Bangya Hacks! (Advice for Attending VK Lives)

[BrenGun 2261]

for such big band you need diehard fans or staff to display your flowers. but even a small bouquet is about 2000～5000yen.  

I live in a flower country and a 5000yen bouguet in japan is a 10～15euro bouquet in my country. XD

 

the best methode is still to give it to a staff member. food is the best, since such things won't be throwed away.  

 

but, I personal only give stuff to small bands. bigger bands often receive so much or don't really care anymore.

but food or something usefull is always good. 

 

but keep in mind, how bigger how more difficult it will be. 

 

and even for smaller bands if you give it to a staff member.  it won't be always shared on their social media. so unless you have give it in person you don't always know if it was really received.

 

 

[desertflower304 4]

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Edited December 24, 2017 by desertflower304

[Duwang 676]

@desertflower304You can give your gift to a staff member at buppan during a live but I usually give them directly to the guys at instores. The bands I follow are probably much smaller than the band you're seeing though. 
At instores, just like oneman lives, there are usually baskets set up on the side so they can just put them in once you hand your gift over. If you want to do something special you can talk to shop staff a week or two in advance and see if they're ok with what you have in mind. I've done that a few times in the past for a semi-popular band (who is now really popular) with great success. 

 

Just because a band has 300+ fans doesn't mean you should just give up.
Also just because a bandman hasn't posted your gift on social media doesn't mean he didn't receive your gift. If you have the opportunity you can ask him if he liked it the next time you go to an instore.

 

1 hour ago, cvltic said:

Not sure about flowers, though. Usually the big stands get delivered to the livehouse and the livehouse presumably displays and then disposes of them.

 

I haven't personally arranged them myself but I have helped/contributed a few times so I have a general idea of how the process is. For stands you have to contact the venue and make sure it's okay/there's space before arranging the flowers through a flower shop. The venue doesn't get rid of the flowers after, the flower shop does, so you have to find a flower shop that is open late that will have staff come pick up the stand after the live. There are actually some flower shops that specialize in flowers for VK who are familiar with how things work.

[hiroki 5521]

unless the item you're giving is a prohibited item (dangerous goods, perishables, etc.),  the bandman will almost definitely receive your gift even if they didn't mention it explicitly. if you ask me, it's a lot less stressful to give gifts to bandmen of bigger/more popular bands since the whole process is a lot more streamlined/systematic instead of hoping that your guy is coming out to buppan (last week i asked a bandman when they will at buppan at their next live and his reply was "idk, DM me on twitter and i'll come out?" lol). the downside is the lack of interaction/intimacy i guess.

 

another possibility is to pass the gift to the bandman directly if there is satsuei after live or at instores (less awkward if it's a 2 shot so that you don't have to do it in front of everyone else). for bigger bands, usually fans leave them in stipulated baskets/boxes at livehouses or send them directly to their office (there should be an address for fanletters/gift on their OHP).

 

as for flowers, what Duwang says works. the only thing i'd add is that if you're planning to decorate the flowers (photos, balloons, etc.), it would help to discuss it with the flower shop esp if you require it in advance of the live. i also suggest trying to get more people (esp those chipping in) to help with the arrangement.

 

 

[BrenGun 2261]

@desertflower304

I'm sorry, didn't know you would be angry.

I  just don't want that you feel hurt in anyway if it won't be arrive at the person you want to give your present.

But good luck!~ 

[hotcocoa 36]

I think for most bigger bands you have to use the present box, if for some reason it's not available then ask the staff about it. In my experience staff (be it venue staff or band's staff) always took my presents or letters for me if I was late and they already packed the box away. Whatever passed will be delivered to the members, what they do with it is up to them.

 

Also, in my experience at the events of bigger bands you are not supposed to hand presents directly to the musicians.  At some events fans are asked to not bring presents or to use present box (usually they will have some info about it on their twitter or shop's site).

 

I have one experience with buying a big bouquet to display. Check with the venue they have space for it first. Those displays on a stand cost 15000 yen minimum (usually over 20000, over 30000 if you include the lower level). It also depends on type of flowers, they offer a lot of choice and customize. Flower shop can write a message you want on a board, you can also give them a letter you want band to receive. They will deliver flowers on the day and take care of them after. I would assume that most flower shops would also make and deliver smaller bouquets, smaller ones will probably stay in the backstage area, when those on stands are put in the general area. Look for the flower shops near the venues, then it's most likely they will have this service and had dealt with such orders before.

If the bouquet is more of a normal/smaller size one you could even place it in the present box (flower shops in Japan wrap it in a special paper that has some water, it's safe and doesn't spill). Fans are really respectful here and everyone will be careful with flowers.

 

I think it is seen as rude in Japan not to wrap your present or put it in a gift bag. Also, don't write your favorite member's name on the paper/bag, that's rude as well, always attach a ticket.

 

When giving food etc it can't be something that is not obviously store bought and sealed. Anything that is home made or could have been opened will go straight to the bin. I think something useful like everyday items, clothes etc are a good idea. Many members will like alcohol.

[frayed 404]

Wrapping culture is big in Japan, true, but especially if you’re directly handing them a present it’s not really rude not to have a bag. Especially in the case that you’re about to take a picture with the member, sometimes they’ll want to hold it and it’s just easier not to have it in a bag or whatever.

 

Also haven’t seen any stigmas against writing names on the bag - if anything it’s more encouraged since tags and catch and tear, but that could just be my own experience.

 

Definitely seconding no home made food though. That will go right in the trash for safety reasons.

[Duwang 676]

8 hours ago, frayed said:

Also haven’t seen any stigmas against writing names on the bag - if anything it’s more encouraged since tags and catch and tear, but that could just be my own experience.

I write and draw on gift bags all the time for the very same reason. I see Japanese fans do it, too. 

[desertflower304 4]

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Edited December 24, 2017 by desertflower304

[jaymee 405]

On 2017/11/18 at 6:41 AM, desertflower304 said:

Would anyone happen to have any experience/tips on giving gifts to the band - whether to the whole band (like flowers, etc.) or individual gifts to band members? ...

 

Depending on the band, there may be boxes for each member or just a general box for the whole band. For much smaller bands you can often give it directly as they will work their merch booth after. If you put it in the box the band will get it. Sometimes bands will even chat about which member got more presents than the other last live during their MCs and stuff like that. I actually think sometimes band members are less likely to get things sent through the fan club address (and only bigger bands have this anyway), or in the very least take longer, as it has to be accepted and sorted by office/label management first before being passed on.

 

Sometimes you can give it to a manager for a "bigger" band, but first you have to know who the manager is, and second if you're a "new" fan (i.e. new to going to this band's lives in Japan), they may not be so willing to unless present boxes are not out. Then again your foreignness may score you points depending on your personality. It's a mixed bag. Unless it's a smaller band, it may be easier if you have someone who the manager knows of/a regular fan introduce you.

 

I don't give presents any more, but when I did it would either be stuff to eat or drink, and/or something funny that I thought the band would find amusing. I think unless you are giving something really nice, like well known fashion brand or something of that nature (usually at least one girl will bring it especially if a member wrote they liked/wanted it on SNS), or a letter with fan art etc., something cheap that is easily consumable would be best, perhaps from your home country.

 

BUT as far as flowers go, flowers in Japan sometimes have different connotations than in the West due to how (especially in the past) flowers were used to express certain feelings/situations... Like some flowers are only used at funerals or other specific times, etc. so I would def let a Japanese florist make the bouquet, even if it will be pricier. Recently bouquets made out of soap flowers and the like are generally gaining popularity in Japan so you don't have to worry about them wilting and people can use them in the bath or display them. That said, I haven't particularly noted any gya bringing these kinds in.

Edited November 19, 2017 by jaymee

[desertflower304 4]

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Edited December 24, 2017 by desertflower304

[jaymee 405]

On 2017/11/22 at 10:27 AM, desertflower304 said:

Thank you for your helpful comments, @jaymee. Yeah.. I don't think the giving it to the manager thing would work for me - have no idea who they are lol &&  I'm not exactly the type of person to impress anyone. Also don't plan on chatting up any Japanese fans so wouldn't have someone to introduce me and plus, I really want to steer clear of giving any type of wrong ideas that i've got further "intentions"  of some sort when all i want to do is just simply leave a gift for someone; i feel like seeking out the manager could come off like that for me. If the boxes aren't out, my Japanese will hopefully be sufficient enough to pass my gift on to someone who can deliver it.

 

Your note about the flowers was great and why i'm really grateful to have a thread like this with all you veteran concert goers to help ignorant newbies like myself. Completely wouldn't have thought about the symbolism with certain types of flowers - would have just gone in and picked what I thought was pretty. So yeah, thanks for the heads up - I will let the florist choose . I've actually never heard of soap flowers and looked them up. They're lovely~ Don't know how much the band might appreciate them though lol But I mean, even dudes bathe and like to smell good and stuff so.

 

No prob! I've heard some faux pas stories in the past where foreigners have brought bouquets they picked out to a hospital or baby shower only for the flowers to represent death/funerals/grieving, and the receiving party wasn't particularly grateful to be given the equivalent of a bad omen. (Tho I imagine if it was someone you disliked it would be a brilliant display of savagery lol.)

 

Anywho hope all goes well and you enjoy your live(s)! When are you coming and who are you seeing?

[The Bread Wolf 231]

On 19/11/2017 at 2:30 AM, jaymee said:

BUT as far as flowers go, flowers in Japan sometimes have different connotations than in the West due to how (especially in the past) flowers were used to express certain feelings/situations... Like some flowers are only used at funerals or other specific times, etc. so I would def let a Japanese florist make the bouquet, even if it will be pricier.

 

Best way to learn about flowers in Japan is to play Persona 5 and work at a flower shop in the game.

 

Almost OT. Just came to mind.

[desertflower304 4]

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Edited December 24, 2017 by desertflower304

[Laris 4]

what are the best ways to buy tickets? one of my friend offered to help if needed, but im an anxious human being who wants to make sure all goes right.

also, how far in advanced are most lives announced?
I'm going in april and whilst some bands have already have some concerts planned in march, others aren't even past january.

[Duwang 676]

9 hours ago, Laris said:

what are the best ways to buy tickets? one of my friend offered to help if needed, but im an anxious human being who wants to make sure all goes right.

also, how far in advanced are most lives announced?
I'm going in april and whilst some bands have already have some concerts planned in march, others aren't even past january.

 

Re: buying tickets, depends on the band and the live. Check the OHP of the band you're seeing and they'll have it listed in their live schedule.

Most of the time tickets are on eplus though, so it might just be easiest to get them off eplus.
If you or your friend know some Japanese and the tickets are already on sale you can also look around on Twitter. Just search "[band name] お譲り". Many times people want money transferred to their bank account and then they'll send you the ticket via post but sometimes they might be ok with handing you the ticket on the day of of the live (当日手渡し toujitsu tewatashi) if they're also attending.
You can also check auction sites like mbok if the tickets are already on sale.  
If you're going to a smaller show sometimes there's バンド予約 (band yoyaku), where you email the band your name, the date of the live, and how many tickets you want and on the day of the live you can tell the livehouse staff your name and pay at the door. You will be going in after people who already have tickets, though. If being stuck in the back is an issue for you I don't really recommend it, but if you're thinking about attending a live and won't decide until the day of it's great. Band yoyaku tickets usually cost the same as a ticket obtained in advance.

You can also get a day of ticket (当日券 toujitsuken) at the door. They're usually 500 yen or so more expensive than buying a ticket in advance. However, like band yoyaku, you go in after all the people who already have tickets, and if there's band yoyaku, you will go in after those who did band yoyaku. If a live is sold out, however, you might not be able to buy a day of ticket so be sure to check Twitter/the bands website before heading to the venue.

 

As for when lives are announced, it depends on the band. Some of the bands I follow have their schedule up to February, some have it until March with one live in April. Sometimes bands announce lives 2-3 months in advance, sometimes they announce it 1 month or even a couple of weeks in advance. Just keep an eye out on the band's Twitter/OHP.

Edited December 14, 2017 by Duwang

[Laris 4]

7 hours ago, Duwang said:

 

Re: buying tickets, depends on the band and the live. Check the OHP of the band you're seeing and they'll have it listed in their live schedule.

Most of the time tickets are on eplus though, so it might just be easiest to get them off eplus.
If you or your friend know some Japanese and the tickets are already on sale you can also look around on Twitter. Just search "[band name] お譲り". Many times people want money transferred to their bank account and then they'll send you the ticket via post but sometimes they might be ok with handing you the ticket on the day of of the live (当日手渡し toujitsu tewatashi) if they're also attending.
You can also check auction sites like mbok if the tickets are already on sale.  
If you're going to a smaller show sometimes there's バンド予約 (band yoyaku), where you email the band your name, the date of the live, and how many tickets you want and on the day of the live you can tell the livehouse staff your name and pay at the door. You will be going in after people who already have tickets, though. If being stuck in the back is an issue for you I don't really recommend it, but if you're thinking about attending a live and won't decide until the day of it's great. Band yoyaku tickets usually cost the same as a ticket obtained in advance.

You can also get a day of ticket (当日券 toujitsuken) at the door. They're usually 500 yen or so more expensive than buying a ticket in advance. However, like band yoyaku, you go in after all the people who already have tickets, and if there's band yoyaku, you will go in after those who did band yoyaku. If a live is sold out, however, you might not be able to buy a day of ticket so be sure to check Twitter/the bands website before heading to the venue.

 

As for when lives are announced, it depends on the band. Some of the bands I follow have their schedule up to February, some have it until March with one live in April. Sometimes bands announce lives 2-3 months in advance, sometimes they announce it 1 month or even a couple of weeks in advance. Just keep an eye out on the band's Twitter/OHP.

the thing with eplus is that they are asking for a japanese adress and phone number, which, i have neither. may ask a friend of mine to book it  for me then... 

[Duwang 676]

13 hours ago, Laris said:

the thing with eplus is that they are asking for a japanese adress and phone number, which, i have neither. may ask a friend of mine to book it  for me then... 

You can buy tickets from eplus via the Famiport machine at any Family Mart without registering. You have to enter a phone number at one step but there isn't any sort of confirmation they send via text messaging or email so you can probably just put 080-1111-1111 or something like that and it'll be ok. 

[jaymee 405]

On 12/14/2017 at 7:47 AM, Laris said:

what are the best ways to buy tickets? one of my friend offered to help if needed, but im an anxious human being who wants to make sure all goes right.

also, how far in advanced are most lives announced?
I'm going in april and whilst some bands have already have some concerts planned in march, others aren't even past january.

Generally bigger bands will have more events decided ahead of time because they need to play at certain venues that may require reserving well in advance, and/or doing staggered ticket sales for fan club first, pre-reserve, general, etc. sales. Smaller bands may have a more “on the fly” schedule or only announce a month or two in advance.

 

Re: ticket purchases @Duwangpretty much covered the basics. If you aren’t currently in Japan, and the live may sell out before you get here, I would consider having a shopping service get the tickets in advance and mail them to you or a friend in Japan.

[platy 3018]

I'm pinning this thread. Thank you everyone for all the help, wealth of information and contributions so far ✨

[WhirlingBlack 1043]

I totally agree with the pinning, perhaps we should give the thread a more universally understood topic though? 

[BrenGun 2261]

Maybe someone could point out some stuff? so that people don't need to read the full thread? 

 

 

[platy 3018]

3 hours ago, WhirlingBlack said:

I totally agree with the pinning, perhaps we should give the thread a more universally understood topic though? 

What do you suggest? 

[jaymee 405]

I'm not that knowledgeable about pinning posts etc. on this board but is there a way to make the most relevant replies show first?

Or maybe I should update the first post with subsequent info as an ongoing mega-post?

[Triangle 345]

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

Edited February 18, 2018 by Triangle