WhirlingBlack

I never care for a VIP upgrade when the money could buy me a ticket to another of the gigs on the tour to be honest. You will wind up in a decent spot regardless and I don't need to take a photo where the band is just a prop standing around. 

I really liked their latest single, so I'm on board the hype train at least until there's a preview.

If you don't like their first two EP's then stop listening to vk 

NOT THIS TOPIC AGAIN!
 
Relax, it's not what you think.

If you guys remember this topic - and I'm sure most of you do - then you will remember that I made a proposal at the end of it. What I said I wanted to observe was the effect of "our" piracy - our as in Monochrome Heaven - on visual kei sales, using the GazettE's newest album "NINTH" as the benchmark. Some of you really took this suggestion to heart, and others thought I was making a bad joke. I wasn't.
 
There's something to be said for testing even the most obvious of conclusions because sometimes the results can surprise you, but the results of this did not. I knew that this album would leak and make its way here well under the two weeks I specified. Next time someone restarts the discussion of supporting our favorite bands by not pirating their music, point them to this topic and remind them that the Internet is a very large place and that shouting your demands in one corner of it isn't going to change what happens where your voice and influence can't reach. Not even mine.
 
It's good to know that we are not the center of the visual kei universe. We have some influence and we do our part to keep the show going, but if we were to disappear tomorrow, I don't think the show would stop. That is ultimately a good thing. The scene needs to spread if it wants to stay alive. It seems pretty obvious but its worth reiterating. For what it's worth, the album didn't appear here first so it's not like we are the alpha and the omega to all of the woes our favorite bands go through.
 
The conclusion that I can draw from this failed social experiment is that we need a better definition of what "piracy" actually is. There are reasons why the international scene depends on piracy, so to make future discussions more useful we should find as many different reasons as we can and the distribution within the scene. To that end, I've attached an anonymous poll to the top of this post.  If you are interested, vote for the option that fits your situation the best, and if there isn't one (and you don't mind), share your specific reasons below.
 
I'll leave this topic open until the end of the month so you guys can share your thoughts and opinions.

i hope the yakuza takes out the suit who came up with this 

dude
 
what the fuck is this shit 

I never care for a VIP upgrade when the money could buy me a ticket to another of the gigs on the tour to be honest. You will wind up in a decent spot regardless and I don't need to take a photo where the band is just a prop standing around. 

Ikebukuro, before MEIDARA's live! There was this little "shrine" that seemed like a good place to take few shots. Many stray cats were wandering around ❤️ 
 
 

I don't know why but it feels like every single interview, review or article written about X Japan or Yoshiki in particular in the west are a bought shill piece ghost-written by Yoshiki himself. The amount of critical questions regarding the delay are always nil. 
 

I guess a guitarist falling sick is now legit reason to scrap the whole album, even though it was supposedly finished and the member returned to the band after recovering?
 
 
So either the album has 100 songs, which it better have after this long wait, or Yoshiki doesn't understand how percentage works. 
 
 
It's nice he's acknowledging that he doesn't care what fans want, he NEEDS to make his English CD because this is really all about him getting to mingle some more with C-list celebrities at baseball events. See also that the magazine claims it's an interview with the band, yet only Yoshiki seems to be interviewed.
 
Just disband already, this has been a train wreck for ten years by now.
 
 

I don't know why but it feels like every single interview, review or article written about X Japan or Yoshiki in particular in the west are a bought shill piece ghost-written by Yoshiki himself. The amount of critical questions regarding the delay are always nil. 
 

I guess a guitarist falling sick is now legit reason to scrap the whole album, even though it was supposedly finished and the member returned to the band after recovering?
 
 
So either the album has 100 songs, which it better have after this long wait, or Yoshiki doesn't understand how percentage works. 
 
 
It's nice he's acknowledging that he doesn't care what fans want, he NEEDS to make his English CD because this is really all about him getting to mingle some more with C-list celebrities at baseball events. See also that the magazine claims it's an interview with the band, yet only Yoshiki seems to be interviewed.
 
Just disband already, this has been a train wreck for ten years by now.
 
 

We participated in a special anniversary night DJ marathon at the venue where we host the club, so I got a chance to play some J-Rock to uninitiated people for an hour. This was my selection, based mostly on personal preference as well as some tracks I deem essential. If anyone finds it interesting!
 
X Japan - I'll Kill You | 1988
Mejibray - DECADANCE - Counting Goats … if I can't be yours - | 2013
Baiser - Dye | 1995
Plastic Tree - メランコリック (Melancholic) | 2004
Buck-Tick - ...IN HEAVEN... | 1988
Közi - Honey Vanity | 2003
sukekiyo - 黝いヒステリア (Aoiguroi Hysteria) | 2017
MUCC - ガーベラ (Gerbera) | 2006
蜉蝣 (Kagerou) - 絶望にサヨナラ (Zetsubou ni Sayonara) | 2005
La'Mule - ナイフ (Knife) | 2000
Aliene Ma'riage - 撲 『しもべ』 (Shimobe) | 1999
Luna Sea - ROSIER | 1994
X Japan - 紅 (Kurenai) | 1989
Dir en grey - THE FINAL | 2004

For better or for worse, visual kei is something that's had an impact on my life.  I never thought groups of cross dressing Japanese men playing metal would be something that's stuck with me for so long, but throughout all the surprises, discoveries, disappointments, and developments I've stuck around in some capacity. I may not be as heavy into visual kei or Japanese music as I used to be, but there's a part of me that will always go back to the music I've enjoyed and another part of me that's always looking forward to new bands, activities, and trends. Here are five things I really enjoy about the scene which has kept me coming back again and again since 1999.
 

 

 
 

 
 


 
 
So those are all the things I like about visual kei. I'm sure I missed some. What do you like about visual kei?

I don't know why but it feels like every single interview, review or article written about X Japan or Yoshiki in particular in the west are a bought shill piece ghost-written by Yoshiki himself. The amount of critical questions regarding the delay are always nil. 
 

I guess a guitarist falling sick is now legit reason to scrap the whole album, even though it was supposedly finished and the member returned to the band after recovering?
 
 
So either the album has 100 songs, which it better have after this long wait, or Yoshiki doesn't understand how percentage works. 
 
 
It's nice he's acknowledging that he doesn't care what fans want, he NEEDS to make his English CD because this is really all about him getting to mingle some more with C-list celebrities at baseball events. See also that the magazine claims it's an interview with the band, yet only Yoshiki seems to be interviewed.
 
Just disband already, this has been a train wreck for ten years by now.
 
 

I don't know why but it feels like every single interview, review or article written about X Japan or Yoshiki in particular in the west are a bought shill piece ghost-written by Yoshiki himself. The amount of critical questions regarding the delay are always nil. 
 

I guess a guitarist falling sick is now legit reason to scrap the whole album, even though it was supposedly finished and the member returned to the band after recovering?
 
 
So either the album has 100 songs, which it better have after this long wait, or Yoshiki doesn't understand how percentage works. 
 
 
It's nice he's acknowledging that he doesn't care what fans want, he NEEDS to make his English CD because this is really all about him getting to mingle some more with C-list celebrities at baseball events. See also that the magazine claims it's an interview with the band, yet only Yoshiki seems to be interviewed.
 
Just disband already, this has been a train wreck for ten years by now.
 
 

I don't know why but it feels like every single interview, review or article written about X Japan or Yoshiki in particular in the west are a bought shill piece ghost-written by Yoshiki himself. The amount of critical questions regarding the delay are always nil. 
 

I guess a guitarist falling sick is now legit reason to scrap the whole album, even though it was supposedly finished and the member returned to the band after recovering?
 
 
So either the album has 100 songs, which it better have after this long wait, or Yoshiki doesn't understand how percentage works. 
 
 
It's nice he's acknowledging that he doesn't care what fans want, he NEEDS to make his English CD because this is really all about him getting to mingle some more with C-list celebrities at baseball events. See also that the magazine claims it's an interview with the band, yet only Yoshiki seems to be interviewed.
 
Just disband already, this has been a train wreck for ten years by now.
 
 

I don't know why but it feels like every single interview, review or article written about X Japan or Yoshiki in particular in the west are a bought shill piece ghost-written by Yoshiki himself. The amount of critical questions regarding the delay are always nil. 
 

I guess a guitarist falling sick is now legit reason to scrap the whole album, even though it was supposedly finished and the member returned to the band after recovering?
 
 
So either the album has 100 songs, which it better have after this long wait, or Yoshiki doesn't understand how percentage works. 
 
 
It's nice he's acknowledging that he doesn't care what fans want, he NEEDS to make his English CD because this is really all about him getting to mingle some more with C-list celebrities at baseball events. See also that the magazine claims it's an interview with the band, yet only Yoshiki seems to be interviewed.
 
Just disband already, this has been a train wreck for ten years by now.
 
 

I don't know why but it feels like every single interview, review or article written about X Japan or Yoshiki in particular in the west are a bought shill piece ghost-written by Yoshiki himself. The amount of critical questions regarding the delay are always nil. 
 

I guess a guitarist falling sick is now legit reason to scrap the whole album, even though it was supposedly finished and the member returned to the band after recovering?
 
 
So either the album has 100 songs, which it better have after this long wait, or Yoshiki doesn't understand how percentage works. 
 
 
It's nice he's acknowledging that he doesn't care what fans want, he NEEDS to make his English CD because this is really all about him getting to mingle some more with C-list celebrities at baseball events. See also that the magazine claims it's an interview with the band, yet only Yoshiki seems to be interviewed.
 
Just disband already, this has been a train wreck for ten years by now.
 
 

I don't know why but it feels like every single interview, review or article written about X Japan or Yoshiki in particular in the west are a bought shill piece ghost-written by Yoshiki himself. The amount of critical questions regarding the delay are always nil. 
 

I guess a guitarist falling sick is now legit reason to scrap the whole album, even though it was supposedly finished and the member returned to the band after recovering?
 
 
So either the album has 100 songs, which it better have after this long wait, or Yoshiki doesn't understand how percentage works. 
 
 
It's nice he's acknowledging that he doesn't care what fans want, he NEEDS to make his English CD because this is really all about him getting to mingle some more with C-list celebrities at baseball events. See also that the magazine claims it's an interview with the band, yet only Yoshiki seems to be interviewed.
 
Just disband already, this has been a train wreck for ten years by now.
 
 

I don't know why but it feels like every single interview, review or article written about X Japan or Yoshiki in particular in the west are a bought shill piece ghost-written by Yoshiki himself. The amount of critical questions regarding the delay are always nil. 
 

I guess a guitarist falling sick is now legit reason to scrap the whole album, even though it was supposedly finished and the member returned to the band after recovering?
 
 
So either the album has 100 songs, which it better have after this long wait, or Yoshiki doesn't understand how percentage works. 
 
 
It's nice he's acknowledging that he doesn't care what fans want, he NEEDS to make his English CD because this is really all about him getting to mingle some more with C-list celebrities at baseball events. See also that the magazine claims it's an interview with the band, yet only Yoshiki seems to be interviewed.
 
Just disband already, this has been a train wreck for ten years by now.
 
 

Will try to attend the entire tour if possible. Looking forward to meeting fellow MH members on the road!

Will try to attend the entire tour if possible. Looking forward to meeting fellow MH members on the road!

Will try to attend the entire tour if possible. Looking forward to meeting fellow MH members on the road!

Will try to attend the entire tour if possible. Looking forward to meeting fellow MH members on the road!

Will try to attend the entire tour if possible. Looking forward to meeting fellow MH members on the road!

Awfully kind of them to name a tour after Shinya
 
Seems I might finally have to get my ass to either Helsinki again (or go to Poland )....