live report Emmuree Presents: [Dark Maniacs CarNival Vol. 2] @ Takadanobaba AREA 2016.06.06

[The Reverend 3566]

Ok this one is for @emmny

 

 

So as you can see above, Emmuree actually posted the lineup order (with set beginning times!) the day before the show. Given how long a lot of these event concerts can be, that’s a very nice move on their part. I wanted to see both the first and last band, however, so I was in it for the long haul.

 

Today’s show at AREA had a much better crowd than the other day, but it was still far from its capacity.

 

Shout-out to my new friend from Finland (whose name I forget I’m sorrrrrrrry) who was the only other white dude at the Kimi wa Surudoku show the other night, and was here again at AREA for this show. He came over and we chatted a little bit about shows we’d seen or were going to see (he had just seen SibileBashir who I planned to later). He said he’d read my report of that previous show which of course made me smile…. M-H is bringing people together worldwide!

 

紅蝉 (Benizemi) - I think all these concerts in a row is starting to affect my hearing a little bit (though Japan’s clubs haven’t been so loud I’ve pulled my earplugs out of my pocket yet… I wish tiny 100 person venues in America had the light and sound set up of these Tokyo spots) because I’m not sure if the singer for Benizemi walked out to just a little feedback static or if there were faint ocean waves playing. I kept hearing waves, but then I would chalk that up to my brain just trying to find patterns in the noise.

 

Anyway, he came out looking all goth-y with a sleep mask (I’m not sure what better word for ‘mask that just covers your eyes is, ha’) full of flowers and performed the first song with it on. He (and most of the band) were very animated and the singer especially enjoyed spazzing out on stage. Hold up, is this girl bassist the same as the bassist from Karabinka the other night? I mean, it kind of looks like her (the makeup is way different) and how many gothy/angura girl VK bassists can there be??? If it is the same person, unnh what a cool chick… marry me please?

 

The two guitarists for Benizemi had very defined stage personas. The stage left (audience right) guitarist was the cocky/aloof one while the stage right guitarist was the goofy/smiling big- happy to be there one. The goofy one threw a pick into the audience at the end of the set with way too much gusto (with the flat side up for way too much wind resistance) and his arm rocketed forward but the pick just stopped in midair and fell back onto the stage, hahaha.

 

I liked that they had the courage in such a short set (and they have no shortage of songs to choose from) to do an out-and-out ballad…. Though they did obliterate it from our memories quickly by following it up with a super fast, noisy track.

 

A short anecdote about why when you’re in an indies band you should hang out by your merch table: I stopped by their merch table later in the set to get a live DVD for a friend, and since the singer was there talking to people and I enjoyed the set…. I figured I’d pick up a CD for myself as well. The vocalist was super nice, despite the language barrier, and when I asked which CD was best he was quick to pick one out for me and thanked me for the purchases. (He also was the only person so far in Japan who stuck out his hand for a handshake, I liked him.)

 

Foxpill Cult - This band (who I would not call VK… but neither was another band we’ll get to later) had a really weird lineup. There was; drummer, vocal/guitar, keyboard/guitar, and single snare/tiny keyboard thing that wasn’t powered but he had to blow into (or melodica apparently). They had some real diversity in their sound based on what instruments the members were manning for that particular track. One track was veering heavily into like dance rock and then the next would be really punk-y. It should be noted however fun he was on stage, that you definitely couldn’t hear melodica dudes tiny little wind powered keyboard though.

 

The keyboard/guitar dude had a bright red lip outline on his cheek, I wonder which band member had the privilege of putting that there ;).

 

Noticed during their set there were both lots of dudes in the crowds compared to most VK shows (it was probably 35% male at its peak.. Whereas most VK shows are maybe 5%?). The audience also skewed older, though that makes sense considering the bands were mostly middle aged guys themselves. It was a different feeling for me not being wildly out of place because I’m 30.

 

2 - I guess this was a revival of a 90s VK band (that were not named 2)?? It was refreshing to hear some old-school, golden age VK that wasn’t full of breakdowns or acting psychotic on stage (though I love those things, don’t get me wrong). It was just some old dudes having fun, rocking out. I wouldn’t want to see it all the time, but I enjoyed a little dose. I feel like @robkun would dig these guys’ sound.

 

Between sets they were playing some French woman singing songs that were definitely recorded in the 1940s or earlier. I liked it.

 

Phaidia - Another band that wasn’t VK at all, but rather straight forward goth rock. Also these guys were capital O OLD. They were probably rocking when goth was first a thing in the 80s.

 

This is going to sound much meaner than I intend it, but the vocalist looked like if Asagi had a picture of Dorian Gray in his attic. Straight raven-black hair, black corset with spiderweb-y mesh underneath. He also would just randomly hold very goth-y props for effect (he actually walked onstage holding a skull on some real ‘Alas, poor Yorick’ shit) such as a sword, candelabra, that skull, one of those catholic incense holders that swing. He probably had a bit too much echo on his vocals for my tastes, but it fit with the haunting atmosphere of their set.

 

Bassist was locking into some good grooves with the drums while the guitarist mostly provided *noise* rather than riffs.

 

I noticed one chick up front for their set who was fucking *enraptured*. Hair everywhere, just losing it to the music. I wish I was able to forget about my inhibitions like that sometimes.

 

So the bands were running a little late by this point and Phaidia didn’t end their set until 9:15. Isn’t it like a rule that these shows all end by ~9:30? I hope Emmuree didn’t have to cut any songs they planned to play because of this.

 

Emmuree - Obviously I wasn’t the only one who noticed the show running over time as the curtain was whipped open with the band in place but the background French lady still singing for about four seconds. Oops.

 

Of course Emmuree were dressed in all black, with Sou rocking a trademarked by this point slinkly black sweater. The guitarist’s long bangs were shorter than I’ve seen (I think). And of course the bassist looked like an Italian widow with dense black covering his whole body and a giant black floppy hat so that we could never see his face (the whole band was actually lit from the rear a lot… so we couldn’t see any of their faces a lot of the time).

 

When Emmuree perform the guitar and bass are somewhat reserved, moving around to the music but mostly staying in place while Sou puts on the show. And he is one of the most expressive/emotive singers going at the moment. He also thrashed around and ad-libbed some vocals more than I was expecting (at one point he repeatedly yelped like a puppy who had his tail stepped on, and at another he threw in some ‘lalala’s while miming scissors in front of his face). Sou’s favorite move of mine was when he pointed one finger straight up high above his head to mark a rising swell in the music and then jerked his arm around incrementally to mimic the movement of a clock. (Unfortunately this did not indicate that “I Hear the Clocks Counting Down” was coming.)

I could gush a little bit more… but I’ve covered the highlights. Besides, when they played the first track from their new album (a song I love) I was lost enough in the sights and sounds that I was not focusing on remembering what was happening but rather just enjoying it.

Edited June 9, 2016 by The Reverend

[BrenGun 2261]

Quote

2 - I guess this was a revival of a 90s VK band (that were not named 2)?? It was refreshing to hear some old-school, golden age VK that wasn’t full of breakdowns or acting psychotic on stage (though I love those things, don’t get me wrong). It was just some old dudes having fun, rocking out. I wouldn’t want to see it all the time, but I enjoyed a little dose. I feel like Rob would dig these guys’ sound.

it was the reunion of 2nd Effect.  and yes Rob would love it and i also love it

 

Quote

Phaidia - Another band that wasn’t VK at all, but rather straight forward goth rock. Also these guys were capital O OLD. They were probably rocking when goth was first a thing in the 80s.

Yup also old rockers this band is already long living and restarted again not that long ago. members are surly 45+

[emmny 4139]

sounds like a colourful show, i was curious as to how benizemi sound considering nothing of theirs has been shared yet, and a noisy goth-rock counterpart to emmuree's dirge sounds awesome. @WhirlingBlack said sou's stage presence is second only to kyo, and i'd believe it based on your review. lets hope i see them before they hit the can

thanks for being my eyes and ears at this show rev, i appreciate it lots ^.^

[Jigsaw9 6783]

Cool live report, thx!  

 

You're not wrong in picturing PHAIDIA back in the '80s: they were actually the very first Japanese deathrock band if I recall correctly (but among the first goth bands for sure), starting in the early '80s. They're on a kinda revival currently, which always makes me crack up cuz the drummer Yoshida Tatsuya (who also guested on FOXPILL CULT's latest album btw!) usually plays in far-out technical free-jazz-rock-noise outfits in the past decades, haha.

 

Man, FOXPILL CULT sound like they're so much fun to see live (just as I expected, lol).  

Edited June 9, 2016 by Jigsaw9