Vkei Disbandments: What is the REASON?

[dracolicious13 1]

Honestly, last year apparently there were more than 96 bands that disbanded. Some of course are small tiny no-names that no1curr about, BUT there were some more popular bands that said their farewells to their fans. But while this year was to as some hoped would become a better year for vkei, with the recent announcement of disbandment for Vidoll, I'd say its not looking very good. ( Not to mention on just one page on shattered tranquility I saw a good 7 vkei bands I didn't even know existed that are now disbanding)

So clearly something is going on. Do you think the scene is actually dying? As in becoming less and less popular with the fans? Or do you think that people are just looking into it more than usual and that this is a normal occurrence every year anyway? Perhaps the worsened economy in Japan is affecting the indie music industry this much?

What do you all think?

Cause while I'm a bitter old fan who doesn't care ( even Kagrra news didn't really make me that sad) and thinks that the scene is in fact dying ( or rather should maybe die and let something else take its place?) it doesn't logically make sense that it is full on doing that, since there are new bands popping up anyway, and the ones who DID make it major are not doing too bad.

So..WHAT IS GOING ON??

[LIDL 692]

meanwhile most common reasoning they brought up for disbandment are difference taste in music.

I am quite skeptical at that. I suppose there's another personal reason happening between them.

From as stupid as being the bad guy for refusing to dress something for the next release promo to boredom with stagnancy in their musical career. They may want to seek new challenge that they understood cannot be achieve if they with their band. Could also because they are too unwell to stay in the business, health wise, mentally or physically.

Another reason, that not a secret anymore, they are forced to graduate from one band by their label or management. Just the same way they force a band to disband as easy as flipping one side of hand when they didn't sell well.

[Manabu 144]

tons of reasons

money problems is obvious, but to some extent I believe musical difference

there's so many bands playing all playing the same sound, I guess those who wanna have an original sound get in disputes with the other members

[dracolicious13 1]

^ Or the label itself. Cause I mean lets be real here. Any indie band in vkei is as indie as my toe. Meaning though they seem separated from everything they are still attached to a foot, or in this case some larger label or management. Thus I guess if one wants to do something the label doesn't want them to do, he gets kicked out.

I think thats the one reason why I hate vkei so much at times...there is talent that gets recognized etc woo! but there is also a lot that I think get so toned down that while they'd wanna go experiment etc, but they can't. Theres that and there is way to many bands doing the same thing over and over again just to get popular. :T

[Manabu 144]

it's a shame really

I always get scared I'll check the news section only to find out a band I like has disbanded :L

[dannemannen 69]

New bands will always fill up the voids, and not that many big bands have disbanded recently (atleast none that i personally like ), also probably just coincidence, but i agree that many no name bands disband all the time, but i guess its the same everywhere. Small indie bands disband all the time in the states aswell. People are too naive to create the best band ever, but just doesnt work out later on. Nothing new. I do definately not think that the scene is dying, personally i think its more alive then ever before. There are so many awesome quality bands active now and so many new ones on the way, 5-10 years ago it wasn't as lively as now.

[ramrod 108]

with kamijo, kisaki, tomozo and kiwamu still around, visual kei will still exist.

[Neon 6]

money

[LIDL 692]

bands that disbanded could also happen because of natural selection.

To those that just forms a band to live out teenage dreams, to be cool, having fangirls waiting for you and calling your name in the backstage and just playing shite carbon copy music, jumping into bandwagon, just following any genre, theme, fashion or anything that are popular at the time just for the sake of it.

These kind of bands will surely never last longer than a season.

Only those that really offer something real and meaningful than just a fad to bigger audience that will stay.

[Peace Heavy mk II 7200]

Kiwamu said in an interview that he only has a vk label for Luzmelt and hates vk artists (ironic, no?) . He also insisted that everything on Darkest Lab. wasn't visual except for Suicide Ali because he didn't want to be associated with "pretty boys" he felt weren't real musicians. Interesting how Luzmelt started to sell well and all of sudden VK is acceptable to him again.

[dracolicious13 1]

I think the only reason it seems lively cause theres more and more bands using the internet and interacting with us, the foreign fanbase, than say 5 years ago. Other than that I don't think its any livelier.

[Des 289]

Vidoll wasn't too much of a loss. Even though they had alright music every now and then, I can't imagine this band being anyone's favorite. Or even close to a favorite.

Kagrra, however, was kind of sad to see disband.

On the bright side though, at least we have LUNA SEA back. D'ERLANGER is active for a couple of years again. Morrie made new music with DEAD END and Creature Creature in the past 2 years. Kuroyume is gonna release new stuff. They may not be visual kei anymore with pink and green hair and ridiculous pants (or at least not so much) but their music is way better than all those small indie bands nowadays. And there's finally an all-female VK band going major. And there's more. Some things fade away, others start and others restart.

[sugoge 11]

Money. And the fact that shit like Golden Bomber is what's popular and selling out venues nowadays.

[Champ213 1858]

I think it's also a problem of perception. If 5 japanese high school boys buy some costumes and instruments, make a photo shooting and submit it to Visuanvi, they suddenly gain a certain amount of "fame" in the scene, even before they released one thing. But since they are high school boys they probably jumped the gun a bit. And after a year 2 of them suddenly realize that they rather want to get an actual job or whatever, and disband, while the other 3 move on to new bands.

When 5 american high school boys form a band it's called a high school band, and nobody notices their existence or disbandment, except their friends.

[ficsci 50]

I think the reason why so many bands break up is exactly because so many bands were formed.

I mean, these days just about anyone with a computer and basic equipment can begin to form a band. They may not necessarily be good, and if that's the case, the band naturally will disband in time.

And because of this, I think people have to do more trial & error trying to find members who can really play and/or who want to make the same kind of music. Thus more band breakups.

But yeah, it's different reasons for older bands. For bands like Kagrra, , getting tired after 10 years I think is a pretty justified reason, even though it sucks. And then I think there are (less known) bands who break up because some members are probably getting too old to keep living an alternative lifestyle and need to retire.

he didn't want to be associated with "pretty boys" he felt weren't real musicians.

Or maybe because he's ugleeeeeh XD

[Number Girl 48]

Success plays a big part in it. Visual kei does pretty poorly in the market generally and popularity/sales is really the biggest thing it depends on. What ever is "in" at the time is what the companies are going to attempt to cash in on. A lot of money goes into making visual kei what it is - the costumes, the videos, everything and I'm assuming it takes a lot to break even. If a band can't keep up with the competition, if they can't seem to get beyond underground to make it major, and if their sales are less than desirable, expect them to not last very long. That's why some of the "rare" visual bands that have disbanded probably were only around for a few years and the popular bands last for ten or so years (though that is not always the case). The musicians probably aren't all that passionate or concerned with music to want to try to keep the band going anyway if they aren't going to get fame. They may just decide to go back to their old lives and jobs or go elsewhere in the visual kei world and attempt to form a new band with new members, image, and music genre and try to start over again.

Also, the huge file-sharing phenomenon doesn't help very much, to be honest. The internet can be a double-edged sword sometimes.

[薔薇の末裔 157]

Most bands: no money and no fans, or at least not enough.

Some popular bands: bitchfights and/or management/record label issues.

[Karma’s Hat 3107]

Well at least cali ≠ gari really disbanded due to musical differences. Kenjirou didn't want to be in the band anymore, Shuuji wants do his electro pop thing, and well not sure about Ao and Makoto.

[SUBLIMINAL 52]

On the subject of unpopular bands who are around for a year or so, there have been cases where these bands have admitted to being in it for the girls.

VK is a scene where, like Champ said, you can upload your photo to visunavi, record an appallingly bad demo, and start performing lives. You don't even need to know how to play your instruments well, and you will get obsessive female fans. Maybe only five, but you'll get them, depending on how attractive you are. VK is a predominantly female fanbase. In Japan, female fans have been known to pay bandmen for their company, they will fund their band activities if they can. It's alarming how often this happens. So even if they suck and they have no money to record a second single, at least they got some tail while they were active. ;D

[Karma’s Hat 3107]

Vk is just a huge cover up for prostitution

Wonder how bands like Inugami Circus-dan and Guruguru Eigakan are still going.

[allisapp 303]

Vk is just a huge cover up for prostitution

[SUBLIMINAL 52]

Vk is just a huge cover up for prostitution

Wonder how bands like Inugami Circus-dan and Guruguru Eigakan are still going.

WHAT. I'd do Inugami's vocalist.

[Neon 6]

Inugami Circus-dan and Guruguru Eigakan are not VK or are they?

[ramrod 108]

They are grouped into the encompassing scene of visual kei. i believe so anyways, they arent really VK. but if you described them to people as vk, most wouldnt dispute it, because it is theatrical, underground, unusual costumes, and their fanbase are typical vk fangirls.

[Tokage 5930]

Though I guess with groups like Guruguru you could go and say that they are essentially just theatre troupes as well, seeing as a big part of their liveshows consists of performing skits or stories on stage as well