SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA GOTH STEAMPUNK CLOTHING SHOPS & INDUSTRIAL NIGHTCLUBS. TOKYO, JAPAN HALLOWEEN PARTIES.
Time for a “moriawase” or “meli-melo” post of odds and ends! My new Global Gothic column for Lip Service Webzine is up. This month, we go down under to Sydney, Australia — and explore its darkest and most fashionable spots. You can read it here.
Not long ago, Team Spooky took over an Ikebukuro izakaya. From left to right: Tatsu (of legendary hardcore punk band Gastunk, who plays in The Killing Red Addiction with ex-X Japan’s Taiji). Mistress Maya (of Goth/Industrial party Midnight Mess and Alanis Morissette karaoke fame). Cotton Bale (in gorgeous gold Dr. Martens). And Kana (the absinthe jelly genius). She’s dressed for a “Roman Funeral” Japanese TV show event!
We went to see our friends 101A perform at Ikebukuro Black Hole. The serial killer / cute bunny mascot is brilliant, don’t you think?
Japanese steampunk style icon, Kenny Creation, showed us his new cage necklace. On the left: my skull and gem rings from Closet Child. (I’m trying desperately to organize my jewelry… do you have any suggestions? Maybe I can arrange them in elegant teak boxes, like the ones at jewelryboxes123.com?)
“Voice is sheer and whimsical. Sound waves are like sucking in air. Various pieces remind you of shoegazer, grunge, industrial, Bristol sound.” An excellent performance by the rising band 101A.
Who’s excited for Halloween? Undead fashion model Yukiro Dravarious rises from the grave to inform you about Tokyo’s best Halloween parties this year. If you are in Japan, you should definitely check them out. Watch the video above, and check out my Tokyo Goth Nightlife guide for URLs, maps, photos and directions.
Drumroll please… announcing the winners of the Gloomth contest! Via random selection, the lucky pirates are HagumiW ($250), RoseBud ($100), and Pamela Quevedo ($50). Congratulations! I’m announcing another huge new giveaway next week, so please don’t despair… there are plenty more opportunities ahead.
Finally, shout-outs to RaSh Ro for the fan art above (I love seeing your artwork; email me and I’ll post it). Thank you also to Dominion Magazine for interviewing me about Harajuku Goth fashion and nightlife.
Anyone have exciting weekend plans? My list: X Japan concert, Takashi Miike film screening, photoshoot for a magazine cover, nightcrawling at a Goth EBM club, lavender lattes. And most importantly, squishing my cat.
Japanese Word of the Day: Gura gura = Wobbly
Song of the Day: Diamanda Galas – Gloomy Sunday (the Hungarian suicide song)
SHARE & COMMENT
LA CARMINA
36 Comments
Darn it! I didn’t win again :( Oh well how about next time?! :)
Hint: pirates and zombies!! Really amazing fashion items to be given away very soon… thanks so much!!
Awwh, I didn’t win this time, haha… But I absolutely love that steampunk jewelry!
I can’t wait for the weekend because I’m going away to see my favorite band Kaizers Orchestra and then the punk band Skambankt!
I can’t believe I’ve yet to see Kaizers Orchestra… I know they put on a raucous show!
Wow, I don’t know if I’m surprised or not that you actually know Kaizers! You should come over to Norway and see them if you ever get the chance! Maybe the epic 10 year anniversary show in Oslo in April? 8D
haha I made them a Song of the Day once… :)
I never win anything, it’s part of my personality, lol! I’m really digging that cage necklace though!
Oh, and I love your nail polish! I have one similar that is like a holograpicish green that changes colors at different angles!
Ohh thank you! I painted it turquoise green (using $1 polish from Daiso) and then painted over the top part with a translucent yellow from Daiso. It worked out.
ah, this contest had so many entries… >__> but I’ll announce the next one in a few days! :)
oh, one day, one day in the future, I will have a 17 hour roadtrip to Sydney followed by a shopping spree!
I’m in poor lil Adelaide :(
Thanks for uploading my halloween greeting!
The jewelry is flawless I totally want it <3
We should raid Kenny’s collection one day. OR he should give us a steampunk makeover!
carmen long time no talk! i just moved to australia, will you be in sydney w/ your travel show?!
wowwwwww.I just can’t believe I win such a great prize. Thank you soooo much La Carmina and gloomth. I breath almost stop as I check out my mailbox in the morning after I just took a shower(so my hair is still wet.lol)
I was a little depressed recently and here comes a great happiness to cheer me up. I’ll have a great gothic lolita shopping and make myself a positive girl again:)
And the Jewelry boxes are all so adorable!!!
A photoshot for magazine cover? I’d love to see la carmina as magazine cover!!!So excited!!
wish Basil and Carmina a great weekend.
(My weekend plan is dating with Calaulus and Economics.lol.)
xoxo❤
Congrats – enjoy your date with Calculus and Economics
Been there…been there…and I’m still there.
Thank you:)
I hope I’ll get along well with Mr.Calculus and Mr.Economics.
Wish you a great weekend>3
Aww I’m so happy to hear that this cheered you up! <3
Boy I definitely got to check out 101A. I never heard of them before. I always get shivers down my spine whenever I hear bands with a female vocalist. (In a very very good way). I honestly just stand in awe. Although she’s not exactly part of a band – I obsess over Olivia Lufkin. As for the band’s mascot – I really do like it. It’s so simple yet awe-inspiring. Now of course I heard of Gastunk! GERONIMO?! Shout?! Deadman’s Face?! DEVIL! – and oh so much more. What an awesome band.I’m sorry but I would have no idea on how to organize jewelry, guess I need a bit more man jewelries besides necklaces, pendants, and etc. I want to get a ring someday, but honestly I just don’t find one that’s me. Big congrats to the winners of the giveaway! And I love the art. I really got to sit down and draw one day – but it requires so much time and much concentration. But I want to go back and draw. I haven’t drawn since . . . 2005?! Guess I’ll wait for the call…I just don’t feel it yet.
The weekend?! There’s a weekend for me? – unfortunately now it doesn’t seem so. Enjoy X Japan!
Tatsu is a legend, he’s influenced so many Visual Kei artists. It was really nice to chat with him.
I found out I got an X Japan photo pass so…. ^__^
aw that day^^ my favorite blog you are!<3
Congrats to the winners! :)
^__^ New contest coming right up!
Don’t forget the Candy Spooky Theater TWO NIGHT Halloween party!
Ah yes! They are excellent live.
You could try making ring holder sculptures for on your dressing table :)
My friend keeps her rings all on the fingers of a hand from an old shop window dummy we found (the hand is superglued into a plant pot so t won’t fall over.
I have mind hung on some glittery branches that were meant to be a Christmas decoration.
Awesome to see you were interviewed by Dominion, my boyfriend has just finished writing up a few reviews for them :)
Ohhh that is a great idea – a spooky hand for rings. Like the Addams Family hand ahah. :)
Totally, it’s a “ring thing” :D
i would love to come to japan and hang out with you guys.
Roman funeral!
Lavender lattes? Nah, I won’t ask…
Cute! :D love it!
Awww, Halloween isn’t celebrated in Greece. Sucks… and to think that I entered an American school in hopes of celebrating it… but it’s not. >_<
By the way, I have bought a special shelf for my closet that is divided into small dents — it's ideal for jewelry. Plus, you can try hanging your necklaces, chokers, etc. from a tie rack (is this the correct word ? ^^") It's really practical, trust me. I hope this helps just a little. ^^
That sounds lovely! By the way, did you see the Reader Questions answer? I hope it helped…
If you have a lot of rings, you could make a little foam display like the ones at cheap jewelry stores :D
Just get some of that black, loosely packed foam that you can get from the craft store, and cut holes to put the rings in.
That way you can see them all really nicely, and you can customize the foam to fit in a pretty box if youl’d like :D
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