After two sold out London shows last Wednesday and Thursday, Japanese rockers Dir En Grey are overjoyed at how well they've been received in the UK.
"Genuinely, I am so happy to have made our first UK shows a reality," guitarist Kaoru told Kerrang! "We've been hoping to play in the UK for a long time. To be honest, I expected a mixed reaction from the crowds, as people in the big cities are usually very harsh towards newcomers in the scene. But, we are so impressed to see positive reactions from the crowds. It was very surprising for us that there were so many fans who were waiting for us some days before the show, and spending hours to come from other cities."
Despite both shows selling out in advance, the queue for Wednesday night's show at the Islington Academy started on MONDAY MORNING, with the majority of the queue joining on Tuesday evening to ensure they could be close to the front. The chants for Dir en grey started well before show time, with fans screaming and shrieking as the band took the stage until well into their set. A number of fans became so overwhelmed they had to be treated by Islington Academy medics.
"I didn't expect we would sell out the first show, and I never thought the second show would also sell out," Kaoru continues. "We all were surprised. It's really an honour to play in front of such overflowing audience in the country even though this is our first time here."
Many fans could not get into the shows to see them due to the overwhelming demand. On their plans to return to the UK, Kaoru had this to say:
"Honestly, no plans officially decided yet. But many people involved and fans told us we should come back as soon as possible as well as we ourselves hope so. At the moment I cannot tell you any specific plan, but we will try not to keep UK fans waiting for us for a long time."
The band's new album, 'The Marrow Of A Bone', is out now on Gan-Shin Records.
