omg.
How to do the music thing: You play the thing, get better at the thing, be inspired by whatever thing you want, and do your thing.
How to handle not liking a thing: Don't listen to or care about the thing.
There's really sh*tty japanese musicians, there's really sh*tty American musicians, Candadian musicians, Chinese musicians, cat musicians and dog musicians. Just like when it comes to races, there's shitty people in every country, every state, every city, every race, but there's good people too.
Sure, the bands might not be good, but i'm pretty sure the japanese bands weren't that great when they first started out either. NEWS FLASH: NO ONE IS JUST BORN WITH IT, IT'S NOT MAYBELLINE. Unfortunately, the STYLE (visually) of Visual kei that we see now and influences most foreigners to be "VK" is more popular in Japan, and I feel that's the only thing one really needs to define as "VK" or "VK inspired" since music from the visual kei scene (as mentioned before) is composed of several different mainstream and not so mainstream genres. Literally any popular music genre is an evolved form of another genre (which is probably evolved from another and another and another....), nothing is original. There's not a single note or beat that hasn't been created, played, and over used in music (PERIOD.)
I think the main problem (which was dully mentioned early) is that foreign vk inspired musicians are young, inexperienced, and simply rushing in to things. But at least they have something to look up to.
You don't have to be any race to do music. Music is about expression and just because you don't like the way someone wrote their lyrics doesn't mean everyone else is going to follow in suit.
And yes, don't you dare say it's not because of this reason: Foreign fans are set on the belief that if they're not Japanese it's not worth my time and it sucks. Even if the band is good. I've known a few good western vk-influenced bands that sounds 10 times better than indie shit in the vk scene in japan, but no one looks at them twice because they're not Japanese.
I remember reading an interview from Jimi (Originally in chemical pictures) and he had stated that the Japanese fanbase were very open to him and very excited and welcoming, most of the hate mail he had received was from foreigners!
I will gladly search to the end of the earth and back for that link.... actually no...
I'll find it now. (30 min searching frenzy....)
LOOK
and in case you don't want to read through the whole interview to find it:
Jimi: I don't get any criticism anymore (or at least I don't see them!) but in over three years I have had only one Japanese person say anything even remotely mean. I got a message on my old Chemical Pictures Japanese blog from a Japanese girl that said, “Go back to your country!” which is just laughable, harmless xenophobia. The vast majority of criticism I received was from western people. They said I was ugly, they said I was an idiot or a jerk, they were all-in-all highly against the idea of a non-Japanese in a Japanese band. The truth is that I am not the first, not by a long shot. Ben from the old Chaos System, the brothers from MONKEY MAJIK, Shen from Def Tech, and Jero. So there's precedence. Why was it different when it was visual kei, and a more visible visual kei band?
So that's what I think. Jimi is actually a good musician though, but even so it was because he wasn't Japanese that a lot of foreigners didn't accept him :/ and i swear to lord jeebus if you say this irrelevant you are incorrect because it so is. >:'[ this post is intended for heated debate and not arguing or insults so please keep it mature <3
Edit: On a side note about vocal talent, there's so many aspects on how to judge whether or not someone is a talented singer or not. I've heard vocalists that can hit amazing ranges and hold solid notes while flawlessly staying in key, on the technical side, they're a great vocalist, then you have the ones who just go balls out and sing whatever and hope they hit one correct note, and some people dig that uncontrolled sound (which a lot of vk bands have, sorry not sorry), then you have the medium of someone who has a pretty good technique, stamina, and emotion etc etc. and then you get in to actual vocal styles.... i think it's all based on personal preference... for the most part.
