Snapped

Congratulatory bouquet from Buck-Tick in honor of Loopus's 15th anniversary. They always hire wonderful flower designers, don't they.

Buck-Tick Debut 25th Anniversary

Congratulations, Buck-Tick, and sorry I didn't get around to posting this until now--my power was out and the wind was shaking my building at about a JMA seismic intensity level 3. But now I find, all that storming was just in honor of the fact that this September 21st, amid the driving rain and raging winds of Typhoon Roke (whooo!) you guys get to celebrate 25 years (oh lord) since your major label debut on September 21st, 1987! That's a big fat quarter-century, right there. Talk about a brilliant future for future.

Only, I wonder...since babies born on September 21st, 1987 are turning 24 this year, how exactly are they counting this anniversary as being the 25th anniversary? Was the day Buck-Tick went major also their first anniversary? I have heard loads of people on the internet talk about how numbers are different in Japan, and I know everything you read on the internet is true, but Japanese babies born September 21st, 1987 are also turning 24 today, so I dunno, you tell me.

Anyhow, the question at this point is, how can Buck-Tick's promo manager use the 25th anniversary as an excuse to make you spend money on glossy airbrushed photos of Imai when in fact, free, non-glossy non-airbrushed photos would be a whole lot better? Unfortunately, the answer to this question remains a mystery. The band's web managers have launched a special website to celebrate the 25th anniversary and they promise "one big epic announcement" on this website exactly a month from now, on October 21st. The website also features a mysterious counter, involving the number 66 emerging coyly from the forest of a young Yagami Toll's stick-straight hair. Does it mean there are 66 days left until the Buck-Tick Phenomenon explodes again? Only time will tell.

In the meantime, you can register for their new 25th-anniversary mail magazine. Literally all you have to enter is your email address. If you do this and then end up with a mailbox full of spam, well, just think to yourself that that spam came from Buck-Tick, and smile.

And if Typhoon Roke decides to turn rogue and head your way next, get your ass out into that rain and wind and start singing "Shipuu no Blade Runner" at the top of your lungs, because what's a little water, anyway?

Edit: Buck-Tick's web management appear to have revised the 25th Anniversary special site so that the "3" part of "365" is no longer hidden in Toll's hair. Good one guys. I guess it really is a year away...here's hoping they tear up Minato Mirai again with another huge outdoor festival.

Gekka Reijin subtitled video!

I don't know who made this video, but whoever you are, thank you for using my translation! It makes me so happy to see it on the subtitles! Only next time, send me an email and let me know!

For future reference: anyone is welcome to use my lyric translations to make subbed YouTube videos. All I ask is that you credit me and link back to Not Greatest Site and/or Blog-Tick. However, I have now completed an all-new set of translations of Buck-Tick's entire discography, and I think the new translations are more accurate and have more style. They will be on the web soon (you thought I wasn't working but actually, I was), so if any of you out there are planning on making another subtitled video soon, please please please email me and ask for the new translation instead of just using the old one. Thank you!

FYI: Cayce's email is themadaristocrat [at] gmail. Not writing out the at-mark confuses the spambots so substitute the correct symbology accordingly.

Another Reason to Join Fish Tank

In honor of the 15th anniversary of Fish Tank, Buck-Tick will be releasing not one but TWO, count 'em TWO, new Fish Tanker's Only live DVDs.

For those of you who enjoyed the clips circulating around the internet for a while of that stunning performance of "Lion" from the Fish Tanker's Only 2006 tour, now you get to see the whole show. The first DVD will be a release of Fish Tanker's Only Tour 2006 show held at Zepp Tokyo on September 3rd, 2006.

Set List:

1. Theme of B-T

2. Empty Girl

3. ...In Heaven...

4. Angelic Conversation

5. Gesshoku

6. Cabaret

7. DOLL

8. Passion

9. Sid Vicious on the Beach

10. Madman Blues

11. LION

12. Miu

13. Cyborg Dolly:Soramimi:PHANTOM

14. Candy

15. MAD

16. Ash-ra

17. Nocturne Rain Song

18. BRAN-NEW LOVER

19. Flame

20. Muma -The Nightmare-

21. DIABOLO

22. Utsusemi

23. Kagerou

24. ROMANCE

25. Love Me

Yes, you get your 13kai fix, fangirls. And if you think this is just about an ideal set list for a BUCK-TICK concert, then you agree with Cayce completely. And savor the video of "Utsusemi," because it's just as likely as not that they will never perform the damn song live again.

The second DVD will contain all the songs performed at the Fish Tanker's Only Tour 2009 show held at Zepp Tokyo on October 12th, 2009.

Set List:

1. Love and Death

2. Memento Mori

3. Les Enfants Terribles

4. Suzumebachi

5. Montage

6. MOTEL 13

7. Umbrella

8. Coyote

9. Kirameki no naka de

10. Lullaby III

11. Limbo

12. Jonathan Jet-Coaster

13. Katte ni Shiyagare

14. Tenshi wa Dare da

15. HEAVEN

16. Makka na Yoru

17. GALAXY

18. Empty Girl

19. Just One More Kiss

20. Alice in Wonder Underground

21. Revolver

22. Kyokutou Yori Ai wo Komete

If you wish that every time Buck-Tick played "Kirameki no naka de" and "LIMBO" at a live show, they would play both songs twice instead of playing Muma or Aku no Hana even once, then you agree with Cayce completely.

But, if you want this DVD, you have to wait till Christmas: both DVDs will be released on the 24th of December. The regular edition of each will cost 5250 yen, and the limited edition will cost 7350 yen and include a 100 page photobook (I assume different for each DVD) and a special box emblazoned with your very own IRL name and Fish Tank member's number. Read: if you think you are going to be smart and make money off non-Fish Tank fans by ordering a crapload of these and then reselling them on Yahoo Japan Auctions at a markup, you are going to have to be okay with having your buyers own a DVD that has your real name and club number on it. Or you could, you know, just sell the DVDs without the slipcase, at a discount markup. But if you pre-order the limited edition of both DVDs, they'll send you a Fish Tank 15th Anniversary tote bag, ABSOLUTELY FREE!

But, the fine print: to get all of this, first you have to have joined Fish Tank by October 23rd. And since so many people seem to be asking, a few words on joining Fish Tank:

They only accept cash yen. Yes, you have to send cash to Japan via registered mail if you want to join Fish Tank. That means putting cash in an envelope in the mail. My advice: don't write "To unscrupulous postal workers: this envelope has CA$H in it" on the envelope.

All their materials are in Japanese. They will send you extra information on special procedures for overseas members. These will also only be in Japanese.

The photos in the Fish Tank newsletter are few and far between, also small and pixelated. But a fangirl's gotta squee when a fangirl's gotta squee.

At least half of the photos in a typical Fish Tank newsletter feature fans, not band members.

Yes, being in Fish Tank does get you better tickets, but you won't necessarily get good tickets just by being in Fish Tank, in fact you are likely to get a lot of crap (read: you might be able to see the band members if you had binoculars) tickets. However if you are not in Fish Tank you are guaranteed to get crap tickets every time.

You can order items from the Fish Tank only section of the Buck-Tick web shop even if you are an overseas member of Fish Tank, however, it involves sending cash yen in the mail. Also, right now the exchange rate for the yen is sky high, which means all of y'all overseas fans will see that money shrink in the wash, and how.

If you live overseas, do not read Japanese, and do not plan to come to Japan to see Buck-Tick live, being in Fish Tank is not usually worth the money and hassle, in my opinion. The single biggest benefit it offers is getting priority for concert ticket reservations. However, when these DVDs come out, it does tend to sway the cost-benefit ratio. Which is, of course, why they release fan club only DVDs: to get more people to spend the money to join the fan club. But Buck-Tick ain't rich, they need your moneyz. So buy them sexy DVDs.

Or alternatively, if you want to buy them sexy DVDs but don't want to join Fish Tank, Cayce will be happy to sell them to you slipcase-free at a discount markup, let's say 10000 yen per DVD, shipping included. Or you could just send Cayce cash yen because you can't get enough of sending cash in the mail.