VIDEO OF VERSAILLES J-ROCK BAND: LIVE CONCERT IN TOKYO JCB HALL, APRIL 2010. VISUAL KEI GROUP PERFORMANCE, HIZAKI, KAMIJO.
I’m glad you enjoyed my photos of Gothic Lolitas and Aristocrats at the Versailles live. Now, would you like to see exclusive footage of the Versailles concert? Your wish is granted! I uploaded a video here and below…
La Carmina and Yukiro Dravarious report on the Visual Kei concert at Tokyo’s JCB Hall on April 30th, 2010. The video includes…
† Live footage of Teru, Kamijo, Hizaki and Yuki perfoming Princess and other new J-rock songs from Versailles’ Jubilee album. (Sorry about the shakiness; I did my best…)
† Photos of the EGL Gothic Lolitas and Aristocrat fashion outside the venue
† We abuse a Japanese Goth boy! What else is new?
Here are more photos from inside the venue. This is my Japanese Adventure Team; gotta have one in every city. (Just kidding. These are random, confused boys…)
Poor Amiyu got molested by us in the video. Just a day in the life…
Everyone had to pay an extra 500 yen at the door for a drink ticket. I took photos of these boys in front of one of the bars.
More Gothic Lolitas, of all ages and sizes.
How awesome is this: Gackt sent Versailles congratulatory flowers! (I saw the ex-Malice Mizer singer perform last year; you can read my reports here and here, and see a video here.) After the show, we ran into Gothic Prince Ken from the Visual Kei band GPKISM. We went to their concert shortly after; yes, there will be photos and a video…
To recap the video: the Versailles concert was magnificent. A beautiful set draped in roses; the curtains parted, revealing a white-hooded choir. (I thought they were mannequins — no, they were actual singers!) The performance lasted longer than usual, with no opening acts. Everyone had seats, so we could sit in the balcony “like a king and queen” instead of fighting the crowd.
Singer Kamijo didn’t introduce the session bassist, who dressed in black and hid in the shadows. Nobody can replace the departed Jasmine You… but thankfully, the Visual Kei rockers are in great spirits. Hizaki spun around; Kamijo danced in a hot, tight black outfit. In the end, the four sat together on stage and then bowed holding hands, and the audience died from the cuteness.
For more Versailles Philharmonic Quintet coverage…
† See photos of cosplayers and Lolitas outside the Tokyo concert here.
† Read my first report about the band playing live in Shibuya in 2008.
† Yukiro reported on Versailles’ V-rock Festival concert here and the Jasmine You memorial concert here.
Are you a Versailles fan? What are your favorite bits from the video? If you enjoyed it, please subscribe to my YouTube channel — more Jrock concert reports and adventures to come!
Japanese Word of the Day: Kyujo = Imperial palace
Song of the Day: Princess and the other glorious Versailles songs found in our new video.
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TOKYO LOVE HOTELS. PHOTOS OF STRANGE SHIBUYA LOVE HOTEL SIGNS, WEIRD THEME BEDROOMS, ラブホテル.
“Have a good time, from me.” What exactly is this Shibuya neon sign hinting at? And what do the prices mean? (All photos by La Carmina.)
If you guessed that it’s a beacon for a love hotel, you’re spot on. Found all over Japan, love hotels contain weirdly-themed rooms that couples rent for a few hours to… erm… have a good time!
You can recognize one of these establishments from the love innuendo — or the gaudy decor. Jolly snowmen, subway cars and Hello Kitty bondage are only some of the odd themes found in love hotels.
Discretion is the name of the game at love hotels. Visitors pay by cash machines or pneumatic tubes, or at concealed window so that the staff never sees your face. While this Shibuya district may seem like a sketchy place to wander, the area is not at all dangerous…
From the Hachiko exit of Shibuya station, walk towards the 109 department store and stay to the left. Keep going, past Christon Cafe, and turn right after you reach the 7-Eleven. You’ll find dozens of funny love hotels in this area.
Inside, you can buy toys or rent costumes…
Which cosplay outfit tickles your pickle?
The Colonel Sanders statue outside KFC Shibuya is probably more disturbing than anything you’ll find in a love hotel…
Want to take a peek inside Japanese love hotels? Misty Keasler and Natsuo Kirino have a book called Love Hotels: The hidden fantasy rooms of Japan. For G-rated theme establishments, there is my book Crazy Wacky Theme Restaurants: Tokyo.
PS: Bad girls beauty scandal: read about the rise and fall of the Asian beauty queen in my new CNNGo article.
PPS: Visual Kei fans, Maru Music is holding a contest where the fans get to make the next commercial for D’espairsRay’s album IMMORTAL! The winning entry will be featured on the Maru Music website and will receive a D’espairsRay prize pack including a autographed copy of their album. Visit Maru Music for full details and to enter (the deadline for the contest is June 21st.)
Japanese Word of the Day: Makeup = O-kesho
Song of the Day: South Park Goth Song (Happy belated World Goth Day! Go blast your Bauhaus and do the gloomy dance…)
LA CARMINA
