Triangle

Dude, I wish I knew this forum and this thread before going to Japan. There are so many gold nuggets in here, I loved reading everyone's experiences.
Last year when I went to Japan I was literally a n00b. I never knew there is this certain "etiquette" to follow at concerts.
Night buses were my best friends at one point during my year abroad. I'm usually super car-sick and it gets ugly, but I don't know what magic Japanese buses use, but I wasn't sick at all in them. The prices are kind of tricky, the sites I used required some "hunting" for cheap tickets XD (I used this little fellow here most of my year abroad http://willerexpress.com/en/   and also this bad boy : http://www.jrbuskanto.co.jp.e.wn.hp.transer.com/  )
They were really easy because you could either pay at any conbini or by credit card.
Also the bringing little gifts to other fans at the venue was so foreign for me. I felt so lost when some girls came up to me like "Here have these candies" XD. But good thing I came to Japan with some Romanian sweets and I impressed everyone with "exotic" treats XD.  If you're good at drawing you can gift people little drawings of the band you're fan of or something related to the concert you're seeing (I saw people all pros and printing them on nice paper and all that ).
And I liked the idea of giving bands little gifts or letters, to be honest. I used to find amusing the fact that there were boxes in the venue where you could put your presents. But it's cute nevertheless. I would mostly stick with traditional sweet treats, letters and maybe small things like I don't know a key chain or whatever. But I've certainly seen expensive gifts there like clothes of big brands. My exchange student ass didn't have that much money, but by all means, do you boo boo :).
Oh and other concepts that I can't wrap my head around even today are "irimachi" and "demachi". Basically waiting for the band to come in and out of the venue before and after the concert. I mean, I kind of get "demachi" (waiting for them to come out after the concert) because it gets all exciting and you get to squeal around with everyone else, but "irimachi" (waiting for them to arrive at the venue) is so tiring to me. But I get the excitement I guess? I mean you get to wave at your favs and give them letters and presents if you have the chance. It's really cute if you befriend some nice fans and you get to chat with them.
Another big tip for me was to make friends with older fans, because if you're nice enough and you like each other's company, they might give you some rare old merch that you never though you'd ever get your hands on and also you can find some old insiders facts and stories about the band XD

This looks fun. I've never done this before but this forum gave me this need to keep track with my music XDD.
 
 

High school me is still shaking 😞 

Korean, English, Italian, Spanish and Latin all in one song. My linguistic self and Latin blood is shaking.
 
 

Are you breathing well, Katia? XDD
 
Also DAMN THAT PRICE SON ! Yoshiki, please cut down some zeros for a change XDD

Literally same. We were having so much fun and I blinked my eyes once and the whole internet exploded. 
 
Also, from what I've seen in Japan with some friends who are into vkei, they don't really seem to spread things online but rather copy them on cds or dvds and give them to their friends (especially the old stuff that you can't get your hands on anymore or anything that was limited). They don't seem to share their treasures with just anyone and kinda get scared when it comes to that. I see when it comes to international fans we literally like to share amongst our fellow fans by uploading them on sites. I'm also trying to understand all points of views because tbh I've never actively done this before, aside from sharing music with my best friend.
 

Literally same. We were having so much fun and I blinked my eyes once and the whole internet exploded. 
 
Also, from what I've seen in Japan with some friends who are into vkei, they don't really seem to spread things online but rather copy them on cds or dvds and give them to their friends (especially the old stuff that you can't get your hands on anymore or anything that was limited). They don't seem to share their treasures with just anyone and kinda get scared when it comes to that. I see when it comes to international fans we literally like to share amongst our fellow fans by uploading them on sites. I'm also trying to understand all points of views because tbh I've never actively done this before, aside from sharing music with my best friend.
 

The vkei facebook groups are full of white knights who feel they are above piracy from a moral standpoint, and listen to their music through YouTube while completely disregarding the irony that the vast majority of vkei on that platform in fact comes from piracy (and to add on another level of irony, said music most likely stems from this board).
 
I have a lot of thoughts on the subject that I'm having trouble putting together, but most of it boils down to "Westerners don't buy CDs + can't go to a gig in Japan, and the Japanese don't like streaming + have no interest in playing here, so unless one side gives no one is going to be happy."
 
That being said, vkei has a lot of novelty tax associated with it because no one actually buys it, so they're trying to make as much money off of each sale as they can. Pressing 400,000 copies of a U2 album is probably a lot more cost efficient for everyone involved than pressing 100 copies of the next Datura single.
 
I also get that music isn't free, it costs money to produce it, you're being entitled, Ayn Rand was a good writer, etc etc etc but for as much as people come across as entitled, the counter argument is hard to not interpret as rabid gate-keeping.
 
 
 
As an aside, here is an article a friend shared on facebook regarding Streaming:
https://pitchfork.com/features/oped/how-to-be-a-responsible-music-fan-in-the-age-of-streaming/
 
Basically, streaming doesn't yield a lot of money to bands either, and the author's proposed resolution is pretty interesting.
 
 
 

As someone who joined the file-sharing scene in the late 90's when Gnutella and P2P (centralized networks for file sharing) were at it's infancy, I have so many questions that I'd like to ask the users.
I just want to understand, so please forgive the ignorance.
 
I'm looking at all this from the outside in, and I'm simply perplexed at what became of file-sharing.
Wtf happened?
Such a simple idea to create exposure and salvage media that would otherwise be lost if not archived, to this?
 
I've heard of people becoming entitled, but to what degree?
I've always been an advocate for "sharing is caring" but after talking to people online, that saying is now a toxic ideal.

This looks fun. I've never done this before but this forum gave me this need to keep track with my music XDD.
 
 

The last one I went to was last year in Osaka in September at MUCC from their tour called 「殺しの調べ This Is Not Greatest Tour」😭. It was my last concert for the year in Japan as I had to fly back home (fun fact : my flight was on the day MUCC had their next concert from the same tour but this time it was in Yukke's hometown. So as I was boarding my sad ass in the plane they were holding the live).  It was probably the best concert my eyes could ever witness because they had a setlist full of favorite songs and plus they started the live with a cover of Iconoclasm from BUCK-TICK, so two of my favorite things in one gig was beautiful 😂. Anyways I cried the whole concert and had friends console me and rub my back multiple times and we took loads of pictures, but I look too disgusting in them 😂. The only one I'm proud to show off is this. Three happy maskots chilling XD.  This picture was taken while we were waiting around the venue for the queue for the merch to start and we got to see the members pass by us in their van and yeah, awesome sauce of a time XD 

What gives me life everyday XD.
 
 
 

Dean can wipe the floor with me and my soul .
 
 

if he shows up in your dreams.... doesnt that make him the man of your dreams though?
 

Buck-Tick - Machine
 

I've been blessed with ears and eyes for this.
 
 
 

The first music video reminds me of how I check out men on the streets XD. I'm digging the song tho ! The 最低 one is also cute AND THAT GUITAR IS SLAYING MY SOUL.
The album jacket cover looks so cute ;A;. Where were these guys and why am I late for this party.

OK so this one didn't happen at a live and I'm risking exposing myself for the 14-year-old fangirl trapped in an old hag's body that I am (as if I haven't already lol), but here goes.
 
Went to Tower Records Cafe in Shibuya. It was MUCC Day, the band was doing a live broadcast on nico and the cafe had a special MUCC-themed menu. My friend and I just wanted to hang out and suspected nothing even when the waitress asked us if we're cool with being photographed/recorded.
 
Fast forward to this scene:
 
 
 

シド (SID) new best album "SID Anime Best 2008-2017" will be released at 2018/04/04 (2 types)
 
Limited edition (3333yen) will include CD (11 tracks) + DVD
Regular edition (2778yen) will include CD (11 tracks) only
 
[tracklist]
01.「モノクロのキス」（テレビアニメ『黒執事』オープニングテーマ）
02.「嘘」（テレビアニメ『鋼の錬金術師 FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST』第1期エンディングテーマ）
03.「ドラマ」（Wii専用ソフト『鋼の錬金術師 FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST 暁の王子』オープニングテーマ）
04.「レイン」（テレビアニメ『鋼の錬金術師 FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST』第5期オープニングテーマ）
05.「乱舞のメロディ」（テレビ東京系アニメ『BLEACH』オープニングテーマ）
06.「V.I.P」（テレビアニメ『マギ The labyrinth of magic』前期オープニングテーマ）
07.「ANNIVERSARY」（テレビアニメ『マギ The kingdom of magic』前期オープニングテーマ）
08.「ENAMEL」（テレビアニメ『黒執事 Book of Circus』オープニングテーマ）
09.「硝子の瞳」（劇場版アニメーション『黒執事 Book of the Atlantic』主題歌）
10.「螺旋のユメ」（テレビアニメ『将国のアルタイル』オープニングテーマ）
11.「ASH」

I've been blessed with ears and eyes for this.
 
 
 

I was minding my own business sleeping and having a random dream when for some reason, my troll brain decided to make a move and put music in the background of my dream and out the all songs they could pick, my damn brain went with "It's Friday Friday gotta get down on Friday". Can I get a refund for this brain XD.