HERE'S SOME CAPSLOCK FOR I'VE GONE DEAF [girugamesh fanaccount]

YEAH OKAY I'M ALRIGHT NOW.

Seriously though. I'll probably make your heads explode if I say this, so I'll just type it instead. I have just come back from yet another amazing concert. This is my testimony in case I end up dying of post-concertum eardrum trauma in a few days or so.

Here are some beautiful Christmas illuminations.

Let's calm down for a moment.

Breathe in, breathe out: that's it!

(Update 12-03: One week later, I’m still alive.)

Today, I went to Takasaki to see Girugamesh with a dear friend. We were in for our money. Despite the tickets being pretty cheap (3500 yen plus a 500 yen obligatory drink ticket), we were served three hours of exhilaration as we swam in a sea of sweat and tears of joy.

Fleez, my friend, you never disappoint.

The first band, "a crowd of rebellion", was br00tal. Their Facebook page describes them as being "Melodic Punk/Emo/Screamo". I wouldn’t know if this is accurate, but it makes sense, I guess. The clean singing definitely reminded me of the genre, but the lead singer's growling (not screeching) seemed a little out of place, idk. In any case, they were pretty decent! This has got to be one of the heaviest Japanese bands that I've ever seen. I was so shocked when the moshpit started. To this day, I'd never seen one in Japan. It was kind of different from what you'd expect to see in Canada or America, though. Definitely livelier than a lot of crowds I've experienced before as well. However, instead of elbowing each other in the ribs and punching each other in the face, people were mostly half-running, half-skipping (?) in a circle. It seemed like a helluva lot of fun. Of course, there was a lot of pushing around and people fell from time to time. A few girls were surprisingly eager to start. Everyone was smiling so brightly! An oddly cute sight to behold really. I have to admit, I was highly tempted to join them.

The singer was so passionate and he growled really well, but he also had a powerful and beautiful singing voice. He was so into it that he almost seemed to be in a sort of trance... Kind of awkward because he kept looking at us, since we were standing right in the very front. I honestly did not know where to look anymore.It’s not like I could sing along, so I felt a little sorry. (Classic Canadian!) Although I did not know the band, I couldn't help but jump around and headbang wildly, since they were giving their all. I was really confused for a while as I thought to myself: "Wait… This isn't Girugamesh. Who the heck is this?!" It didn't occur to me before the fact that there might be an opening act. Well, it turns out that there were two. But going back to the band. The singer was awfully cute, I have to admit. One unique thing about him was his flaming hot pink hair. He also made really epic faces as he struck himself on the chest (?!) and threw up his fists in the air relentlessly. If there was only one thing to say about him, it would be that he absolutely put his everything in what he was doing. Surprisingly impressive show.

This is one of their MVs in case you might be interested!

Do look them up ~~~

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPb7loQgGU4#t=63　

Second band: SWANKY DANK. (I have NO IDEA how the hell they came up with that name. O.O) The members were certainly fashionable... They looked like they had just come out of a k-pop band (which was not a bad thing at all!). They were also pretty cute, especially the guitarist, who was an attention whore, but again, nothing bad about this. I thought they might not be Japanese, since they had a "gaijin" air to them, but Google seems to suggest otherwise? They sang in English and spoke it really well, too. Their style was a lot more poppy, but their music was catchy. I quite liked them as well. Just like the band before them, they put on one hell of a show, and the crowd responded with equally enthusiastic fervor. All in all, we all had a really good time.

They reminded me of a less heavy Sleeping With Sirens.

Especially the vocals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10Q8MaqqzTo　

And finally…

On to the stars of the night, those that we were all waiting for...

(I need to just… forget about this guy. It's not funny anymore.)

I've said it and I'll say it again: I ADORE Takasaki "Club Fleez" to bits. I absolutely recommend going there for shows whenever it's possible. The gigs I've seen there are among the top most memorable. It's such a small venue that you're always just a few meters from the stage, even if you're not trying to get close to it. Naturally, this time around, it was our intention to do so, so we ended up standing no more than a meter away and interacting with the band a lot. We could have touched them if we had wanted (I actually tried to shake hands or bump fists with them, but the singer was insanely good at reaching out for us and making us feel completely involved, while avoiding being grabbed. Fair enough. 8D)

Oh and speaking of the devil.

Satoshi is so. fucking. beautiful. Mother of god. Can we observe a minute of silence for the perfection that this man is. Like please. How old is he again? 30? Are you fucking kidding me? Dude looks like he fell in the fountain of youth when he was born. Tonight, his unique vocals that are so easily recognizable were nothing short of amazing. Just like what I have come to know and love from the Girugamesh albums, he hit every single note. (I would say "without breaking into a sweat", but that would be a lie. Actually, he was DRIPPING with sweat but I was like yeah it's okay I don't mind if you sweat all over me.) I can’t remember the setlist very well, but it was pretty solid. From the point where they said something about a “last song”, which was much too early for our tastes, the band performed quite a few others. I guess we could say those were encores (?). Before we could wait and find out if they were going to come back out for more, the staff started making announcements and asking us to leave, so we assumedthat they did not plan to. Which was all nice n’ cool with me, since I was satisfied with the showand kind of in a hurry to leave. If my memories are correct (please do not count on that), Girugamesh’s concert lasted somewhere between an hour and hour and a half. This is quite decent considering the size of the venue, the guest artists’ participation and the low cost of the tickets. What’s more, I prefer quality over quantity, so I wasn’t going to complain.

During the show, two songs were especially memorable.

Break Down: My friend had been raving about how her night would be made if they played this one, but for the life of me, I couldn't remember it at all. However, when they performed the song at last, the memory of it came back to me right away.

Revolution: How very eagerly we had been hoping to hear this one! As soon as it started, I legit squealed in a super high-pitched girly voice and my friend and I grabbed each other as if for dear life. Thinking back, it was really embarrassing, but I couldn't hold in the screams. It was, after all, a very nostalgic song. Needless to say, it was a flawless performance that had us jumping all around.

One of my worries was whether I would be able to catch the last train or would have to retire at a net café. We could make it back to the station JUST in time, but it was a close call! What a relief! (I would have hated to have to spend the night at the usual placeon a week day because they don't have showers and I needed one more than AIR.) And I smelled like death (and perfume said my friend but I think she was just being polite). My voice is gone forever and I sound like I've been smoking for 40 years or something. I am SO HIGH (on happiness, hard stuff) and my ears are bleeding (in a good way) and ringing and my head is spinning and throbbing but it was SO WORTH IT. I had such an epic unforgettable time! Girugamesh are beasts. There is no other way to put it.

Expect maybe "gods". That works, too.

HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

The Enka Prince Strikes in Tokyo Again: 1 Dead, Many Injured

This post relates yet another crazy episode in the life of a nutcase.

Dude, what are you looking at...?! Okay, I admit it... it's me. XD

Oh, it would have been so EASY not to go...

No matter how you look at it, not going seemed like the most obvious thing to do, not to mention mature, responsible and ideal. But I couldn't help myself!

Love called and I answered.

XDDD

Tsukasa, Tsukasa, Tsukasa... How did this happen? How did I go from not knowing you to developing a slightly unhealthy obsession for you...? All of this in such a short amount of time? Like マジで? まじかよ？？？How could you do this to me... Do you know how many husbands I have? Do you really think I needed another one? Barging into my life like you own the place... (>_>) Oh, I'm not done with you yet! Why is it so damn complicated with you? Bank transfers, venues in the middle of nowhere, confirmation e-mails in lieu of tickets... Look at what you're making me do...

This isn't how a person should live their life!

This time... I wasn't even sure it was going to work out, but I hope you know I love you, my enka prince.

I loved you, and yet... you killed me.

╯°Д°）╯︵/(.□ . )

Okay, enough drama. Let's move on with the fanaccount if you will ~

Oh my goodness, Tsukasa is such an amusing man. He's always joking around. You can see that he truly loves his fans (I'm one of them now!) dearly. It's so blatantly obvious and it shows in the way he interacts with the audience with sincere affection and thankfulness. Tonight, a considerable part of the show was used to that end, and yet, none of us would have wanted it any other way. Despite the jokes, he takes himself very seriously, but always remains modest. Whenever he's singing (always flawlessly and with evident passion), he's always so solemn and he puts his all into it. And yet, there are times when he overdoes this with slightly dramatic gestures to make us laugh. (Wide, sweeping movements reminiscent of a samurai drawing his blade, for instance, or karate chops, always executed with a boyish little grin to the side.) Anyone can tell just how much fun he's having up there.

There is absolutely no way you can listen to him without being moved the slightest bit. What else can we do but let ourselves be taken in by his overflowing energy? Please don't think I'm biased when I say this (I totally am, but that's besides the point): I haven't often seen someone look this thoroughly thrilled to simply sing. Nothing else seems to matter to him. The very picture of bliss. Did you know that he started singing enka when he was only three years old? I'm so glad that he chose to do what makes him happy.

"Matsupoi" was definitely the song that generated the most excitement, as many of us knew it from the previous show and single teaser. (It might be a cover, like a good number of the songs performed, but I think it's an original track, just like "Hitohira no Sakura", which are both on his single.) Again, it was so much fun to scream out "Poi! Poi! Poi!" during the chorus. Somehow, I feel like this song is going to become a huge classic (if it isn't already). My only regret was not to have brought a light stick. After making this mistake over and over again in the past, I hope my experience will serve as a lesson for the future concerts I will be going to. It's just too important to have one. Gigs are not the same without!

Though Tsukasa was the "main attraction" (can I say this or does it sound like he's a circus animal), his musicians contributed to the show considerably, and not just by, well...

Doing their job and playing music.

I thought they were quite lovable and soon took a liking to them!

His guitarist (I think his name was Reeno?) was unbelievably pretty and had somewhat girly mannerisms. He reminded me of a younger version of GacktJOB's Chachamaru. Even his facial features were similar! (Then again I might be terribly wrong, but that's the impression I had. It was striking.) He had very long, silky hair that was pulled up in a high pony tail, with two strands of hair framing his thin face, very large eyes and an extremely expressive face. Out of all the members, he was the most energetic. His jerky movements reminded me of a bassist, to the point where I mistook him for one at first. He kept swinging his petite head left and right, flipping his hair in all directions, smiling brightly and making crazy faces. Yes, you figured me out: he stole my heart as well. (Though the itch to steal his hair and run away was real. Life is unfair. T-T)

GacktJOB guitarist Chachamaru (I used to be so in love with this man!)

The third member was kind of like a DJ (though he also played the guitar in later songs), and he was in charge of the sound effects and background music. Don't remember what his name was T-T (looking at Tsukasa's blog, it seems like it might have been SHUN from TMH4N's), but let's call him Barbie Blondie. His speech was playfully snarky and he took care of a big part of the MC talks. What a funny guy! He was slightly buffer (though not chubby in the least) and had a pleasant, handsome face. His hair was a nice blonde and, parted to the side, about chin-length. During the more energetic songs, he whipped it around with a lot of enthusiasm.

He made me want to grow mine for that sole purpose.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that an enka concert would feature head-banging.

Tsukasa sang a few songs (perhaps around four of five), and then he said as a joke that he was going somewhere to take a break, have some fun, eat something. We were asked to wait for a moment as the lights came back on and, more than a little confused, we waited patiently as the staff went about closing the curtains and rearranging the stage. When we were returned to pitch-black darkness and the spotlights illuminated the stage, our eyes were met with a setting much like that of a bar ("Snack Tsukasa"). Taking on the role of barman was the blonde dude, looking quite classy. In soliloquy, he complained that business was slow and there were no customers.

Not long after, Tsukasa made his appearance, clad in a sharp black suit. (Massive ovaries explosion.) The former referred to the latter as "shachou", and the latter referred to the former as "masutaa (master)". They enacted a scene where the boss, Tsukasa, had left his visual enka concert at Shibuya Crawl to drop by the bar and have a drink while we waited for him to come back (although Tsukasa settled for water after contemplating stronger alcohol XD). After taking a sip from the glass, the barman was about to hand Tsukasa his drink when he changed his mind, claiming that an indirect kiss wouldn't be good, and put the drink away to pour him a new one.

This was obviously part of the script and caused many of us to squeal in delight. XD

Oh, j-rockers always were masters of fanservice.

There was a promotion segment where Tsukasa advertised his new single which was being released on that very day, and gave a copy of the album to the barman, who threw it aside carelessly as a joke.

We had the chance to hear a recording from Tsukasa's childhood (taken by his landlord?), when he went on a TV program, age three, to sing some enka songs. It appeared to be some kind of contest. It was really cute, but he was so young, so he didn't actually sing that well, and his fellow member made fun of him because of a random adlib he did at the end that was slightly off-key. Tsukasa then proceeded to perform the song again as an experienced and talented singer, and of course, he absolutely nailed it. There was also a song dedicated to "the taste of Mom's homemade miso soup" (ofukuro no aji) with pretty hilarious narration, which Tsukasa admitted made him feel a little nostalgic after the initial laugh. He ended his performance with a heartfelt (but humorous) "kaaaaa-chaaaan!".

Eventually, Tsukasa confessed to his "master" that he had a concert to go back to and excused himself (something for which he was scolded). He said "gochisosama deshita" for the water (WTF XD) and politely declined upon being asked to pay.

Blondie was really scary when he pretended to be angry.

He sounded and looked like a yakuza gang member, or at the very least, a mean yankee boy.

It was really entertaining to watch Tsukasa and him interact.

After a short break, Tsukasa "returned" to the show and sang a duet with a high-pitched computerized voice (which I guess was supposed to be a woman) that reminded one of the chipmunks. It was funny, though Tsukasa's performance was impressive as usual.

It was finally time for the much-awaited "Hitohira no Sakura".

For this song, Tsukasa played the flute, once again clad in his beautiful red and black kimono (I have to say, Tsukasa-dear, half-open is not how you're supposed to wear this thing...! though I would never complain XD *drools*). He agilely twirled the flute around as if it were a drumstick, making the crowd "ohhh" and "ahhh" at his skill and dexterity. There was also a time when he messed up the lyrics and admitted to it by adding "Machigaeta!" to the chorus in a sing-song voice.

The crowd was really amazing. Of course, it might have looked livelier because the club was so small and we were all so close to the stage - I myself was only a few meters away. But nevertheless, the audience was one of the wildest I've seen to this day in Japan. We were on FIRE. And yet, we couldn't have been more than about 150 people. Before entering the venue, we were called by our numbers, ten at a time. My number was 110. There were still people waiting after I came in, but surely no more than a few dozens. Truthfully, there wasn't much space left in the club after we were all jammed in.

I also heard that the concert was sold-out.

Well, it sure seemed that way.

All throughout the evening, Tsukasa yelled out random "yeah"'s which we never failed to return with fists pumped high in the air. It became something of an inside joke between us. XD

We were treated to a few encore songs. (My throat still hurts from screaming too much. Why must I always take it upon myself to lead these things.) The show was much longer than I expected. Sure, the long talk section might have helped, but still, Tsukasa sang quite a lot of songs, a nice variety of them (even that of women, which can't be an easy feat!), and even came back for more. I was expecting it to be over under an hour, but it lasted more than two, I believe. The encore songs - which might have been an apercu of new tracks to be released - were much heavier than the rest. Unexpectedly, Tsukasa's enka voice really suited these rock tunes.

One was called "Sabaku no Hana" (Desert Flower).

I absolutely loved the drum improv that Tsukasa did (with his voice XD) at the end of the last song. XD It was pretty realistic.

Guess I shouldn't expect anything less from an drummer!

Blondie bumped his head on a light before retreating backstage (poor sweetie), and Girly Boy followed after him after one last bow. Although it was time to say goodbye, it didn't look like Tsukasa was going to be able to stop thanking us (in English!), blowing air kisses at us or saying "muah-muah" and waving cutely. He appeared not to want to leave the stage, so he delayed his departure. He just couldn't anymore. The fans also couldn't. The (real) barmaid wiped her glass and sighed because she couldn't.

We were all a big messy heap of can't.

When the show was truly over and done with, I hurried over to the exit, hell-bent on getting my hands on the album. But my efforts (and everyone else's) soon proved to be fruitless as we couldn't really move. Some important-looking people were escorted out - probably VIP's: young ladies and a few older men who must have been relatives or colleagues. Two girls called out a guy's name excitedly and he seemed to respond to the address... Might have been a member of TMH4N's, Tsukasa's current band, but I truly have no idea as I don't know them at all. Tsukasa did mention Kazuya during the concert, and shielded his eyes to scan the room as if looking for him. He might have really been there. But if that's the case, I wonder why it didn't cause a bigger commotion...?

Anyway! I was able to buy what I wanted, and even got freebies (a business card? and a photo). Last but not least, to top off this awesome evening, I was in for quite a surprise! It may have been reserved to people who had bought the album/goods, but we were given tickets with which we were entitled to shake Tsukasa's hand. After being handed my CD's by Tsukasa himself and mumbling awkward words of congratulations and thanks, I followed the staff members' instructions (to backtrack and return inside?).

Clueless, and more than a little confused, I waited as people continued to squeeze inside the tiny crammed bar, and it finally dawned on me what everyone was waiting for.

I had been given two, and from what I understood, I could have used both tickets, but I didn't really see the point, so I kept the other as a souvenir. XD I mean, I stood out enough already, and I was pretty nervous... Why make it worse?

After a reasonable amount of time, it was finally my turn and I was allowed to part the curtains and slip inside to meet Tsukasa (almost killed myself while climbing the stairs and clutching the curtains in vain - luckily, he was busy with someone, so he didn't see me XD).

I stretched out both of my hands like I had seen the previous girls do, and Tsukasa giggled slightly as he grabbed them. (Mine were cold, but thank god, they weren't clammy!)

And *dzzt!dzzt!* direct eye contact. ( ◡‿◡ *)

Now, in hindsight, I have to wonder if he laughed because:

1) he was nervous;

2) he was nervous because I'm a foreigner;

3) he figured I was nervous when he touched my cold hands;

4) all of the above answers;

5) I looked absolutely terrified (god i hope it's not that);

6) I'm thinking too much again.

It was more than a handshake really. There wasn't much shaking involved. Rather, we just kept hold of each other's hands while we spoke for a few seconds, after which the fan left the room and Tsukasa prepared himself for his next victim. 8D

But I guess I shouldn't be worried.

Regardless of that, I don't think he thought less of me. Besides, he looks like such a sweet man. There's no way he would look down on his fans. Of that I'm certain. In any case, I was careful to be polite, congratulate him again and thank him for the awesome concert. In return, he thanked me for my support, and when I told him that I couldn't wait until next year, since he announced another concert at the same venue in January, he looked happily surprised that I planned on attending and told me to bring a friend (there's someone I'm thinking of!).

I really hope I can make it... It's on a Friday again. D: We'll see.

In closing, I said to keep up the good work and he thanked me again.

I can't think of anything else right now, but I might update this if I get inspired or if I remember something else (not a big chance XD).

All I want to say is that I'm proud of Tsukasa for what he's managed to do. The man is seriously talented and I hope he sells out his shows and lots and lots of albums! Choosing not to pick the easy path takes a lot of courage, but he's got strong will and passion driving him, that much is obvious! I also think he might help revive enka and make the genre more accessible to younger generations, which is a totally awesome thing to achieve.

Dear Tsukasa... Please continue to work hard and do your best. I will support you however I can. It was an honor to talk to you face to face for the second time. My impression of you has soared even higher. You are a very humble, honest, hard-working person. Despite your success, I feel that you have stayed the same, and that's not something everyone can say.

Promise me you'll stay true to the real you?

Thank you for the awesome memories!

[insert catchy 8-bit electro music here]

First of all, I don't think just anyone can listen to this band. However, I'm not trying to make myself look cool just because I happen to be into their music. (I mean, it's not like I have to try: it's a natural talent for me! Just kidding. XD) At any rate, I had only known about them for a few months... To be willing to go all the way to Tokyo JUST for them, potentially get myself in trouble (because there was no way I could return home on time, considering the time at which the concert started - as proof, I am sitting in a net cafe with a splitting headache as I type these words, wondering to myself whether or not I'm going to get some sleep tonight). Whatever was I thinking? But given the unique nature of their music, I was genuinely curious to check them out. I had to look for a very long time before I could find an upcoming gig for which applications were still being accepted. The concerts were coming up pretty fast and I was too late for most of them. Needless to say, I was overjoyed when I discovered this one. I didn't even think this through - okay, I did... for five minutes. My decision was made.

Despite how sudden, impulsive and especially last-minute my decision to buy a ticket to see Goatbed was, when the day of the concert finally came (not that I had to wait very long), I suddenly had second thoughts. There were many reasons for this: I was feeling lazy, the weather was shitty (for traveling, but perfect for staying at home), I had work to do and couldn't leave early enough for the trip to Tokyo to be worthwhile... and although I was excited, I expected the show to be pretty short, based on the setlists I has found from previous lives. Although I had bought the ticket, did I really want to leave the house? To be honest, this was a close one. I almost let my couch tempt me to sink deeply into its FUWA-FUWA-ness (actually, it's not even that comfortable). But I kicked myself in the butt and left, and boy am I glad I did. I still got to Tokyo a few hours before the show, so I decided to stop in Ikebukuro to kill some time. There was an Animate shop there that I wanted to check out. It has a "cafe" (which is really nothing more than a little trailer outside). But I'm pretty sure I had the wrong one, because this one was supposed to have a little ongoing DM-themed event going on and there... wasn't. It was that baseball anime, ダイヤのA. Despite that, I managed to waste an hour or two (it wasn't very difficult). They had DM ads all throughout the place, too, for the game that's coming out. The place was jam-packed, but when is any place in Japan NOT, ever. Especially when we're talking about Tokyo.

There is no such thing as a deserted shop.

I (almost literally) swam my way up the many floors, venturing to the dark side (BL - it takes courage to scan through and browse the doujinshi while proudly keeping your head up). I bought a few trinkets because how HONESTLY could I have done otherwise, and I headed back to Shinjuku in search of the venue.

As usual, I had trouble navigating through Kabuki-cho. I don't know what it is with this place, but it's as if it were Tokyo's very own Bermuda Triangle. Every time, my GPS goes haywire and suddenly won't cooperate anymore, leaving me to the mercy of the district's many threats (thanks buddy, I'll remember that... BASTARD). Thankfully, without the help of my douche-phone, I managed to SOMEHOW find the place I was looking for. I was a bit shocked at how sketchy it looked, not to mention that it was in the basement. "What is this place", I thought to myself. Am I going to be alright? Is this the yakuza's turf? Will I live to write a fan account about the show? (I'm exaggerating as usual. XD)

Well, as you might have guessed, it turns out that everything was fine in the end, since I AM doing this, for realz.

When I got there, I made a fool out of myself by not understanding most of the questions I was asked by the little lady at the ticket booth. (With hindsight, I believe she asked me if I had a ticket, and who I was coming to see mainly, but she used very precise words I had never heard before.) And then I made an even bigger fool out of myself by proceeding to throw my money all over the floor (those who know me know that this is a THING). After that, I sheepishly went in search of a locker, securely tucked away most of my baggage (less shit to carry around makes less shit to lose) and patiently waited for the beginning of the show.

"How many perverts are in this room" was one of the questions I asked myself. Unless everyone had only seen the anime, which I strongly doubt, there were quite a few. There were even some fanboys (one was especially enthusiastic). This was pretty much a DM music concert. Goatbed are responsible for most of the soundtrack, including the instrumental pieces and the songs with lyrics (Ai Catch, Cosmocall Field, Holo Ghost, Slip On the Pumps, Bowie Knife, Now finally there is the free end...) Now, the duet weren't the only ones invited to the party: they were part two of the show, and both parts lasted roughly an hour. Opening the ball were VERTUEUX, who sing some of the rock, non-electro songs in DM and TNC (Sandy Weeds, Milky Way, etc.). What I'd heard of them, I liked, but I didn't realize just how much the songs had grown on me until they were performed live in front of me.

(Actually, I forgot VERTUEUX were going to be there and didn't really have any idea who they were. As it turns out, I enjoyed their show more than I did Goatbed's.)

Without a doubt, they have earned a new fan tonight.

First of all, let me say that their stage presence is absolutely fantastic. The venue was infinitely small and I was the only gaijin present, not to mention that I was taller than the average girl in the room, so they kept looking my way and I KNOW they saw me, there's no way they could have missed me. The guitarist was on my side, just a few feet away, and he kept making faces and smiling brightly. When he wasn't singing, the vocalist just wouldn't stop talking (Just kidding! I thought that was awesome! :D). Maybe my Japanese skillz were busy partying in Shibuya or it just happens that the words they used were not part of my vocabulary, but there were a lot of things I didn't understand... Still, I got some of what they said. It's not my fault that they kept rambling. :P

(Just followed them on Twitter and they followed me back! And said "Yoroshiku!" Gosh I'm such a fangirl XD)

But anyway, they were incredibly friendly with the crowd and truly seemed to be enjoying themselves. The fans kept laughing, so that is probably a good indicator that they were funny. The music was performed well enough to sound like it had been taken right off the album, but different enough so that we could tell they weren't just pretending. In short, they sounded awesome. The singer has a pretty rough, hoarse voice which suits quite well the kind of music they make, but it's also powerful and carries a lot of emotion. He's not just randomly screaming all the time; you can tell he has control over it. He definitely has the right attitude as he constantly interacts with the crowd, headbanging, ruffling his hair and sticking his tongue out at all the right times. He's incredibly fun to watch (and quite easy on the eyes, I'll say!).

During one of the talk sections, he mentioned that he had been watching the anime, which caused quite a few screams to be heard. In all honesty, I wasn't sure whether they were going to mention DM because of its yaoi nature, but they did. I had thought that maybe some people were fans of the groups and had no knowledge of it, but I doubt that's true now, looking at how psyched the crowd got when the theme songs came up (I freaked a little during AI CATCH).

I moved around the most during Goatbed's part because their music is so catchy. I'm not someone who enjoys clubbing very much, but if I must, it's always a little awkward at first until a few songs have passed, and from that moment on, it's like someone has untied all the knots in my limbs and I become able to move my body in more than two directions. Well, that is what happened at the show. This might come as a surprise, but although Goatbed's music is mostly electro, they don't use autotune so much. The singer actually sings most of the time and his voice, albeit peculiar, is actually really nice. I have no complaints to make about his performance. The songs were as good as they could have been.

As the show progressed, people got over their initial timidity and began moving to the fast-paced beat, throwing their fists in the air and chanting the key parts. If I had to voice one minor disappointment I felt, it would be the total lack of interaction with the public. Sure, they gave one hell of a show, danced like there was no tomorrow and blasted off the roof with their beats, but it would have been nice if they had talked to us until before the encore song.

True, we come to hear the music, but I think fans do value what artists have to say, even if it's only to make silly jokes and talk about stuff that doesn't matter. It might just be an impression and I don't want to judge them since I don't know them, but I couldn't help but feel like they were a little cold. Well, no matter, I think it's safe to say that everyone had a great time!

Oh, one last thing! The singer was so skinny! Those skin-tight leather pants he was wearing... If he had been sporting long blue hair, I could have sworn it was Aobooty in the flesh.

Sorry, I couldn't resist. :P

Conclusion: I would absolutely go all the way to Tokyo again just to see VERTUEUX.

Goatbed... not so sure.

Beauty and the Beast (Party): VAMPS ft. DAIGO Fanaccount

As usual, don't expect this fanaccount to make sense or have even a hint of structure, as I write stuff as it comes to mind.

I DO WHAT I WANT GOT A PROBLEM. :D

Ah, DAIGO... DAIGO skyrocketed in my esteem and far exceeded my expectations. (And damn it all, I went full fangirl.) I never thought he would be this good. He's beautiful and flawlessly good, also quite funny and brimming with energy. Recently, I've been talking to some of my students about the show (when they ask what I'd been up to) and their faces light up when I mention him. I suppose he's quite liked by the public. :D Also I can't shake off the Yamapi feeling I'm getting from him... not sure if it's the voice, the singing, the expressions... Yeah, I tend to make weird associations, don't ask.

(No, it's not like I casually stumbled upon him backstage.

This is a picture he posted to his Twitter account. XD)

Unless you already know, you could never guess that Daigo is actually 36. (Damn all you youthful Asians! Vampires! I hate you all! DX ...Just kidding. <3) Even now I cannot get over this fact. Let me explain... I have known the man (not on a personal level - I wish! 8D Oh... wish... pun not intended.) for quite a few years, since I first got into Miyavi in 2006. There was a time where they did a collaboration on stage. (I won't go into detail, but it was pretty memorable... :P Look it up if you're curious!) Anyway: the fact of the matter is that he used to go by the name Daigo Stardust, but he has since dropped the "Stardust" and now goes by the name DAIGO. As you might now, I'm a pretty enthusiastic concert-goer, and I am often looking up new gigs to go to. I had seen this DAIGO guy who looked (pretty good, I'll say, but) young enough to be a rookie, so I figured he must be a new-comer. Without looking more deeply into this artist, I dropped the matter and moved on. Time passed and I started watching an anime (and later, the manga), Love Stage!, which I highly recommend by the way. (Now THAT was an abrupt change of subject!)

One of the characters, "Shougo", is a rock singer who is also a doting (psychotically overprotective) older brother to the protagonist. He's lead vocals for the band called the Crusherz.

But here's where it gets interesting. Actually, the band is inspired by the REAL band called Breakerz, whose lead singer is Daigo, the mangaka's (Eiki Eiki) brother. Naturally, Eiki Eiki's muse for this fictional band's singer is her own brother. Daigo also voices Shougo in the anime. So when I found that out, I remembered the young pretty face I had seen on the Lawson Ticket homepage and thought, "Oh, cool, they're related." As can be seen on his Twitter profile:

Long story short...! Only a few days before the concert did I check out the details of the VAMPS show I'd bought tickets for, and discover that the opening act was DAIGO himself. I looked up the music he had done and instantly took a great liking to it. It's perfect. *O* Thinking to myself that I had been missing out (why does this always happen to me?!), I googled his name to get more information about him, and BAM! That's when I read that all along he had been the guy I thought there was NO WAY IN HELL he could be. XD

And this is how I met my new husband. :B

Some of you might know this about me: I listen to many genres of music and artists alike. Now, it would be a lie to say that I like everything, but when I actually do like someone, I'm not fucking kidding. (Sorry, that "fucking" was uncalled for. Fuck.) Seriously, though, I become pretty invested in the artist (to a decently hardcore extent XD). Rather than obsessed, I like to call it "devoted". ANYWAY. XD Although I had only heard his music the day before (yes, マジで 8D), I was almost looking forward to Daigo's performance as much as VAMPS' (I haven't known their music for long either, I just wanted to see Hyde XD). DAIGO certainly did not disappoint! When he first came out on the stage, he had a lot of energy, and all throughout his part, he kept asking us "What's my name?!" and the crowd exclaimed "DAI-GO!". He seemed to enjoy the sound of that a lot...

Fair enough: I don't have a problem with that.

He was also quite the entertainer!

His first song was his newest single, I believe, Butterfly. (At the very least, it's pretty recent.) It's a shame that there's so much autotune in the studio version because DAIGO has a lovely voice. I'm not sure why he reminds me of Yamapi, but it might have to do with the fact that he's unique, sings energetic pop songs that have a lot of rhythm and attitude. Not that they sound particularly similar, but there's something about them, I don't know. Moving on... Because flailing his arms like a butterfly obviously wasn't enough to convey his message, Daigo actually went to the trouble of wearing a pair of huge, colorful wings. I don't think I need to tell you guys that he looked absolutely gorgeous. T_T His hair was tinged hues of red and white, and it was pulled back and braided on the left side, and flipped back on the right. Looked pretty visual kei to me. Though the music he makes now is quite different from that. He was just terribly good-looking. Between you and me, it takes a hot guy to sport that kind of costume so stylishly...

Just look at Johnny's Entertainment...!

The second song was also from his solo album: UGEN ∞ REBIRTH.

Daigo did marvelously well. His voice hit all the right notes.

Truly impressive.

After that, he disappeared from sight and out came a cute mascot (as I write these words, I don't remember what it looked like, just picture a mascot). A high-pitched voice was heard suddenly, and to me, there was no mistake: this was Daigo himself! In the end, he wasn't actually inside the mascot, but it was definitely his voice we heard. The mascot showed us the moves to a dance we would have to take part in during the next song. Over the cheesy upbeat music, "the mascot" spoke in a singsongy voice that made me cringe a little XD... 指先、指先 (yubisaki-yubisaki: fingers fingers) and continued like that until the music picked up speed to the point where it was almost impossible to follow along.

Yep, this was definitely Japan and its kawaii craziness.

The song we had worked so hard to prepare for was "ジェラルミン" (no idea how to spell that in "English", WTF does it even mean?!). It was pretty catchy and included the rehearsed dance. But what struck me the most was DAIGO's outfit... He had a long black coat (that looked like it was made of fur?) and a. pink. boa. The worst part is that he managed to pull off the look quite well. Another reason to hate him. Not that someone could possibly want to wear that. But knowing that EVEN if you ACTUALLY ended up having to put on that god-awful getup, you would look so dashing... That has GOT to be a good feeling.

Oh, by the way, Cassies! When DAIGO introduced his band (the drummer - Makoto - was a beauty!), he said something about Tohoshinki, but I couldn't make out what he said. XD

What a shame: it sounded pretty funny!

(Not mean-funny, just funny-funny.) 

The last outfit was comprised of a fitted dark pink T-shirt and a studded choker. Again, I drooled a little.

The best part of Daigo's show had to be when he did a bunch of impressions of famous Japanese singers. He started as Kimura Takuya, and transitioned from one singer to the other smoothly, without interruption. There were two that I didn't know and I couldn't catch their name, but he also gave Gackt a try, and the headliner, Hyde himself. The crowd doubled over with laughter, but not because he was bad; rather, because he was too good!

As a long-time Gackt fan, I give him my seal of approval.

Here is the setlist for VAMPS (since I don't know where to put it):

1	I GOTTA KICK START NOW
2	HELLO
3	TROUBLE
4	HUNTING
5	AHEAD
6	COSMOS
7	THE JOLLY ROGER
8	LOVE ADDICT
9	少年時代
10	時間よ止まれ
11	SEASON'S CALL
12	UNEXPECTED
13	DEVIL SIDE
14	REPLAY
15	THE PAST
16	GET AWAY
17	MEMORIES
18	REVOLUTION
19	GLAMOROUS SKY
20	ANGEL TRIP
21	SEX BLOOD ROCK N' ROLL

For Hyde, my hopes were high and he did NOT let me down. How I love this wonderful, talented man who never seems to age. I have no words to express how it felt to see him standing on stage, after being a fan for so long. :') (For someone who has no words, I sure am talking a lot!) For such a veteran of the music scene, his entrance sure did justice to his reputation. The theme for the concert (or party as they called it) was "pirates", so as we were waiting for the show to start, pumped up from Daigo's little gig, epic music reminiscent of Pirates of the Caribbean was suddenly heard, and a throng of four-wheels made its way towards the stage. On one of them was Hyde who, completely dressed in white, scanned the crowd through a pair of sunglasses, slightly wavy hair blowing in the wind behind him, secured only by a matching bandana.

Rather than a pirate, he sort of looked more like the leader of a gang of bikers (or four-wheelers, but that sounds a little lame), or maybe the president, but he exuded so much BADASS. Anyway, this was pretty funny. At some point, one of the vehicles even stalled! XD Which Hyde seemed to find absolutely hilarious. They circled around for a few minutes as the song escalated dramatically, and as it reached its climax, they climbed on stage, to our enthusiasm.

K.A.Z. looked absolutely fabulous (though what was up with the winter hat/tuque, and how the hell he managed to slip that in, or how the thought even occurred to him, I never quite understood) and Ju-ken was just plain awesome with that green hair of his! *__*

Hyde then proceeded to grab a gun connected to a hose and sprinkle everyone. That is when we discovered his sadistic side.

Someone seemed to be enjoying this a lot. O_O

There is a significant gap between what I expected of Hyde's personality and how he turned out to be... He sure likes to tease us! After a song or two, he started moaning in his microphone and didn't stop for a good 30 seconds (way past the point of "socially acceptable"). The bastard looked damn smug and proud as fangirls and fanboys alike erupted into massive nosebleed. By that time, some of us were starting to look dangerously pale from excessive blood loss. Asshole, what if we died?! (Just kidding, I love you Hyde!) But seriously, I never imagined he would be such a perv. XD He also commented on the nice cleavages on more than one occasions... Don't get me wrong, my opinion of him hasn't dropped the slightest bit. XD He was obviously joking, and it was nice to see him interacting with us so much.

At random moments, he would suddenly take interest in something completely irrelevant (like his mike stand) and stare at it with eyes wide-opened, or squeak out in high-pitched screams... What a retard. He also seemed to enjoy swearing at the top of his lungs, if the introduction he did is any indication (it kinda went like: "FUCKING FUCK YEAH ARE YOU FUCKING READY YOU FUCKING MOTHERFUCKERS" because ROCK'N'ROLL). He also jumped around a lot, much like a little boy, showing us that despite his age, he was still genki as shit, thank you very much. 

Now, I tried to record the whole thing, but my stupid ass phone decided to die on me multiple times (because apparently taking a picture requires 100% focus and energy, what is multitasking, you idiot smart phone). As you can imagine, I lost most of the data. ;__; My heart skipped a few beats when I realized that later. But thankfully, I was able to snap a few videos, and so did my friend, so I have those to remember the concert by. I won't comment on every song, because I don't remember them in detail, but as a whole, the experience was extremely memorable.

Except for some minor problems during the first song or two (Hyde's excited screaming made it hard for his voice to come out when he had to sing), we were spoiled with the almost flawless singing of a voice that sometimes cracked, just in the right places, which is what makes it so unique and distinctive. Aside from the VAMPS songs (which were expected since that's what the concert was supposed to be all about), Hyde treated us to quite a few songs from his solo albums. I was delighted as I immediately recognized the first notes to Hello, and later on, Season's Call (even if it was an acoustic version, there was no mistaking it). 

Hyde's solo work is what I know the best and also what I love the most. As the evening grew darker, Hyde-tachi retreated to a smaller platform closer to the crowd and moved into slower, mellower pieces. Around that time, they performed an eerie (albeit a bit long) calming version of Unexpected, and we were asked to repeat the lyrics endlessly as our voices echoed in the night dimly lit by torches. By no means was that part boring, however.

It was almost... haunting... but not in a bad way.

It made quite an impression on me.

The atmosphere was excellent, and Hyde's beauty really shone through. It's no wonder he's called "yosei" (fairy) by his fans.

What a gorgeous man.

There was a long talk segment where members of VAMPS and supporting musicians proceeded to tell us scary "ghost" stories (though most of them ended up being everything but that). To my great surprise and delight, I was able to understand a good part of what they said. I especially remember K.A.Z. telling us about a time when he was on the train as a student and an old man winked at him while making kissy lips. DD: While this was not a story that involved supernatural beings, it certainly was frightening! Another story (though I don't remember whose it was) involved someone stealing (Ju-ken's?) clothes while he was resting in a hotel (and seeing them on TV worn by a guy suspected of murder? I might have gotten that part wrong XD). Hyde didn't look satisfied with the stories, but to me they were entertaining.

Near the end of the show, Daigo came back out on stage and performed a few songs with Hyde, including the NANA song composed by Hyde, "Angel Trip" and "Sex Blood and Rock N' Roll" (because they're such good, innocent little boys 8D omfg).

Angel Trip:
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152314008225924&set=vb.758300923&type=3&theater

Sex Blood and Rock N' Roll:
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152314033595924&set=vb.758300923&type=3&theater

I know for a FACT that before one of the songs, they played the little radio static intro that we can hear before Orenji no Taiyou on Gackt's Crescent album. I freaked out a little (a lot), but I was a little disappointed to find they had no plan to perform it. T_T That would have made my day sfm!

By the end of the concert, I was more than satisfied, but what better way to end the show than with fireworks...

Right above my head! *__*

We were sitting on a small hill, so it was literally over us.) 

This was a concert that made the slight annoyances of transportation so worth it! I'd definitely do it all again!

Thank you for the memorable experience!