LIVE REPORT ~ LA FIN DE LA JOURNÉE: February 5 2009
GPKISM, DJ SiSeN, and BLOOD
The Subterranean, Chicago, IL
Twenty-five degrees may not seem warm to most, but after days of weather in the single digits and negatives, Chicago was offering a "warm" welcome to GPKISM, SiSeN, and BLOOD on the final stop of the La Fin de la Journée tour. Fans huddled together outside the Sub-T, passing around a white placard from CURE USA and signing their farewell wishes to BLOOD. A current of excitement buzzed along the line, with a somewhat somber underline that came with the knowledge that this would be BLOOD's final concert. Ever.
The doors couldn't open soon enough. Attracted by the warmth inside and the pending show, everyone pressed forward and waited impatiently as the doorman let people in by threes and fours. Once everyone was inside, it didn't take long for the venue to heat up.
Roger, CEO of Tainted Reality, took the stage to give a brief introduction, and soon after, Kiwamu and Gothic Prince Ken descended the spiral staircase and took the stage. A chorus of screaming greeted them, and they met it with the opening notes of Illuminatum. GPK's rich voice filled the venue, with Kiwamu's guitar crying out to meet it.
Sublimis came next, cranking up the heat as bodies pressed forward in an attempt to get even closer to the stage. Fans sang along with GPK as Kiwamu breathed completion into the music. A short MC came and went, with GPK introducing the next song, the upbeat and dancable Metempsykhosis.
GPK introduced the next song, Infernum, as something "darker," and indeed it was, with a heavy beat and growling, metal guitar that had fans debating whether they should dance or headbang. And too soon, the notes of the final song, were filling the air. Abaddon, from GPKISM's latest album, gave the audience a parting shot of elegance and beauty embodied in music before the dark shapes of GPK and Kiwamu disappeared up the stairs.
Roger introduced DJ SiSeN next, who turned the floor into a rave with the help of his dancers. Spinning heavy beats and teasing the audience, SiSeN had almost everyone moving. The relentless pulse of music was a frenzy of sweaty, writhing bodies, both on the floor and onstage. Before his set ended, SiSeN had given everyone a taste of his infamous pervertedness, and several lucky boys and girls found themselves with innocent candy and "Let's Fuck" lollipops.
A different sort of anticipation filled the venue as SiSeN and his dancers took their leave. Roger stepped onstage. This was it: La Fin de la Journée had come, at last, and as much as everyone wanted to see BLOOD perform, no one wanted it to be the end. Roger stood onstage, and gave a soulful speech about Tainted Reality and BLOOD, and the sombre undercurrent that had been with the audience the whole night came to the surface. It was bittersweet.
LES LITANIES DE SATAN (Brutal Autism Mix) set the stage for Fu-ki and Kiwamu as BLOOD, with Gothic Prince Ken backing them up on keyboard. The opening notes of CRIMSON had everyone plunging headfirst into the music. Morphine was next, and then CHAIN. The Subterranean was full of an energy that surpassed that of last year's BLOOD concert, even with an audience of the same size. Fu-ki's voice and Kiwamu's guitar felt more powerful than ever. GPK's voice in the background added an element of elegance that was new, but fit the sound surprisingly well, especially in the next song, oroboro.
In the MC that followed the first block of songs, Fu-ki informed the audience that he had a cold, but that he would do his best. The next block of songs contained THE FUNERAL FOR HUMANITY, BLIND, and I remember you. Before starting into byakuya, Fu-ki informed the audience "This is dance floor! Shake your hips!" He turned his back to the audience and did just that as Kiwamu and GPK began byakuya.
After another MC was the lovely Lost Sky from their latest album of the same name. Next up were WALL OF GRIEF, ESCAPE, and SWEATEST DISEASE, all of which had the audience pumped up, headbanging and jumping up and down as everyone wallowed in the music.
From there, it's an emotional blur. The stage emptied, Roger took the stage, urged everyone to cheer BLOOD back on. They returned for two final songs, the first being La Fin de la Journée, the namesake of the tour. A bittersweet song that was perfect for the mood. Then came the heart-pounding, fast-paced D.T.M.H., with everyone from the La Fin de la Journée joining in onstage. A blur, but unforgettable.
As the notes of D.T.M.H. fell away, Roger presented Fu-ki and Kiwamu with the placard signed with farewell wishes from CURE USA and Chicago's attendees. Next, he brought the members of the tour forward one at a time. Gothic Prince Ken as the future of Japanese Gothic Rock. SiSeN. And then Fu-ki and Kiwamu. Fu-ki bowed to the audience as everyone cheered, giving him their best in his future.
Fu-ki and Kiwamu lingered onstage, holding their arms up in their final farewell. Roger started a strong, heart-filled chant of "BLOOD! BLOOD! BLOOD!" that quickly filled the venue as every voice chimed in. And then, a chant of "One more time! One more time!" as they made their way to the back of the venue, where they would sign autographs. And that was it.
Most bands would probably end their final tour in their home country, but BLOOD chose to end it here, on American soil. I hope we gave them the send-off they deserved. Best of luck in your future, BLOOD!
set list
GPKISM
Illuminatum
Sublimis
-MC-
Metempsykhosis
Infernum
Abaddon
BLOOD
SE. LES LITANIES DE SATAN (Brutal Autism Mix) remix by Rieu
CRIMSON
Morphine
CHAIN
oboro
-MC-
THE FUNERAL FOR HUMANITY
BLIND
I remember you
byakuya
-MC-
Lost Sky
WALL OF GRIEF
ESCAPE
SWEATEST DISEASE
ENCORE
LA FIN DE LA JOURNEE（Dreamscape Recollection Mix)
D.T.M.H. (session)
report and photos by Melony
thank you to Tainted Reality and Animefood, Inc for making this possible; thanks to BLOOD for their contributions to the music world
links
GPKISM Official Website
GPKISM Official MySpace
SiSeN Official MySpace
BLOOD Official Website
BLOOD Official MySpace
Tainted Reality
Animefood, Inc
BACK
