DIR EN GREY begin nationwide screenings of ‘Zankyou no Ketsumyaku’ film with playful Tokyo event

DIR EN GREY have begun screening their latest concert film, ‘DIR EN GREY LIVE FILM Zankyou no Ketsumyaku’, in cinemas across Japan. The film features behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive interviews with the band, as well as performances from their March concerts in Berlin, which marked the final stop of their ‘EUROPE TOUR24 FROM DEPRESSION TO ________ [mode of Withering to death. & UROBOROS]’—their first European tour in four years.

The film is split into two parts, reflecting the two-day concert structure of the tour. The first part, ‘mode of Withering to death.’, premiered on September 20th and features songs from their 2005 album ‘Withering to death.’, while the second part, ‘mode of UROBOROS’, will be released on October 4th, focusing on material from their 2008 album ‘UROBOROS’.

Kyo’s antics steal the spotlight at stage greeting

On September 22nd, the band kicked off their stage greeting tour with a press event at Shinjuku Piccadilly Cinema, joined by frequent collaborator and the film’s director Koichiro Hamasaki.

Kyo, the band’s enigmatic frontman, was particularly laid-back, sipping iced coffee while sitting on stage as his bandmates spoke. At one point, he peeled off stage markers and playfully stuck them to drummer Shinya’s shoes. He jokingly took credit for the film’s title, ‘Zankyou no Ketsumyaku’ (‘The Resonant Bloodline’), saying, “It sounds like something I’d come up with, right?”. Die then chimed in, teasing Hamasaki, “You tailored it [to Kyo], didn’t you?”. When Hamasaki explained his inspiration came from ‘80s and ‘90s films, Kyo quipped, “Are you saying it’s outdated? Or has bad vibes?”—prompting laughter from the audience.

As the conversation turned to tour memories, Toshiya joked about always being caught in the rain during interviews, earning him the nickname “rain man”. Meanwhile, Kyo casually pulled out a mitarashi dango and began snacking, to the amusement of the audience. When asked about his own memories, he complained about the “burnt to a crisp” yakitori abroad. The MC then asked, “Are you eating dango right now?”, Kyo replied, “Mitarashi dango. Dango and mitarashi dango are totally different”, before finishing his snack.

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Director Hamasaki praised the band’s ability to balance their commanding stage presence with their off-stage personalities, which he aimed to capture in the film. Guitarist Kaoru emphasised the care taken in the film’s sound mix, and drummer Shinya encouraged fans to appreciate the interaction and dialogue between band members.

As the event wrapped up, Kyo hid behind the film’s promotional signboard, waving to the crowd before cheekily raising his middle fingers.

Fans can watch highlights of the event in a video uploaded by Japanese movie news outlet Cinema Today on their official YouTube channel.

DIR EN GREY will hold 12 more ‘Zankyou no Ketsumyaku’ stage greeting events across Japan, starting with ‘mode of Withering to death.’ from 24th to 30th September, and concluding with ‘mode of UROBOROS’ from 8th to 17th October. For more information, head to the DIR EN GREY official website.

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‘DIR EN GREY LIVE FILM Zankyou no Ketsumyaku’ Stage Greeting Tour Schedule

mode of Withering to death.

24th September (Tue) – Niigata, AEON Cinema Niigata Minami
25th September (Wed) – Gunma, AEON Cinema Takasaki
25th September (Wed) – Hiroshima, 109 Cinemas
26th September (Thu) – Okayama, AEON Cinema Okayama
29th September (Sun) – Kanagawa, Yokohama Burg 13
29th September (Sun) – Shizuoka, TOHO Cinemas Lalaport Iwata
30th September (Mon) – Aichi, Midland Square Cinema

mode of UROBOROS

8th October (Tue) – Saitama, MOVIX Saitama
8th October (Tue) – Miyagi, MOVIX Sendai
9th October (Wed) – Chiba, United Cinemas Makuhari
14th October (Mon, Holiday) – Nagano, AEON Cinema Matsumoto
16th October (Wed) – Kyoto, AEON Cinema Kyoto Katsuragawa
17th October (Thu) – Osaka, Osaka Station City Cinema

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