biogRaphy ~ 2009

act vi: THE FRAGMENT COLLECTORS

After a couple of instore events and a fanclub-limited concert, Versailles had their last indies tour "The Fragment Collectors" from March to May 2009. They came back to the same cities of the previous tour and also played in cities like Hiroshima and Niigata for the very first time.
 
Before entering the major scene, Versailles thought they had to pay tribute to the indies visual kei scene and arranged a series of live events all over Japan in late May and early June called "Kakumei no Anthology 革命のアンソロジー" (Anthology of the Revolution).
 
All events were free and tickets were given as a present to people who bought a visual kei CD or DVD at the music shops that were collaborating with the initiative. Each event featured several visual kei bands and was hosted by one or two members from Versailles. The band itself appeared as a secret act at the concerts held in Osaka, Nagoya and Ikebukuro.
The free DVD sampler Kakumei no Anthology was given to the audience.
  
The hall chosen for the very last indies concert was the same one that hosted the band's debut: Meguro Rokumeikan. Considering that the previous tour final took place in front of more than 2,000 at Shibuya C.C. Lemon Hall and that Meguro Rokumeikan has a capacity of 200 people, the band decided to arrange a series of five consecutive concerts from June 17th to June 21st.
 
The first concert was limited to non-Japanese fans, the second was limited to male fans and the third was limited to female fans. The last two nights, titled "The Semi-Final" and "The Final", were open to everyone and tickets sold out one minute after being put on sale.
 
On June 24th 2009, exactly two years after their first live, Versailles officially went major with the release of the ASCENDEAD MASTER single. The three limited editions featured a different fragment of a short movie featuring Versailles and directed by Kinoshita Yusuke.
 
Right after the release of the new single, Q&A panels and handshake sessions were held in Tokyo and Osaka for the people who bought all the limited editions. At the panels it was announced that Versailles would work on their second full-length album and take a break from live concerts until further notice. A wine glass commemorating the major debut was presented to all the people who attended the events.
 

act vIi: A BITTER FAREWELL

In mid-July it was announced that the band had been invited to play at the Fuji TV anniversary event Odaiba Bouken-ou as special guests on August 11th 2001. In the meantime, a secret performance at the visual kei festival  SCUBER DIVE '09 on August 3rd was planned.
 
However, one day before the event it was announced that Jasmine You had stopped all his musical activities since mid-June due to his poor physical condition and would not be attending the concert. No further details were given and the fans were asked not to send inquiries about it, but it was known that his condition was so critical that he couldn't even take part to the recording sessions anymore.
 
In the first hours of August 10th, a shocking announcement reporting that Jasmine You had passed away the previous day was published on the official website. Again, no further information had been given. In the meantime, all the previously planned activities and the new album release were cancelled until further notice.
 
On August 17th, the remaining members of Versailles posted a message on the official homepage, stating that they would not give up the dream the five of them had chosen after their major debut: playing at the Nippon Budoukan live hall.

"The place we headed to after visiting him at the hospital was the Nippon Budoukan.
The five of us who could make the dream of having a concert at Shibuya C.C. Lemon Hall and have a major debut come true, had chosen that stage as our next objective.
That day, the moment the four of us went up the stairs of the Budoukan, it suddenly began to rain in large drops.
It felt like he had come to this place for us.

We promised that we would certainly stand on this stage someday. It was our most important wish, wasn't it?

After what happened, we can't think about anything yet, but we can't give up the dream the five of us talked about.
Even if our tears can't stop yet, we believe that someday, he'll shine down upon us."

The following day Jasmine You's official blog was updated by his family with two messages for all the fans who supported him. According to these messages, a funeral procession with all Jasmine's friends and bandmates was held in Tokyo. Right after that his family brought him back to his hometown in Aichi prefecture. The cremation took place on August 12th in Nagoya. It was reported that Jasmine looked beautiful and peaceful as always, wearing his HIZAKI grace project outfit and his everyday makeup.
 
All fans could pay tribute to Jasmine You by offering him roses at a farewell meeting arranged by the band on September 22 at Koukeisha Youga Kaikan. A small exhibition about Jasmine You was also held inside the meeting place.
 
Versailles temporarily resumed activities on October 25th with a short performance at the first edition of V-ROCK FESTIVAL '09. That day Yo (from the Sherow Artist Society band Matenrou Opera 摩天楼オペラ) played as support bassist, and Jasmine You's bass was put on stage with a light shining on it.
On December 7th Versailles performed for the first time at the NHK TV show MUSIC JAPAN. The performance was aired the following month.
 
However, the real comeback of the band happened in 2010 with the relase of a new album and a world tour.

© Sherow Artist Society All rights reserved.

Contents by Loire. Layout by Lucifer.

CONCERT CHRONOLOGY

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2009.01.02 Shibuya O-EAST (event)
2009.02.14 Harajuku La Foret (instore)
2009.02.14 Shibuya Club Asia (fanclub live)

2009.03.08 DEATH TRAP-ID  (instore)

Last Oneman Indies Tour
「The Fragment Collectors」

2009.03.26 Yokohama SUNPHONIX HALL

2009.03.29 Sendai JUNK BOX

2009.04.01 Sapporo KRAPS HALL

2009.04.26 Niigata JUNK BOX

2009.04.29 KYOTO MUSE

2009.05.01 Hiroshima NAMIKI JUNCTION

2009.05.05 Fukuoka DRUM Be-1

2009.05.07 OSAKA MUSE
2009.05.09 Nagoya BOTTOM LINE

2009.05.19 Shinkiba STUDIO COAST (event)

Free Event Tour
「Kakumei no Anthology 革命のアンソロジー」

2009.05.18 Sapporo KRAPS HALL (host)

2009.05.20 Sendai HOOK (host)

2009.05.22 Shibuya BOXX (host)

2009.05.26 Shinjuku RUIDO K4 (host)

2009.06.08 OSAKA MUSE (event)

2009.06.09 Nagoya ell.FITS ALL (event)

2009.06.13 Ikebukuro CYBER (event)

2009.06.16 Takadanobaba AREA (host)

Oneman Tour

「Indies Last Tour in Rokumeikan 5 DAYS」

2009.06.17 Meguro Rokumeikan

2009.06.18 Meguro Rokumeikan

2009.06.19 Meguro Rokumeikan

2009.06.20 Meguro Rokumeikan

2009.06.21 Meguro Rokumeikan
 
Major debut memorial events
2009.06.27 Osaka Midou Kaikan Daihooru

2009.06.28 Shinagawa THE GRAND HALL

 
2009.08.03 duo MUSIC EXCHANGE (event)
2009.10.25 Makuhari MESSE (event)
2009.12.27 NHK Hall (event)
2009.12.27 Yakult Hall (guest)
 

RELEASE CHRONOLOGY

2009.05.18 Kakumei no Anthology

2009.05.20 CHATEAU DE VERSAILLES
2009.05.20 HISTORY OF THE OTHER SIDE
2009.06.24 ASCENDEAD MASTER
 

OTHER APPEARANCES

Radio

TV

Magazines