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LUNA SEA CONCERT IN LA: FIRST USA VISUAL KEI PERFORMANCE. T-SHIRT WINNER ANNOUNCED, BLOG TV LIVECAST.


LUNA SEA CONCERT IN LA: FIRST USA VISUAL KEI PERFORMANCE. T-SHIRT WINNER ANNOUNCED, BLOG TV LIVECAST. jrock bands, Ryuichi (Vocals), Sugizo (Guitar), J (Bass), Inoran (Guitar) and Shinya (DRUMS). luna sea band japanese rock group, visual shock rockers hair makeup style

2010 has turned out to be an outstanding year for Visual Kei bands touring North America. We’ve been blessed with visits from Miyavi, D’espairsRay, Dir en Grey, X Japan… and now, Luna Sea. The legendary Jrockers are reuniting for a worldwide tour — including a stop in Los Angeles in December 4th! The tickets for the show (held at Hollywood Palladium) will be on sale via Ticketmaster on September 8th. Who’s going to be headbanging in the audience??

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Thanks to everyone who joined our impromptu BlogTV chat last night! Yukiro and I bared our fangs, drank disgusting apple-lemon-milk, displayed my Miffy products and dueled with stuffed toys. Would you like to see more live webcasts? (If so, please add me on Twitter so you won’t miss the next one.)

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Prior to our show, we abused a 17 year old emo boy under the name “Pokemon.” We were responsible for the non sequitur comments about G-suS on his BlogTV webcast!

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While we did our web show, we turned on the TV to Japanese fitness infomercials. I am very fond of informercials. Not surprisingly, Japanese ones take the cake.

 

I’m astounded by your response to the La Carmina t-shirt giveaway! Thank you to everyone for entering the contest. The winner, chosen by random number generator, is Inochii.

Don’t pout if you didn’t win — I have great news. Akumu Ink is extending the deadline for one more week… which means this is your absolute last chance to get one of these t-shirts! Pick up a Mens or Womens Gothic Lolita & earless kitty portrait tee in size S to XXL. (Surf over here and scroll to the bottom to buy.) If you’re having trouble ordering, leave a comment in this post or email me. Thank you so much for your support; without it, I can’t keep on releasing new fashion designs!

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Finally, I did a fun interview with Trespass Magazine. Who do I have a crush on? People I admire most? Desired superpower? You can read my answers here and after the jump.

Anyone else here a fan of watching infomercials? Which ones are your favorite? Cathy from Xpress Redi-Set-Go is my heroine.

Japanese Word of the Day: Kojinteki = Private, personal
Song of the Day: E’m – Seelenheil


Trespassing With…La Carmina
By Trespass Magazine on Sep 01, 2010

Canadian born and raised Japanese Goth fashion blogger, La Carmina is a travel TV host, author of 3 books (Penguin USA and Random House), and writer for CNNGo.com and Lip Service. She has also been featured in major publications (The New Yorker, Washington Post, WWD, Village Voice, Time Out New York, Fox News, LA Times) and has appeared on shows as diverse as The Today Show and Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods. To add to her already overflowing myriad of achievements, La Carmina will soon be the Asia host for the educational travel TV series, Project Explorer.

Name: La Carmina
Occupation: I share my spooky adventures on my La Carmina blog – welcome to my world of Japanese Goth fashion, alternative subcultures and cute earless cats! I’m a journalist for CNNGo.com and wrote three books on Jpop culture, including Cute Yummy Time and Crazy Wacky Theme Restaurants: Tokyo. I host and arrange travel TV shows, mostly in Tokyo (credits include Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods, Canal Plus France, NHK, Sony Australia, Dutch Pepsi).

1 . What is it about Harajuku fashion that you love so much? Harajuku fashion is very diverse, but the overall expression is strikingly visual. I love how “style tribes” such as Lolita and Fairy Kei celebrates alternative expressions of beauty, and are part of vibrant young (sub)cultures.

2 . Three items of clothing you can’t live without? My Alice and the Pirates short navy jacket; it has a long pointed collar and silver rows of military buttons. I got my Angelic Pretty glossy red lace-up knee-high boots for a steal. And I love my rare Moi-meme-Moitie Goth dress, which looks like something you’d wear to a Victorian funeral.

3 . Which era do you wish you could visit and why? Marie Antoinette’s court at Versailles. “Life then was like candy. Their world, so sweet and dreamy. That was Rococo. Girdles were tightened for beauty’s sake. Too tight for breathing. It was… very cute!” – Quote from the Kamikaze Girls film

4 . Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Five years ago, I couldn’t possibly have imagined I’d be in the place I am now. I hope that five years from now, I’ll have evolved as much. Or more.

5 . Fashion designer I most admire…Mana-sama, mastermind of Moi-meme-Moitie (Japanese elegant Gothic Lolita and aristocrat fashion). He executed his romantic, dark vision near-perfectly.

6 . The best meal I’ve ever had… It’s kind of inside joke, but my friend Yukiro and I are obsessed with the kabocha (pumpkin) pizza from the Sunpierrot bakery in Shinjuku Station. It was only 200 yen ($2) a slice! But the pizza has been discontinued, and we’re not sure if life is worth living any more…

7 . Three songs currently on my playlist…GPKISM – Atheos (Recently saw them in concert – Visual Goth electro) Versailles – Princess (Magnificent Visual Kei artists who wear aristocrat stage outfits) Laura Branigan – Self Control (I have a thing for Italo Disco, and we just sang this at karaoke)

8 . The best part of my job is…I feel lucky to do my own creative work, on my own time, and in a variety of fascinating mediums (TV, writing, journalism, design). I collaborate with and meet inspiring individuals from all over the world. I travel to cities such as Tokyo, New York and LA, and have the opportunity to involve my friends in my work/play (such as attending Jrock concerts and art events, and taking part in TV shoots).

9 . I wish I had the superpower to…Tesseract, like in the Madeline L’Engle book A Wrinkle in Time. I could travel everywhere on the planet, then move through space and time…

1 0 .My comfort food is… Tiger tail ice cream – a swirl of orange and licorice. It was my childhood favorite. I think it’s why I’m obsessed with absinthe now.

1 1 .If I wasn’t doing what I do now I’d be….A suicidal lawyer.

1 2 .I have a crush on…William from Almost Famous, Oscar from Tadpole, Harold from Harold & Maude.

1 3 .I’m on a desert island and can only bring one starter, one main course, and one dessert dish. My picks are: Adorably-decorated meals from my cookbook, Cute Yummy Time! I’d wish for Piggy Bread as a starter, Night Owl Quiche as a main, and Scottish Fold Cat orange poppy cake for dessert.

1 4 .The last time I laughed so hard was…Last weekend, with my spooky friends and the Dutch Pepsi TV crew. We were at Tokyo’s number one Goth/Industrial party, Midnight Mess. There was biting, bondage, scandal and drama… a bloody perfect night.

1 5 .The last time I wrote a love letter was…I’m the last person on the planet to write a love letter.

1 6 .WOO! I just rubbed a lamp and a genie popped out: I wish I could bring my round-faced Scottish Fold cat, Basil Farrow, everywhere I travel. He’s very well-behaved and affectionate, and looks like a teddy bear. His blog: http://lacarmina.com/basilfarrow

1 7 .People I admire most: The strong, shockingly creative individuals I’m lucky to have as friends and family.

1 8 .The best advice I ever received was from:__Molly__ and he/she said: ___“It’s ok if you’re not doing something cool right now.”__

1 9 .Pay a stranger a compliment: I salute you, Yellow House Baba. You’ve been running your little Harajuku shop and designing outfits for famous Visual Kei / J-rock artists for 25 years. And you’re still scuttling around like a teenager, dressing people up in pirate punk cat hoodies when they wander in. Let’s hope I can be like you someday.

2 0 .Let me tell you something….Whether ye be on board or off, my haunted ship keeps a-sailing. Avast!

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33 Comments

  1. Olivia Pineyro
    Posted September 2, 2010 at 9:50 pm | Permalink

    aww man, all my hardwork and I didnt win :(( this is so depressing

  2. Olivia Pineyro
    Posted September 2, 2010 at 9:50 pm | Permalink

    aww man, all my hardwork and I didnt win :(( this is so depressing

    • lacarmina
      Posted September 3, 2010 at 4:53 pm | Permalink

      I have another huge giveaway coming right up!! XD

  3. shadowpal2
    Posted September 2, 2010 at 10:25 pm | Permalink

    Talk about Asian Invasion in the U.S. – seriously a lot of Visual Kei bands are coming here to perform it’s pretty exciting. Then again, I don’t think it feels the same as when they perform in Japan. I don’t know – I always feel a different aura.nnEMO kids are fun to annoy aren’t they? heheheheheheeeee. nnInfomercials are great – I’ve personally seen a lot more Korean infomercials though compared to Japanese ones. A lot of the Korean ones are interesting as they talk a lot about burning off fat with all these drugs/medicine/juice and stuff. nnOf course *chuckles* nothing takes the cherry on top like this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsdJhOFAk40&has_verified=1nnOh and if you find it inappropriate – which……it actually kind of is, do take it down, it’s your blog and all and I don’t want to do ill to it. n

  4. shadowpal2
    Posted September 2, 2010 at 10:25 pm | Permalink

    Talk about Asian Invasion in the U.S. – seriously a lot of Visual Kei bands are coming here to perform it’s pretty exciting. Then again, I don’t think it feels the same as when they perform in Japan. I don’t know – I always feel a different aura.

    EMO kids are fun to annoy aren’t they? heheheheheheeeee.

    Infomercials are great – I’ve personally seen a lot more Korean infomercials though compared to Japanese ones. A lot of the Korean ones are interesting as they talk a lot about burning off fat with all these drugs/medicine/juice and stuff.

    Of course *chuckles* nothing takes the cherry on top like this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsdJhOFAk40&has_verified=1

    Oh and if you find it inappropriate – which……it actually kind of is, do take it down, it’s your blog and all and I don’t want to do ill to it.

    • lacarmina
      Posted September 3, 2010 at 4:54 pm | Permalink

      Ahahah that infomercial is the greatest ever~! Yes, lots of silly weight loss ones… the before/after images are so fake.

  5. Jacky
    Posted September 3, 2010 at 12:00 am | Permalink

    so awesome i with i had cain of clothen

  6. Jacky
    Posted September 3, 2010 at 12:00 am | Permalink

    so awesome i with i had cain of clothen

  7. Jacky
    Posted September 3, 2010 at 12:00 am | Permalink

    so awesome i with i had cain of clothe

  8. LordkalidoN
    Posted September 3, 2010 at 12:01 am | Permalink

    ciao sweet carmina!

  9. LordkalidoN
    Posted September 3, 2010 at 12:01 am | Permalink

    ciao sweet carmina!

  10. LordkalidoN
    Posted September 3, 2010 at 12:01 am | Permalink

    ciao sweet carmina!

  11. Dravarious
    Posted September 3, 2010 at 3:47 am | Permalink

    Awww!! I want a shirt -^_^v

  12. Dravarious
    Posted September 3, 2010 at 3:47 am | Permalink

    Awww!! I want a shirt -^_^v

  13. Dravarious
    Posted September 3, 2010 at 3:47 am | Permalink

    Awww!! I want a shirt -^_^v

  14. Rocking Doll Museum
    Posted September 3, 2010 at 6:53 am | Permalink

    Aww, well, congrats to the winner!rnVery funny interview too! ^^

  15. Rocking Doll Museum
    Posted September 3, 2010 at 6:53 am | Permalink

    Aww, well, congrats to the winner!
    Very funny interview too! ^^

    • lacarmina
      Posted September 3, 2010 at 4:55 pm | Permalink

      Another huge clothing giveaway is round the corner!

  16. Tara
    Posted September 3, 2010 at 3:11 pm | Permalink

    OMG AMAZING HAT <3 <3 <3 <3n

  17. Ildiko
    Posted September 3, 2010 at 3:11 pm | Permalink

    ncute<3 lovely pirate hat :3n

  18. Ildiko
    Posted September 3, 2010 at 3:11 pm | Permalink

    cute<3 lovely pirate hat :3

  19. Tara
    Posted September 3, 2010 at 3:11 pm | Permalink

    OMG AMAZING HAT <3 <3 <3 <3

  20. Lin
    Posted September 3, 2010 at 3:12 pm | Permalink

    amazing! i love your outfit Lacarmina! i am going to japan in 2 years, staying for 2 weeks though. i hope maybe i will run into you ^-^!! anywase Take care!

  21. Lin
    Posted September 3, 2010 at 3:12 pm | Permalink

    amazing! i love your outfit Lacarmina! i am going to japan in 2 years, staying for 2 weeks though. i hope maybe i will run into you ^-^!! anywase Take care!

  22. Chiara
    Posted September 3, 2010 at 3:58 pm | Permalink

    1 7 .People I admire most: The strong, shockingly creative individuals Iu2019m lucky to have as friends and family. <------ Cutie >.< Friends you can give your trust to are a gift, aren't they?rnrnI had a big *grin* on my face when you mentioned Mana-sama, me too I think not only he's a skilled fashion designer, musician and composer..but he's someone who was able to create a whole world out of thin air both in music and in fashion style with his own hands, I awe him for his efforts and deep ambition u2665rnrnu201cItu2019s ok if youu2019re not doing something cool right now.u201d <-- XD Simple but effective ;)rnrnHave a nice day^^

  23. Chiara
    Posted September 3, 2010 at 3:58 pm | Permalink

    1 7 .People I admire most: The strong, shockingly creative individuals I’m lucky to have as friends and family. .< Friends you can give your trust to are a gift, aren't they?

    I had a big *grin* on my face when you mentioned Mana-sama, me too I think not only he's a skilled fashion designer, musician and composer..but he's someone who was able to create a whole world out of thin air both in music and in fashion style with his own hands, I awe him for his efforts and deep ambition ♥

    “It’s ok if you’re not doing something cool right now.” <– XD Simple but effective ;)

    Have a nice day^^

    • lacarmina
      Posted September 3, 2010 at 4:56 pm | Permalink

      I have been very thankful for certain friends lately…
      You too – have a great day!

  24. lacarmina
    Posted September 3, 2010 at 4:53 pm | Permalink

    I have another huge giveaway coming right up!! XD

  25. lacarmina
    Posted September 3, 2010 at 4:54 pm | Permalink

    muahaha you’d rock the look!

  26. lacarmina
    Posted September 3, 2010 at 4:54 pm | Permalink

    Ahahah that infomercial is the greatest ever~! Yes, lots of silly weight loss ones… the before/after images are so fake.

  27. lacarmina
    Posted September 3, 2010 at 4:55 pm | Permalink

    Another huge clothing giveaway is round the corner!n

  28. lacarmina
    Posted September 3, 2010 at 4:56 pm | Permalink

    I have been very thankful for certain friends lately…nYou too – have a great day!

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