DELUHI LIVE! VISUAL KEI CONCERT IN SHIBUYA-O-EAST. MIX SPEAKER’S INC, J-ROCK
If I could pin a “Rising Star” badge on any Visual Kei group, my hands would be all over Deluhi. Led by guitarist Leda, the former bassist of Galneryus, the band blends heavy metal thunder and gorgeous melodies in a killer live show. They’ve got the Visual component down. (Cute? Well-styled? Check, check.) And they’ve made their entire discography available exclusively on HearJapan. (All band photos courtesy of Deluhi.)
HearJapan kindly got us media passes to the Deluhi concert at Shibuya-O-East, a popular locale for Visual Kei acts. Despite the rain, the venue was packed.
Cute ghost shirt: Peace Now, from Closet Child Ikebukuro. (Store photos to come.)
Spiderweb arm warmers: gifted from Sock Dreams.
Goth Alice in Wonderland headband: Spank, bought at Marui One.
Purse: an old Hugo Boss bag.
As for my Takoyaki-chan dangle… you’ll have to wait for my Osaka coverage!
When Deluhi ran on stage… I admit we gasped. Spiked-out hair, tight black Visual/Rocker garments, chiseled cheekbones. And could they ever play: heavy metal riffs with glam rock synth swirls, which got the audience frantically waving their hands and screaming. An unforgettable sight: a hundred teen girls headbanging, long hair swirling under the flashing lights.
Vocalist Juri showcased an impressive range that trills and then dips into a growl. And when Leda raised his guitar over the stage and shredded his solo, several girls — I kid you not — threw back their heads and spread open their arms, as if in the presence of Jesus.
Power riffs, poignant melodies… an A+ show that kept us riveted until the last note. For those who haven’t yet discovered Deluhi, start here at HearJapan — you’ll love them, I promise!
Unfortunately, after Deluhi waved goodbye, the concert went from the clouds to the gutter. Two unfunny characters took the stage… and promoted a video game for FORTY minutes. Yukiro and I hid in the lockers area and plastered crucifixes on our faces while the salespeople droned on.
Next, headliner Mix Speaker’s Inc sat on chairs and bantered with several members of Deluhi. The chat was somewhat enjoyable but… get on with the music! Mix Speaker’s Inc explained that they “wanted to do something different at our concerts.” Yukiro sneered, “They most certainly did.”
Finally, Mix Speaker’s Inc got everyone headbanging again. The band wears colorful animal-esque costumes: a black and white cat, a lion, an amazing green Mohawk (above are some cosplayers). They threw out every trick in the performance book: back flips, para para, choreographed dancing, throwing objects, squirting the audience with water guns. Gimmicky, yes, but the spectacle was entertaining and backed by strong singing and tunes.
But hands-down, Deluhi stole the show. I urge you to check out their sound on HearJapan — the label is releasing their three upcoming singles: Frontier (June 16), The Farthest (July 14) and Departure (August 4). HearJapan is offering Deluhi’s earlier material for only 100 yen per song and their most recent releases for 120 yen each — visit the store to find out more.
I’ve decided to start posting short, off-the-cuff videos on my YouTube in addition to our edited masterpieces. We tried to film an outfit post after the concert (above and here). Unfortunately, the Japanese staff came by to kicks us out of the venue — so it’s only a minute long!
Have you heard of Deluhi or seen them live? Do you agree that they’re one of the most promising bands in today’s Visual Kei scene?
Japanese Word of the Day: Artistic = Geijutsuteki (na)
Song of the Day: Deluhi – Revolver Blast (Hear more from HearJapan.)
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TEKKOSHOCON ANIME CONVENTION IN PITTSBURGH. JASMINE YOU COSPLAY, VERSAILLES & MANA, LOLITA FASHION SHOW.
Ever been to an American anime convention? It was the first time for Regi, in my all-girl Visual Kei band.” Here’s Part 1 of her guest post on Tekkoshocon. (All photos by Shiori Saito.)
Pittsburgh was, and still is, considered the “steel city,” and as such the anime convention took the name “Tekkoshocon.” “Tekkosho” means steel mill, and if you can’t figure out what the “con” means…boo on you. The event is considered medium-sized (about 3,500 people attended this year), but seemed endless: the special ops and main event stage were located at opposite ends of a rather long hallway, with dance floors, ninja training and the game room in between.
Shiori and I first saw the Gothic and Lolita fashion show headed by my friend Kara. (Her friend, Erin, makes her own Loli clothes, and Kara purchases hers.) Think you can tell which of these outfits are off-brand and which ones are not? It got very tricky sometimes! The show was accompanied by a lesson on Lolita. Apparently, I am more of an ero-loli. Since I always wear whatever I feel like, I honestly had no idea of my classification!
After, Shiori and I went to explore the various retailers in the Artist Alley, filled with interesting objects from Stuffed Sushi to gorgeous hair pieces (click the pictures above to visit the artists’ websites). In the main retail hall, I was pleased to find a Bodyline booth. For those who don’t know, Bodyline is an affordable Lolita and Cosplay fashion (by Japanese standards). I bought some of their headbands at the giant Osaka store, and have been quite pleased with them. Other vendors had Gundam models, J-rock CDs and posters, and even an elaborate neon sword display.
On day two of the con, Shiori opted for a more professional look, whereas I opted for a punk-Loli-ish style. We heard that Kara would be cosplaying as the late Jasmine You (Versalles bassist), and arrived to find her completely surrounded by people taking photos and wanting to hug her (for actually going through with the cosplay). She was incredibly exhausted — she had gotten home around 2am the night before, and the cosplay took three hours to put on!
I’m sure you recognize this cosplay…
During our wanderings, we encountered some excellent cosplay. My favorite was Lee from Card Captor Sakura (it was so cute!). There was also a Final Fantasy team, complete with Cactuar (or, in Japanese, Sabotender). Also joining the fun was a Hard Gay and, I think, a version of Kamen Rider (I’m not an anime expert, so please excuse any lack of knowledge). It also appeared as though the Joker and Harley Quinn got lost on their way to the Comicon, and the Ghostbusters roared up in an Ecto-5, lights and sirens wailing. We also encountered a few fantastic Lolita and Cyber styles.
One of the highlights was meeting up with my friend DJ Reich — if you attended the convention, or happen to know who he is, good for you! For those who don’t know, I’m going to take a moment and say that I have never had so much fun at a Gothic/industrial event in America when he DJs. Everything from the Cartman version of Poker Face to Combichrist comes spilling out of his turntable, and I highly recommend going to see him. Who knows? Maybe he’ll even do a little Baby One More Time, metal karaoke version, for you!
Since the band interviews were scheduled somewhat strangely, Shiori and I missed several events, such as a Visual Kei Make-up and Hair How-To session and DJ Reich hogging the mic during the karaoke contest. We did, however, make it to the skit and cosplay fashion show. It had some inspired moments, my personal favorite being the Full Metal Alchemist skit where the souls and the bodies got swapped around.
Thank you, Regi and Shiori, for the report! Stay tuned for Part 2, where they interview Suicide Ali… yes siree…
PS: My article about plus-sized shopping in Asia is finally out on CNNGo. I loved hearing your advice and stories. It gives a shout-out to FanPlusFriend, where you can order Gothic Lolita Cosplay outfits for any body size. Also check out my article about the Harvards of Asia and what it takes to get in.
Japanese word of the day: Kira-kira = Sparkle, glitter
Song of the Day: Shinkou Shuukyou Gakudan NoGod – Kakusei (Fab, fun new PV!)
LA CARMINA
