31.12.14

Anarchy -NPPNBDKN-

A fantastic show it was, with a few surprises. We hadn't expected to hear "Heaven" again any time soon, and though rain failed to fall from the Budoukan ceiling during "Nocturne," the beautiful graphics more than made up for the lack of getting wet. Here's hoping the footage from the crane cameras turns up somewhere besides Imai's papa's home video collection.

As for a live report on the standing tour, it's coming. We've had an extremely busy late autumn and we're now taking a well-earned break, but we promise we'll be back with some proper articles in the new year. In the meantime, Happy New Year to you all, and here's hoping the Year of the Sheep brings some wonderful warm fuzzy feelings to everyone.


The small child in the foreground had a large B-T painted on her face in eyeliner.

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25.12.14

In Buck-Tickistan, X-mas Merries You


A holiday card from an NGS fan! Happy holidays, all of y'all. Drink lots of wine and eat lots of chocolate while listening to "Snow White" on repeat. If it's not snowing where you are, you can always listen to "Rain" instead. Or, you know, "X-Lover." It is X-mas, after all.




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24.12.14

NicoVideo or Anarchy

For those of you who couldn't manage to attend the final stop of Tour 2014 Metaform Nights ~Arui wa Anarchy~ on December 14th at Zepp Tokyo, or for those of you who were lucky enough to attend but would like to relive the concert a second time, you are in luck: a video broadcast of the show will be streamed on Nico Video on Tuesday, December 30th between 9PM and 12AM Japan time. Regular Nico Video members will be able to watch the first half of the broadcast, but the second half of the broadcast will be viewable by premium (i.e. paid) members only. Premium membership costs 540 yen per month, and can be canceled at any time, so if you want to become a premium member just to watch this broadcast, you can. The broadcast page is available here.

With regard to this particular capitalist trap, I will say that NicoVideo has consistently been providing better music programming than regular television, and serves as a platform to support independent artists and cult artists like Buck-Tick who aren't considered worthy of mainstream television these days because they're "too old" and "too weird. Support NicoVideo and become a premium member!

However...if any of you tech-savvy Blog-Tickers out there know how to record this broadcast, or know someone who knows, please let Cayce know. The Not Greatest Site team wants a copy of this video, not in the Cloud, but in the official Not Greatest Hard Drive. Why? So we can say in truthfulness, "Buck-Tick Live is Hard in my Drive in my Hard Drive." And so we can do it I mean watch it harder deeper faster, again and again. To reiterate: if you can create a video file of this stream, please contact Cayce. We may be able to sweeten the deal. The fact is that for all that we are a blogger and general all-around Internet Person, we actually have comparatively little knowledge of computery stuff.

On the other hand, even if you, our esteemed readers, fail us, perhaps we shall simply install Cloud to Butt Plus, and then we will be able to say in truthfulness, "Buck-Tick is Live in My Butt."

Butt we'd really rather it be in the Hard Drive. Just sayin'. Thanks in advance, y'all.

12.12.14

Shopping Service Christmas Treats

Just in time for Christmas, we bring you a number of 13th Floor-era treasures, rare photo and history books from Buck-Tick's early years, as well as several out of print and highly recommended CDs. Scroll down to see the items!

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SOLD
13th Floor With Diana DVD First Press

This ever-coveted item is a two-disc set housed in a beautiful hardcover cardboard case, and includes a full-color photobook full of photos of the band performing live. The first disc includes complete footage of the band performing all the songs on the Juusankai wa Gekkou album live at NHK Hall, with guest appearances by Becky Janik as The Ballerina, Gaetano Taro as The Clown, and Tony West as The Kid.  The second disc includes live videos of "Yuuwaku" and "Sapphire," and a multi-angle version of "Aku no Hana."  This item is rare and out of print, in great condition. 11500 yen.


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SOLD
The Day in Question 2005 Pamphlet

This matte hardcover tour pamphlet from the 13th Floor edition of The Day in Question is the size of a standard DVD case, and contains 64 full-color pages of studio photography of the band members having a gothic picnic in their gothic mansion, hanging around under sparkly chandeliers, and making wink-wink nudge-nudge use of symbolism with hobbyhorses, apples and blindfolds, all while corrupting an innocent young Alice who happens upon their party. This is hands-down one of my top three favorite tour pamphlets of all time, and it's now very rare and out of print. Not to be missed! The textured pages were difficult to photograph, but I assure you the photos are very crisp and clear in person. 6000 yen.

Front Cover


Picnic in the garden. Note Imai's "staff," and Acchan's fanboy fan.


Wouldn't you love to take a bite out of Yutaka's apple?


...or take a ride on Hide's sexy beast I mean hobbyhorse?


"Come take a look in my picnic basket"


Even Acchan is an Acchan fanboy.


This one speaks for itself.


"Even my bathroom has chandeliers."


"Guys, don't you love hanging up the green screen and pretending like we're picnicking outside?"


And now for some pre-prandial gothygoth.



"I always eat dinner blindfolded. Food tastes better when you can't see it coming."


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13th Floor With Moonshine Tour Pamphlet A

This matte hardcover tour pamphlet is the size of a standard DVD case, and contains 64 full-color pages of studio photography of the band members waltzing around gothically, showing off their sexy tophats, and, in the case of Hoshino Hidehiko, leering up the ballerina's tutu. Widely regarded as Buck-Tick's Best Tour Pamphlet Evar. Extremely rare and out of print. Perfect condition. 6000 yen.




Hide checks out Ballet Butt! #sexybeasthide


"If I could only cut a hole in the top, then my hair would fit."


Better start learning to dance ballet, fangirls.



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SOLD
NEWSMAKER 13th Floor Special

This softcover, 57-page magazine-style book published by Newsmaker covers the production process for the 13th Floor With Moonshine tour, from the concept art to the stage design to the costuming to the actual performance. This book will be of particular interest to fans who want to know more about the band's behind-the-scenes creative process.  13th Floor was the only tour for which Buck-Tick published such a book, making this book one-of-a-kind. Once upon a time it was easy to come by, but these days it's very rare. The copy I have on offer is in perfect condition. 4000 yen.






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SOLD
WORDS by Buck-Tick

This very thick, hardcover book published by the music magazine Ongaku to Hito contains a digest of all the interviews and photoshoots Buck-Tick did for the magazine between 1987 and 2002.  In addition to 64 pages of full color photos, it contains and extensive interview section with additional photographs and some very interesting interviews chronicling the band's history and recording process tour by tour. Interviews include not only the five Buck-Tick members, but also chats with Schaft (Imai and Maki Fujii), Schwein (Imai, Sakurai, Raymond Watts), and crosstalk between Imai and Hide of X Japan, and Sakurai and Issay of Der Zibet. Recommended for any fan, but especially if you are learning Japanese, this book is a great way to practice. The textured pages made it hard to photograph but the photos look very crisp in person. Perfect condition. Out of print. 4500 yen.

Thumbnail of front cover


Buck-Tick in the Turkish Desert (Shapeless era)


Darker Than Darkness


Aku no Hana


Backstage during the Mona Lisa Overdrive tour (hang in there, Acchan-chan!)


Oh oh I'm in rest room!


Imai in the meat locker


Imai Hisashi and Sakurai Atsushi as Daniel Ash and Young Lord Voldemort


Homo-eros with the guest vocalist and a MIDI guitar on the Somewhere Nowhere Tour!


Omg you can see all his moles!


Just two men, making takoyaki on the beach at night...


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SOLD
HYP No. 3

This special-edition magazine chronicles Buck-Tick's early history in great detail, including capsule interviews about the process behind the songs on their first three albums, details of their costumes, an illustrated history of the band from their childhoods up through Kurutta Taiyou, extensive personal interviews, and even a section where they discuss the music that influenced them. Also includes two full-color foldout pages, lots of pretty photography, and some precious childhood photos. This is the definitive early history of the band, and great for anyone learning Japanese, because many of the articles are short and relatively easy in terms of grammar. Perfect condition, rare and out of print. 3000 yen.












Baby Acchan with his older brother!


Hinan Go-Go!



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SOLD
Aku no Hana Tour Pamphlet

Hardcover, LP sized tour pamphlet from the Aku no Hana era contains 35 pages of big glossy photos of the band members. Includes both full-color live photography and black and white art shots. Perfect condition, rare and out of print. If you love Mr. Sakurai with long hair, this one is for you. Sample photos below. 2000 yen.






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SOLD
Buck-Tick's Metamorphosis Book

This huge, hardcover book, published by the magazine Rockin' on Japan, contains collected interviews and photoshoots published in the magazine covering Buck-Tick's history between Taboo and Climax Together, including Schaft and This is NOT Greatest Tour. The interviews are very interesting, but for those of you who can't read Japanese, the book will still be enjoyable - there are lots and lots of pages of full-color photos of the young band members in their post-blond youth (they have flowing black locks now because they are So Goth. Wow Such Goth. Wow.) Great condition, rare and out of print. Special shipping charges apply because this thing is very heavy.  4000 yen.



Homo-eros with XXXXX Japan!








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Sakurai Atsushi - Ai no Wakusei

Sakurai Atsushi's one and only solo album! This album contains tracks written by a diverse group of gothic musicians both Japanese and Western, including Western artists Wayne Hussey (Sisters of Mercy/The Mission), Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins), Bryan Black (haloblack), Raymond Watts (PIG/Schwein/KMFDM), Ronnie Moorings & Anke Wolbert (Clan of Xymox), Jim Thirwell (Foetus), and Japanese artists Tsuchiya Masami (Ippu-do/Japan), Jake Cloudchair (Guniw Tools), Satou Taiji (Theater Brook), Cube Juice, my way my love, and others. All the lyrics were written by Mr. Sakurai, who also performed the vocals and the final production work. An eerie, diverse, gorgeous album, and a must-have for any Acchan-chan-chan fangirl. The album comes in a special long cardboard case, and includes a postcard of Mr. Sakurai's right hand, because hands are smexy, amirite? Great condition, out of print. 3800 yen.


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SOLD
Lucy - Rockarollica

First album from Imai's side project band Lucy. Lucy's lineup included Imai on guitar and vocals, Kiyoshi (Madbeavers/Media Youth) on guitar and vocals, and Okazaki Katsuhige (Guniw Tools/Age of Punk) on drums. If you just can't get enough of Imai's scratchy singing voice, this album is for you. While Lucy's second album, Rockarollica II, is relatively easy to find, this first album is quite rare and difficult to track down. Perfect condition and out of print. Song samples available on request. 2000 yen.


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Tsuchiya Masami - Mori no Hito

1997 solo album from Tsuchiya Masami features Sakurai Atsushi on guest vocals on two tracks, "Manatsu no Yoru no Mori," ("A Midsummer Night's Forest") and "Goblin Forest." Beyond Sakurai's guest vocals, this is a beautiful album in general, full of mysterious, soothing tracks, including vocals and instrumentals, and incorporating many forest sounds like birdcalls and crickets...great to listen to for relaxation and very possibly one of Cayce's top ten favorite records ever!  Conceived as a concept album against environmental destruction, the case and booklet were printed on recycled paper. The album was recorded in London and released by Cross Records, Sugizo's label. Song samples available on request. Incredibly rare and out of print. Excellent condition.
4500 yen.


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If you're interested in buying or reserving anything, send me an email at themadaristocrat at gmail.  If there's an item you're sure you want but you need a few more days/weeks to scrape together the cash, I suggest you email me and request that I hold the item for you, otherwise, there is a possibility someone else will buy it first. I sell all items on a first-come, first-serve basis. I'm willing to put items on reserve for up to a month.

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