Get ready Europe. Dir en grey is headed back your way again this summer following the conclusion of their “FEAST OF THE V SENSES TOUR” in Japan.
They have firmed up their FESTIVAL LINEUP DATES as follows.
6/5 ROCK IM PARK > GERMANY
6/7 ROCK AM RING > GERMANY
6/12 DOWNLOAD > ENGLAND
6/20 NOVAROCK > AUSTRIA
6/27 METALTOWN > SWEDEN
Let’s hear from you, Europe, are you psyched to see Dir back greying up your respective nations with some UROBOROS or are you all grey’d out on this material?
Tags: dir en grey, europe, tour dates, uroboros
Hey, if PS ever snags an interview with Dir en grey, I think it’d be great if some of these questions were slipped in:
* Many fans outside of Japan initially discovered Dir en grey’s music through mp3 audio files that were put up on internet fansites and file-sharing services. How aware were you of this connection between The Internet and the increasing popularity of your music outside of your homeland?
* Even though they’re not available in U.S. stores (and the only way to get them legitimately is through import sites), many of your overseas fans are quite familiar with and greatly enjoy the albums recorded before your first U.S. release, “Withering to Death.” Do you have any interest in re-releasing any of the older albums (like Kisou or Vulgar) through a U.S. distributor like you did for your last three albums, or do you feel like the music from that time period no longer represents the band?
* You have many full length Live Concert DVD’s (my favorite is Code of Vulgarism, best lighting and best setlist), but just like your older albums, they are only available from import sites. Would you ever consider re-releasing your Concert DVD’s, or perhaps record a Full Length Live Concert DVD in America?
* Do you think, because of its focus on flashy and androgynous looks, that being part of the “Visual Kei” movement might have negatively affected Dir en grey’s chances of gaining an audience with traditional Rock and Metal fans in America?
* Would you consider performing older songs like Mushi, Ain’t Afraid to Die, or Embryo on an American tour? (If answer is no) – What if the whole audience was shouting out asking to hear those songs? Would you still avoid playing them?
* How do you feel about “elitist fans” who treat being a fan of Japanese Rock more like a status symbol to hold above other people’s heads, rather than an actual appreciation for the music?
I can answer these questions right now!
1. Yes, we’re very aware of the downloading and we don’t like it. We want people to buy our stuff.
2. It’s up to some distributor wanting to fork up the cash to print a US release. We certainly won’t cover the cost of printing it in the USA or spend the time trying to shut down all those illegal sites violating copyright. We want to concentrate on our current music and keep putting out new albums.
3. We don’t consider ourselves visual kei and we have no problem appealing to metal and rock fans in Europe and the USA.
4. Yah, we would totally avoid playing that for American fans, but we’ll play those songs at fanclub shows in Japan.
5. People should enjoy the music and we hope all our fans get along.
And the reason I can answer these questions is that they’ve been more or less asked before and answered already. To get the kind of answers I think you’re looking for would require re-wording the questions or niggling them with re-worded versions of the question throughout a sit down interview.
I’m well aware they’re not VK -anymore- what I meant was could their having been a part of it [in the past] have negative effects, since anyone can search Google Image or Youtube and see what they dressed like before and possibly form prejudices about them because of what they saw.
And of all the interviews I’ve seen or read or listened to, I don’t think any ever talked with them about re-releasing older albums or DVD’s, or if they disliked their older material, or if they knew some fans originally got into them from songs they downloaded in 2003 (and yes, I buy albums, though mainly the domestics).
Most of the interviews I did find have the same “How do you like [insert country] so far?” questions or some crap about “How much money would it take to get you to punch a panda?” But, if questions about re-releasing older albums, or performing older songs in America have actually been brought up in interviews, please point me in their direction so I may view/listen.
Read their Japanese interviews. They are much more honest in them. And keep in mind that a writer may ask the question, but they’re not obligated to answer it in the way you want them to.
4. Yah, we would totally avoid playing that for American fans, but we’ll play those songs at fanclub shows in Japan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEwmtLXSUBI – What the hell.
Fanclub shows rock though. So awesome!
It’s pretty lame that they wouldn’t do a song like this on a U.S. tour, because they think it would alienate their newer more metal-geared fans and make them think they’re weak or whatever, but they’ll play it on a Japanese tour. If they played “Ain’t Afraid to Die” in the states, or any other well known older Diru song, the American fangirls would start singing right along, and audibly enough that Kyo actually -could- do that thing where he let’s the audience sing parts like they do for Japanese lives.
I think the June 20th date is actually Austria, haha. Australia would be crazytalk.
I was hoping for a springtime US tour, but I guess not. Sigh.
Let me reply to myself. Catherine, did it occur to you that perhaps you’re missing some some sort of internet joke with the Austria/Australia thing? Hrm.
Man, I keep wondering if people still actually care?
I know it’s like when Jesus came back and everyone was all, “Hey! The Savior has returned! Eternal bliss is ours!” but then he just like, hung around and did his laundry and kept coming back every week. Ho-hum. Do your miracles elsewhere sandal boy.
Oh my. It just took me five minutes to realize that’s not a “vee”, that’s hopefully a “five”.