During a slight lull in the European concert scene, Versailles announced that the final show of their 2010 World Tour was going to take place in Paris. Rejoicing fans immediately purchased tickets and eagerly began waiting for July 13th to come around. However, a few were concerned when they realized the event would be hosted at the infamous Trabendo, whose low stage makes it nigh-impossible to get a decent view of the action. For a band that relies heavily on visual flair and atmosphere, it was a worrying choice. Regardless, the show sold out and the room was full to capacity when concert time came around.
As the lights dimmed, Sound in Gate slowly crept its way into the speakers, directing the impatient crowd’s attention to the stage. As the music merged with the sounds of Prelude, the band slowly made their way onto the stage. The crowd roared with excitement. Settled in and with instruments at the ready, the musicians made way for KAMIJO, who shouted “We are Versailles!” as Aristocrat Symphony kicked things into high gear. Even though it was only the first song of the night, the band amazed everyone with their technical prowess. While session bassist MASASHI, dressed all in black, hid behind TERU’s enveloping stage presence, HIZAKI excitedly ran around the stage, even though wearing what can only be described as a very imposing costume. The leader continually made broad gestures with his cape, welcoming everyone into the world of Versailles. In response to his enthusiasm, fans held up a variety of roses to show their love.
Shout & Bites was next; a more aggressive song than its predecessor, it allowed YUKI to really pound the skins and KAMIJO to really prove he could shout as well as sing. TERU and HIZAKI also shone on this one, engaging in a sort of musical dialogue as they alternated playing solos. Taking only a little break to say “Bonjour!”, the band tore into Zombie with their instruments’ thickest chords. The audience became possessed by the frantic atmosphere the piece created; widespread shouting and headbanging was an inevitable consequence to all the violent sound. Both guitarists played in perfect synchronization throughout, TERU eventually making his way to the front with a new solo. Technical guitar aficionados were in heaven, especially once Ai to Kanashi no Nocture began immediately afterward. KAMIJO headbanged savagely along with the fans on this one, while the guitarists attracted the attention of the front row once again with awe-inspiring musicianship.
It was then time for a break. KAMIJO held the microphone to his lips and modestly said, “I'm beautiful, I'm special, I'm your prince” before announcing PRINCE as the next song. He took one of the roses from the crowd and pressed it against his heart during his performance, a majestic moment somewhat ruined by the poor lighting that seemed to plague the show from the start. Unfortunately, the foggy, nebulous lighting would remain throughout the evening, making it hard for viewers to truly appreciate the ambiance the band was trying to create.
Once the piece was over, the members left the stage. Luckily, it was all part of the show and the epic instrumental DESCENDANT OF THE ROSE boomed through the speakers to accompany the return of the four musicians. The drums pounded away as the crowd recognized the heavy and technically challenging instrumental Silent Knight. The room was swept away in a whirlpool of notes as HIZAKI and TERU shredded their way through the song face to face. The quartet left the stage once again once the song was finished, but TERU returned alone shortly after to play one of his compositions: Reminiscence. Swaying from left to right, as if dancing to his own music, he gradually accelerated his playing with each passing moment. A wave of happiness engulfed the room as the song reached its apogee, at which point the other members returned all at once. Encouraged by the sea of hands that welcomed them, they erupted into Catharsis to get things shaking again. It was an obvious amuse-bouche meant to pave the way for a song that would truly bring the house down: Gekakku. The crowd followed KAMIJO’s lead throughout the soon-to-be classic and headbanged without missing a beat. The only downside to this piece was that it was so bombastic, the already-lackluster sound quality suffered even more thanks to all the heavy bass and drums.
As the crowd was bursting at the seams with energy, Amorphous gave everyone some time to catch their breath. The lighting technician seemed to wake up a little on this one, and the rose-shaped lighting was executed beautifully. The planned ambiance was perfectly achieved, so KAMIJO decided to cry out “A present for you!” The gift ended up being Serenade, a touching ballad for anyone sensitive by nature. The crowd sang along, rocked back and forth by the touching melody. Upon its final note, the singer then thanked everyone for their attendance. He also took the time to complain about the difficulty of the English language, although he did state it was a lot easier than French!
Trying not to kill the synergy with talk, the band quickly jumped into Ascendead Master, for which both guitarists received an ovation after a breathtaking duo. KAMIJO got his moment of glory shortly afterwards with God Palace, a longer piece that truly emphasized his vocal prowess. In fact, one of the concert’s most memorable moments took place during this piece as he performed with nothing but organ music as accompaniment near its end. It was truly a magnificent delivery. PRINCESS was then introduced and was labeled as the last song of the evening. Excited fans shouted at the top of their lungs throughout its entirety, wanting to enjoy the excellent concert for as long as possible.
After stepping off stage for a little while, the boys returned for an encore that began with The Red Carpet Day, a powerful tune that enslaved the audience with an avalanche of brutal sounds. Everyone went nuts, including those who had barely moved all evening. It was truly a sight to behold! KAMIJO screamed out “Come closer!”, almost as if he wanted to savor every last moment with the fans while he could. During the chorus, the crowd shouted the band’s name incessantly. As the song neared its end, the band introduced each member - including Jasmine You who, they said, would always be there in spirit. Then, as the night neared its inevitable end, it was time for The Revenant Choir, a perfect piece for goodbye.
When all was said and done, the band left the stage, and the crowd was speechless from such a grandiose finale. When everyone finally caught their breath, the verdict was clear: this show had definitely been worth every penny. The set list, while definitely centered around the latest album, was sagely constructed and pleased both long time fans and newcomers alike. From KAMIJO’s vocal prowess to the rapid-fire solos of TERU and HIZAKI - without forgetting YUKI’s powerful drums and MASASHI’s discreet bass playing - this anxiously awaited concert did not disappoint. The only drawbacks were the lighting and sound, which worked against the ambiance. Here’s hoping the techs will address these issues in order to provide everyone with an even more incredible concert next time!
Set list:
01. Sound in Gate
02. Prelude
03. Aristocrat's Symphony
04. Shout & Bites
05. zombie
06. Ai to Kanashimi no Nocturne
07. PRINCE
08. The Umbrella Of Glass
09. PILGRIM
10. SILENT KNIGHT
11. Reminiscence
12. Catharsis
13. Gekkakou
14. Amorphous
15. Serenade
16. ASCENDEAD MASTER
17. PRINCESS -Revival of church
18. DESCENDANT OF THE ROSE
19. God Palace -Method of Inheritance-
Encore:
01. The Red Carpet Day
02. The Revenant Choir
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