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the GazettE WORLD TOUR 16 DOGMATIC –TROIS– 2016

DOGMATIC CINEMATIC: the GazettE WORLD TOUR16 DOGMATIC Concert Report

  • Cologne, E-Werk, Europe, PS Company, the GazettE, Tour, Weird World

Ever since the GazettE embarked on their DARK AGES PROJECT in summer 2015, fans worldwide had been hopeful that one of the twelve successively announced so called movements would bring the musicians back to their countries. Meeting the expectations of their international devotees, the band announced the three-part WORLD TOUR 16 DOGMATIC –TROIS– in early 2016.

the GazettE WORLD TOUR 16 DOGMATIC –TROIS– 2016
the GazettE WORLD TOUR 16 DOGMATIC –TROIS– 2016
In April, the first step, titled The Americas, lead them to South and North America, then the band performed two The Far East shows in Asia in May, and finally returned to Europe, with The Continent, in June. The WORLD TOUR 16 embodied the center piece of the band’s DARK AGES. It followed the initial movement—the band’s eighth studio album DOGMA—, a nationwide tour in Japan, as well as two single releases. The whole, year-long journey raised the attention for the last three steps of the project: A live DVD release, scheduled for winter 2016, another Japanese tour, and its GRAND FINALE, which is going to be held in the end of September.
Among the altogether 16 international shows, the GazettE played their second European concert in Cologne on the 5th of June, 2016. Some difficulties occurred when the doors opened for VIP ticket holders and fan club members, who were lead to a special area directly in front of the stage. The fenced-off section was more than spacious—nice for those who were allowed to access it, but not exactly to the amusement for the later entering regular visitors, who had to look at quite some vacant space while they were standing tightly packed. Thus, the evening started with some unsatisfied minds, which, however, didn’t diminish the fans’ anticipation to experience the atmospheric performance, that started on the tick.

Heralded by the evocative, electronic NIHIL, the latest album’s intro, the musicians treaded through the darkness of the dimmed stage. Flattered by their black and simple, yet playful outfits, they stepped gracefully to their positions while keeping the greetings to a minimum. More smoke crawled over the stage boards when the tunes changed to the prelude of the record’s title track DOGMA, immediately setting the murky, heavy mood of this evening’s enactment of the DARK AGES.

Slowly, the fog turned into a half-opaque haze that resembled the screen in a movie theater. Dark lighting in intense colors, sometimes pierced by glaring floodlight or strobe light, augmented the surreality. All these effects created a certain distance to the performers while they reinforced the fascination for the atmospheric show at the same time. The musicians became their roles, stage characters, who were attached to their images with an elaborate conjunction of costumes, movements, gestures, and facial expressions.

They are, indisputably, one of the icons of modern Visual Rock, cherishing its aesthetics throughout their—at that time—14 years long career in spite of their various musical changes. During the whole tour, they created a well-balanced mixture of new pieces and older favorites, which, all in all, stayed within the grave theme. Each show started with the first three tracks of DOGMA before giving room to other energetic pieces.

The heavy tempo, then, slowed down in the middle of the set. First, one of the classics, Chizuru from 2007, calmed the flared tempers. Deep beats from Reita on bass and Kai behind the drums sank into the listeners, who moved smoothly with the rhythm. Partially melodious, partially modest guitar riffs from Uruha and Aoi hauled the oppressive character of the lyrics, sang by Ruki’s emotional, clear voice. Another slow pulsed song, OMINOUS from the past year, followed and offered a mystic treat for the eyes. In time to the beats of the drums and the pre-recorded electronic tunes, Ruki swung an incense holder with an arcanely glowing light in it through the obscuring stage smoke. It crushed to the ground in a breath taking and blood pressure raising sharp movement when the song increased in tempo and heaviness. Compared to the recording, OMINOUS had gained even more impact with its intensified and duskier electronic guitars, which were complemented with a few notes on a melodic acoustic guitar in the beginning of the song.
The Suicide Circus, a song with an upbeat sentiment in defiance of its grim topic, pushed the audience back to the heat. A triad of crushing numbers followed before Filth in the Beauty, one of the fan favorites, marked the end of the main set. Ruki excelled with his improved growling skills in this part of the show while most people in the crowd lost themselves in dancing along, headbanging, and rocking to the vigorous songs. The party of Filth in the Beauty continued in the equally rousing Sludgy Cult in the encore, which then was concluded by Aoi, Reita, Ruki, Kai, and Uruha taking a bow together in order to say their thanks and good-bye to the fans in a classy manner—even in this move lied a certain element of theater.

It’s been a felicitous performance with musicians that seemingly put their hearts’ blood into the show, that kept a certain element of staging with an artistic distance between musicians and audience. Even the visible joy of the artists during their performance as well as the singer’s friendly speeches with a certain amount of humorous ease didn’t turn this feeling around. Admittedly, this suited the genre’s stylistics, nonetheless, as well as the DARK AGES theme.

However, in view of the bombastic effects during the band’s shows in Japan, it would have been a nice touch to bring along at least a more atmospheric and narrative background banner than the one they brought three years before, showing simply the band’s logo in a huge size. A little less ego in favor of the gloomy subject would have lived up to the much-vaunted project.

SETLIST 
Intro: NIHIL
01. DOGMA
02. RAGE
03. Vortex
04. FADELESS
05. Gabriel on the Gallows
06. BIZARRE
07. Chizuru
08. OMINOUS
09. The Suicide Circus
10. UGLY
11. BLEMISH
12. UNDYING
13. Filth in the Beauty

ENCORE
E1. Sludgy Cult
E2. Headache Man
E3. Tomorrow Never Dies

_________
Disclaimer: This is an old concert report from 2016, published in 2017. We are thanking the GazettE, their management PS Company, Paul Chu, and Weird World for making this concert report possible. It’s good memories that fill us with nostalgia and gratitude, but also sadness to remember the late bassist Reita, who passed away way too early. May he rest in peace!

Picture of Wanda Proft

Wanda Proft

The visionary and head of EN.CORE ROCKS. A devoted, multi-talented creative, music addict, enthusiastic traveler calling Tōkyō her second home, and explorer of contemporary as well as traditional culture of Japan. [Illustration: Lisa Röntsch]

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