The Gazette (band)

Japanese band

The Gazette (ガゼット, gazetto, typeset as the GazettE) is a Japanese rock band. They are a part of the visual kei movement.[1] The band formed in early 2002 and is currently signed to PS Company and King Records.

Members change

Former members

Biography change

In March of 2002, Ruki, Uruha, and Reita (all former band mates), and Aoi and Yune (also former band mates) formed a band under the name Gazette.[2] Originally signed to Matina, they released their first single, "Wakaremichi", and a video release in April. By September they had released two more singles and another video, headlining a show for the first time in October.

In early 2003, Yune decided to leave the band, and he was replaced by Kai. Shortly after, they signed with the PS Company label, and in May released their first EP, Cockayne Soup. They started their first tour, with the band Hanamuke, and along with the tour, the bands collaborated on two songs. A second tour followed with the band Vidoll, and the bands were featured together on the November issue of Cure, a magazine focusing on Visual Kei bands.[3]

In early December they played a co-headlining show with Deadman. On December 28 they performed at Fool's Mate magazine's Beauti-fool's Fest which was later released on DVD.

On January 16, 2004 they recorded a solo performance at the Shibuya-AX, which was released on DVD as Tokyo saihan ~Judgement Day~.[4] On March 30, 2004 they released their Madara mini-album, which reached #2 on the Oricon Indie Charts. Madara was followed in May by a companion DVD, which included six music videos and an in-the-studio documentary. The same month, Gazette was featured in Shoxx magazine's Expect Rush III, a catalogue of independent Visual Kei artists.[5] A second live DVD, Heisei Banka, was released in August.[2] During September and October they toured with fellow PS Company bands Kra and BIS. Their debut album, Disorder, was released in October, and made it to the top 5 of the indies Oricon Daily Charts.

The band spent the remainder of 2004 and 2005 touring extensively, releasing Gama (another mini album) in August.

In 2005 the band released their first major label single, Cassis, in December.[6]

Starting 2006 with a name change—from Japanese characters to a romanized script—they released Nil, their second full-length album, on February 8, 2006,[2] and embarked on another Japanese tour, ending at the venue Nippon Budokan.[7] That July, The Gazette performed at the Beethovenhalle in Bonn, Germany, their first show outside of Asia. The concerts were arranged in conjunction with the AnimagiC anime and manga convention.[8]

Three more singles were released followed by another studio album, Stacked Rubbish on July 4, 2007. It reached #2 on the Oricon charts within a day from the release. The album debut was followed by a promotional tour from July through September. In October, The Gazette started their first European tour stopping England, Finland, France, and Germany.

A new single called "Guren" will be released on February 13, 2008.

Discography change

Albums & EPs change

Year Title Type Chart positions
2003 Cockayne Soup EP
2003 Akuyuukai EP
2003 Super Margarita EP
2003 Hankou Seimeibun EP
2004 Madara EP 2
2004 Disorder Studio album 3
2005 Gama EP
2006 Nil Studio album 3
2006 Dainihon Itangeishateki... Compilation album
2007 Stacked Rubbish Studio album 2
2009 DIM Studio album
2011 TOXIC Studio album

Singles change

Live Distributions & other releases change

  • "Yougenkyou"(妖幻鏡moon) (25 December 2002, Eternal)
  • "Kaleidoscope" (1 May 2003, PS Company)
  • "Hanamuke & Gazette live"(男尻ツアーファイナル) (6 May 2003, PS Company)
  • "Jyuyon sai no naifu" / 14 sai no knife(十四歳のナイフ) (11 September 2004, PS Company)
  • "Chigire"(チギレ) (August 2005, PS Company)
  • "Kare uta"(枯詩) (20 October 2005, PS Company)

Videography change

  • -Matina- Final Prelude live (10 April 2003) (Omnibus)
  • Tokyo saihan ~Judgement Day~ (東京裁判 ~JUDGMENT DAY~) (28 April 2004, PS Company)
  • Madara (斑蠡~MADARA~) (26 May 2004, PS Company)
  • Heisei Banka (平成挽歌) (25 August 2004)
  • Hakkiyagyou (百鬼家行) (1 October 2004) live-only single
  • Peace & Smile Carnival Tour 2005 (~笑顔でファッキュー~) Live DVD (2006) (with Miyavi, Kagrra, Kra, Alice Nine)
  • Standing Tour 2005 Final Maximum Royal Disorder at 2005.4.17 Shibuya Kokaido Live (STANDING TOUR 2005 FINAL「M.R.D」at 2005.4.17 渋谷公会堂) (6 July 2005)
  • Film Bug I (7 June 2006, PS Company)
  • Standing Tour 2006 Nameless Liberty. Six Guns... -Tour Final- at Budokan (6 September 2006)
  • Tour 2006-2007 Decomposition Beauty—Final "Meaningless Art That People Showed" at Yokohama Arena (13 June 2007)

References change

  1. Shoxx Vol 106 June 2007 pg 40-45
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Gazette's page at Grass Thread[permanent dead link] Retrieved Aug 19 2007
  3. Cure Vol 2 Nov 2003
  4. Gazette's page at Grass Thread[permanent dead link]
  5. Expect Rush III
  6. King Records Official Site Retrieved Aug 16 2007
  7. Gazette at the Top JAME News Archived 2009-05-05 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved Aug 19 2007
  8. Gazette in Germany This Summer JAME News Archived 2009-05-05 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on Aug 19 2007

Other websites change