nomemorial

Will probably post more here as they come to mind, but I love this song/video so much.

Great live report! Sounds like a good show and a good time!
Haha.
 
What would you say the ratio of boys/girls in the crowd was for this show? I imagine it would be more than the ~5% boys I've seen at some VK shows.

Will probably post more here as they come to mind, but I love this song/video so much.

first, any dasein pv.
second, this: 
 

Playing a lot of catch-up with my post-Japan related stuff -- just got my CD haul organized/cataloged/etc. Haven't purchased/collected any VK CDs in quite some time, but now that I'm no longer in the confines of a tiny Chicago apartment I can finally feed the beast a bit more. All below was purchased between Pure Sound/Tower Records/BOOK-OFF -- didn't even get the proper chance to hit Like an Edison, Closet Child, or Jishuban Club. Made out alright either way, though, I think!!
 
baroque - Chaplin (2003, SCL-007)
baroque - ガリロン (2004, SFCD-0028)
cali≠gari - 10 (2009, VICB-60049)
D - Paradox (2004, DNB-003, signed)
D - Neo culture ~Beyond the world~ (w/DVD, 2007, XQBZ-91002)
DIMLIM - VARIOUS (w/DVD, 2017, DMLM-0001)
The GazettE - 斑蠡～Madara～ (2006, KICS-40022)
The GazettE - STACKED RUBBISH (2007, KICS-1311)
The GazettE - STACKED RUBBISH (w/DVD, missing slipcover, KICS-91311)
gibkiy gibkiy gibkiy - In incontinence (2017, PMGG-004)
the god and death stars - Funky Ghost Hollywood (2018, DSGD-017)
Kagrra, - 鵺 (2000, PSTA-0008)
Kagrra, - 桜 (2001, PSTA-0011)
Kagrra, - 彩 (2001, PSTA-0015)
Kagrra, - [gozen] (2002, PSTA-0030)
Kagrra, - Core (2008, KICS-1348)
キズ - 「0」 - (2018, DMGD-005)
Madeth Gray'll ‎– 十字架の結末 ～第二の悲劇～ (1999, MTR-003)
Malice Mizer - memoire DX (1994, M:N-001DX)
Malice Mizer - Voyage ~sans retour~ (1996, M:N-003N)
Malice Mizer - merveilles (1998, COCA-14866)
Moi dix Mois - Nocturnal Opera (2004 - MMCD-037)
Pierrot - FINALE (1999, TOCT-24150)
Plastic Tree - Hide and Seek (2010, WPCL-10849)
Plastic Tree - Puppet Show (1998, WPCV-7425)
Plastic Tree - Parade (2010, WPCL-10851)
Plastic Tree -トロイメライ (2002, AECR-1005)
ヴィドール ‎- If...レボトミン（Y LV25）475mg (2003, UCCD-001)
 

 

oh my fucking god

she comes off as more articulate and mentally present than the person asking her in that post, which is not a good look for anyone unless playing urself in public is an expected part of the spectacle from the very beginning.

''wow i sure as hell hate people being toxic and saying meanie things about my faves, got damn elitists!"
 
*harasses some completely uninvolved person for absolutely no reason*

Eeek OP; I get the impression that you're a fairly recent fan of Dir en grey and you feel like you've missed out on the drama from the past
I've seen your post on Reddit  asking about deadtree too and honestly you're coming across a little obsessed/creepy, don't harass her on tumblr, there's absolutely no need and you're making yourself look quite toxic and immature/stupid.
 
I thought you made this topic out of curiosity, but you just want to shit stir
 
chill out a bit. 

Yikes, this thread didn't age well.

Playing a lot of catch-up with my post-Japan related stuff -- just got my CD haul organized/cataloged/etc. Haven't purchased/collected any VK CDs in quite some time, but now that I'm no longer in the confines of a tiny Chicago apartment I can finally feed the beast a bit more. All below was purchased between Pure Sound/Tower Records/BOOK-OFF -- didn't even get the proper chance to hit Like an Edison, Closet Child, or Jishuban Club. Made out alright either way, though, I think!!
 
baroque - Chaplin (2003, SCL-007)
baroque - ガリロン (2004, SFCD-0028)
cali≠gari - 10 (2009, VICB-60049)
D - Paradox (2004, DNB-003, signed)
D - Neo culture ~Beyond the world~ (w/DVD, 2007, XQBZ-91002)
DIMLIM - VARIOUS (w/DVD, 2017, DMLM-0001)
The GazettE - 斑蠡～Madara～ (2006, KICS-40022)
The GazettE - STACKED RUBBISH (2007, KICS-1311)
The GazettE - STACKED RUBBISH (w/DVD, missing slipcover, KICS-91311)
gibkiy gibkiy gibkiy - In incontinence (2017, PMGG-004)
the god and death stars - Funky Ghost Hollywood (2018, DSGD-017)
Kagrra, - 鵺 (2000, PSTA-0008)
Kagrra, - 桜 (2001, PSTA-0011)
Kagrra, - 彩 (2001, PSTA-0015)
Kagrra, - [gozen] (2002, PSTA-0030)
Kagrra, - Core (2008, KICS-1348)
キズ - 「0」 - (2018, DMGD-005)
Madeth Gray'll ‎– 十字架の結末 ～第二の悲劇～ (1999, MTR-003)
Malice Mizer - memoire DX (1994, M:N-001DX)
Malice Mizer - Voyage ~sans retour~ (1996, M:N-003N)
Malice Mizer - merveilles (1998, COCA-14866)
Moi dix Mois - Nocturnal Opera (2004 - MMCD-037)
Pierrot - FINALE (1999, TOCT-24150)
Plastic Tree - Hide and Seek (2010, WPCL-10849)
Plastic Tree - Puppet Show (1998, WPCV-7425)
Plastic Tree - Parade (2010, WPCL-10851)
Plastic Tree -トロイメライ (2002, AECR-1005)
ヴィドール ‎- If...レボトミン（Y LV25）475mg (2003, UCCD-001)
 

 

god thisthisTHISTHIS the culture of "give me an EQUALLY RARE mp3/PV/etc. if you want this intangible file" has always been so bizarre to me.
 
Also, so many people in the scene give off this vibe of band/artist fandom ownership, like they're more entitled to be a fan than someone else. Seems kind of esoteric, but I can't be the only one who notices this?

Wanted to write this up sooner, but better late than never!
 
Spent the end of April/beginning of May in Japan - during this time I got to attend two live events, this was the first of those. I've been a die-hard Aie fan since deadman so I absolutely couldn't pass up an opportunity to see him (and Kazu, too!!) play live.  I quite enjoy most of the god and death stars output and had heard many good things about eStrial so I ventured out to Ikebukuro on a rainy evening to see them do their thing.
 
It was one of my first nights in Tokyo and I am a bit, uh, directionally challenged without the aid of a map in larger city settings, so despite leaving quite early I missed my first train changeover and ended up turning a 15 minute trek into a 45 minute anxious train ride, landing me at the show 15 minutes late and a few songs into eStrial's set.
 
I descended the staircase into RUIDO K3 and emerged into the long, narrow live hall, quickly moving to the back of the rather full crowd. eStrial played a set of jazzy, upbeat tunes that had half the crowd participating in some light furi. Vocalist/guitarist Yumeji slid effortlessly through every manner of funky lick, matched in skill and precision by bassist Mina Takahara and drummer Atsuto (who was looking a fair bit more casual here than his time in Sugar - ten years ago at this point???). 
 
I wish I knew more of their songs as I found them to be a ton of fun, bassist Mina being a particular standout as she really knew how to keep energy levels high. She was sporting a huge grin almost the entire set and kept the entire crowd engaged. Much of the band banter made me wish I had a far better grasp of Japanese than I do (read: somewhere between almost none and not being a total know-nothing ass 😶) as Atsuto had the crowd chuckling quite a bit between songs. 
 
Being that this was one of a few two-man dates these bands had booked, it seemed clear that there was a really strong camaraderie between everyone in both bands! There was a lot of commentary that I picked up regarding Aie himself and the crowd no doubt seemed excited by his presence and the god and death stars' forthcoming set.
 
eStrial played for maybe a total of 45 minutes before the curtains closed, sending the crowd back to the bar in the corner to turn in their drink tickets. After a few moments passed, dedicated fans lined up right against the stage and I took this opportunity to grab a more ideal spot closer to the middle of the crowd. 
 
We could see band members shuffling past the entryway and behind the stage curtain and surely enough it wasn't long until a dramatic, orchestral track started playing over the PA. The crowd directed their full attention to the stage and as soon as the curtains were drawn, we were greeted by the god and death stars + Yumeji of eStrial! I found myself wondering if we were going to see Yumeji providing some secondary guitar for their set, but the ensemble jumped into a track that I didn't recognize at all, a poppy number that had Aie and Yumeji vocalizing in a goofy sort of way. The song lasted only a few minutes before the curtains closed once again, the audience left chuckling and eager. 
 
Luckily, we didn't have to wait too long, as the god and death stars proper were revealed as the curtains drew back again. Aie looked just as "cool casual" as I could have anticipated, wearing a thin t-shirt and fedora (perhaps the only person this hat looks properly good on in this day and age?) Kazu was dressed in black from head to toe, sporting a blazer that gave him a sort of "funereal" look alongside his long, slick hair. I must say, Kazu is a rather...imposing looking fellow on stage. Maybe it's because he is next to Aie, who is quite small in stature, but I found him to be quite striking in person in an almost intimidating way. Guest drummer Seiji Matsumoto (of the telephones and a number of bands that I need to take the time to check out) rounded out the trio, taking place of Otaka Jun who is away for health-related reasons (get well soon!!)
 
I will interject here and state that I can't recall their exact set due to time passing and just being...way too enamored with everything to take the time to write the songs down, so I apologize in advance for not being able to post that!
 
The band wasted no time getting into their set. Aie's signature guitar tone pulled me in immediately - that special twang reminded me of where I was and who I was watching. They played a selection of tracks from their newest album, funky ghost hollywood (most of the set was pulled from this album, understandably), to start things off. Watching them was a treat not only from the standpoint of someone who has loved their respective individual discographies (from one iconic band to the next), but simply as very clearly experienced musicians. That should go without saying, but these guys really, really know their stuff. They played each song effortlessly (my god, they really are a wonder at their instruments - I mean seriously, they're so stylistically committed and developed that it's a spectacle seeing them play the way they do).
 
Their set was fun and entirely un-theatric, perhaps the antithesis of the visual kei bands they came up in. Being that they were playing with a guest drummer, it was quite endearing to see them give him visual cues as the songs progressed (he was knocking it out of the park, no doubt, but it was nice seeing them interact in that "power trio" sort of way) The crowd was clearly having fun as they blasted through song after song and, more importantly, the guys in the band looked like they were having a ton of fun themselves. The air over the entire night felt casual and friendly, as if they were "just some guys getting together to play songs." 
 
There was some fun banter with the crowd near the middle of the set which really maintained that same "casual air" and in the end, they were done before I knew it. They got quite a few songs in (I wasn't kidding when I said they were just "blasting through them") for only playing maybe an hour-long set. I can't comment on the exact order, but the songs below are the ones I remember them playing off the top of my head. Nothing older than after the addle apple as far as I can recall. I was really pleased to hear "elephant in the room," "Good Night My Love," and "ママイズジャム" as those are some of my recent favorites.
 
薄荷
サニーゴーサニー
Good Night My Love
ママイズジャム
Life Is Beautiful
cannabis
damned
夜を歩く葡萄
濾過
elephant in the room
 
I hung around the venue for a little while since it was still very early (and there was a little part of me hoping I could shake Aie's hand, but that was wishful thinking, haha). As I watched the crowd wander back out into the rain little by little, it was obvious how varied their fanbase is, from age to personal style. Just a testament to these guys and their time/experience in the scene. 
 
Thanks for reading! Don't miss an opportunity to catch either of these bands if you can - it was a really special evening that I won't soon forget.
 
I'll have one more live report up soon for the event I attended at 高田馬場AREA on 5/6! (DIMLIM, gulu gulu, more)

Playing a lot of catch-up with my post-Japan related stuff -- just got my CD haul organized/cataloged/etc. Haven't purchased/collected any VK CDs in quite some time, but now that I'm no longer in the confines of a tiny Chicago apartment I can finally feed the beast a bit more. All below was purchased between Pure Sound/Tower Records/BOOK-OFF -- didn't even get the proper chance to hit Like an Edison, Closet Child, or Jishuban Club. Made out alright either way, though, I think!!
 
baroque - Chaplin (2003, SCL-007)
baroque - ガリロン (2004, SFCD-0028)
cali≠gari - 10 (2009, VICB-60049)
D - Paradox (2004, DNB-003, signed)
D - Neo culture ~Beyond the world~ (w/DVD, 2007, XQBZ-91002)
DIMLIM - VARIOUS (w/DVD, 2017, DMLM-0001)
The GazettE - 斑蠡～Madara～ (2006, KICS-40022)
The GazettE - STACKED RUBBISH (2007, KICS-1311)
The GazettE - STACKED RUBBISH (w/DVD, missing slipcover, KICS-91311)
gibkiy gibkiy gibkiy - In incontinence (2017, PMGG-004)
the god and death stars - Funky Ghost Hollywood (2018, DSGD-017)
Kagrra, - 鵺 (2000, PSTA-0008)
Kagrra, - 桜 (2001, PSTA-0011)
Kagrra, - 彩 (2001, PSTA-0015)
Kagrra, - [gozen] (2002, PSTA-0030)
Kagrra, - Core (2008, KICS-1348)
キズ - 「0」 - (2018, DMGD-005)
Madeth Gray'll ‎– 十字架の結末 ～第二の悲劇～ (1999, MTR-003)
Malice Mizer - memoire DX (1994, M:N-001DX)
Malice Mizer - Voyage ~sans retour~ (1996, M:N-003N)
Malice Mizer - merveilles (1998, COCA-14866)
Moi dix Mois - Nocturnal Opera (2004 - MMCD-037)
Pierrot - FINALE (1999, TOCT-24150)
Plastic Tree - Hide and Seek (2010, WPCL-10849)
Plastic Tree - Puppet Show (1998, WPCV-7425)
Plastic Tree - Parade (2010, WPCL-10851)
Plastic Tree -トロイメライ (2002, AECR-1005)
ヴィドール ‎- If...レボトミン（Y LV25）475mg (2003, UCCD-001)
 

 

i actually find pretty toxic the same never ending discussions here of how shitty certain bandmen/fandoms/fans are
like its not even a year since ive been an active member lol

Thank you! It was my first proper live in Japan and it was great. The intimacy of the atmosphere really made the experience what it was. And I absolutely get that! I feel like I usually leave early for everywhere I'm trying to go, especially leading up to an event and I somehow usually end up late. Oh well, it's all...experience or something? Haha.
 
 
WOW I am so jealous!! That sounds absolutely surreal, couldn't imagine being in that setting overall and then finishing it off with the autograph, that's too much.
 
Thanks for reading, all - will hope to have the other report posted this week. 🤗

Thank you! It was my first proper live in Japan and it was great. The intimacy of the atmosphere really made the experience what it was. And I absolutely get that! I feel like I usually leave early for everywhere I'm trying to go, especially leading up to an event and I somehow usually end up late. Oh well, it's all...experience or something? Haha.
 
 
WOW I am so jealous!! That sounds absolutely surreal, couldn't imagine being in that setting overall and then finishing it off with the autograph, that's too much.
 
Thanks for reading, all - will hope to have the other report posted this week. 🤗

oh this made me remember how i bought a ticket for some random tgads live, came to nagoya from tokyo without any maps or pocket wi-fi, managed to get to the venue and this turned out to be an acoustic two-man live with a noname band which attended literally 8 people l m a o
BUT i managed to get his sign (still thanking myself for being a bakagaijin) and i also still have a pen he wrote it with...yeah i was hell of a fan
thank you for the report! this brought back some memories ♡

Thanks for the live report, it was great to read. I'm also looking forward to your next one, when you have the time.  

Awesome live report, I'm looking forward to reading your next one!

I agree : ) I love to read live reports. I am sorry, info for all of you: I cannot (for some strange reason) react (like) anybody's comments. It's coming error -message "Sorry, you cannot give any more reactions today" And I haven't managed none today 😧 Maybe it's a bug (?) I am sorry about it. I cannot like anybody's comment.

Great live report! It sounds like you had an amazing, fun time. It's always such a treat to see these bands play live on their home turf (i.e. in Japan). And being able to experience the intimate and exciting atmosphere these bands exude when playing at these smaller livehouses is always a bonus. Looking forward to reading your next live report!
 
Reminds me of how I usually leave hours in advance in an unfamiliar place because being directionally challenged, lol. Not being fluent in the language doesn't help either ^^;

Wanted to write this up sooner, but better late than never!
 
Spent the end of April/beginning of May in Japan - during this time I got to attend two live events, this was the first of those. I've been a die-hard Aie fan since deadman so I absolutely couldn't pass up an opportunity to see him (and Kazu, too!!) play live.  I quite enjoy most of the god and death stars output and had heard many good things about eStrial so I ventured out to Ikebukuro on a rainy evening to see them do their thing.
 
It was one of my first nights in Tokyo and I am a bit, uh, directionally challenged without the aid of a map in larger city settings, so despite leaving quite early I missed my first train changeover and ended up turning a 15 minute trek into a 45 minute anxious train ride, landing me at the show 15 minutes late and a few songs into eStrial's set.
 
I descended the staircase into RUIDO K3 and emerged into the long, narrow live hall, quickly moving to the back of the rather full crowd. eStrial played a set of jazzy, upbeat tunes that had half the crowd participating in some light furi. Vocalist/guitarist Yumeji slid effortlessly through every manner of funky lick, matched in skill and precision by bassist Mina Takahara and drummer Atsuto (who was looking a fair bit more casual here than his time in Sugar - ten years ago at this point???). 
 
I wish I knew more of their songs as I found them to be a ton of fun, bassist Mina being a particular standout as she really knew how to keep energy levels high. She was sporting a huge grin almost the entire set and kept the entire crowd engaged. Much of the band banter made me wish I had a far better grasp of Japanese than I do (read: somewhere between almost none and not being a total know-nothing ass 😶) as Atsuto had the crowd chuckling quite a bit between songs. 
 
Being that this was one of a few two-man dates these bands had booked, it seemed clear that there was a really strong camaraderie between everyone in both bands! There was a lot of commentary that I picked up regarding Aie himself and the crowd no doubt seemed excited by his presence and the god and death stars' forthcoming set.
 
eStrial played for maybe a total of 45 minutes before the curtains closed, sending the crowd back to the bar in the corner to turn in their drink tickets. After a few moments passed, dedicated fans lined up right against the stage and I took this opportunity to grab a more ideal spot closer to the middle of the crowd. 
 
We could see band members shuffling past the entryway and behind the stage curtain and surely enough it wasn't long until a dramatic, orchestral track started playing over the PA. The crowd directed their full attention to the stage and as soon as the curtains were drawn, we were greeted by the god and death stars + Yumeji of eStrial! I found myself wondering if we were going to see Yumeji providing some secondary guitar for their set, but the ensemble jumped into a track that I didn't recognize at all, a poppy number that had Aie and Yumeji vocalizing in a goofy sort of way. The song lasted only a few minutes before the curtains closed once again, the audience left chuckling and eager. 
 
Luckily, we didn't have to wait too long, as the god and death stars proper were revealed as the curtains drew back again. Aie looked just as "cool casual" as I could have anticipated, wearing a thin t-shirt and fedora (perhaps the only person this hat looks properly good on in this day and age?) Kazu was dressed in black from head to toe, sporting a blazer that gave him a sort of "funereal" look alongside his long, slick hair. I must say, Kazu is a rather...imposing looking fellow on stage. Maybe it's because he is next to Aie, who is quite small in stature, but I found him to be quite striking in person in an almost intimidating way. Guest drummer Seiji Matsumoto (of the telephones and a number of bands that I need to take the time to check out) rounded out the trio, taking place of Otaka Jun who is away for health-related reasons (get well soon!!)
 
I will interject here and state that I can't recall their exact set due to time passing and just being...way too enamored with everything to take the time to write the songs down, so I apologize in advance for not being able to post that!
 
The band wasted no time getting into their set. Aie's signature guitar tone pulled me in immediately - that special twang reminded me of where I was and who I was watching. They played a selection of tracks from their newest album, funky ghost hollywood (most of the set was pulled from this album, understandably), to start things off. Watching them was a treat not only from the standpoint of someone who has loved their respective individual discographies (from one iconic band to the next), but simply as very clearly experienced musicians. That should go without saying, but these guys really, really know their stuff. They played each song effortlessly (my god, they really are a wonder at their instruments - I mean seriously, they're so stylistically committed and developed that it's a spectacle seeing them play the way they do).
 
Their set was fun and entirely un-theatric, perhaps the antithesis of the visual kei bands they came up in. Being that they were playing with a guest drummer, it was quite endearing to see them give him visual cues as the songs progressed (he was knocking it out of the park, no doubt, but it was nice seeing them interact in that "power trio" sort of way) The crowd was clearly having fun as they blasted through song after song and, more importantly, the guys in the band looked like they were having a ton of fun themselves. The air over the entire night felt casual and friendly, as if they were "just some guys getting together to play songs." 
 
There was some fun banter with the crowd near the middle of the set which really maintained that same "casual air" and in the end, they were done before I knew it. They got quite a few songs in (I wasn't kidding when I said they were just "blasting through them") for only playing maybe an hour-long set. I can't comment on the exact order, but the songs below are the ones I remember them playing off the top of my head. Nothing older than after the addle apple as far as I can recall. I was really pleased to hear "elephant in the room," "Good Night My Love," and "ママイズジャム" as those are some of my recent favorites.
 
薄荷
サニーゴーサニー
Good Night My Love
ママイズジャム
Life Is Beautiful
cannabis
damned
夜を歩く葡萄
濾過
elephant in the room
 
I hung around the venue for a little while since it was still very early (and there was a little part of me hoping I could shake Aie's hand, but that was wishful thinking, haha). As I watched the crowd wander back out into the rain little by little, it was obvious how varied their fanbase is, from age to personal style. Just a testament to these guys and their time/experience in the scene. 
 
Thanks for reading! Don't miss an opportunity to catch either of these bands if you can - it was a really special evening that I won't soon forget.
 
I'll have one more live report up soon for the event I attended at 高田馬場AREA on 5/6! (DIMLIM, gulu gulu, more)

Wanted to write this up sooner, but better late than never!
 
Spent the end of April/beginning of May in Japan - during this time I got to attend two live events, this was the first of those. I've been a die-hard Aie fan since deadman so I absolutely couldn't pass up an opportunity to see him (and Kazu, too!!) play live.  I quite enjoy most of the god and death stars output and had heard many good things about eStrial so I ventured out to Ikebukuro on a rainy evening to see them do their thing.
 
It was one of my first nights in Tokyo and I am a bit, uh, directionally challenged without the aid of a map in larger city settings, so despite leaving quite early I missed my first train changeover and ended up turning a 15 minute trek into a 45 minute anxious train ride, landing me at the show 15 minutes late and a few songs into eStrial's set.
 
I descended the staircase into RUIDO K3 and emerged into the long, narrow live hall, quickly moving to the back of the rather full crowd. eStrial played a set of jazzy, upbeat tunes that had half the crowd participating in some light furi. Vocalist/guitarist Yumeji slid effortlessly through every manner of funky lick, matched in skill and precision by bassist Mina Takahara and drummer Atsuto (who was looking a fair bit more casual here than his time in Sugar - ten years ago at this point???). 
 
I wish I knew more of their songs as I found them to be a ton of fun, bassist Mina being a particular standout as she really knew how to keep energy levels high. She was sporting a huge grin almost the entire set and kept the entire crowd engaged. Much of the band banter made me wish I had a far better grasp of Japanese than I do (read: somewhere between almost none and not being a total know-nothing ass 😶) as Atsuto had the crowd chuckling quite a bit between songs. 
 
Being that this was one of a few two-man dates these bands had booked, it seemed clear that there was a really strong camaraderie between everyone in both bands! There was a lot of commentary that I picked up regarding Aie himself and the crowd no doubt seemed excited by his presence and the god and death stars' forthcoming set.
 
eStrial played for maybe a total of 45 minutes before the curtains closed, sending the crowd back to the bar in the corner to turn in their drink tickets. After a few moments passed, dedicated fans lined up right against the stage and I took this opportunity to grab a more ideal spot closer to the middle of the crowd. 
 
We could see band members shuffling past the entryway and behind the stage curtain and surely enough it wasn't long until a dramatic, orchestral track started playing over the PA. The crowd directed their full attention to the stage and as soon as the curtains were drawn, we were greeted by the god and death stars + Yumeji of eStrial! I found myself wondering if we were going to see Yumeji providing some secondary guitar for their set, but the ensemble jumped into a track that I didn't recognize at all, a poppy number that had Aie and Yumeji vocalizing in a goofy sort of way. The song lasted only a few minutes before the curtains closed once again, the audience left chuckling and eager. 
 
Luckily, we didn't have to wait too long, as the god and death stars proper were revealed as the curtains drew back again. Aie looked just as "cool casual" as I could have anticipated, wearing a thin t-shirt and fedora (perhaps the only person this hat looks properly good on in this day and age?) Kazu was dressed in black from head to toe, sporting a blazer that gave him a sort of "funereal" look alongside his long, slick hair. I must say, Kazu is a rather...imposing looking fellow on stage. Maybe it's because he is next to Aie, who is quite small in stature, but I found him to be quite striking in person in an almost intimidating way. Guest drummer Seiji Matsumoto (of the telephones and a number of bands that I need to take the time to check out) rounded out the trio, taking place of Otaka Jun who is away for health-related reasons (get well soon!!)
 
I will interject here and state that I can't recall their exact set due to time passing and just being...way too enamored with everything to take the time to write the songs down, so I apologize in advance for not being able to post that!
 
The band wasted no time getting into their set. Aie's signature guitar tone pulled me in immediately - that special twang reminded me of where I was and who I was watching. They played a selection of tracks from their newest album, funky ghost hollywood (most of the set was pulled from this album, understandably), to start things off. Watching them was a treat not only from the standpoint of someone who has loved their respective individual discographies (from one iconic band to the next), but simply as very clearly experienced musicians. That should go without saying, but these guys really, really know their stuff. They played each song effortlessly (my god, they really are a wonder at their instruments - I mean seriously, they're so stylistically committed and developed that it's a spectacle seeing them play the way they do).
 
Their set was fun and entirely un-theatric, perhaps the antithesis of the visual kei bands they came up in. Being that they were playing with a guest drummer, it was quite endearing to see them give him visual cues as the songs progressed (he was knocking it out of the park, no doubt, but it was nice seeing them interact in that "power trio" sort of way) The crowd was clearly having fun as they blasted through song after song and, more importantly, the guys in the band looked like they were having a ton of fun themselves. The air over the entire night felt casual and friendly, as if they were "just some guys getting together to play songs." 
 
There was some fun banter with the crowd near the middle of the set which really maintained that same "casual air" and in the end, they were done before I knew it. They got quite a few songs in (I wasn't kidding when I said they were just "blasting through them") for only playing maybe an hour-long set. I can't comment on the exact order, but the songs below are the ones I remember them playing off the top of my head. Nothing older than after the addle apple as far as I can recall. I was really pleased to hear "elephant in the room," "Good Night My Love," and "ママイズジャム" as those are some of my recent favorites.
 
薄荷
サニーゴーサニー
Good Night My Love
ママイズジャム
Life Is Beautiful
cannabis
damned
夜を歩く葡萄
濾過
elephant in the room
 
I hung around the venue for a little while since it was still very early (and there was a little part of me hoping I could shake Aie's hand, but that was wishful thinking, haha). As I watched the crowd wander back out into the rain little by little, it was obvious how varied their fanbase is, from age to personal style. Just a testament to these guys and their time/experience in the scene. 
 
Thanks for reading! Don't miss an opportunity to catch either of these bands if you can - it was a really special evening that I won't soon forget.
 
I'll have one more live report up soon for the event I attended at 高田馬場AREA on 5/6! (DIMLIM, gulu gulu, more)

Wanted to write this up sooner, but better late than never!
 
Spent the end of April/beginning of May in Japan - during this time I got to attend two live events, this was the first of those. I've been a die-hard Aie fan since deadman so I absolutely couldn't pass up an opportunity to see him (and Kazu, too!!) play live.  I quite enjoy most of the god and death stars output and had heard many good things about eStrial so I ventured out to Ikebukuro on a rainy evening to see them do their thing.
 
It was one of my first nights in Tokyo and I am a bit, uh, directionally challenged without the aid of a map in larger city settings, so despite leaving quite early I missed my first train changeover and ended up turning a 15 minute trek into a 45 minute anxious train ride, landing me at the show 15 minutes late and a few songs into eStrial's set.
 
I descended the staircase into RUIDO K3 and emerged into the long, narrow live hall, quickly moving to the back of the rather full crowd. eStrial played a set of jazzy, upbeat tunes that had half the crowd participating in some light furi. Vocalist/guitarist Yumeji slid effortlessly through every manner of funky lick, matched in skill and precision by bassist Mina Takahara and drummer Atsuto (who was looking a fair bit more casual here than his time in Sugar - ten years ago at this point???). 
 
I wish I knew more of their songs as I found them to be a ton of fun, bassist Mina being a particular standout as she really knew how to keep energy levels high. She was sporting a huge grin almost the entire set and kept the entire crowd engaged. Much of the band banter made me wish I had a far better grasp of Japanese than I do (read: somewhere between almost none and not being a total know-nothing ass 😶) as Atsuto had the crowd chuckling quite a bit between songs. 
 
Being that this was one of a few two-man dates these bands had booked, it seemed clear that there was a really strong camaraderie between everyone in both bands! There was a lot of commentary that I picked up regarding Aie himself and the crowd no doubt seemed excited by his presence and the god and death stars' forthcoming set.
 
eStrial played for maybe a total of 45 minutes before the curtains closed, sending the crowd back to the bar in the corner to turn in their drink tickets. After a few moments passed, dedicated fans lined up right against the stage and I took this opportunity to grab a more ideal spot closer to the middle of the crowd. 
 
We could see band members shuffling past the entryway and behind the stage curtain and surely enough it wasn't long until a dramatic, orchestral track started playing over the PA. The crowd directed their full attention to the stage and as soon as the curtains were drawn, we were greeted by the god and death stars + Yumeji of eStrial! I found myself wondering if we were going to see Yumeji providing some secondary guitar for their set, but the ensemble jumped into a track that I didn't recognize at all, a poppy number that had Aie and Yumeji vocalizing in a goofy sort of way. The song lasted only a few minutes before the curtains closed once again, the audience left chuckling and eager. 
 
Luckily, we didn't have to wait too long, as the god and death stars proper were revealed as the curtains drew back again. Aie looked just as "cool casual" as I could have anticipated, wearing a thin t-shirt and fedora (perhaps the only person this hat looks properly good on in this day and age?) Kazu was dressed in black from head to toe, sporting a blazer that gave him a sort of "funereal" look alongside his long, slick hair. I must say, Kazu is a rather...imposing looking fellow on stage. Maybe it's because he is next to Aie, who is quite small in stature, but I found him to be quite striking in person in an almost intimidating way. Guest drummer Seiji Matsumoto (of the telephones and a number of bands that I need to take the time to check out) rounded out the trio, taking place of Otaka Jun who is away for health-related reasons (get well soon!!)
 
I will interject here and state that I can't recall their exact set due to time passing and just being...way too enamored with everything to take the time to write the songs down, so I apologize in advance for not being able to post that!
 
The band wasted no time getting into their set. Aie's signature guitar tone pulled me in immediately - that special twang reminded me of where I was and who I was watching. They played a selection of tracks from their newest album, funky ghost hollywood (most of the set was pulled from this album, understandably), to start things off. Watching them was a treat not only from the standpoint of someone who has loved their respective individual discographies (from one iconic band to the next), but simply as very clearly experienced musicians. That should go without saying, but these guys really, really know their stuff. They played each song effortlessly (my god, they really are a wonder at their instruments - I mean seriously, they're so stylistically committed and developed that it's a spectacle seeing them play the way they do).
 
Their set was fun and entirely un-theatric, perhaps the antithesis of the visual kei bands they came up in. Being that they were playing with a guest drummer, it was quite endearing to see them give him visual cues as the songs progressed (he was knocking it out of the park, no doubt, but it was nice seeing them interact in that "power trio" sort of way) The crowd was clearly having fun as they blasted through song after song and, more importantly, the guys in the band looked like they were having a ton of fun themselves. The air over the entire night felt casual and friendly, as if they were "just some guys getting together to play songs." 
 
There was some fun banter with the crowd near the middle of the set which really maintained that same "casual air" and in the end, they were done before I knew it. They got quite a few songs in (I wasn't kidding when I said they were just "blasting through them") for only playing maybe an hour-long set. I can't comment on the exact order, but the songs below are the ones I remember them playing off the top of my head. Nothing older than after the addle apple as far as I can recall. I was really pleased to hear "elephant in the room," "Good Night My Love," and "ママイズジャム" as those are some of my recent favorites.
 
薄荷
サニーゴーサニー
Good Night My Love
ママイズジャム
Life Is Beautiful
cannabis
damned
夜を歩く葡萄
濾過
elephant in the room
 
I hung around the venue for a little while since it was still very early (and there was a little part of me hoping I could shake Aie's hand, but that was wishful thinking, haha). As I watched the crowd wander back out into the rain little by little, it was obvious how varied their fanbase is, from age to personal style. Just a testament to these guys and their time/experience in the scene. 
 
Thanks for reading! Don't miss an opportunity to catch either of these bands if you can - it was a really special evening that I won't soon forget.
 
I'll have one more live report up soon for the event I attended at 高田馬場AREA on 5/6! (DIMLIM, gulu gulu, more)