Category Archive for Nightcrawling
TOKYO DARK CASTLE: BAAL, AUTO-MOD, DJ CHIHIRO. GOTH INDUSTRIAL CLUB NIGHTS, ALTERNATIVE PARTIES IN JAPAN.
Since I’m not in Japan at the moment, I’ve asked my spookiest friends to bring you coverage of Goth and alternative events. Here’s another guest post from Evil Queen Yukiro Dravarious! I hope you enjoy these new voices and perspectives on La Carmina blog. Take it away, girlfriend…
So! I’m back in Japan and I haven’t noticed much difference after the nuclear crisis. It feels super-good to be back and to be going to Goth events again.
Tokyo Dark Castle is one of the first — if not the first — Gothic events I’ve been to in Japan. It takes place every month, at Club Marz in Shinjuku’s Kabukichô. They always have a fabulous mixture of darkwave/EBM/industrial DJ sets and live Goth bands. That night’s agenda was:
[Bands] AUTO-MOD / BAAL / DEMONS / 東狂黒 / P.I.M.P
[DJs] Chihiro / TAIZO / KENZO-A
I was grateful to see so many of my friends crawling out from their crypts to join me in this dark glamourama extravaganza. Plus, I got acquainted with some new faces as well.
It’s always nice to hang outside of TDC; they have renewal allowance so you don’t have to worry about having to stay in the narrow club all night. Outside, you can mingle, take photos and drink cheap conbini (convenience store) drinks. Actually, inside they have pretty cheap drinks at the bar, and a good selection. If you’re lucky, you can get them extra strong, like mine usually are.
Here’s what I wore. I always want to do something original and fashion-forward, and at the same time, I wanted to be sexy and vulgar. So I came up with the idea of combining dark turquoise blue with neon pink for makeup — and why not use it all over? More is never less!
I found the plane-attendant mini-dress the day before and it fit me so well that I had to wear it right away. I needed something for my head so I went around looking for a leather hat or cap. When I didn’t find one for a reasonable price, I decided to glam up an old cap by attaching the backside of a helmet on the front, so it would look like spikes.
The club night is a bit empty and less colorful without Dj SiSEN and Selia (who often preform at TDC) since they now are on the Tokyo Decadance tour in France. The music was good as always, though pretty random that night. Everything from hip-hop, rock, metal, Goth, synth, old school and of course a lot of heavy danceable cybergoth music.
The organizer Genet (right) started a charity collection called “Goth Saves Japan” and even created some pins with the slogan. I think it’s absolutely the right thing to do. Goths can do so much to help Japan recover. It’s awesome that everyone is so helpful in these times of horror!
Want more info about Tokyo Goth parties? Check out my Japan clubbing guide (with maps, directions and more), and posts in the Nightcrawling category.
Have you been to Goth parties around the world? How did the scene compare? Soon, I’ll bring you dark culture coverage from Hong Kong…
Song of the Day: Siouxsie and the Banshees – Hong Kong Garden (an appropriate track, suggested by John Skeleton)
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HOST CLUB AI: BEST KABUKICHO SHINJUKU HOST CLUBS & BOYS. JAPANESE KITSCH DECORATION, CRAZY GAUDY LIGHTS INTERIOR.
Welcome, ladies… to the gaudiest place on Earth! The Norway TV show (which we Pirates hosted and arranged) filmed inside Club Ai, the popular chain of host clubs in Kabuki-cho (the red light district of Shinjuku in Tokyo, Japan).
The clubs are run by this mustachioed fellow, Mr Aida. He used to be a host boy, then opened up his own establishment in the 1970s. Now he lives in a gilded apartment packed with kitschy objects, overrun by a menagerie of cats and dogs — including his three giant poodles.
Mr Aida stole his wife, Akemi, from her boyfriend at the time. Her wig is divine; her skin is as smooth as a baby’s.
I’m not sure who did the interior decoration of Club Ai. But I’m assuming he was on heavy doses of Jesus Juice.
Famed Norwegian photographer Per Heimly couldn’t stop taking pictures inside Club Ai. So much kitsch and tackiness in one room!
First Mate Naomi, who does the arranging/locations/translation, was equally snap-happy. (She took most of the photos in this post.)
Like a good Japanese host boy, TV host (and Norwegian royal) Ari Behn offers Suntory Whiskey to the ladies.
There were a million places to check my makeup.
The bathrooms were also jam-packed with lights and gaudy objects.
Club Ai’s decor highlights the fantasy world of the host club. The female customers want to get as far away from bland reality as possible.
Have you seen the excellent documentary, The Great Happiness Space? (I review it in this post.) Host boys weave a web of romantic lies, but most of the clients are willingly ensnared… and have some venom of their own. Others, however, put all their savings into this substitute experience of love — a bubble that quickly bursts.
What do you think of Japanese host clubs, and the (false) relationships between the boys and their clients? Is this type of romantic outlet more harmful than not?
PS: Our TV hosting and “fixing” (arranging, researching) company has been busy. Last fall, I was the presenter for the Tokyo episode of Roam, a Sony Australia-produced TV show starring the Two Tims (of Travel Oz fame). The series will debut in August, on a major international network (to be announced soon!) And I’ll be in the very first episode.
Big hug if you “Like” the Roam Facebook page, which has photos and fun updates on the show. For more about La Carmina & The Pirates, please check out our site. Our services include making arrangements for TV crews that wish to shoot in Japan and worldwide (clients include CNN, NHK, Travel Channel, Canal Plus, Sony Australia, Dutch Pepsi.)
Song of the Day: I’m loving everything on Intergalactic FM. Italo, electro, disco, minimal streams.