Visual Kei musicians and fan encounters.

[psychonnect_rozen 585]

It's no secret that many Visual Kei bands and musicians, mainly Dir En Grey (mostly Kyo, the others are fine), aren't the biggest fans of meeting or taking pictures with fans. Examples include:

 

and

 

I mean, you can clearly see the despair in their eyes (especially Kyo).

 

Now, I'm not saying EVERY J-Rocker is an asshole. I have heard nothing but nice things about people who have met Die and Toshiya, many of whom even had full on conversations with them. There are defiantly asshole J-Rockers, but for the most part, they live by the whole "if your nice, we'll be nice" rule. I don't even blame many of the fans in these pictures. If I was them, I would have felt bad because I was forcing the band into an awkward situation.  I don't think Dir En Grey as a whole are assholes, but I do think they should at least be more appreciative. I know it sounds weird but I'm just saying that you have fans that love you, at least show them some love. 

 

I think we can all agree while most fan pictures (and fans in general) with J-Rock bands are just normal fans, there are DEFINITELY the weebey ones. A fellow bangya friend of mine posted on her story (If my memory recalls) that there were fans, mainly of The GazettE, who were asking the band to do some sexual stuff in person. I also remember a photo of Dir En Grey doing a DSS album signing (it was from 2011) and there was a fan dressed up as an anime character and Kyo was like "wtf". I have heard of many VK horror stories at concerts of unruly fans, and while that is awful, some of these stories are just fans being fans at concerts. Cheering when a band member sprays water on the crowd will surely get cheers so I don't know how that's cringe 

 

So I wanted to ask some questions about this:

 

1. Is the behavior displayed in these photos, mainly of the band, justified in anyway? 

2. Should bands be more appreciative to fans that payed to see them?

3. Should artists be forced to be part of fan events against their will? 

4. Have you met a band in person in a situation like this? if so, was it awkward or was the band chill?

5. Were there any cringey fans at your show? 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: I completely understand that many Visual Kei fans are normal people just like you and me. Don't generalize every teenage girl as just being straight up cringe. Not every fan is like this. Remember, every fandom has it's toxic side, Visual Kei included. 

 

My Answers:

1. No. I think it's extremely rude to act like that towards fans, mainly on the first picture of sleepy Kyo, the others are just awkward. However, bands should be allowed to deny meet and greets for many reasons.

 

2. Depends. If a band is just having a bad day and refuses to talk to fans, I understand. If they're assholes, then fuck that.

 

3. No

 

4. Not me but many Diru fans I have talked to said Die and Toshiya are the more outgoing ones and are very nice. 

 

5. Again not me, but a follower of mine on Instagram told me that at the London show for The GazettE, people were constantly pushing each other and one girl got kicked out for something she didn't do and became very upset, so much so that she refuses to go to another GazettE show ever again because of that and many fans were filming when they weren't supposed to. I honestly feel bad for the girl in the second story since she did nothing wrong.

Edited June 13, 2019 by psychonnect_rozen

[secret_no_03 959]

I grew up loving DIR EN GREY, but as a fan for 15 years, I've learned that they generally don't care about fans, they're a band of introverts for the most part and the music is for them, the fans liking it is a coincidence. I would never fuck with any big band, so no VIP stuff, no photos and nothing of the sort because these bigger bands generally just see you as another face in the crowd. Only with smaller bands will fans really be appreciated. I mean let's be honest here, touring, performing and traveling across the world is a pain in the ass and yes, it's awesome when bands come overseas, but you can't blame them for being hesitant. All I hope is that they get to enjoy themselves and find a little down time for a mini-vacation if you will like when bands go to Asia.

 

Note: To clarify, I am only saying that DIR EN GREY have this attitude towards making music, Kyo has said ad infinitum that that is the case.

Edited June 12, 2019 by secret_no_03

[Lestat 2167]

26 minutes ago, psychonnect_rozen said:

1. Is the behavior displayed in these photos, mainly of the band, justified in anyway? 

2. Should bands be more appreciative to fans that payed to see them?

3. Should artists be forced to be part of fan events against their will? 

4. Have you met a band in person in a situation like this? if so, was it awkward or was the band chill?

5. Were there any cringey fans at your show

 

01. Not really. If you dread meeting your fans, then don’t. Don’t offer meet and greet packages or at least offer them specifically with the members who are interested so people still have the choice to greet a part of the group. 

 

02. They shouldn’t have to specifically thank their individual fans, usually their behaviour tells you how grateful they are. 

 

03. Definitely not. Music is first and foremost for yourself and any fans are a gift, I would say. 

 

04. List of Japanese artists I’ve met: Kamijo, Kaya, Yoshiki, Satsuki + support band, Megaromania, NEGA, D, Black Line, BLOOD, Jupiter. All these artists were very generous towards their fans (perhaps with the exception of Kiwamu). Some may perceive these interactions as ‘awkward’ because of a language barrier (this I had especially with D, the first Japanese artists I’ve met, and I mumbled some unintelligible what-I-thought-was-Japanese to them, which was received with confused looks), another thing can be that the musicians stay in their role and for instance don’t talk or seem distant – I haven’t experienced this a lot except for with Kamijo, who is just... himself. I think Yoshiki was the most grateful and open toward meeting people; he even shushed security when they wanted to remove him from the fans because he wanted to make sure everyone had the opportunity to at least shake his hand. 

 

05. There are always horrible people at lives. I’ve experienced hair pulling, scratching, kicking, etc. There are always the terrible squirmish girls around who act as if they are seeing literal gods, girls who completely break down or girls who are simply so fervent in their fanatic ways that they get aggressive with the artists (here in the Netherlands, Hizaki’s dress was ripped for example. I’ve heard about Mana’s clothes being torn too.)

Edited June 12, 2019 by Lestat

[psychonnect_rozen 585]

12 minutes ago, secret_no_03 said:

it's awesome when bands come overseas, but you can't blame them for being hesitant

I agree. I think it mainly comes from bad experiences, mainly because I find western fans (not all) to be more unruly and more inappropriate than Japanese fans. Your probably gonna expect cringy fans who will harass the band or just be POS to others. I have experienced this in many of the fandom's I'm in. 

Edited June 12, 2019 by psychonnect_rozen

[secret_no_03 959]

34 minutes ago, psychonnect_rozen said:

It's no secret that many Visual Kei bands and musicians, mainly Dir En Grey (mostly Kyo, the others are fine), aren't the biggest fans of meeting or taking pictures with fans. Examples include:

 

and

 

I mean, you can clearly see the despair in their eyes (especially Kyo).

 

Now, I'm not saying EVERY J-Rocker is an asshole. I have heard nothing but nice things about people who have met Die and Toshiya, many of whom even had full on conversations with them. There are defiantly asshole J-Rockers, but for the most part, they live by the whole "if your nice, we'll be nice" rule. I don't even blame many of the fans in these pictures. If I was them, I would have felt bad because I was forcing the band into an awkward situation.  I don't think Dir En Grey as a whole are assholes, but I do think they should at least be more appreciative. I know it sounds weird but I'm just saying that you have fans that love you, at least show them some love. 

 

I think we can all agree while most fan pictures (and fans in general) with J-Rock bands are just normal fans, there are DEFINITELY the weebey ones. A fellow bangya friend of mine posted on her story (If my memory recalls) that there were fans, mainly of The GazettE, who were asking the band to do some sexual stuff in person. I also remember a photo of Dir En Grey doing a DSS album signing (it was from 2011) and there was a fan dressed up as an anime character and Kyo was like "wtf". I have heard of many VK horror stories at concerts of unruly fans, and while that is awful, some of these stories are just fans being fans at concerts. Cheering when a band member sprays water on the crowd will surely get cheers so I don't know how that's cringe 

 

So I wanted to ask some questions about this:

 

1. Is the behavior displayed in these photos, mainly of the band, justified in anyway? 

2. Should bands be more appreciative to fans that payed to see them?

3. Should artists be forced to be part of fan events against their will? 

4. Have you met a band in person in a situation like this? if so, was it awkward or was the band chill?

5. Were there any cringey fans at your show? 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: I completely understand that many Visual Kei fans are normal people just like you and me. Don't generalize every teenage girl as just being straight up cringe. Not every fan is like this. Remember, every fandom has it's toxic side, Visual Kei included. 

1.I've always had the feeling that they don't have much of a choice, when Tommy says jump, they say how high.

2. I think bands do like to see fans showed up and actively engaged in the show, but they don't owe them a thing.

3.Artists really should have a say, but majority are at the mercy of management.

4.I have not. 

5.Absolutely, Fans asking MIYAVI to marry them while others tried to explain that he was married. This was not long after he and his wife got married and had their first daughter.

[psychonnect_rozen 585]

11 minutes ago, Lestat said:

least offer them specifically with the members who are interested so people still have the choice to greet a part of the group. 

I think Dir En Grey does that or at least did that before. On the Diru subreddit, I remember people saying that Die or Toshiya were always the ones to come out and greet fans, but it was mostly Die. I have heard many good things about him so I can see why the band wanted him to go meet the fans. Toshiya is also the other nice one of the group.

 

I don't know much about Kaoru. For Shinya, he's the shy one so that makes a lot more sense, although I have heard people at least shaking his hand or just nodding towards him. Kyo on the other hand is just being Kyo lol. 

[secret_no_03 959]

3 minutes ago, psychonnect_rozen said:

I agree. I think it mainly comes from bad experiences, mainly because I find western fans (not all) to be more unruly and more inappropriate than Japanese fans. Your probably gonna expect cringy fans who will harass the band or just be POS to others. I have experienced this in many of the fandom's I'm in. 

Depends on the band. Someone like Ruki might hate the attitude of American fans, where as when DEVILOOF come over they might very well love the redbull metal heads and the mosh pits/walls of death. Japanese fans can be too robotic at times, so plenty of metal bands love foreign fans.

[psychonnect_rozen 585]

1 minute ago, secret_no_03 said:

Absolutely, Fans asking MIYAVI to marry them while others tried to explain that he was married.

Ugh. Seriously? I mean it's not as bad as the other fandom's I'm in. In many cases, fans literally grab and kiss the faces and necks of the artist and goes as far as to suck on their finger and try to shake their hand with it. Bleh...

[psychonnect_rozen 585]

3 minutes ago, secret_no_03 said:

Ruki might hate the attitude of American fans

Does he really? I have never heard of this before

First time I have heard of this so I can't say anything on this matter

Edited June 12, 2019 by psychonnect_rozen

[secret_no_03 959]

1 minute ago, psychonnect_rozen said:

Does he really? I have never heard of this before. I mean, Ruki is amazing and so is the Gazette but I can understand why but I'm sure he does not HATE every American fan. 

 

First time I have heard of this so I can't say anything on this matter

Okay, this might be taken out of context. He's a generally sensitive guy it seems, especially when you look at their NAMELESS LIBERTY SIX GUNS documentary where fans were being rowdy and he said if they didn't straighten up they'd quit playing and leave or give up music altogether. If he gets upset at that, I can't imagine how it would be with some American crowds. Maybe he's matured over the years however. I mean in a way that could have been seen as gaslighting, a way to be overly dramatic and rain down hell on those fans for being disruptive.

[psychonnect_rozen 585]

4 minutes ago, secret_no_03 said:

Okay, this might be taken out of context. He's a generally sensitive guy it seems, especially when you look at their NAMELESS LIBERTY SIX GUNS documentary where fans were being rowdy and he said if they didn't straighten up they'd quit playing and leave or give up music altogether. If he gets upset at that, I can't imagine how it would be with some American crowds. Maybe he's matured over the years however. I mean in a way that could have been seen as gaslighting, a way to be overly dramatic and rain down hell on those fans for being disruptive.

Damn

 

I can understand where he's coming from though. I too would be pissed if I was trying to please people who love me and look up to me. To see rude and shitty fans act shitty would be awful to me. However, I do think quitting your whole music career is a bit overkill. I completely understand if the artist has anxiety or mental health issues because I would totally feel for them. If your just being an asshole, then oh well. 

Edited June 12, 2019 by psychonnect_rozen

[Karma’s Hat 3107]

a bandman from a fairly noteworthy late 2000's band that will be left unnamed here wanted to fuck my ex girlfriend. vk guys are great if you have some cash for chrome hearts and/or a vagina

 

I can't be mad at kyo for not giving a shit about some stupid Q&A the management set up for some cash and anyone who pays for those VIP's is a dweeb that doesn' deserve look in their general direction ya fucking nerds. i can't even imagine how it is like when everyone wants to talk to you while all you want is just to eat some shitty fast food in the tour bus and sleep.

[psychonnect_rozen 585]

4 minutes ago, Disposable said:

 

 

I can't be mad at kyo for not giving a shit about some stupid Q&A the management set up for some cash and anyone who pays for those VIP's is a dweeb that doesn' deserve look in their general direction ya fucking nerds. 

I can't be mad at him either. Most Diru fans understand that he hates the whole meet up thing. Hell, many people find it funny. 

 

In their defense, many people just buy the VIP pass for the line skips so it makes sense to buy them. I'm sure many of them don't care for the meet up unless if the band is willing to do it. 

[Masato 365]

8 hours ago, psychonnect_rozen said:

 

1. Is the behavior displayed in these photos, mainly of the band, justified in anyway? 

2. Should bands be more appreciative to fans that payed to see them?

3. Should artists be forced to be part of fan events against their will? 

4. Have you met a band in person in a situation like this? if so, was it awkward or was the band chill?

5. Were there any cringey fans at your show? 

1. I think you should get your stuff together! Honestly, you make a living by doing this, and faking a smile does not cost anything. If normal people can do it at their job all the time,  it's not too much to ask for max. 1h...

 

2. Indy bands appreciate it way more when you come and interact with them! They need their fans to keep paying and  in order to make music. So yes, they should be happy about people turning up! Well known acts don't need this sentiment anymore from a financial perspective and I have a general feeling that they forgot the value of their fans...  but well, if you like a band you will not care anymore about that and still forgive shitty behaviour, as it is like a drug.... 

I used to follow a rather "cold" money-centered band. Which was ok for me, but then I went to some other bands events etc. and actually got pissed at my favourite for being so distant, that I stopped buying as much as I did before to get satsuei etc. It can be a nice experience and it should be, as you dish out tons of money....

3. No, they should not do events then.

4. Yes, like I wrote, I used to ensei from Europe to join their tour for 2 weeks for like every tour they did, but the cold behaviour started to piss me off at some point so I stuck to just buying the concert tickets.

5. Mostly at gigs in Europe.... 😑

[GreatNorthernVK 183]

I’ve been to only two J-rock shows, Miyavi and The Gazette, so my experience with cringy fans is limited. If anything, I may have been the slightly cringy one at Gazette, as I was drunk for that one.

 

VIPs aren’t something that most of the bands *want* to do, it’s something they *have* to do, to make international tours viable.

 

As for whether or not they *should* put more effort in, that’s up to them. Don’t expect it to be without consequence if word gets around that you’re a dick. It may result in fewer people opting for VIP, therefore making future international tours infeasible.

[heresytrash 250]

I recall a conversation on tumblr where two girls were talking about how one met Ruki on the streets in Japan. He usually is friendly if he realizes you're not going to take pictures, from one fan encounter I heard of, but this girl supposedly just called him 'Daddy' right to his face and he just turned heel and walked the other way. They were laughing about it, though I personally don't see the humor in embarrassing yourself like that. 

I'm not the biggest Ruki fan, but he was nice when I met him in Dallas. It was brief, but he was grateful so maybe his supposed perception of American fans has changed.

Edited June 26, 2019 by heresytrash

[avaritonista 116]

A friend of mine who went to a LM.C gig in Chile and meet them (VIP), said that they were cold, distant and you can't even handshake them. Garbage people with big egos, the super fake vk stars. One of the reason I don't like listening to them that much now. 

 

On 6/13/2019 at 3:44 AM, Masato said:

1. Is the behavior displayed in these photos, mainly of the band, justified in anyway? 

2. Should bands be more appreciative to fans that payed to see them?

3. Should artists be forced to be part of fan events against their will? 

4. Have you met a band in person in a situation like this? if so, was it awkward or was the band chill?

5. Were there any cringey fans at your show? 

1. No, it isn't because without fans they'd possible be actual nobodies, currently.

2. Yes, of course. The one who said that they don't owe anything to fans... 

3. No, they shouldn't. 

4. No, I haven't.

5. What do you mean with "your show"? lol