jaymee

Having all sorts of feels ;A;
 

Kaiki (ex. Silver-Rose, ROUAGE, WITH SEXY), arguably the most important figure in the 90s Nagoya kei scene and founder of the indie labels noir and its successor Soleil.
 
 

I knew I would get shit for not adding my fam on Facebook, but I have them on a special filter and have unfollowed most of them because I don't need to see their religious or conservative/Trump posts. All of my family members seriously know zip about politics or anything they post about, will readily admit it even, but are still 100% convinced their opinions/beliefs are totally sound.

Otherwise, my mom likes to tag me in random stuff she thinks I'll like or hijack a post I made to compliment me and it's really annoying. I've told her to stop a few times and she will for a couple of months but then start up again. I'm too lazy to make a separate Facebook though.
 
I don't even know why the other family members even added me since they never bother to visit when I visit the States. Admittedly I get some satisfaction about them having to bask in how happy my Godless, "heathen" lifestyle is while they're all stuck in miserable, dead-end relationships, broke, and consider going to Olive Garden a fancy outing.
 
My husband and I just tag each other in memes and cute cat gifs/vids. His parents don't use Facebook that I'm aware of. Even if they did, neither of them speak enough English to understand what I post.
 
 

I also want to add that girls that like VK are usually not seen as "desirable" by your average Japanese guy. The general image of a VK fan is crazy, mentally unstable, unemployed, and in some cases, someone who works in the mizushobai (hostess, escort, or sexual service) business. And to some extent, these stereotypes are not completely off as there are a lot of fans who cut their wrists, were/are mentally unstable, were/are involved in mizushobai because they can't hold down a regular job and/or doing mizushobai allows the to go to lives and make enough money to support their hobbies/lifestyle.
 
I feel like a lot of the gyao fans either a.) were/are VK fans from a young age, b.)were/are particularly interested in rock or the history of rock and this particular scene, c.) were/are involved in alternative punk or goth fashion and the two kind of go hand in hand, d.) a mix or all of the above. You also have the instance of say, a band like Golden Bomber, where the members were originally hosts/involved in the mizushobai business before debuting in the VK scene, although I'd say this extends more to members of VK bands than their gyao fans. Some gyao fans be looking pretty rough sometimes...

As a Japanese  who lived in Japan for 1/3 of my life, I'll have to say it's not that  Japanese men dislike it but it's BY FAR more popular amongst girls.  The reason being is Japan is quite narrow minded (yeah hard to believe isn't it?) when it comes to a persons appearance or interests...and VK is generally classified as overboard.  Guys just won't be driven to the extent where they want to be in a Vkei band or dress up VK outside just because they're interested .  Not to mention (I guess this applies for all countries but) it's 100% understandable that a straight guy feels off seeing guys in heavy makeup and flashy clothes singing heavy music.  Therefore it's natural that the majority of Japanese fans are girls...in fact I don't have a single Japanese guy friend that's very into VK in comparison to 30+ girls. 

I guess in the end the music itself is likeable, but guys who like it are well aware of the negative views they recieve so they don't even bother with anything VK. Perhaps if the music was more mainstream like in the 90s/early 2000s then the fanbase would be more even amongst genders. 

This. That shit is WEIRD AF. To be honest I find any kind of extreme fandom weird and kinda childish. Not that it's an exclusivity of fans of japanese stuff, but they sure get top scores at it. It can't be that healthy to dedicate so much money, energy and time to a hobby like that...
 
But yeah, the gya culture is indeed what sustains the VK environment. But that's just because VK does not have a clearly defined purpose nowadays. The movement was created with an idea that made sense at the time, to create a space for expression, to counter the mainstream culture of the time, and it was necessary. It happened all over the world, there was Punk, Glam, Tropicalia, each with its differences, but it was there. You can bet X, Luna Sea, Kuroyume are bands with 50/50 fans. Today, there's no need for that. What does VK bring to the table? What's the message in 2017? There's none, it's a scene that exists sorely to fuel these girls/fans idealizations and desires, in exchange of their money. So those foundations are so set in stone, I don't really see it changing at all.

I figured it would be cool to have a thread like this for people just starting out going to lives, or maybe even some of you veterans out there that are always trying to make the most of your time and/or maximize efficiency getting in and out.
 
Hack #1: Getting Good Ticket Numbers
 

Hack #2: Getting a Locker
 
 
Hack #3: Have Everything Ready
 

Hack #4: How to Bring Your Own Drink/Keep It Out of the Way
 
 
Hack #5: Buying Goods
 
 
Hack #6: Trying to See Better if You’re Short
 
 
Hack #7: Showing Your Spirit
 
 
Hack #8: Making gya friends
 
 
Hack #9: Saving Money on Transportation Costs
 
 
Hack #10: Finding Cheap/Close Accommodation
 
 
Hack #11: Buying Tickets
 
 
Hack #12: Bringing/Giving a Gift
 
 
If you know of more tricks, please add to the list by replying! 
 
EDITED 5/23/2018 with suggestions from the replies  Also, thanks mod @platyfor the sticky!

Generally bigger bands will have more events decided ahead of time because they need to play at certain venues that may require reserving well in advance, and/or doing staggered ticket sales for fan club first, pre-reserve, general, etc. sales. Smaller bands may have a more “on the fly” schedule or only announce a month or two in advance.
 
Re: ticket purchases @Duwangpretty much covered the basics. If you aren’t currently in Japan, and the live may sell out before you get here, I would consider having a shopping service get the tickets in advance and mail them to you or a friend in Japan.

Generally bigger bands will have more events decided ahead of time because they need to play at certain venues that may require reserving well in advance, and/or doing staggered ticket sales for fan club first, pre-reserve, general, etc. sales. Smaller bands may have a more “on the fly” schedule or only announce a month or two in advance.
 
Re: ticket purchases @Duwangpretty much covered the basics. If you aren’t currently in Japan, and the live may sell out before you get here, I would consider having a shopping service get the tickets in advance and mail them to you or a friend in Japan.

I went ahead and did the romaji/translation. It's a pretty straightforward song, I feel.
 
Virge - Nimaijita (Double-Tongued)
 
Romaji
 
English
 
Notes:
1. I usually denote lyrics written in katakana in all caps, but since everything besides the kanji were written in katakana, I decided not to. But for non-Japanese speakers, I’d like to note that writing this way emphasizes the feeling or message of the song, just like writing in all caps does in English.
2. There are various parts where I went for a stylized translation over a literal one, most notably going with “spare me your sanctimony” instead of something more literal for “gizensha usero”.
3. @Peace Heavy mk II's translation of the title is just as valid, however I kept it as "double-tongued" because this is literally the way it's written in kanji.
 
As always, comments or suggestions welcome.

@Yukii_NishimuraKinda late, but in case anyone else wanted a translation of this:
 
Hentai, hentai!
Suddenly we’re in the minority now
Hentai, hentai!
That’s right, you’re also in the minority now
Hentai, hentai!
Suddenly we’re in the minority now
Hentai, hentai!
Sooner or later you’ll be in the minority, too
 
Not letting anyone break me down, without getting hurt, nobody can save me from the future where I’ll sing it out
Even if it feels like people are walking over me, or that they think I’d be better off dead, I’ll keep on surviving
It’s the only true way
It’s okay if it’s all a lie, right now I’ll shout it out, “Hentai!”
 
Hentai, hentai!
Suddenly we’re in the minority now
Hentai, hentai!
That’s right, you’re also in the minority now
Hentai, hentai!
Sooner or later you’ll be in the minority, too
 
So no one can break you down, so you don’t get hurt, I want to protect you
Are you still standing there, not moving forward any?
You should say it, like this, and do whatever you want until you die
It’s the only true way
It’s okay if you’re lying, just like this, shout it out, “Hentai!”
 
Even if it’s a lie that spreads across the whole world, I won’t let it phase me, and stand up on this stage
Even if they’re spewing enough venom to want to kill me, I’ll forgive them, and stand up on this stage
Where’s that long shot of a miracle?
I won’t accept anything less
I’d rather suffer many times more
 
Look, here it comes again, the sound of those pointless promotions
Are you going to keep dancing in filth like that?
 
Without letting them break you down, without getting hurt, in order to protect yourselves you ought to give them a piece of your mind
You should say something, just like this, and do whatever you want until you die
It’s the only true way
A liar like you should embrace this anthem for liars, just like this
So all of us liars out there, come on, and dare to shout it out, “Hentai!
 
Hentai, hentai!
Suddenly we’re in the minority now
Hentai, hentai!
Sooner or later you’ll be in the minority, too
 
Notes:
I took a few poetic liberties with this song which I thought would capture the feel of it better. This included leaving "hentai" as is. Although most people probably know that often this word means "(sexually) perverted", it can also mean mental perversion, which I feel like the song is likely getting at instead.
 
 Especially in (but not limited to) Japan where often any idea or opinion that differs from the group mentality can get you bullied, pushed away, seen as strange, etc. people may have their own opinions that would put them in the minority if spoken aloud, so they might lie to themselves and everyone else to maintain the status quo. I think that what this song is getting at is that, in reality, they're already in the minority just for having these unspoken opinions, so they might as well be true to themselves and embrace their "mental perversion".
 

Wait what? Dir en grey and Kagerou were both around long before The Gazette. I think you have it backwards...
 
Honestly this song is one of the better debut tracks I've heard in quite awhile. Not a fan of the screamo vocals in the middle personally, but it wasn't the worst I've ever heard and everything else was pretty good.

I agree with Metronome! Dare I say their newer stuff has rivaled or even outdone some of their older stuff. Still wish I'd been able to see them with PLC.
 
As for PLC, I agree they've had a few not-so-great songs post-reunion (but they've always had random filler-ish stuff in their past albums so I guess that's par for the course), but what's wrong with "Mirai Shounen x Mirai Shoujo"? The lyrics are cute and the MV is about a queer/trans couple where the trans girl (played by trans personality Haruna Ai) finally gets her sex change operation at the end. It makes light of the "hospital/major illness" drama trope, is cute, and overall pretty progressive for not only starring but showing trans people in a positive light.
 
Other VK bands I don't think have lost their "spark":
 
- D'ERLANGER - Their last album was great and they rocked live. Looking forward to whatever they come out with next.
 
- BUCK-TICK- Some people might disagree, but I've enjoyed them expanding into different genres over the years. While I don't always enjoy their new music as much as their older music, I've never hated an album they've put out.
 
- LUNA SEA - They've given some great performances, even rivaling some of their older ones, since they got back together and I feel like "Will" was one of the better post-reunion albums by a VK band to straddle the hard line of old sound vs. new.
 
- sukekiyo - I see so much potential in this. I don't think they've had a bad release yet.
 
- lynch. - Every time I see them live they're been better than before. My live impression of them over the years has gone from "every song sounds the same" to " I would actually consider buying a CD of theirs/keeping up with them more". I think musically/technically they have room for improvement but I see them sticking around and only getting better.
 
- Considering how I never really was a Nightmare fan, I'm surprised at how much I've been liking Jakigan Meister and Gremlins.
 
- Visually Zombi/Zombie doesn't do much for me, but I've enjoyed a lot of their releases so far, and think they have potential.
 

oh it's fine I just wanted to let you know because sometimes misread things too

I think you read it wrong, the person is saying that all 3 bands are inspirations to younger bands, not that the Gazette came before the other bands

I 've always thought Gackt sacrificed Kami to the lords below for a successful solo career, who knows

Wait what? Dir en grey and Kagerou were both around long before The Gazette. I think you have it backwards...
 
Honestly this song is one of the better debut tracks I've heard in quite awhile. Not a fan of the screamo vocals in the middle personally, but it wasn't the worst I've ever heard and everything else was pretty good.

like what jaymee said, in 99% of the cases giving the band a few man as a one-off thing won't be decisive in whether your band survives or disbands (unless it's a sizable amount and you do it regularly...) also, for fear of gya-drama, most fans refrain from giving money directly to the band, but personally (and i stress this) i feel it's fine under certain situations. it depends a lot on how you do it, the temperament of the members (some bandmen will be offended), stuff like that. it's also probably ill-advised to attempt it with bigger bands. 
 
it's been a while since i've done it, but when i did i'd write a note to the effect of 'have a great uchiage!' and i don't breathe a word about it to anyone. only once did i have the cash discreetly returned to me (at the next live), upon which i promptly spent the equivalent amount on chekis lolol. we both had a good laugh about that. having said that, most gyas would just blow an obscene amount on chekis if they wish to 'donate' to the band.

New band SARIGIA has formed and will start activities from  2018.1.27 at Ikebukuro EDGE. New single [Ruin] will be released on 2018.02.07
 

Vo. アスカ (Asuka)
Gt. Natsu (ex-MEABEL Koudai)
Ba. 翔磨 (Shoma)
DR. 水希 (Mizuki) (ex-MEABEL Miya)
 
Twitter
OHP
 

tfw they couldnt dig up klaha's embalmed corpse for this

Unfortunately (Or fortunately?) not everyone is Kisaki lol

Unfortunately (Or fortunately?) not everyone is Kisaki lol

fuck awards for music, gimme awards for BEST USERS

Find their secret yahoo auctions!/mbok account and buy all their tereko/cheki/bootlegs/2nd hand cds.

Jealous of you dude. D: