Category Archive for Nightcrawling
TOKYO DECADANCE: HALLOWEEN CYBER RAVE GOTH PARTY AT CHRISTON CAFE SHINJUKU.
The countdown to Tokyo Decadance caused me undue anxiety – what on Earth was I to wear? After much hewing and hemming, I ran to trusty Daiso, the 100-yen store that is every club kid’s best friend (it’s where I got Xmas garland and bows for my Tokyo Dark Castle hairdo). For Decadance, I picked up several garlands of fake roses and a glittery diamond decal – which, to my great relief, did not leave a mark when I peeled it off my forehead.
While in Harajuku, I picked up a sheer puff skirt with strawberries from AC/DC ($29). The leather lace-up demi-corset is from a Goth shop in Seattle’s Capitol Hill. But I’m sure your eyes are on my shiny red boots…. which are indeed Metamorphose temps de fille! Vintage but in perfect condition, and a shopping steal ($100 from Closet Child Shinjuku).
Last Saturday, hundreds of costumed club kids stormed Christon Cafe Shinjuku (the Jesus-themed restaurant featured in my upcoming book). ‘Twas quite amusing to witness candy-ravers poking the Virgin Mary with light sabers. Organizer Adrien (with the blue hair) spent the entire night either dancing on the platform or running around like a maniac.
Tokyo Decadance attracts fetish, cyber, and decora types in addition to Goths and Lolitas. Since it was a special Halloween/3rd anniversary event, the handmade costumes were wilder than the norm.
Quite a few guests were experts at special effects monster makeup.
In the back (as at all these parties), you could receive a crystal ball reading or buy club accessories. I got long fake eyelashes with blue stars attached to them.
From 10pm to dawn, the entertainment alternated between cyber/electro/rave DJs (including Sisen) and musical performances. I arrived just in time for Kokusyoku Sumire (center, right); the girls wore pumpkins on their heads and captivated the crowd with strong voices and violin virtuosity. A forgettable rock band called The Tokyo Cramps and France’s The Dead Sexy Inc (left) also played.
Nagata Yoichi set up a portrait studio and took photos through a ring of light, resulting in a painterly effect.
I rolled out at 7am, half-blind (literally – one of my contacts fell out) and delirious from the lack of sleep and too many whiskey/sodas. In the subway, I met friends who chose Midnight Mess over Decadance. It was a hard choice – Skinny Puppy was the special performer at Midnight Mess – it’s unfortunate that every year, the parties are on the same night! Jim won the costume contest, and deservedly so; he dressed as The Joker from the infamous hospital blow-up scene…
Halloween’s only just begun, darklings! This weekend, there’s The Fashion Ramone’s “Horror Vacui” party and another Tokyo Dark Castle…
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GOTHIC BAR HEAVEN: D’S VALENTINE & ARTISM GOTH PARTY IN SHINJUKU CLUB.
La Carmina’s weekend can be summed up – without an ounce of hyperbole – as EXHAUSTING. Shot a cat cafe (the resident Scottish Fold wasn’t nearly as cute as my Basil Farrow); danced all night at Gothic Bar Heaven; dragged myself to Alamode Market (where you can buy gothloli goods); shot a drag maid cafe; stayed out at Tokyo Decadance until 7am; shot a dog cafe; bought a monkey outfit. The nightlife and market photos will be up in the next few days. As for the rest – well, you’ll have to wait until my Theme Restaurants book is published in March!
I receive a lot of questions about how I style my hair. The truth is that I’m lazy: I never use gels or straightening/curling irons, and I probably don’t wash it as much as I should. I think my hair is the way it is because 1) it’s ridiculously thick; 2) it’s dyed and layered in a patchy way. Whenever I tie it up, it looks punky by default.
I was invited to Gothic Bar Heaven at Shinjuku’s Club Hoop by the very sweet organizer, D’s Valentine (who also manned the bar). My outfit concept was Goth Sailor Moon; the sweater-top is vintage Algonquins from Closet Child ($16). DJ Sisen squeezed one of my hair “meatballs” and giggled; he then popped his pacifier in his mouth and hopped around the room, arms in the air.
I wasn’t too impressed by Psydoll (top left) and Himemanik’s (top right) cyber-electro-rock performances. But I couldn’t stop smiling at Akira Death’s hard pounding cyborg metal performance, especially when he lamented that his name was incorrectly spelled on his sleeve (“DEAHT” isn’t quite the same as “DEATH.”)
In the back room, several booths hawked silver jewelry, Vampire of Rose fake nails, and other Gothic Lolita accessories. For 500 yen, you could have a tarot card reading.
After sets by Boaz, Takuya Angel, and Sisen, DJ Chihiro closed the night with his signature “Fi-AHHHH” song and an Aural Vampire track. “Thank you,” he uttered, sending the children of the night to stumble home in the breaking light.
Coming up next: photos of the fashion fiestas known as Alamode Market and Tokyo Decadance!
LA CARMINA
