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LAVERITE VISUAL KEI CONCERT: MEETING BASSIST AND BLOGGER JIMI BLUMER.

Laverite bassist James Blumer with La Carmina, Japanese Gothic Lolita and Visual Kei bloggers in Tokyo, Japan.

Do you remember the Boston Public and The Practice crossover episode, where characters from each show appeared on the other in the same plot? Well, the blog-o-sphere has pulled a David E. Kelly… and last night, Gothic Lolita met Visual Kei (with photographic proof above)! ‘Twas was the culmination of a series of fortunate events:

1. Jimi Blumer is the mastermind behind Rock Japan Elec-tric, an addictive blog with Visual Kei concert reports and updates on the journey of his own band, Laverite.
2. I run a Gothic Lolita blog with a small category for Visual Kei. We share many of the same readers.
3. When I wrote about Australian Goth Loli designer Lang Leav, I included a photo of her interpretor, who happened to be Jimi.
4. A reader of both blogs told Jimi that she did a double take when she saw his photo on my site.
5. Coincidentally – and on that very same day – Lang emailed us and said we should meet in Tokyo!

Laverite Visual Kei band, James Blumer, Ryota, Yue.

And so we did the right thing. On Friday, I trekked to Urawa (north of Tokyo) to watch Laverite perform. I’m practically a Visual Kei concert virgin, so I was delighted to experience five bands at a small but sound venue called Narciss. Laverite played third, and I snapped over a hundred photos of Jimi (bass), Yue (vocals), and Ryota (guitar).

Laverite, rock Japan, Visual Kei artists and music at club. Fans of Visual Kei J-rock bands, headbanging. Live photos of Japanese rock.

I was amused by the Japanese teen girls in the audience, who came in their school uniforms and performed the same synchronized “rocking-out” hand movements. Some got into Exorcist-mode, dropping to the floor and shaking their heads as if possessed. Out of all the bands, Laverite had by far the most people pumping their fists over the railing.

Japanese Visual Kei band performing at Narciss in Urawa, Japan. Laverite, J-rock stage outfits, Tokyo rock concert live performance.

I’ll let Jimi report on the music while I cover fashion – and you can cross-reference the posts! The first band, Cra-Mirror, could have stepped out of a Sex Pot Revenge ad; the singer wore several low-slung belts over a plaid skirt and drainpipe trousers, and the bassist had a leopard-print handkerchief tied over the mouth. Every member of Session Band was a flop; the singer looked Ziggy-esque until the lights went up, revealing his bare feet, white jogger shorts, and T-shirt under an aristocrat coat with cheap feather boa attached to one shoulder. As you can see from the photos, Laverite’s stage costumes created a pleasing aesthetic unity; I appreciated their (relatively) minimal use of colors and accessories. The fourth band stuck to black and was sartorially unremarkable. Christine OMeGa ended up being a solo performance by the singer, whose goofy antics matched his multicolored hair.

Japanese girls at Visual Kei concert in Tokyo. Live concert venue for J-rock, visual kei music. Band Laverite with Jimi Blumer, bass player.

As a teen, I loved sneaking my camera into concerts and taking live pictures . I got to re-visit that thrill as I snapped away at Laverite.

Japanese girls at Visual Kei concert in Tokyo. Live concert venue for J-rock, visual kei music. Band Laverite with Jimi Blumer, bass player.

The bridge between Visual Kei and Goth Loli Punk fashion has been forged, and I’m looking forward to further explorations. Cross over to Jimi’s blog for a unique insider’s look at VK life in Tokyo (you’ll find photos of Jimi with members of Versailles! )

Back home, I amused myself with some Visual Kei self-posturing in front of the mirror. These bands have got it down to an art form!

SHARE & COMMENT

41 Comments

  1. Bottle
    Posted October 3, 2008 at 1:11 pm | Permalink

    Thank you for this! Great review, and awesome to see a review of LAVERITE not by Jimi himself! The Photos are just amazing too! :]

  2. Bottle
    Posted October 3, 2008 at 8:11 pm | Permalink

    Thank you for this! Great review, and awesome to see a review of LAVERITE not by Jimi himself! The Photos are just amazing too! :]

  3. Lemon
    Posted October 3, 2008 at 4:26 pm | Permalink

    Hey! I wanted to drop by and give a shout-out to you in saying that I really appreciate what you do here on this blog, that is, providing actual great content both written and visual concerning gothic lolita, visual kei, street fashion, etc.! Keep up the great work! All of your commercial pursuits look promising too, so good luck to you!

    Also, LAVERITE looks rocking! Fantastic photos!

  4. Lemon
    Posted October 3, 2008 at 11:26 pm | Permalink

    Hey! I wanted to drop by and give a shout-out to you in saying that I really appreciate what you do here on this blog, that is, providing actual great content both written and visual concerning gothic lolita, visual kei, street fashion, etc.! Keep up the great work! All of your commercial pursuits look promising too, so good luck to you!

    Also, LAVERITE looks rocking! Fantastic photos!

    • lacarmina
      Posted October 4, 2008 at 3:41 am | Permalink

      Thank you so much, Lemon. I really appreciate your words. :)

  5. lacarmina
    Posted October 3, 2008 at 8:41 pm | Permalink

    Thank you so much, Lemon. I really appreciate your words. :)

  6. shauku
    Posted October 3, 2008 at 8:49 pm | Permalink

    those are pretty good pictures Carmen, for a person who was sneaking a camera in.

    and i must say that my fav picture is jimmy with the blurred head (3rd row)

  7. lacarmina
    Posted October 3, 2008 at 8:49 pm | Permalink

    heh, I had official permission for this show (for once!) I like that photo too.

  8. LiTtLe_MiSs_PsYcHo
    Posted October 3, 2008 at 9:31 pm | Permalink

    LoL I like the bands style

  9. shauku
    Posted October 4, 2008 at 3:49 am | Permalink

    those are pretty good pictures Carmen, for a person who was sneaking a camera in.

    and i must say that my fav picture is jimmy with the blurred head (3rd row)

    • lacarmina
      Posted October 4, 2008 at 3:49 am | Permalink

      heh, I had official permission for this show (for once!) I like that photo too.

  10. LiTtLe_MiSs_PsYcHo
    Posted October 4, 2008 at 4:31 am | Permalink

    LoL I like the bands style

  11. Rubab
    Posted October 4, 2008 at 1:15 am | Permalink

    Hi~
    I found your blog through your link in Jimi's shoutbox and WOW–!!
    Your pictures are amazing!
    And your blog is really cool too. I'm definitely gonna keep coming back :) I've started reading your older posts about GothLoli fashion and ahh its making me wanna go back to Tokyo like now xD

    YAY LAVERITE

  12. Rubab
    Posted October 4, 2008 at 8:15 am | Permalink

    Hi~
    I found your blog through your link in Jimi’s shoutbox and WOW–!!
    Your pictures are amazing!
    And your blog is really cool too. I’m definitely gonna keep coming back :) I’ve started reading your older posts about GothLoli fashion and ahh its making me wanna go back to Tokyo like now xD

    YAY LAVERITE

    • lacarmina
      Posted October 4, 2008 at 12:35 pm | Permalink

      Arigato gozaimasu, Rubab! It’s a pleasure to meet you. Jimi and I are having a blast in Tokyo! :)

  13. lacarmina
    Posted October 4, 2008 at 5:35 am | Permalink

    Arigato gozaimasu, Rubab! It's a pleasure to meet you. Jimi and I are having a blast in Tokyo! :)

  14. Reitsu
    Posted October 4, 2008 at 5:38 am | Permalink

    Amazing pictures! I love live photography and Laverite really look like they're having a good time! ^_^

  15. Christiane
    Posted October 4, 2008 at 7:00 am | Permalink

    ^___^ Awwww~ I want to be at Tokyo, too! You took great photos! <3

  16. Reitsu
    Posted October 4, 2008 at 12:38 pm | Permalink

    Amazing pictures! I love live photography and Laverite really look like they’re having a good time! ^_^

  17. Christiane
    Posted October 4, 2008 at 2:00 pm | Permalink

    ^___^ Awwww~ I want to be at Tokyo, too! You took great photos! <3

  18. Desideria
    Posted October 4, 2008 at 9:37 am | Permalink

    I found your blog by a total accident (a really good accident), my computer flipped out and I was just thrown between different websites (I don't know what happend) but finally I succeeded in putting an end to it and ended up with you blog in front of me. Since then I have read through your entire archives and I think you have done an amazing job; it's funny to read, I love all the pictures and you seem to be a wonderful person. So I hope you keep writing this blog for a long, long time.

    I really just wanted to tell you that.
    Hope you have a wonderful weekend,

  19. Desideria
    Posted October 4, 2008 at 4:37 pm | Permalink

    I found your blog by a total accident (a really good accident), my computer flipped out and I was just thrown between different websites (I don’t know what happend) but finally I succeeded in putting an end to it and ended up with you blog in front of me. Since then I have read through your entire archives and I think you have done an amazing job; it’s funny to read, I love all the pictures and you seem to be a wonderful person. So I hope you keep writing this blog for a long, long time.

    I really just wanted to tell you that.
    Hope you have a wonderful weekend,

    • lacarmina
      Posted October 4, 2008 at 10:51 pm | Permalink

      Dear Desideria,
      Wow – it means so much to me to hear that! Thank you for your words – I’ve taken them to heart.

      With my OCD nature and work in writing/photography, I have no doubt that this blog will be going on ad infinitum! Hugs,
      –Carmina

  20. lacarmina
    Posted October 4, 2008 at 3:51 pm | Permalink

    Dear Desideria,
    Wow – it means so much to me to hear that! Thank you for your words – I've taken them to heart.

    With my OCD nature and work in writing/photography, I have no doubt that this blog will be going on ad infinitum! Hugs,
    –Carmina

  21. jen
    Posted October 5, 2008 at 3:59 am | Permalink

    YESSSSSSS.
    thanks! I've been waiting for live pictures of Laverite for ages hahah
    and your entries about vk are how I found your blog in the first place so its great that there's morrrrrreeee :D

  22. jen
    Posted October 5, 2008 at 10:59 am | Permalink

    YESSSSSSS.
    thanks! I’ve been waiting for live pictures of Laverite for ages hahah
    and your entries about vk are how I found your blog in the first place so its great that there’s morrrrrreeee :D

    • lacarmina
      Posted October 5, 2008 at 2:19 pm | Permalink

      There will indeed be mooorrrreeee… I just hung out with Jimi tonight. I’ll try to take more live photos soon. :)

  23. lacarmina
    Posted October 5, 2008 at 7:19 am | Permalink

    There will indeed be mooorrrreeee… I just hung out with Jimi tonight. I'll try to take more live photos soon. :)

  24. lacarmina
    Posted October 5, 2008 at 9:00 am | Permalink

    UPDATE – more concert photos posted here: http://tinyurl.com/3l8xwp

  25. lacarmina
    Posted October 5, 2008 at 4:00 pm | Permalink

    UPDATE – more concert photos posted here: http://tinyurl.com/3l8xwp

  26. Liath_sama
    Posted October 5, 2008 at 11:25 am | Permalink

    great photos! I found your blog via Jimi's at Rock Japan Elec-tric, and I'm very glad I did too! I've learned so much from it Carmina-sensei :)
    Liath

  27. Liath_sama
    Posted October 5, 2008 at 6:25 pm | Permalink

    great photos! I found your blog via Jimi’s at Rock Japan Elec-tric, and I’m very glad I did too! I’ve learned so much from it Carmina-sensei :)
    Liath

    • lacarmina
      Posted October 6, 2008 at 12:34 am | Permalink

      Thank you, Liath! Lovely to make your acquaintance. :)

  28. lacarmina
    Posted October 5, 2008 at 5:34 pm | Permalink

    Thank you, Liath! Lovely to make your acquaintance. :)

  29. Miki
    Posted October 11, 2008 at 12:36 pm | Permalink

    Your review is amazing!!!
    grr…your so lucky to watch laverite and other VK bands!!!
    very envous!
    your photographs are amazing too!!!
    and I think you can sooo pull off a VK look!! :3
    <3

  30. Miki
    Posted October 11, 2008 at 7:36 pm | Permalink

    Your review is amazing!!!
    grr…your so lucky to watch laverite and other VK bands!!!
    very envous!
    your photographs are amazing too!!!
    and I think you can sooo pull off a VK look!! :3
    <3

    • lacarmina
      Posted October 12, 2008 at 3:09 am | Permalink

      You’re so sweet! More photos coming right up!

  31. lacarmina
    Posted October 11, 2008 at 8:09 pm | Permalink

    You're so sweet! More photos coming right up!

  32. lacarmina
    Posted March 22, 2009 at 12:09 am | Permalink

    For other LIVE Laverite photos, search “Laverite” on this blog!

  33. lacarmina
    Posted March 22, 2009 at 7:09 am | Permalink

    For other LIVE Laverite photos, search “Laverite” on this blog!

  34. lacarmina
    Posted March 22, 2009 at 7:09 am | Permalink

    For other LIVE Laverite photos, search “Laverite” on this blog!

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  1. […] October 2008) † Black and white: Laverite (Narciss Urawa, Japan: October 2008) † Color photos: Laverite (Narciss Urawa, Japan: October 2008) † First show: Laverite (Narciss Urawa, Japan: October 2008) […]