Kagurazaka Explosion- "Wagokoro"
So I forgot to mention this yesterday, but it was also the day of the multi-band event at Kagurazaka Explosion where OROCHI was playing ^_^
Firstly I left later than planned (as usual) but didn't worry too much, since having full awareness of my inability to leave on time, I'd planned to leave 20 minutes earlier than necessary. Unfortunately, while the map on Kagurazaka Explosion's website makes it look like it's just across the road from the train station and easy to find... it isn't. Lesson learned: Google Map the shit out of everything =__________=;;
Funnily enough, as I went into the second conbini I asked for directions at, the girl in front of me in line was also asking for directions to the same place. So I feel slightly vindicated that Japanese people apparently can't find the damn thing either.
Anyway, I missed the first 10 minutes of their set, and they were just finishing up "Ame" as I came in. I can't really make a set list, because it seemed most of what they were performing was new stuff (the last two songs were "Hizuru" and "Sakura" respectively), but I was pretty impressed, particularly with their vocalist. I don't think there's many people who can go straight from playing a bamboo flute to death roaring, to pseudo-classical Japanese singing, to piercing falsetto and back to a more normal rock-ish vocal within the space of a song or two. And half of it while swinging off the low hanging lighting rig like a monkey for some reason.
Anyway, they all looked pretty ~fabulous~ in their sparkly kimonos XD Ushiwaka, the vocalist was wearing a white kimono and hakama with gold trim, most of the others were wearing black with their own colour on the edges. The cross-dressing one (yup, there's one in every band) had hot pink, which matched his hair and also the big flower he had in it. Cute. Ushiwaka also either had a blond wig on, or he'd grown it out and bleached it, either way he looks far better than in the promotional shots. Also cute.
More cute: While attempting to hold his mic in one hand, his flute with the last two fingers of that hand and dance with the other one, he clumsily fumbled and dropped the flute halfway through a song. You could hear him laughing at himself through the first few words of the next line. He also casually and briefly toyed with Yukimura's pink hair, not enough that you could really call it fanservice, just kind of an "d'awww" moment for me. Also, for the final song, Sakura, everyone including the vocalist suddenly pulled out folding fans to dance with (except me). Of course, his fan was covered with glitter and also very fabulous.
I was disappointed that I didn't get to hear the full version of "Kiyohime" (perhaps I missed it, or they just didn't play it). I was also annoyed that the only CD they had for purchase was the one they had out in Australia back in 2005. I mean, the new songs are on youtube, so clearly they have been recorded...wtf.
Anyway, they're performing again at Club Citta in Kawasaki on the 24th, which isn't too far, so I'm thinking of going again. Either that or there's one in Yotsuya on 10/11, which is about the same distance in the opposite direction.
As is typical of multi-band events, there was a short interview with Ushiwaka after the show. I have one thing to say: He is Gackt's sense-of-humor twin o_o Like, somehow turning an interview into a discussion about curry and then acting innocently confused when the interviewer wonders what the hell just happened to the conversation. LOL (and yes, he really did talk about curry, of all things).
Anyway, I was going to leave after that, but I heard the intro of the next band's first song and decided to stay for their set as well. They're a visual kei techno band called "KONJIKI" and their music brought to mind a combination of J-Rock, Final Fantasy music, DDR and the odd bit of traditional Japanese music. I had to run as soon as their set was over because I was going to be late getting back, but I found a couple of songs on youtube.
KONJIKI- Asaki Yumemishi ~Yuugao no Sho
KONJIKI- Yoi Yoi Gongitsune
Apparently they've been around for quite a while, since their website lists 3-4 albums and a best of (couple of songs up for preview/download here). Their vocalist is also quite fabulous with his red and gold kimono and kabuki-esque makeup. For the last song, he stripped from the waist up, licked the prop sword he was carrying and then ran into the audience and pretended to kill people, including the guy that seemed to own/run the livehouse, so apparently he is also nuts.
Anyway, I don't know if I'd specifically go to see them again, but I'd definitely stay for their set if they're ever at another event ^_^b
Anyway, the rest of my night sucked since I was racing to get home and using the internet on my phone to find the fastest train even though I only had one bar of battery power left. I got to Hachioji station and worked out I was going to be 10 minutes late for curfew, so I texted my dorm leader while walking home, after which my battery promptly died. And then I remembered that the gate (which they close an hour before curfew) had had it's code changed and I still hadn't managed to find out the new one, so I was screwed. I couldn't climb over the gate, since it's over five feet tall not including the 6 inch spikes on top that are serious business sharp. Like, if you fell on them, it would mean a certain emergency room visit at the very least. Seriously, I feel like I live in a goddamn prison sometimes, why does a university dorm need this security? Most of the rest of the fence has barbed wire on top, but there was a short section above the garden which was maybe 5 and a half feet high, with nothing on top, that I was seriously considering climbing. But I'm scared of falling to the point that even climbing over a waist high fence is a task undertaken with the utmost caution, the drop on the other side would be nearly ten feet if I didn't manage to land on the garden bed/wall (it's raised about 4 feet above the road) and if I slipped or the fence didn't take my weight, there was the chance of falling off sideways onto the horrible gate spikes if I was really unlucky. But somehow, I feel like a wuss for not being able to climb it... a 5'6" wire fence with easy footholds should be no problem for a healthy young adult, right? I'm just terrified at the thought of doing anything remotely athletic... I hate not being able to trust my own body.
Anyway, with no other option, I waited outside for an hour, until just after midnight, when a boy came and stood on the other side of the street, and appeared to be making a phone call. A couple of minutes later, a girl came out of the dormitory to meet him, and I went inside once she opened the gate. Yay for people breaking the rules. I don't know what I could have done otherwise... even if I'd gone back to the train station it would have been too late to go anywhere. I guess the best I could have done would be walk 40 minutes back to town to find some business that was open all night and at least been able to go inside. In conclusion, I want my own damn house already...
Firstly I left later than planned (as usual) but didn't worry too much, since having full awareness of my inability to leave on time, I'd planned to leave 20 minutes earlier than necessary. Unfortunately, while the map on Kagurazaka Explosion's website makes it look like it's just across the road from the train station and easy to find... it isn't. Lesson learned: Google Map the shit out of everything =__________=;;
Funnily enough, as I went into the second conbini I asked for directions at, the girl in front of me in line was also asking for directions to the same place. So I feel slightly vindicated that Japanese people apparently can't find the damn thing either.
Anyway, I missed the first 10 minutes of their set, and they were just finishing up "Ame" as I came in. I can't really make a set list, because it seemed most of what they were performing was new stuff (the last two songs were "Hizuru" and "Sakura" respectively), but I was pretty impressed, particularly with their vocalist. I don't think there's many people who can go straight from playing a bamboo flute to death roaring, to pseudo-classical Japanese singing, to piercing falsetto and back to a more normal rock-ish vocal within the space of a song or two. And half of it while swinging off the low hanging lighting rig like a monkey for some reason.
Anyway, they all looked pretty ~fabulous~ in their sparkly kimonos XD Ushiwaka, the vocalist was wearing a white kimono and hakama with gold trim, most of the others were wearing black with their own colour on the edges. The cross-dressing one (yup, there's one in every band) had hot pink, which matched his hair and also the big flower he had in it. Cute. Ushiwaka also either had a blond wig on, or he'd grown it out and bleached it, either way he looks far better than in the promotional shots. Also cute.
More cute: While attempting to hold his mic in one hand, his flute with the last two fingers of that hand and dance with the other one, he clumsily fumbled and dropped the flute halfway through a song. You could hear him laughing at himself through the first few words of the next line. He also casually and briefly toyed with Yukimura's pink hair, not enough that you could really call it fanservice, just kind of an "d'awww" moment for me. Also, for the final song, Sakura, everyone including the vocalist suddenly pulled out folding fans to dance with (except me). Of course, his fan was covered with glitter and also very fabulous.
I was disappointed that I didn't get to hear the full version of "Kiyohime" (perhaps I missed it, or they just didn't play it). I was also annoyed that the only CD they had for purchase was the one they had out in Australia back in 2005. I mean, the new songs are on youtube, so clearly they have been recorded...wtf.
Anyway, they're performing again at Club Citta in Kawasaki on the 24th, which isn't too far, so I'm thinking of going again. Either that or there's one in Yotsuya on 10/11, which is about the same distance in the opposite direction.
As is typical of multi-band events, there was a short interview with Ushiwaka after the show. I have one thing to say: He is Gackt's sense-of-humor twin o_o Like, somehow turning an interview into a discussion about curry and then acting innocently confused when the interviewer wonders what the hell just happened to the conversation. LOL (and yes, he really did talk about curry, of all things).
Anyway, I was going to leave after that, but I heard the intro of the next band's first song and decided to stay for their set as well. They're a visual kei techno band called "KONJIKI" and their music brought to mind a combination of J-Rock, Final Fantasy music, DDR and the odd bit of traditional Japanese music. I had to run as soon as their set was over because I was going to be late getting back, but I found a couple of songs on youtube.
KONJIKI- Asaki Yumemishi ~Yuugao no Sho
Click to viewKONJIKI- Yoi Yoi Gongitsune
Apparently they've been around for quite a while, since their website lists 3-4 albums and a best of (couple of songs up for preview/download here). Their vocalist is also quite fabulous with his red and gold kimono and kabuki-esque makeup. For the last song, he stripped from the waist up, licked the prop sword he was carrying and then ran into the audience and pretended to kill people, including the guy that seemed to own/run the livehouse, so apparently he is also nuts.
Anyway, I don't know if I'd specifically go to see them again, but I'd definitely stay for their set if they're ever at another event ^_^b
Anyway, the rest of my night sucked since I was racing to get home and using the internet on my phone to find the fastest train even though I only had one bar of battery power left. I got to Hachioji station and worked out I was going to be 10 minutes late for curfew, so I texted my dorm leader while walking home, after which my battery promptly died. And then I remembered that the gate (which they close an hour before curfew) had had it's code changed and I still hadn't managed to find out the new one, so I was screwed. I couldn't climb over the gate, since it's over five feet tall not including the 6 inch spikes on top that are serious business sharp. Like, if you fell on them, it would mean a certain emergency room visit at the very least. Seriously, I feel like I live in a goddamn prison sometimes, why does a university dorm need this security? Most of the rest of the fence has barbed wire on top, but there was a short section above the garden which was maybe 5 and a half feet high, with nothing on top, that I was seriously considering climbing. But I'm scared of falling to the point that even climbing over a waist high fence is a task undertaken with the utmost caution, the drop on the other side would be nearly ten feet if I didn't manage to land on the garden bed/wall (it's raised about 4 feet above the road) and if I slipped or the fence didn't take my weight, there was the chance of falling off sideways onto the horrible gate spikes if I was really unlucky. But somehow, I feel like a wuss for not being able to climb it... a 5'6" wire fence with easy footholds should be no problem for a healthy young adult, right? I'm just terrified at the thought of doing anything remotely athletic... I hate not being able to trust my own body.
Anyway, with no other option, I waited outside for an hour, until just after midnight, when a boy came and stood on the other side of the street, and appeared to be making a phone call. A couple of minutes later, a girl came out of the dormitory to meet him, and I went inside once she opened the gate. Yay for people breaking the rules. I don't know what I could have done otherwise... even if I'd gone back to the train station it would have been too late to go anywhere. I guess the best I could have done would be walk 40 minutes back to town to find some business that was open all night and at least been able to go inside. In conclusion, I want my own damn house already...