be hard to grasp.