We're sorry we haven't gotten the Arui wa Anarchy tour report up yet.
If it's any comfort, we were working on it...but the fact is, no one expects the Spanish Influenza!
However, it's been nigh on a week that's we've been stuck on the couch at home to drift in and out of sleep, watching cat videos and waiting for the pain to go away, so it's high time we were on the road to recovery and I assure you once we are good and recovered the first thing we will do is finish that live report. In the meantime, we're going to offer you a spoiler.
However, it's been nigh on a week that's we've been stuck on the couch at home to drift in and out of sleep, watching cat videos and waiting for the pain to go away, so it's high time we were on the road to recovery and I assure you once we are good and recovered the first thing we will do is finish that live report. In the meantime, we're going to offer you a spoiler.
The spoiler concerns "Victims of Love, ver. 3.0."
And the spoiler is this: aside from the very first few stops on the tour, Buck-Tick have not been playing this song live.
Why, you ask?
Well, if I had to take a guess, I'd say frankly, because it's boring.
Yeah, you heard me. I really never thought I'd say that about "Victims of Love," considering that in previous incarnations, it's traditionally been one of Buck-Tick's big show-stopping numbers, rich with narrative tension. But this time, not only were the light cues and stage effects nothing special (a big disappointment for a hall tour, where the dramatic staging is half the draw, especially if you're stuck in nosebleed seats so far from the stage you can't see the band members, which Cayce was not, but that's another story for another day)...this time, not only were there no special effects or cool light cues, but also, Sakurai spent the entire song sitting in a chair. Somehow he managed to make sitting in a chair while performing work for "masQue," probably because it seems that "masQue" is one of his favorite songs off the new album and therefore he retained his usual energy level, even while sitting down. But it did not work for "Victims," not at all. With the other band members standing still onstage playing their instruments, it was on Sakurai to carry the drama all on his own, and to do that successfully he should have stood up and acted out the song, at least a little. As it was, though he sang the melody beautifully, he didn't succeed in making us feel the eros of the song, not over all those canned violins piped in through the PA.
Well, if I had to take a guess, I'd say frankly, because it's boring.
Yeah, you heard me. I really never thought I'd say that about "Victims of Love," considering that in previous incarnations, it's traditionally been one of Buck-Tick's big show-stopping numbers, rich with narrative tension. But this time, not only were the light cues and stage effects nothing special (a big disappointment for a hall tour, where the dramatic staging is half the draw, especially if you're stuck in nosebleed seats so far from the stage you can't see the band members, which Cayce was not, but that's another story for another day)...this time, not only were there no special effects or cool light cues, but also, Sakurai spent the entire song sitting in a chair. Somehow he managed to make sitting in a chair while performing work for "masQue," probably because it seems that "masQue" is one of his favorite songs off the new album and therefore he retained his usual energy level, even while sitting down. But it did not work for "Victims," not at all. With the other band members standing still onstage playing their instruments, it was on Sakurai to carry the drama all on his own, and to do that successfully he should have stood up and acted out the song, at least a little. As it was, though he sang the melody beautifully, he didn't succeed in making us feel the eros of the song, not over all those canned violins piped in through the PA.
And since Mr. Sakurai, when he wants to, does eros better than just about anybody, I have to assume that if he didn't succeed this time, it's because he wasn't trying. And I have to assume, if he wasn't trying, it's because this new version of "Victims" wasn't particularly successful even on recording, and played live with half the instrumentals pre-recorded only made it sound more impotent (see what I did there?)
The band members are far too intelligent not to realize when one of their songs isn't working, and such it was with "Victims." Early in the tour, they gave it up as a bad job, and axed it from the set list...or so we thought.
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But then...Lolitas to the rescue!
That's right folks. Lolitas are perfectionists by nature, and this fall, they're coming in to finish what they started - performing "Victims of Love" with Buck-Tick, live on stage, the right and proper way.
Yes, that means what you think it means: Kokushoku Sumire will be making that dreaded guest appearance on the Arui wa Anarchy Tour.
So you didn't know that part of the money was going to Kokushoku Sumire when you bought those tickets, and now you want your money back? Too bad. Kokushoku Sumire will be appearing as live guests at the following shows:
September 14th at Orix Theater Osaka
September 15th at Orix Theater Osaka
September 21st at Nagoya City Forest Hall
September 25th at NHK Hall
September 26th at NHK Hall
Looks like those tickets to the tour final you were hoarding to sell on auction just got a lot less valuable. But if you're ever in doubt about who to sell them to, you can always sell them to a yakuza ticket scalper. It's a well-known fact that yakuza love lolitas (and lolitas love them back! See below. For those of you who haven't been keeping up with this blog, this is Maria Anastasia Hisashiyevna Sakuraina, erstwhile Russian citizen, now a dual citizen of the Autonomous Republic of Buck-Tickistan, and Japan. And it was the yakuza who made the magic happen.)
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In other news, Buck-Tick will be releasing a special live album, recorded at the Arui wa Anarchy show held at the Shibuya Kokaido on July 31st, 2014. The live album will be a two-disc set containing 23 tracks, that is to say, all the songs the band played that night. And between you and me, that includes "Thanatos," "Gesshoku," and "Mona Lisa." [Highlight the text to see the song titles.] Smart of them, to know that the way to a fan's wallet is through the uncharted back catalog and not through yet another "Muma"!
The album will only be available for purchase through Tower Records, Tower Records Mini, and Tower Records Online. Reservations are open as of today, August 24th. The release date for the album is set for October 22nd, and the price will be 3564 yen including tax.
If you would like Cayce's help in reserving a copy of this album, send an email to themadaristocrat [at] gmail.
The band members are far too intelligent not to realize when one of their songs isn't working, and such it was with "Victims." Early in the tour, they gave it up as a bad job, and axed it from the set list...or so we thought.
.
.
.
.
.
But then...Lolitas to the rescue!
Yes, that means what you think it means: Kokushoku Sumire will be making that dreaded guest appearance on the Arui wa Anarchy Tour.
So you didn't know that part of the money was going to Kokushoku Sumire when you bought those tickets, and now you want your money back? Too bad. Kokushoku Sumire will be appearing as live guests at the following shows:
September 14th at Orix Theater Osaka
September 15th at Orix Theater Osaka
September 21st at Nagoya City Forest Hall
September 25th at NHK Hall
September 26th at NHK Hall
Looks like those tickets to the tour final you were hoarding to sell on auction just got a lot less valuable. But if you're ever in doubt about who to sell them to, you can always sell them to a yakuza ticket scalper. It's a well-known fact that yakuza love lolitas (and lolitas love them back! See below. For those of you who haven't been keeping up with this blog, this is Maria Anastasia Hisashiyevna Sakuraina, erstwhile Russian citizen, now a dual citizen of the Autonomous Republic of Buck-Tickistan, and Japan. And it was the yakuza who made the magic happen.)
.
In other news, Buck-Tick will be releasing a special live album, recorded at the Arui wa Anarchy show held at the Shibuya Kokaido on July 31st, 2014. The live album will be a two-disc set containing 23 tracks, that is to say, all the songs the band played that night. And between you and me, that includes "Thanatos," "Gesshoku," and "Mona Lisa." [Highlight the text to see the song titles.] Smart of them, to know that the way to a fan's wallet is through the uncharted back catalog and not through yet another "Muma"!
The album will only be available for purchase through Tower Records, Tower Records Mini, and Tower Records Online. Reservations are open as of today, August 24th. The release date for the album is set for October 22nd, and the price will be 3564 yen including tax.
If you would like Cayce's help in reserving a copy of this album, send an email to themadaristocrat [at] gmail.
What's wrong with Muma?
ReplyDeleteI always thought the Nightmare was one of their most powerful songs...
Muma's the nightmare that never ends
DeleteIt just goes on and on my friends
One day Buck-Tick started playing it
Not knowing what it was
Now they'll continue playing it forever
Just because
Muma's the nightmare that never ends
It just goes on and on my friends
One day Buck-Tick started playing it
Not knowing what it was
Now they'll continue playing it forever
Just because
Muma's the nightmare that never ends
It just goes on and on my friends
One day Buck-Tick started playing it
Not knowing what it was
Now they'll continue playing it forever
Just because
Muma's the nightmare that never ends
It just goes on and on my friends
One day Buck-Tick started playing it
Not knowing what it was
Now they'll continue playing it forever
Just because
Muma's the nightmare that never ends
It just goes on and on my friends
One day Buck-Tick started playing it
Not knowing what it was
Now they'll continue playing it forever
Just because
Muma's the nightmare that never ends
It just goes on and on my friends
One day Buck-Tick started playing it
Not knowing what it was
Now they'll continue playing it forever
Just because
Muma's the nightmare that never ends
It just goes on and on my friends
One day Buck-Tick started playing it
Not knowing what it was
Now they'll continue playing it forever
Just because
Muma's the nightmare that never ends
It just goes on and on my friends
One day Buck-Tick started playing it
Not knowing what it was
Now they'll continue playing it forever
Just because
And by "forever," I really do mean every goddamn tour.
DeleteI´m really glad to hear that they filmed the Kokaido show on 31st.
ReplyDeleteBut the Lolita live thing...I´m not sure if I should laugh or cry
why?
ReplyDeleteMarilyn Manson and Acchan have the same haircut, Buck- Tick an Marilyn Manson have almost the same name of the new album...
I´m very tired of the "new" concept of Imai´s album and his "original" absinthe bottle and his lolitas