#live report

DIR EN GREY live report in FOOL'S MATE vol. 255 (Nov. 2003)

Behind a vacant image

New song 1

Devote my life

Utsutsu, bouga o kurau

(Interlude 1 here?)

Keibetsu to hajimari

Keigaku no yoku

Ranunculus

(Interlude 2)

New song 2

Schadenfreude

(Interlude 3)

Ningen wo kaburu

New song 3

The Devil In Me

T.D.F.F.

-encore-

Marmalade Chainsaw

Fukai

Utafumi

Hageshisa to, kono mune no naka de karamitsuita shakunetsu no yami

I think it's my first time hearing so many new songs live, having no expectations as to what they sound like. Unfortunately, I'd say that they lack characters, even compared to The Devil In Me, which is already quite stripped down compared to most of Dir en grey's songs. The melodies are so simple that I could probably have them memorized in no time.

My Chemical Romance

World Exclusive

The forbidden (!?) secrets of My Chemical Romance are revealed one after another.

REPORT & PHOTOS: YUKO KATO ★PHOTO BY P.G. BRUNELLI/INROCK

Following the huge success of ‘The Black Parade,’ My Chemical Romance has become extremely difficult to access. INROCK has been trying since September last year, even pursuing them all the way to the Netherlands, only to fail. I was determined to catch them in Japan no matter what (mainly me, one-sidedly). And it happened! I'm thrilled to be able to deliver a detailed report soaked in love and sweat (it's so dirty). Congratulations!

Introduction: What a shame! Frank Iero returns home in disappointment

As you may know from seeing the sold-out concert in Japan, Frank Iero (g./right photo) was not present for this tour of Japan. As Gerard (Way, Vo.) explained on stage with the help of an interpreter, he was absent due to illness. He did come to Japan, though. According to sources, Frank had four wisdom teeth extracted at once just before departing for Japan. Even one wisdom tooth extraction is painful for a grown man—but four at once! That was nothing short of reckless! Plus, the cabin pressure on a plane can exacerbate tooth pain. Naturally, Frank endured hellish pain during the long flight (presumably) and arrived exhausted. That night, he developed a fever of 40°C, and the next day, he had to return home immediately, accompanied by his manager. As Frank headed to the airport, he looked dejected and muttered, “Sorry…” to the Japanese staff. It was so heartbreaking that no one could bring themselves to speak to him… Everyone felt sorry for him, thinking that with the long tour ahead, he wouldn't have time to visit the dentist.

The band's response was swift. They couldn't cancel the tour, which had sold out everywhere except Nagoya… By the 9th, they had arranged for a replacement guitarist. The chosen one was Todd Price (vocals/guitar) from the indie band Drive By, who was under the same management. He had previously filled in for Frank when he withdrew from a tour for about two weeks. (Incidentally, his girlfriend works as a roadie for My Chemical Romance…) Todd, who was relaxing at home, suddenly received a call from his manager, rushed to prepare, and headed straight to the airport. “There were only five hours until the flight,” Todd casually mentioned, but well, he got to travel to Japan with his girlfriend after all…

However, there were other issues as well. As can be seen from the setlist for this tour, most of the songs were from the newly released album. Thus, Todd, who went straight from Narita Airport to the venue, had to memorise all the new songs. As a result, the show started significantly late (by about two and a half hours).

Most of the members, including Frank, arrived in Japan on January 9th, but Gerard, who openly declares his love for Japan and wants to live there, arrived two days early and took two days off on the 8th and 9th to enjoy a Japanese holiday. In fact, My Chemical Romance has hired two security guards for this tour. As a result of their explosive popularity worldwide, fans are always following the band. Even more problematic are the professional autograph hunters chasing them to get signatures to sell on eBay, and the paparazzi. These people, whose livelihoods depend on it, show no mercy. At times like these, the most important part of the security guards' job is to protect the members so they don't have to say “no” themselves.

During his two days off, Gerard apparently indulged in his hobbies, accompanied by the security guard (the reason I say ‘apparently’ is that there were no Japanese staff members with him, so I couldn't hear any firsthand accounts of who went with him). According to Gerard, he mostly spent his time wandering around Shibuya and spending time at Loft. The last time he came, he happily said, “I went shopping at Tokyu Hands,” but this time he said, “Actually, I like Loft more than Hands.” He also went to Book First and bought his favourite anime books and art books.

Well, the first day of the Japan tour went smoothly. After the show, they were presented with a gold disc for their newly released album, ‘The Black Parade.’ Gerard was moved and said, “Thank you, Japan, for believing in us from the beginning!” Japan has been supporting this band since the days of ‘Sweet Revenge,’ when they weren't even attracting attention in their home country, and the band is well aware of this.

This Chapter: A Night in Nagoya

On January 12th, the band arrived in Nagoya and did several radio interviews in the dressing room at Zepp Nagoya, the venue for their concert. We were sitting in the hallway, and in front of us was a black wardrobe. The left half of it was a drawer unit containing the members' personal belongings. Each drawer had the member's name and a sticker on it. Gerard's space had a piece of paper scribbled with “G” and a photo sticker of Amy Lee (Evanescence, vocals). For some reason, his drawer was wide open, revealing its contents. It contained neatly organized books. Among them was an art book of ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’, apparently purchased at Book First. There were also numerous toys that had been carelessly tossed inside.

The hallway was bustling with people coming and going. Mikey (Way, bassist) in particular kept popping up from various places. Despite being shy, he seemed to have a friendly personality, and when he spotted the Japanese staff member, he gave a wink that sounded like it might make a ‘click’ noise. He's quite a charming guy. However, Mikey had asked the other members to handle all the interviews that day because he wasn't in the mood. When it came time to take a group photo, all the members gathered in their stage costumes, and I was stunned. Isn't that the marching band uniform!? Gerard explained, “This is still a production tour, so we're not using those uniforms yet.” The US arena tour starting in late February will be the official ‘The Black Parade’ tour, and it will apparently debut with a spectacular stage set… Additionally, it was revealed that during this Japan tour, only two songs from ‘The Black Parade’ were not performed due to equipment issues.

The stage was amazing. Gerard's running antics were still in full force, and the Zepp concert hall, 98% full, was in a frenzy. What surprised me was Mikey's tambourine. There he was, this handsome young man, just standing there blankly, blankly hitting the tambourine… It was so funny. After the 70-minute show, an excited girl repeatedly shouted, “It was the best!” and “I'm going to see the Osaka show tomorrow too!” But unfortunately, except for Nagoya, all the shows were sold out…

Gerard tries miso cutlet bento

I was so excited, I arrived at 9:30am, even though the meeting time was 11:45am. I decided to wait at a nearby family restaurant. When I went to the lobby at 11:30am, the Japanese staff had gathered early, while the American side trickled in. Then Gerard returned from outside with security. In his hand, a Starbucks coffee. He was wearing his favorite wool hat, a khaki down jacket, jeans, and sneakers. Barely any make-up, just eye makeup. He had such a baby face, he looked almost like a teenager.

By the way, the members of My Chemical Romance are all huge coffee lovers, so much so that insiders have said, “Those kids live for Starbucks.” Not that it has to be Starbucks, mind. When travelling, you'll often catch them with a can of coffee or a bottle of milk coffee in hand. Gerard's current obsession is hot canned coffee, and he was thrilled to discover that in Japan, you can buy hot drinks from vending machines. Mikey loves coffee just as much as his big brother. “I used to drink ten cups a day. But I've stopped that now. Now it's two or three cups a day!” says Mikey. We took two jumbo taxis to Nagoya Station. Upon arriving at the platform, Gerard promptly headed off alone to the bento shop. He's more used to this than most foreign tourists. He spends a little over 10 minutes examining the contents of each bento box, looking at pictures, and after much deliberation, he buys a miso cutlet bento and a bottle of milk coffee.

Arrival in Osaka

We took the 12:34pm Nozomi train to Shin-Osaka. I was expecting trouble, as I'd heard from a source that “these kids are noisy on the Shinkansen.” The day before, during the journey from Tokyo to Nagoya, all the members gathered in one place, opened their makunouchi bento boxes, and whoever lost rock-paper-scissors got to eat the side dish — essentially a dark bento game!? It was a game they'd all had a blast playing, which raised the eyebrows of other passengers. Today, however, they were quiet. Gerard, seated next to his personal assistant, quickly ate his miso-katsu bento and spent the rest of the day discussing it with his assistant, with the US tour set plans on his lap. Gerard, by the way, said the bento tasted “okay. I bought it because I had a similar one before and it was delicious,” suggesting it didn't quite live up to his expectations. The person in charge said, “If Gerard could eat miso-katsu, he could live in Japan.” …Maybe.

Shin-Osaka Station was already in utter chaos. There were an unusually large number of fans waiting, including many older men who were professional autograph hunters. Even the curious onlookers joined in, creating an atmosphere almost like a Johnny's idol event. Amidst this, I too was pushed aside by staff waiting in Osaka and couldn't get near the band. I ended up almost missing the van. We finally entered the venue, IMP Hall, around 2 o'clock. Several computers were set up in the dressing room lobby, and Mikey spent most of the time playing games there, except for sound check, until the show started. Meanwhile, Gerard had vanished. Where was he? Inside the hall, where the lights weren't on yet. He was sprawled out on the floor in front of the mixing desk, lying face down and perfectly still. He wasn't asleep, as he occasionally lifted and lowered his legs and shifted his head. An assistant happened to pass by and asked, “What's wrong?” He replied leisurely, “I'm tired.” Judging he wasn't actually unwell, the assistant left Gerard be and went about his own business. He lay there alone for about 20 minutes. When Gerard finally got up, I wondered if he'd just fancied a cigarette? After all, he's more addicted to nicotine than coffee. Whether standing or walking, unless he's holding something else, he's clutching his beloved Marlboro Ultra Lights. One pack a day just wasn't enough. He also had a unique way of smoking, twisting his mouth to exhale the smoke he'd inhaled into his lungs. It gives him a rather manly look at those moments.

He did a phone interview and a meet-and-greet with a local radio station. Only girls came to the meet and greet, and they were quite proactive. One asked, “Can I give you a hug?” and when Gerard readily agreed, everyone else wanted one too. He was kind, gentle, and cheerful throughout, but his smile at times like this seemed a little unnatural. It was like a smile plastered on his face… perhaps? In the two-shots taken at the request of fans, it was usually this smile. Among them was a girl wearing a baseball jacket, which Gerard took a real liking to as he smiled and said, “That's a nice jacket. I'd like to buy one while I'm still in Japan.” After the meet and greet, the band went to soundcheck. They played for ages, but Gerard only joined in for three songs: ‘Dead!’, ‘This Is How I Disappear,’ and ‘Mama.’ But I never expected to see such a luxurious performance. Gerard's voice was a little hoarse, and he started miming halfway through, perhaps to save his voice, but he sang ‘Mama’ in full, and perhaps he got emotional while singing, because he sang with the same passion as he would on stage. Satisfied after singing ‘Mama’, he exchanged a glance with Mikey, made a V sign with his fingers, and headed backstage. The band continued rehearsing for about three more songs.

As it was Saturday, the show started at 6pm. There were still about two hours to go. Since there was only one small dressing room, everyone gathered in the catering and computer space to chat. Mikey was engrossed in a game. The Japanese staff were surprised, but apparently after the Tokyo show, Mikey came off stage and sat down in front of the game console to play. Normally, most artists are still buzzing with excitement. I was watching Mikey and thought, hang on…? I spotted a simple silver ring on his left ring finger. After a bit of probing, I found out that Mikey is dating a woman who works as a guitar tech for Avenged Sevenfold, and that they are engaged and will tie the knot in February, before the US tour begins. Just when he'd established his image as a handsome guy, he's already taken…!

Just before going on stage, I witnessed the handsome brother hugging Mikey. Why?

As the stage time drew near, Gerard poured plenty of honey into his organic mint tea and drank several cups. Perhaps warming up his throat, he moistened his throat with the warm herbal tea, nibbled on nuts, and enjoyed chatting with the staff. Here too, the aforementioned Japanese staff member murmured, “Everyone's so quiet today…” Just the day before, they'd brought their radio-controlled plane and been having fun… In fact, the day before, they'd got too carried away and the plane crashed into the tour manager's laptop. Perhaps they'd been severely scolded, so they'd been holding back today?

Gerard, who loves Japan, said he wanted to walk around the city while he was in Japan. Besides, the IMP Hall is located inside a mall, so why not at least check out the mall? That was his reasoning. He was told it would be difficult to go out now as fans had already gathered, and the other members backed down, saying “we're not going,” but Gerard stuck to his original plan. Mikey seemed to think, well, if his big brother's going… I was told, “If you bring your camera, the fans will notice you, so you mustn't come,” so I waited. But I didn't notice when they left or when they came back. I mean, Mikey was playing games the whole time. Actually, they snuck out to the mall using the back elevator, were spotted by fans immediately, and after they walked about ten metres or so, it turned into a huge commotion, so they didn't see anything and returned without buying anything… Is that the price of fame?

With about 30 minutes until showtime, it was time to change. Gerard suddenly transformed into the face of a handsome artist. Snow-white skin, with only the area around his eyes shaded in brown to create a square contour. Gerard, who had holed up in the toilet fixing his hair himself, did his own make-up too. Then, with just ten minutes left before going on stage, I witnessed Gerard and Mikey embracing backstage. I instinctively took a photo, but Gerard's personal assistant immediately rushed over, demanding I delete it. It seemed that something had happened, as Mikey was crying with tears streaming down his face. Gerard was holding Mikey tightly around the neck… It felt like witnessing a special bond. What on earth happened? With one minute left, the traditional My Chemical Romance high-five began. Roadies, staff, and members formed a double circle, spinning round and round, slapping each other's hands to pump themselves up. It was also a moment when the tension rose.

Then the band took to the stage. Of course, they put on one of their best shows in Osaka.

Translator's Note: I actually procrastinated on translating and posting this particular article for a reason: I hated the way the scans came out using my home scanner because of how uneven the scans were, sometimes even cutting off parts on the top or bottom parts. It wasn't until I used the office printer to get better scans that I finally can post this.

『Wakana Live 2026 with 堀 倉彰』 + 2nd Show Stream Report

Instagram post by Wakana | Instagram post 2 by Wakana

“Wakana Live 2026 with Kuraaki Hori” 《Performance Details》 【Date】Wednesday, August 5, 2026 【Time】 1st Show: Doors open 16:00 / Show starts 17:00 2nd Show: Doors open 19:00 / Show starts 20:00 【Venue】Meguro Blues Alley Japan Info page: https://wakana-fc.jp/contents/1080544

Live Broadcast + Archive Date/Time: 2026/08/05 20:00～(around 60 min) Archive available until: 〜2026/08/11 23:59 Ticket sale: 2026/07/29 12:00～2026/08/11 21:00 Platform: Streaming+ / Twitcasting Link: https://eplus.jp/sf/detail/4577850001-P0030001P021001 Link: https://premier.twitcasting.tv/c:bluesalleyjapan/shopcart/446793 Ticket price: ¥4,500〜 (Streaming+ offers different price tiers for additional support)

Report (2nd Show) / Setlist (1st & 2nd Show) The show started a bit later than scheduled but the live stream worked perfectly fine for me. Wakana came on stage wearing a lovely white summer maxi dress with blue floral print. The sound of cutlery moving was a bit distracting at first but thankfully, it wasn't all that noticeable during the actual performance.

Kioku no Hito: Waaahhh! One of my faves from her first album. It was a little shaky to be honest but I still loved it so much. A perfect song for an acoustic setting like this.

Yuuyake: I definitely expected her to sing this because it's such an obvious choice for an acoustic live. This was super precious.

myself: OMG! I am crying! I really wanted her to sing this and my wish came true!!

Fly Me To The Moon (Cover): Ohhh! Nice! A great fit for Wakana's voice! Particularly enjoyed the ending. ※1st Show: L-O-V-E (Cover)

Koi wa Itsumo: What a cute arrangement! I am obsessed! Not quite as much oomph as the studio version but still a lot of fun!

Caro mio ben (Cover): What a blessing!! To finally have a proper recording of Wakana singing a classical piece. This was beyond beautiful!!! She already sang this at her Music Party last year so I was desperate to hear her version of it. ※1st Show: Schubert's Ave Maria (Cover)

Lemon (Cover): Can't say I was familiar with this song but what a great choice. Wakana sounded lovely and it was a truly emotional performance that hit me right in the feels. ※1st Show: Yoru ni Kakeru (Cover)

KEMONO: Haven't heard this in ages. Can't say I ever liked it but it certainly suits the venue. And it was an impressive performance for sure. Even when there were a few mishaps with the lyrics🫣. Wouldn't be a Wakana live if she didn't struggle with some of her lyrics. In this case it's understandable though and she did a fantastic job on her second try.

Flag: Might be my favourite version yet.

Happy Hello Day: Adorable as always.

Encore Katte ni Sinbad (Cover): LOL Not sure what that was. A little all over the place. I guess you need to know the song and some context in order to enjoy this XD 1st Show: Aoi Sangoshou (Cover)

Encore Sono Saki e: Beautiful!

October Fan Club Event Announced @ Blues Alley Japan

During the live stream, Wakana announced that she will return to Blues Alley Japan for a special fan club event on October 30 where she will do a personal send-off (to make up for the unfortunate changes in her Wakana Classics Live)! Further details will be announced soon!

Info page

『Wakana Classics 2026』 Details & FC Lottery

【Date】 December 23, 2026 (Wed) 【Time】 Open 17:45 / Start 18:30 【Venue】Hamarikyu Asahi Hall (Music Hall) 【Performers】 Vocal: Wakana Music Director/Piano: Sin (Shin Hashimoto) Violin: Yuya Yanagihara Cello: Takahiro Yuki 【Ticket Price】All seats reserved: 9,500 yen (tax included) Info page: https://wakana-fc.jp/contents/1098487

■Fan Club Advanced Ticket Lottery Information■ Platform: Bitfan Pass Ticket In addition to regular tickets, the fan club will offer FC-exclusive special tickets that include an after-show event and a gift! ※Please note that due to time restrictions, there will be no meet-and-greet/send-off this time! ※Gifts will be redeemed at the venue on the day of the performance. ※Seating will be randomly assigned with priority given to those who applied for FC-exclusive special tickets.

FC Special Ticket (Incl. After-Event & Gift) Ticket Limit: Up to 2 tickets per person All seats reserved: ¥12,000 (tax included) Application Period: August 5th 12:00 - August 11th 23:59 Results Announcement: August 14th - Payment Deadline: - August 18th

DEG LIVE REPORT Nov 14th 2025 Zepp Nagoya

Ok hi so I will basically only be talking about the live itself because I am TOO TIRED to talk about all the little complications I had before getting inside the venue ok ❤️