biogRaphy ~ 2008

ACT III: SPREADING THE REVOLUTION

In January 2008 Sherow Artist Society (Versailles label owned by KAMIJO himself) collaborated with the Osaka-based label UNDER CODE PRODUCTION. Bands from both record companies toured Japan together and recorded an omnibus album titled CROSS GATE 2008～chaotic sorrow～. Versailles contribution was a group composition titled SFORZANDO.
 
In the meantime the band started working on the debut full-length and introduced three new songs through a promotional single titled A Noble was Born in Chaos. It was a limited release sold exclusively at concerts since the self-sponsored event Tokyo Metropolis, held at Shibuya-AX on March 19th.
    
In late March and early April Versailles toured Europe for the first time, having concerts in five different countries and playing in front of more than 2,000 people overall. Labelmates Matenrou Opera 摩天楼オペラ were chosen as support act for the whole tour. The most succesful night was  the sold-out concert held in Paris at La Locomotive, in front of more than 700 people.

Versailles was then invited to play at the hide memorial summit concert that took place at Ajinomoto Stadium on March 3rd. The band played in front of nearly 30,000 people and the performance has been also aired on TV.
Three days later Versailles held their first, sold-out oneman live at Daikanyama UNIT titled Bara no Matsuei 薔薇の末裔.
 
On May 30th Versailles played in the United States for the first time as the main guests of the Dallas-based anime convention A-KON. A sold-out oneman performance followed on June 3rd at the Knitting Factory in Los Angeles.

ACT iv: philharmonic quintet

Summer saw the band touring Japan with several bands in order to support the release of the first full-length album NOBLE on July 16th. "NOBLE" is also the name of Versailles mobile phone fanclub, which was established on June 24th.
 
At the Tokyo Metropolis II events held on August 16th and 17th Versailles announced that they have have been forced to change their name in the United States due to a legal issue with another American artist called Versailles. As they thought that the band name doesn't belong to the members only but also to the fans, everyone could suggest a new name sending an e-mail to Sherow Artist Society.
 
In the meantime Versailles had a twoman performance with the UNDER CODE PRODUCTION band chariots at OSAKA BIG CAT on September 13th. A memorial split single featuring a brand new song titled PRINCE was given as a present to everyone who attended the event. In addition, KAMIJO announced that the new name was going to be revealed on the official website on midnight.

The new name was Versailles -Philharmonic Quintet-, and was chosen combining various suggestions received by fans. It means that even if Versailles is made of five people, when they play live are joined by the fans and become a big philharmonic.
 
The name was supposed to be used for concerts, releases and merchandise in the United States, but it's always written in the band logo both in Japan and Europe. In any case, everyone is still calling them simply "Versailles", and since then all the fans use to shout "We are Versailles" on concerts before the encore.
 
The same day of the band name change announcement, the new song PRINCE has been made available for free download on various websites and released as a bonus track in the second press of NOBLE.
 
The first performance in America after the name change took place at ANIME USA in Arlington on October 11th 2008. A oneman concert took place in New York two days later, and it's considered by KAMIJO to be one of the best concerts of his whole career in music.
 

ACT v: CHATEAU DE VERSAILLES

After coming back to Japan, Versailles had their first national oneman tour titled CHATEAU DE VERSAILLES in November and planned the release of their first maxi single PRINCE & PRINCESS.
It was the very first release by Versailles to top the ORICON indies chart and enter the top 20 best selling Japanese singles chart at #16.
 
The final date of the CHATEAU DE VERSAILLES tour was a sold-out oneman concert held at Shibuya C.C. Lemon Hall (previously known as Shibuya Koukaidou 渋谷公会堂) in front of more than 2,000 people. New costumes were introduced to the fans and an important announcement was made: in June 2009, two years after Versailles debut, the band would go major worldwide and sign a contract with WARNER MUSIC JAPAN. The whole concert was recorded for the CHATEAU DE VERSAILLES live DVD.

© Sherow Artist Society All rights reserved.

Contents by Loire. Layout by Lucifer.

CONCERTS CHRONOLOGY

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Event Tour
「CROSS GATE 2008~chaotic sorrow~」

2008.01.05 Shibuya O-WEST
2008.01.06 Shibuya O-WEST
2008.01.11 Nagoya ell. FITS ALL

2008.01.12 OSAKA AM HALL

2008.01.16 Shibuya O-WEST

2008.01.18 Takadanobaba AREA

2008.02.17 Yousei no Tani (fan meeting)

2008.03.02 Takadanobaba AREA

2008.03.10 OSAKA MUSE

2008.03.11 Nagoya ell.FITS ALL

2008.03.12 Shibuya O-WEST

2008.03.19 Shibuya-AX

European Twoman Tour
「Oushuu Tanbi Kakumei 欧州耽美革命」

2008.03.30 Stockholm Klubben

2008.03.31 Helsinki Tavastia

2008.04.02 Frankfurt Nachtleben

2008.04.03 Munchen Georg-Elser Halle

2008.04.06 Paris La Locomotive

2008.04.08 Barcelona Sala Salamandra

2008.04.23 OSAKA MUSE

2008.04.25 Nagoya ell.FITS ALL

2008.05.03 Ajinomoto Stadium

2008.05.06 Daikanyama UNIT (oneman)

2008.05.07 Shibuya O-WEST

First US Tour
「Sentiment of Genesis」

2008.05.30 Dallas Adams Mark Hotel

2008.06.03 LA Knitting Factory (oneman)

 
2008.06.15 Ebisu LIQUID ROOM
2008.06.22 Meguro Rokumeikan
2008.06.24 Ebisu LIQUID ROOM
2008.06.27 HOLIDAY SHINJUKU
   

Event Tour
「CROSS GATE 2008~The Coloured World~」

2008.07.11 Shibuya O-WEST
2008.07.12 Nagoya ell.FITS ALL
2008.07.13 OSAKA BIG CAT

Event Tour
「A Noble was Born in Chaos」

2008.07.20 Sendai HOOK
2008.07.22 Sapporo KRAPS HALL
2008.07.27 Yokohama SUNPHONIX HALL
2008.07.30 Fukuoka DRUM Be-1

2008.08.01 OSAKA MUSE

2008.08.02 Shinjuku LOFT PLUS ONE (talk)

2008.08.04 Shibuya O-EAST

2008.08.05 Odaiba Bouken Ou

2008.08.16 Shibuya O-EAST

2008.08.17 Shibuya O-EAST

2008.08.28 Nagoya ell.FITS ALL (oneman)

2008.08.29 OSAKA MUSE (oneman)

2008.08.30 Osaka jou yagai ongakudou

2008.09.01 Shibuya O-WEST

2008.09.07 Death trap-ID (instore)

2008.09.07 Shibuya KABUTO (instore)

2008.09.13 Osaka BIG CAT

2008.09.15 Hibiya Yagai Daiongakudou

Second US Tour
「Sentiment of Genesis」

2008.10.11 Arlington, ANIME USA 2008

2008.11.13 New York Knitting Factory (onem)
 

2008.10.22 Shibuya O-WEST

First Oneman Tour
「CHATEAU DE VERSAILLES」

2008.11.08 Sendai JUNK BOX

2008.11.16 Sapporo KRAPS HALL

2008.11.20 Kyoto MUSE HALL

2008.11.23 Fukuoka DRUM Be-1

2008.11.28 Nagoya ell.FITS ALL

2008.11.30 OSAKA MUSE

2008.12.23 Shibuya C.C. Lemon Hall
 
 

RELEASE CHRONOLOGY

2008.01.31 CROSS GATE 2008 (limited)
2009.03.19 A Noble was Born in Chaos
2008.03.25 CROSS GATE 2008 (regular)
2008.07.16 NOBLE
2008.09.13 ART OF "PROPAGANDA"
2008.09.30 Lyrical Sympathy (reissue)
2008.09.30 NOBLE (reissue)
2008.10.15 Philharmonic Quintet (book)
2008.10.21 NOBLE (US edition)
2008.12.10 PRINCE & PRINCESS
 

OTHER APPEARANCES

Radio
2008.09.27 KISS FM89.9 "VISUAL FACTORY"
2008.11.12 FM Yokohama "Dancing Groove Pop On The Radio)

TV

Magazines