Special personal note on this show: This was the first concert that I shot after needing a wheelchair. These photos are the most shared of any show that I’ve shot. ONE OK ROCK, while not considered by many Jrock fans as “Jrock”, are one of the most prolific bands from Japan outside Japan, which is an incredible accomplishment.
(First appeared on JRockRevolution.com) On January 31st, MORRIE held an intimate performance at the 99-seat capacity Kraine Theater. This was the second of his Solitude performances in the New York City that stripped away flair down to a man, his guitar, his music and his words. Fans might be more familiar with his bands DEAD END and creature creature in addition to his solo work. MORRIE has been considered one of the original fathers of modern Jrock and Visual Kei. Indeed, his style remains visual, an expression of the man as much as his music. That’s not to say that his music is dark and foreboding. During the interlude between songs, MORRIE delighted the audience with little stories that spoke of philosophy, of what it means to be human, punctuated by soft humor and a sharp wit. While the songs were the focus for the evening, MORRIE made the entirety a performance. One could genuinely feel the appreciation he had for his audience and likewise, the near silence from the audience during the performance of …
For a decade and a half -almost-, one band in particular has embodied the soul of visual rock to not only be pioneers in style, but in sound. While they skate the edge of ‘legendary’ in the eyes of many, there is also little doubt that there will ever be a band like them again. They’ve had the makings of a serious force since their inception and in recent years, their music has proven time and again that their creative force is still on the rise. That band is the GazettE. From 2002, fans of Visual Kei and Japanese rock have at least heard of the band and likely numerous songs over the years. Most Japanese music fans can name a few songs even if they’re not die hard fans. It’s testament to their reach and influence to be able to reside in the memories of so many. For those dedicated ones who have come to love this band and their music, were you to ask any one ‘what is your favorite song?’ The response …
Hizumi: Beyond Music by: AliW How far back does one have to travel to say ‘this is the beginning’? For anyone’s career, that could depend on what one is doing at this moment that defines where to look for the start. Today, HIZUMI is the sole designer and creative force behind his company, UMBRELLA. His products and accessories feel as though they are tailored for everyday people and for everyday life. Not only are his designs unique, his products are primarily utilitarian; and quite fashionable! A reflection of a sophisticated ideal that is easy for most to connect with. In that sense, let’s take a look at ‘the beginning’. The end of an era Perhaps one of the most curious questions people tend to have for HIZUMI is ‘do you look back?’ or worse, ‘what do you think when you look back?’. In the time during our Naka-Kon adventure, I’ve heard these questions posed to him in as many ways. Time and time again, explanations were laid out; but if we are to consider the …
For A-Kon’s 25th year anniversary, they pulled in some pretty heavy weight when it comes to music. GEEKS, a punk-esque band, opened the night with a hard rocking drive that had fans jumping throughout their performance. Many fans might not have been previously unaware of this band, yet before the night was over, they undoubtedly won quite a few new ones. When one thinks of punk shows in the 90s, high energy comes to mind. A passionate and alive crowd that’s a hair shy of moshing, fists in the air and fans moving in the kind of turbulent tide that promises violence but doesn’t deliver savagery. Even the sounds were reminiscent of ‘old school’ punk with a modern flair that drew one in without hesitation. Each member demonstrated skill and the same kind of energy the crowd gave until the last note where screams sounded for more. GEEKS OHP: http://geeks.co.jp/ GEEKS Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/geeksjapan The headliner for the evening was none other than Ra:IN; Rock and INspiration, a band formed by Pata, and includes Michiaki, DIE …
[Graphic by the JrockRevolution.com graphics team] March 2010. Harmonix invited JrockRevolution.com to submit opinion on what Japanese rock bands would be a good addition to the popular video game Rock Band. Rather than gather information from staff, we asked fans what bands they’d like to see. In a two part process, we polled fans to discover the top ten bands of who they wanted to see in the video game to generate this list: 1. the GazettE 2. Dir en grey 3. X JAPAN 4. MIYAVI 5. GACKT 6. An Café 7. D’espairsRay 8. Nightmare 9. L’Arc~en~Ciel 10. Versailles ~Philharmonic Quintent~ For article information, please check out the following links: Initial article and Final poll results After our results were submitted back to Harmonix, we, as well as other fans, were hopeful that one or more of our top ten selections would make it to the game. Ah, but that was just the beginning…
