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X JAPAN TOUR HITS VANCOUVER, 2010 NORTH AMERICA VISUAL KEI CONCERTS. CYBER GOTH DREADS FALLS, BUY CYBERLOX.
X Japan! X Japan! The Visual Kei megastars are in the midst of their very first US and Canadian tour. I had the good fortune to attend the Vancouver concert… prepare thyselves for a report and exclusive live photos.
This epic occasion warranted an epic headpiece. Vickilyn’s Closet kindly sent me these dazzling cyberlox. If you’re not familiar with cybergoth hair “falls,” they’re two bunches of sparkly tubing, tassels and other synthetic material. The designer sent me black/rainbow and red/black ones (I wore both). The lox are long, lightweight and got so many compliments! Vickilyn’s Closet also sells Goth Lolita Cyber Punk clothing and accessories; anything on her site can be made to order, so come take a look.
The jagged decal under my right eye is handmade by Takuya Angel. Excellent news — his store is not closing after all, but will reopen on October 10th in the very same Harajuku location (only now, you use the back door to enter).
Eye shadows: purple and magenta shades, gifted from Annabelle Cosmetics. They’re handy circle compacts that fit into a square case.
Fake eyelashes: Marrlliss brand, from a Tokyo 100 yen ($1) store
Lips: Outlined with dark purple eyeliner, then blended with red lipstick.
Who says you can’t mix Cyber Goth and Lolita? I arranged the dreads so that the red ones peek out on one side.
Dress: Alice and the Pirates, from Closet Child
Black Goth jacket: gifted from Gloomth (better photos here)
Spiky red bracelet: bought it years ago in Camden Market
Fishnets, socks and shoes: Old things
There was a large turnout of Japanese fans at the Vancouver show (held at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre). Guess which of these hardcore gals is also flying to Chicago and Toronto to see the Jrock band perform?
Many brought along cute Hide and Yoshikitty (Yoshiki x Hello Kitty) plush toys.
Thumbs up to the pink-haired Hide cosplayer and Doraemon kigirumi with… a fetish top and rocking horse shoes?
When the doors opened, everyone ran inside and swarmed the merchandise both. Instead of paying for a $30 official t-shirt, one economically-minded fan taped red duct tape on her top (in the shape of a giant X).
The two girls in the center brought roses and made this flag.
Avery and I were interviewed by X Japan’s videographers. We talked about how the rockers inspired us and how excited we were about their North American invasion. The band will later decide what to do with the footage (perhaps it will appear in a tour video).
The League of the Extraordinary Hair.
No matter what language you speak, X is the universal hand symbol among the group’s fans.
Inside, the energy was electric… we are X! Bookmark this blog — tomorrow, I’ll be posting live photos of Yoshiki, Toshi, Pata, Heath, Sugizo (and the ghost of Hide)!
Have you seen X Japan in concert yet? What were your impressions? Did they meet your expectations?
Japanese Word of the Day: Shinkou = Faith, belief
Song of the Day: X JAPAN – Forever Love (Last Live)
SHARE & COMMENT
WIN DIR EN GREY LOS ANGELES CONCERT TICKETS! CLUB NOKIA, SEPTEMBER 8TH LIVE SHOW. VISUAL KEI J-ROCK GIVEAWAY PRIZE.
Dir en Grey is invading America! And guess what… you have a chance to WIN one of FIVE pairs of tickets to the Los Angeles concert, held on September 8th at Club Nokia. It’s easy to enter the giveaway — just comment on this post / spread the word. (See the full instructions below.) Ready, get set… let’s do it!
If you’re a Visual Kei / Jrock fan, you can’t go to Harajuku without hitting the merchandise shops. Hide and Gackt’s faces are plastered all over the walls.
I think everyone loves X-Japan’s 1980s look the best.
Who is your favorite Malice Mizer member? Typical of VK photography, everyone has white skin and a disappearing nose.
Hide is alive… do you remember my photos of the Hide Lemoned shop and anniversary memorabilia in Marui One Shinjuku?
In other Visual Kei news, X Japan has released its North American tour dates. Tickets are now available. Will you be at any of the shows?
† September 25, Wiltern Theatre (Los Angeles, CA)
† September 28, Fox Theatre (Oakland, CA)
† October 1, Paramount Theatre (Seattle, WA)
† October 3, Queen Elizabeth Theatre (Vancouver, BC Canada)
† October 6, Riviera (Chicago, IL)
† October 7, Massey Hall (Toronto, ON Canada)
† October 10, Roseland Ballroom (New York, NY)
How about the Dir en Grey concert in LA (Sept 8, Club Nokia in LA)? Well… here’s how to win 1 of 5 pairs of tickets to the show!
ENTER DIR EN GREY CONTEST
† What’s the best live music performance you’ve ever attended, and why? Please share your story in the comments. (If you are having trouble commenting, email me.)
† Please promote the contest in a blog or forum post, or link to it via Facebook, Twitter, Stumble or other social network. Include the link or username in your comment for verification. ALTERNATELY, you can subscribe to my mailing list (on the top right sidebar).
*** IMPORTANT *** You must fulfill BOTH requirements to be eligible. Many of you were disqualified from the Kanon Wakeshima contest because you forgot to spread the word…
Contest is open worldwide and ends Tuesday, August 24 at midnight Pacific Time. You may only enter once and must fulfill both requirements to be eligible. Winners MUST be able to attend the Los Angeles concert on Sept 8, 2010, and will be picked at random. Good luck!
PS: 6 mysterious monsters found around Asia, caught on video. Hoaxes, or is the truth out there? Come read my new CNNGo article.
PPS: Thank you for the birthday wishes — huge hugs!
LA CARMINA
