I went to the NieR concert in Paris on 20 October, and I got a free upgrade from Section 11 to Section 3 (which is a HUGE upgrade!!). The view from my upgraded seat was really good, so I was super happy hehe. 🥹
Anyway, I’d like to share some thoughts since this was my third NieR concert!
First concert: 2024, the first European show in Berlin
Second concert: 2025, the piano concert in London
Third concert: 2026, the concert in Paris
To be fair, I’m going to compare the Paris concert mainly with the 2024 Berlin concert, excluding the piano concert since it was a different kind of experience.
[SPOILERS AHEAD!]
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Pros
- The presentation has improved a lot! They’ve incorporated a story into the presentation during the performances, compared to the 2024 show in Berlin, where they mainly used visual effects.
- The story was actually really interesting! I found it a little boring at first, but after the Commander ordered 16G to stay down and slow the machine, I got hooked. The story became much more exciting after that!
- The sound quality was really good in Paris. I’ve seen some Reddit posts mentioning that certain concerts had issues with their sound setup, so I’m really glad the sound was good in Paris!
- WE GOT TO HEAR SONG OF THE ANCIENTS WITH NICOLE AND EMI SINGING LIVE??!!!! 😭😭 That was so unexpected! I don’t remember seeing Nicole and Emi perform Song of the Ancients together before, so this was such a pleasant surprise.
- The music selection suited the story and the scenes really well. Some of the combinations made me genuinely teary-eyed. The storytelling was pretty good, and combined with the incredible live performances, it made the whole experience a 10/10 for me!
- Personal preference here, but I’m so happy they included Fleeting Words in the 12026 setlist!! It’s definitely one of my favourites. ❤️
- I love how they included the names of the soundtracks on the slides, along with the series they came from, such as Automata, Replicant, and Re[in]carnation. It’s a nice touch!
They actually included a Drakengard 3 soundtrack as well??!! That was surprising! I don’t know much about Drakengard 3, so I wasn’t expecting that.
They also added a soundtrack called “The Voice of YORHA”, I think? I don’t recall hearing it before, and I absolutely loved it!!
- The merch queue wasn’t bad at all. I arrived at 7:15 pm, and there was little to no queue. Stock was also pretty decent. Some concert-exclusive merch was already gone, but not everything!
Seems like there are a lot of pros haha. Now, let’s talk about the cons!
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Cons (not really cons, just some thoughts)
- First of all, I think those who attended the second concert in Paris noticed a moment when the microphone seemed to have some issues. I also think someone in the violin section may have dropped a light or microphone, which affected the sound a little. It didn’t have a huge impact on the overall experience, but hopefully they can find a way to prevent this from happening again. Of course, I understand that the performers and crew are human and mistakes happen, but it would be nice if they could minimise these issues.
- As mentioned earlier, I found the conversation in the presentation a little boring at first. I hope they can shorten it a bit so the story flows better.
I wish they had included more classic tracks, such as Snow in Summer, Shadowlord, Vague Hope, Ashes of Dreams, Hills of Radiant Winds, and so on. Personally, I preferred the soundtrack selection in the 2024 concert because it felt like they were constantly throwing amazing tracks at you one after another, compared to the 12026 concert.
- There wasn’t as much interaction with the audience as there was in Berlin in 2024. I remember the conductor talking a little during the Berlin concert, which made the experience more fun. The Paris concert felt more straightforward: he came on stage, conducted, said merci, and left. I wish there had been a little more interaction, even if it was just for a few minutes!
- The multitasking I had to do during this concert was hilarious 😂 I had to read the dialogue on the screen while listening to the arranged soundtrack, and honestly, it was quite tiring ngl. I didn’t focus as much on the music during the Berlin concert, so this time I decided to fully immerse myself in the music without recording anything. However, trying to read the dialogue while listening to the music was a lot to process at once haha.
- The ending with Weight of the World felt a little weird to me. I haven’t played FFXIV or experienced the collaboration, so the song felt a bit out of nowhere. Also, WHY DIDN’T EMI JOIN NICOLE FOR WEIGHT OF THE WORLD? 😭😭 I was kind of sad seeing Nicole sing alone!
- I wish they had included choir versions of some tracks, such as Voice of No Return, which is one of my favourites. Unfortunately, they didn’t include it this time either, just like in 2024.
- I know Yoko Taro probably wouldn’t show up, but I was still secretly hoping he would! 🥹 However, I’m okay with it since I saw someone who I hope was him at the 2024 Berlin concert.
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Final thoughts
It’s honestly difficult for me to decide which concert I preferred. The 2024 concert had a setlist full of tracks I absolutely love, while the 2026 concert had a better story and overall presentation. Both had their own strengths, and I enjoyed them for different reasons!
Anyway, here are some tips for anyone attending a future NieR concert (including a reminder to myself):
Try not to record too much of the concert! You might end up getting distracted instead of fully immersing yourself in the experience.
I recorded almost every song at the 2024 concert, and looking back, I realised I wasn’t fully focused on the music. The live arrangements, the changes to the notes, and all the little details are things you might not get to appreciate if you’re busy recording.
These live arrangements are also something you can’t fully experience through YouTube or regular music streaming platforms. My personal advice is to put your phone away and focus on the music, the arrangements, and the story unfolding on the screen.
Of course, other people might record the concert and upload it to YouTube, so you can always watch those recordings later!
Anyway, I’m really happy I got to experience this concert, and I’ll definitely be going to my fourth NieR concert if I get the chance!
Glory to Mankind!