Cantavanda

Sorry for the late response! I'll probably be going up to Osaka this Saturday, if I see anything I can get it for you!

Mana announces a super amazing world tour with Moi dix Mois, on the tour final in Paris he walks up on the stage, undresses and takes a huge poop and starts screaming and then collapses.

Mana announces a super amazing world tour with Moi dix Mois, on the tour final in Paris he walks up on the stage, undresses and takes a huge poop and starts screaming and then collapses.

Another problem would be actually finding the music, physicially or digitally lol, most would be hard to find to even listen to.

That fandom list you listed is not complete at all, it only has the most popular or major bands. But that's not even complete, since for example Versailles or the GazettE aren't even in it lol.  It even contains disbanded bands!
There's for certain hundreds and maybe even thousands of bands active, just less popular. Bands that don't have money for music videos or big promotions, but still make music, limited discs and lives. There's an entire universe of unknown VK bands out there, and some have really good music.

those are, in fact, actually all the vk bands currently active. the scene is dying

Late november parcel came home with:
 
KAMIJO- Epic Rock Orchestra pamphlet
KAMIJO- Mademoiselle normal ed.
KAMIJO- Mademoiselle lim. ed. B
VERSAILLES- Symphony of the Vampire catalog
VERSAILLES- Lyrical Sympathy bonus CD from LIke an Edison
VERSAILLES- Destiny the Lovers bonus CD from Like and Edison
LAREINE-Chantons l'amour Lillie kara no tegami VHS
LAREINE- Fiertè no umi to tomo ni kiyu VHS
LAREINE- Trailer
LAREINE- Bara wa utsukushiku chiru lim. ed. (later adding it in my selling thread)
LAREINE- Fleur lim. ed.
LAREINE- Blue Romance first ed.

I think I've seen some AFTER IMAGE VHS at Pure Sound in Osaka, next time I visit I can take a look for you! I can't guarantee anything though. 

First pic: LAREINE and NEW SODMY comment/bonus CD/DVD, second is Versailles, third is KAMIJO. All the Versailles and KAMIJO are new, but the LAREINE ones I had about half before. Here is a list (not in order):
 
LAREINE 月の狩人 Unpluged Live Event
LAREINE JAN-23, 2006 Meguro Live Station TALK+SAKURA
LAREINE Unreleased Song demo 1
LAREINE Unreleased Song demo 2
LAREINE 「SCREAM」ライカエジソン
LAREINE 「SCREAM」ライカエジソン
LAREINE 「道化師の舞曲」「雪恋詩」「Cinderella Fantasy」トリプル購入特典 サードステージ 
LAREINE ごめんなさいCD-R
LAREINE 2002/10/30&10/31ハロウィンイベント両日参加者配布CD
LAREINE 『Deep Forest』 『Imperial Concerto』 (Special CDR)
LAREINE X’mas Message CD
LAREINE Anamorphosis SPECIAL DVD
LAREINE Métamorphose Message Tape
LAREINE ツアー出発前メッセージ Message Tape
LAREINE ツアー出発前メッセージ Message Tape
LAREINE Never Cage GURUGURU Message CD
LAREINE Himatsu remix
LAREINE 青い鳥の行方
 
NEW SODMY White Lie Message CDr
NEW SODMY SODOM ORIGINAL CDS -2001-
NEW SODMY 2002.4.7 Shibuya On Air East First Anniversary A way of life
 
Versailles NOBLE Comment DVD
Versailles The Greatest Hits 2007-2016 Like and Edison コメントDVD
Versailles ASCENDEAD MASTER ディスクユニオン コメントCD
Versailles PRINCE & PRINCESS/スーパーレコード(この商品のみコメントCDです)
Versailles JUBILEE ZEAL LINK コメDVD
Versailles The Gratest HITS 2007-2016/ディスクユニオン
 
KAMIJO Heart DVD-R Like an Eidson
KAMIJO Heart DVD ZEAL LINK
KAMIJO Louis ZEAL LINK
KAMIJO HEART HMV Vol. 2
KAMIJO HEART Vol. 4 タワーレコード)
KAMIJO Louis Disc Union ディスクユニオン

First pic: LAREINE and NEW SODMY comment/bonus CD/DVD, second is Versailles, third is KAMIJO. All the Versailles and KAMIJO are new, but the LAREINE ones I had about half before. Here is a list (not in order):
 
LAREINE 月の狩人 Unpluged Live Event
LAREINE JAN-23, 2006 Meguro Live Station TALK+SAKURA
LAREINE Unreleased Song demo 1
LAREINE Unreleased Song demo 2
LAREINE 「SCREAM」ライカエジソン
LAREINE 「SCREAM」ライカエジソン
LAREINE 「道化師の舞曲」「雪恋詩」「Cinderella Fantasy」トリプル購入特典 サードステージ 
LAREINE ごめんなさいCD-R
LAREINE 2002/10/30&10/31ハロウィンイベント両日参加者配布CD
LAREINE 『Deep Forest』 『Imperial Concerto』 (Special CDR)
LAREINE X’mas Message CD
LAREINE Anamorphosis SPECIAL DVD
LAREINE Métamorphose Message Tape
LAREINE ツアー出発前メッセージ Message Tape
LAREINE ツアー出発前メッセージ Message Tape
LAREINE Never Cage GURUGURU Message CD
LAREINE Himatsu remix
LAREINE 青い鳥の行方
 
NEW SODMY White Lie Message CDr
NEW SODMY SODOM ORIGINAL CDS -2001-
NEW SODMY 2002.4.7 Shibuya On Air East First Anniversary A way of life
 
Versailles NOBLE Comment DVD
Versailles The Greatest Hits 2007-2016 Like and Edison コメントDVD
Versailles ASCENDEAD MASTER ディスクユニオン コメントCD
Versailles PRINCE & PRINCESS/スーパーレコード(この商品のみコメントCDです)
Versailles JUBILEE ZEAL LINK コメDVD
Versailles The Gratest HITS 2007-2016/ディスクユニオン
 
KAMIJO Heart DVD-R Like an Eidson
KAMIJO Heart DVD ZEAL LINK
KAMIJO Louis ZEAL LINK
KAMIJO HEART HMV Vol. 2
KAMIJO HEART Vol. 4 タワーレコード)
KAMIJO Louis Disc Union ディスクユニオン

First pic: LAREINE and NEW SODMY comment/bonus CD/DVD, second is Versailles, third is KAMIJO. All the Versailles and KAMIJO are new, but the LAREINE ones I had about half before. Here is a list (not in order):
 
LAREINE 月の狩人 Unpluged Live Event
LAREINE JAN-23, 2006 Meguro Live Station TALK+SAKURA
LAREINE Unreleased Song demo 1
LAREINE Unreleased Song demo 2
LAREINE 「SCREAM」ライカエジソン
LAREINE 「SCREAM」ライカエジソン
LAREINE 「道化師の舞曲」「雪恋詩」「Cinderella Fantasy」トリプル購入特典 サードステージ 
LAREINE ごめんなさいCD-R
LAREINE 2002/10/30&10/31ハロウィンイベント両日参加者配布CD
LAREINE 『Deep Forest』 『Imperial Concerto』 (Special CDR)
LAREINE X’mas Message CD
LAREINE Anamorphosis SPECIAL DVD
LAREINE Métamorphose Message Tape
LAREINE ツアー出発前メッセージ Message Tape
LAREINE ツアー出発前メッセージ Message Tape
LAREINE Never Cage GURUGURU Message CD
LAREINE Himatsu remix
LAREINE 青い鳥の行方
 
NEW SODMY White Lie Message CDr
NEW SODMY SODOM ORIGINAL CDS -2001-
NEW SODMY 2002.4.7 Shibuya On Air East First Anniversary A way of life
 
Versailles NOBLE Comment DVD
Versailles The Greatest Hits 2007-2016 Like and Edison コメントDVD
Versailles ASCENDEAD MASTER ディスクユニオン コメントCD
Versailles PRINCE & PRINCESS/スーパーレコード(この商品のみコメントCDです)
Versailles JUBILEE ZEAL LINK コメDVD
Versailles The Gratest HITS 2007-2016/ディスクユニオン
 
KAMIJO Heart DVD-R Like an Eidson
KAMIJO Heart DVD ZEAL LINK
KAMIJO Louis ZEAL LINK
KAMIJO HEART HMV Vol. 2
KAMIJO HEART Vol. 4 タワーレコード)
KAMIJO Louis Disc Union ディスクユニオン

Ok, so I am a very stingy person and there have been only 2 bands I really spent my  money on in Japan so far.
So where does my cheki money go?
Fortunately Masato has done an informative post, but what do you think about that?
 
MV ~ 500.000 ¥
Costumes ~ 700.000¥
Foto shooting ~ 100.0000¥
CD pressing ~ 100.000¥
Recording ~ 100.000¥
Hair styling ~ 1x 20.000¥
Studio ~ 1x 10.000¥
Travel cost ~ 200.000¥
Flyer/print ~ 100.000¥
Website 150.000¥
 
Some things seem realistic and some a bit expensive.  He does not say for which time periode though.  The website hosting probably for a year.
What do you think?

Let's also not forget about some more explosive outbursts like Ryohei from Kyogetsu. I wrote about it here if you want some more details, but safe to say that it's an open secret that going visual kei is a money pit and it can be seen as shameful to discuss it brazenly.

Because I'm not Japanese, I took the time to convert the yen into freedom and equality units.

 
MV ~ 500.000 ¥ / $4,400.67 / €3,882.55
Costumes ~ 700.000¥ / $6,160.86 / €5,435.49
Foto shooting ~ 100.000¥ / $880.12 / €776.49 
CD pressing ~ 100.000¥ / $880.12 / €776.49 
Recording ~ 100.000¥ / $880.12 / €776.49 
Hair styling ~ 1x 20.000¥ / $176.06 / €155.31
Studio ~ 1x 10.000¥ / $88.01 / €77.65 
Travel cost ~ 200.000¥ / $1760.59 /  €1,553.43
Flyer/print ~ 100.000¥ / $880.12 / €776.49 
Website 150.000¥ / $1,320.47 /  €1,164.82

Total: $17427.14 / €15,372.22

Some of these numbers should be interpreted carefully. I added up all the values, so the true cost of hair styling and studio isn't reflected here because those are repeated over and over again. For the studio, is this cost per hour or per session? It's way more expensive if it's $88 an hour. I also find that the expenses for hair styling are pretty expensive relative to what it should cost, so I wonder if this is a compound cost or an estimation of some sort. I also assume somethings like flyer / print, CD pressing, and photo shoots include the costs not just to produce the medium but to pay for the services and distribution. Something similar for the website too; I doubt most of these guys are doing all the maintenance work for it, so they probably pay someone to keep it up for them. A thousand dollars for a website doesn't make sense. A thousand dollars to create an interactive and impressive website quickly is still too much. But to do all that and keep it maintained makes sense. Travel costs include not just plane tickets, but moving all of the musical equipment and paying the roadies to do it for you. I wonder if these costs are per band member or costs for all members as a whole, which could explain some of these high costs. I don't think this is everything, because I've heard stories about how bands have to front money in order to be able to perform. I don't know how true this is, but I've heard about it more than once, especially when bands have to front the difference if attendance was below projected amounts. There's nothing here about the cost to perform concerts or produce merchandise. And finally, I don't think the band is paying all of the costs, just a majority of it. So I'm comfortable saying that for your average band, the label would front about 30% and the band members together would front the remaining 70%. So the new adjusted total is:

Total: $12,199.00 / €10,760.40
 
If I were to pretend that I was a visual kei musician, and I was in charge of budgeting for my band, and we had to make some hard choices about what we could afford and not afford, I'd honestly take a look at the hair styling and costume costs, the studio costs, and the photo shoots. I think the hair styling is egregiously expensive for no real reason, compounded by the fact that it would be multiple visits. I'd only get my hair done when I absolutely need to and show up to the studio and to record looking like a regular guy. I'd try to do band practice somewhere cheaper, because those $90 visits add up fast. Travel cost is non-negotiable. Photo shoots can double for both cheki and promotional materials, so I think that's the cost of doing business. The cost of the costumes is right about where I expected it to be if you budget for five people, and budget considering every time you record a new release you have a new look. But costumes put the visual in visual kei, so it is hard to argue to take them out. I honestly would have to argue if costumes should cost more than the music video, and would try to find some way to put even more money into those, because that also puts the visual in visual kei, and shoot for making less music videos overall if I can keep each one to a higher standard of quality. I honestly don't know how much of a presence a website would give my band at the start, and would probably double down on traditional social media tools at first to go viral and cheapen costs there, or maybe latch on to my label's bigger website and push that way. Or maybe both, because more exposure doesn't hurt and word of mouth is free. I'd also be the ultimate cheap and lazy bastard and press all my CDs themselves to start, and then distribute them at lives. 

Overall, I can understand a bit better how difficult it can be to get started if the funds aren't green. 

First pic: LAREINE and NEW SODMY comment/bonus CD/DVD, second is Versailles, third is KAMIJO. All the Versailles and KAMIJO are new, but the LAREINE ones I had about half before. Here is a list (not in order):
 
LAREINE 月の狩人 Unpluged Live Event
LAREINE JAN-23, 2006 Meguro Live Station TALK+SAKURA
LAREINE Unreleased Song demo 1
LAREINE Unreleased Song demo 2
LAREINE 「SCREAM」ライカエジソン
LAREINE 「SCREAM」ライカエジソン
LAREINE 「道化師の舞曲」「雪恋詩」「Cinderella Fantasy」トリプル購入特典 サードステージ 
LAREINE ごめんなさいCD-R
LAREINE 2002/10/30&10/31ハロウィンイベント両日参加者配布CD
LAREINE 『Deep Forest』 『Imperial Concerto』 (Special CDR)
LAREINE X’mas Message CD
LAREINE Anamorphosis SPECIAL DVD
LAREINE Métamorphose Message Tape
LAREINE ツアー出発前メッセージ Message Tape
LAREINE ツアー出発前メッセージ Message Tape
LAREINE Never Cage GURUGURU Message CD
LAREINE Himatsu remix
LAREINE 青い鳥の行方
 
NEW SODMY White Lie Message CDr
NEW SODMY SODOM ORIGINAL CDS -2001-
NEW SODMY 2002.4.7 Shibuya On Air East First Anniversary A way of life
 
Versailles NOBLE Comment DVD
Versailles The Greatest Hits 2007-2016 Like and Edison コメントDVD
Versailles ASCENDEAD MASTER ディスクユニオン コメントCD
Versailles PRINCE & PRINCESS/スーパーレコード(この商品のみコメントCDです)
Versailles JUBILEE ZEAL LINK コメDVD
Versailles The Gratest HITS 2007-2016/ディスクユニオン
 
KAMIJO Heart DVD-R Like an Eidson
KAMIJO Heart DVD ZEAL LINK
KAMIJO Louis ZEAL LINK
KAMIJO HEART HMV Vol. 2
KAMIJO HEART Vol. 4 タワーレコード)
KAMIJO Louis Disc Union ディスクユニオン

First pic: LAREINE and NEW SODMY comment/bonus CD/DVD, second is Versailles, third is KAMIJO. All the Versailles and KAMIJO are new, but the LAREINE ones I had about half before. Here is a list (not in order):
 
LAREINE 月の狩人 Unpluged Live Event
LAREINE JAN-23, 2006 Meguro Live Station TALK+SAKURA
LAREINE Unreleased Song demo 1
LAREINE Unreleased Song demo 2
LAREINE 「SCREAM」ライカエジソン
LAREINE 「SCREAM」ライカエジソン
LAREINE 「道化師の舞曲」「雪恋詩」「Cinderella Fantasy」トリプル購入特典 サードステージ 
LAREINE ごめんなさいCD-R
LAREINE 2002/10/30&10/31ハロウィンイベント両日参加者配布CD
LAREINE 『Deep Forest』 『Imperial Concerto』 (Special CDR)
LAREINE X’mas Message CD
LAREINE Anamorphosis SPECIAL DVD
LAREINE Métamorphose Message Tape
LAREINE ツアー出発前メッセージ Message Tape
LAREINE ツアー出発前メッセージ Message Tape
LAREINE Never Cage GURUGURU Message CD
LAREINE Himatsu remix
LAREINE 青い鳥の行方
 
NEW SODMY White Lie Message CDr
NEW SODMY SODOM ORIGINAL CDS -2001-
NEW SODMY 2002.4.7 Shibuya On Air East First Anniversary A way of life
 
Versailles NOBLE Comment DVD
Versailles The Greatest Hits 2007-2016 Like and Edison コメントDVD
Versailles ASCENDEAD MASTER ディスクユニオン コメントCD
Versailles PRINCE & PRINCESS/スーパーレコード(この商品のみコメントCDです)
Versailles JUBILEE ZEAL LINK コメDVD
Versailles The Gratest HITS 2007-2016/ディスクユニオン
 
KAMIJO Heart DVD-R Like an Eidson
KAMIJO Heart DVD ZEAL LINK
KAMIJO Louis ZEAL LINK
KAMIJO HEART HMV Vol. 2
KAMIJO HEART Vol. 4 タワーレコード)
KAMIJO Louis Disc Union ディスクユニオン

First pic: LAREINE and NEW SODMY comment/bonus CD/DVD, second is Versailles, third is KAMIJO. All the Versailles and KAMIJO are new, but the LAREINE ones I had about half before. Here is a list (not in order):
 
LAREINE 月の狩人 Unpluged Live Event
LAREINE JAN-23, 2006 Meguro Live Station TALK+SAKURA
LAREINE Unreleased Song demo 1
LAREINE Unreleased Song demo 2
LAREINE 「SCREAM」ライカエジソン
LAREINE 「SCREAM」ライカエジソン
LAREINE 「道化師の舞曲」「雪恋詩」「Cinderella Fantasy」トリプル購入特典 サードステージ 
LAREINE ごめんなさいCD-R
LAREINE 2002/10/30&10/31ハロウィンイベント両日参加者配布CD
LAREINE 『Deep Forest』 『Imperial Concerto』 (Special CDR)
LAREINE X’mas Message CD
LAREINE Anamorphosis SPECIAL DVD
LAREINE Métamorphose Message Tape
LAREINE ツアー出発前メッセージ Message Tape
LAREINE ツアー出発前メッセージ Message Tape
LAREINE Never Cage GURUGURU Message CD
LAREINE Himatsu remix
LAREINE 青い鳥の行方
 
NEW SODMY White Lie Message CDr
NEW SODMY SODOM ORIGINAL CDS -2001-
NEW SODMY 2002.4.7 Shibuya On Air East First Anniversary A way of life
 
Versailles NOBLE Comment DVD
Versailles The Greatest Hits 2007-2016 Like and Edison コメントDVD
Versailles ASCENDEAD MASTER ディスクユニオン コメントCD
Versailles PRINCE & PRINCESS/スーパーレコード(この商品のみコメントCDです)
Versailles JUBILEE ZEAL LINK コメDVD
Versailles The Gratest HITS 2007-2016/ディスクユニオン
 
KAMIJO Heart DVD-R Like an Eidson
KAMIJO Heart DVD ZEAL LINK
KAMIJO Louis ZEAL LINK
KAMIJO HEART HMV Vol. 2
KAMIJO HEART Vol. 4 タワーレコード)
KAMIJO Louis Disc Union ディスクユニオン

after MEME....mama.

I have a sample of the newest X JAPAN song! It was online a short time on their official website, it's only 2min tho:

Also I don't listen AT ALL to BAISER even though I want to give them a chance, they seem to be my style since they're similar to LAREINE and SHAZNA. Romantic kei is my favourite VK genre. I will try to listen soon. But if the band name litirally means "fucking" it's a big turn-off since the half of my country (Belgium) speaks French lol. Also I noticed there's no BAISER topic at all in this subforum so any big fans, go on your way!

Wait,  wasn't New Sodmy's name Kamijo's way of coming out in a not very subtle way?

je suis excité

Also I don't listen AT ALL to BAISER even though I want to give them a chance, they seem to be my style since they're similar to LAREINE and SHAZNA. Romantic kei is my favourite VK genre. I will try to listen soon. But if the band name litirally means "fucking" it's a big turn-off since the half of my country (Belgium) speaks French lol. Also I noticed there's no BAISER topic at all in this subforum so any big fans, go on your way!

@Cantavanda the SAME day arrived also my parcel with the (much more common) flyers I bought months ago from the same user you bought your Lareine stuff above. 😆
 

 
-LAREINE flyers (Blue Romance one still has Akira on it)
-VERSAILLES- Holy Grail
-KAMIJO- Castrato trailer (venue only)
-KAMIJO- Castrato (Tower Records lim. ed.)
-KAMIJO- Yami no Lion (lim. ed. type B.)
-KAMIJO- Yami no Lion
-KAMIJO- Yami no Lion (lim. ed. type A)
-KAMIJO- Moulin Rouge
-VERSAILLES- Anthologie (lim. ed.)
-KAMIJO- 20th Anniversary All Time Best  (lim. ed. that it's basically the regular one repackaged with other stuff around, I think 😆)
-VERSAILLES/CHARIOTS- Prince/Shred

dolls despair - ～夢遊の宴～ (only cassette of the band)
Nobuo Uematsu - FINAL FANTASY Orchestral Album (one of my favorourite albums, EVER)
MALICE MIZER Deep Sanctuary VI all guitar picks, compact mirror and pamphlet
LAREINE Fleur magazines 2003 vol. 0 - vol. 4
LAREINE final Fleur magazines from 2010
 
And the epic craaazy part:
LAREINE first flyer ever, startup, Laliene era.