30.12.15

The Day in Question 2015

We went to the show.

It was fantastic, as usual.




And as for the latest news from Buck-Tickistan, which was broadcast on the big screen at the end of the concert: Lingua Sounda will be moving to its own subdivision within Victor Entertainment, and Buck-Tick advises you all to be on watch for them in 2016, with the following announcement: "Next Climax Coming Soon!"

How soon?

September 11th, my friends. At Yokohama Arena. Meaning that this will be Buck-Tick's third ever Climax Together. But considering that basically there's no seat in Yokohama Arena from where you can actually see the band on the stage, I wouldn't start booking your plane tickets just yet.

The aethers are telling Cayce that the real action is going to start post-September, post-Climax (though there may be a single release before then, and in all likelihood a summer festival, too.) Things will not be the same this year as they have been in previous years so previous patterns of the band's activities do not apply. But don't expect much from them in spring/summer.

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Live report coming soon.

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26.12.15

The Mortal Mini Live at Tower Records

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Hey folks, sorry about the delay. Our live report of The Mortal's free mini-live at Tower Records is now up over at This is NOT Greatest Site, so go check it out! If you enjoy the article, leave a comment here. But we couldn't have done it without you, so thanks again, and Merry Christmas.





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24.12.15

Buck-Tick Goods and Schaft Updates

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Christmas business is brisk in Buck-Tickistan this year! As some of you may have gathered from Fish Tank's email communiques, Buck-Tick's merchandising team has proven themselves incapable of even basic future projections, by failing to foresee that sweet and sticky juicy candy branded with Acchan-chan's face and available for the cheap, cheap price of only 500 yen (cheap, fast and easy, just like your mom! And it's a known fact everyone's mom loves Acchan-chan!) would disappear faster than free condoms in a high school nurse's office.

So, for those of you who can't read Japanese, the news is this: the Sakurai drops have all but sold out and purchases on-site at concerts have now been restricted to two per customer...but orders will be accepted through the Buck-Tick web shop. If you want to get yours through Cayce, send us an email and we'll add you to the web shop orders list, so don't hesitate! However, we have to warn you that the orders won't be shipped until late February, because Buck-Tick's merchandising team really are that lazy. We have no excuses for them. They should have hired us to do their job, or at least issue some prophecies about their sales, to save them the trouble.

But there's good news as well as bad news, and the good news is this: there will be special Budoukan-only tour goods for sale at the Budoukan! And Cayce will be able to get them for you if you want them - but only if you contact us right away! So have a look at what's on offer this time:

First, for shameless fangirls, the set of five t-shirts printed with photos of the band members' faces. If yakuza photos aren't enough for you anymore, these t-shirts are clearly the way to go. They're 100% cotton, made in Japan, come in small medium and large sizes, and cost 3500 yen each, so you could have the whole band for just 17500 yen, which is almost as cheap as your mom.



Next, we have the black version of the Dolman sleeve ribbon t-shirt, which is actually in very good taste and gets our seal of approval...you could wear this to the hypothetical second Mortal tour and not look like an obvious poseur. Full marks. 100% cotton made in China, one size fits you however it fits you. 3500 yen.



Third, after a string of tasteless cutesy Christmas tees, we have the first-ever Buck-Tick New Year's t-shirt, the design of which is hard to pick out from the photo on the website, but it looks to be a sexy lady in traditional Japanese dress with a flower on her head and some butterflies and maybe some booze too, which we will take over a fat bearded sexual predator who likes to dandle children on his red velvet knee and offer them goodies from his "toy sack" any day. The color is off-white so it won't make you look washed out even if you're a pale wan creature who looks like you were born in a cave (our sympathies to you as we have never quite approved of tanning.) Comes in small, medium and large, 100% cotton, made in Japan, 3500 yen.



Next, for the brave and superstitious among you, there are the Buck-Tick omikuji trading card fortunes, back and bad after their popularity last year. The front is a trading card, the back tells your fortune with a comment from the band members, and there are fifteen different types so you could collect them all for a minimum of 7500 yen, because they're 500 yen each. The picture shows the envelope, only. Red paper style, because here in Asia them red paper envelopes on New Year's mean MONEY. Go nuts, kids.


And to continue with the old-school Asian New Year's theme, these metallic gold seals will also be available, bearing the Buck-Tickistan Daruma Pandas. For those of you who don't know, effigies of the monk Bodhi Daruma are brought out during Japanese new year celebrations. You color in one eye of the daruma doll, make a wish, and then when your wish comes true, you color in the other eye. Your wish is supposed to come true in the next year. But don't wish that Acchan-chan will start wearing underwear, because it won't happen.

Apparently the gold on these was meticulously applied by hand, with a price to match. 2000 yen, and made in Japan! But wait, there's more - don't keep these seals stuck to their original paper, because there's something hidden behind each one. Peel off the seals to see what it is. But look carefully because you won't be able to unsee it.


And now, for those of you who wish Mr. Sakurai were a cat in a hat instead of a crow in a hat, your wish as been granted. Though between you and me, he's probably desperately glad he hasn't actually got a tail. Because he knows that if he had a tail, and said tail were ever to accidentally flick into the crowd at live shows, it would be yanked on by fangirls and that would not end well. So the tail will remain on the hand towel only. Yeah, it's a cotton hand towel. For you to wash your "hands" with. And it just so happens to match the cat in the hat design of Mr. Sakurai's exclusive sex toy case I mean makeup case, which was sold out but will be reordered. For only 1000 yen each, you might as well get two. For you to wash your "hands" with. Get them as a set.



And for those of you who always wished you could while away the winter cuddling under a fleece blanket printed with Imai guitars, this is the chance for you to realize your dream. It's an Imai guitar fleece blanket. It measures one meter by 70 cm. It costs 4500 yen. 'Nuff said.


And for those coffee-drinking hipsters among you, here it is: the Hoshino coffee t-shirt. Not a border tee shirt! And Hide wrote those words himself, so you know they are true. Also true: this shirt was designed to show off your sexy beastliness by being cut with an extra slim body, wide neckline and tapered sleeves designed to make your arms look thinner. Comes in small, medium and large, and amazingly enough, it's simultaneously 100% cotton and 50% polyester, according to the website. Navy blue and it doesn't say where it was made so it must have been made in Buck-Tickistan. 3500 yen.


If you like plushies, and you like bears, and you like monkeys, this is what you need. Yutaka's Serious Bear, Serious Monkey version. Serious Bear, meet Serious Monkey. Serious Monkey, meet Serious Bear. Serious Bear meet Serious Monkey meet Serious Tissue Case. The Year of the Monkey starts next year! Now start spankin'. 1200 yen. No lolitas need apply till you get the subtext of this one.


But if you live in a rock bar, what you need is this one: the Yagami Toll Skullhawk cushion cover. Rest your head on this while you spank that Serious Monkey, and make big brother uncomfortable. Polyester, made in China, and ridiculously sized at 450 meters by 450 millimeters (according to the website.) 1800 yen but the cushion's not included.


And last but certainly not least, the following all-new items have been added to the Buck-Tick capsules, so it's time to lead the capsule if you dare! (See what I did there?) These are traditional-style Shinto good-luck charms, and each one has a different meaning. In order:

Sakurai: Safety in the Bedroom (not kidding that's really what it says)

Imai: Health and Long Life (because the name Hisashi means long life, doncha know!)

Hoshino: Safe Childbirth (warning: #sexybeasthide has been known to make women pregnant simply by standing in the same room with them. You will need this one!) 

Yutaka: Safety from Illness, Accidents and Disasters (so no "Exit, pursued by bear" this year!)

Toll: Good Luck With Money (if you win this one, next year we expect you to treat us to the expensive brand of box wine)


You know you want this shit so email us right away. We will be waiting.

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Oh yeah, and Schaft: The album trailer is up!

There is also a FaceSpace sharing campaign going on and you can share in order to hear more of the album.

Also, if you buy the Schaft Box Set and the limited edition of the new album Ultra, you can enter a lottery to win a Schaft flag, to fly from the ramparts of your villa in Buck-Tickistan. Cayce is now accepting reservations. Email us for details.

That's all for now. Merry Christmas!




15.12.15

Shopping Service: December Love

Hey kids, we're back with the first shopping service post in quite some time. The following items are all currently in stock at Chez Cayce, ready to be shipped out as soon as you snap them up. As always, items are sold on a first-come, first-served basis, so if you want them, don't hesitate! As always, we accept payment via PayPal in Japanese yen only.

Also, a reminder for new readers who may not be familiar with This is NOT Greatest Shopping service:

- We are currently taking orders for The Day in Question 2015 goods. If you'd like us to pick up some goods on your behalf, let us know right away! We're happy to get you however many items you like! Our service fee is 20%.

- We are currently taking reservations for Schaft's box set and new album! If you're interested, send us an email!

- We are currently taking reservations for The Mortal's live DVD ImmortalIf you're interested, send us an email!

- We can order you items from the Buck-Tick Web Shop, and package them in such a way as to avoid customs duties in your country. We also offer cheaper shipping options than the B-T web shop if you're short on cash.

- We take requests. If there is an item you want that we don't have in stock, send us an email (themadaristocrat at gmail) and ask for it, and we will find it for you at a competitive price. It doesn't have to be Buck-Tick related. We source all types of CDs, DVDs, magazines, manga, video games, t-shirts, etc.

- We can help you get tickets to Japanese concerts! If you don't speak Japanese, no worries - just email us with the details and we will take care of everything for you. Tickets will be sent by courier to your country, or delivered directly to your accommodation in Japan, whichever you prefer.

And now, on to the items...

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Ai no Wakusei Explosion Live DVD

This is the live DVD of Sakurai Atsushi's solo concert at NHK Hall in 2004.  Reportedly, this concert was what inspired Imai to create the concept for the 13kai wa Gekkou album, though as the stage sets are minimal, I feel sure that Imai must have been inspired by Sakurai's performance itself. Sakurai is joined onstage by an all-star backup band, including Fujii Maki (formerly of Soft Ballet) on synth, Jake Cloudchair (formerly of Guniw Tools, currently of The Mortal fame) on guitar, Miyo Ken (also of The Mortal fame) on guitar, and guest appearances by Satou Taiji (Theater Brook) and Cube Juice. In addition to his own solo works, Sakurai performs covers of David Bowie's "Space Oddity," Sawada Kenji's "Love -Dakishimetai," and Yuming's "Amaoto wa Chopin no Shirabe."  The DVD contains the full concert, plus a live music video for "Wakusei -Rebirth," and a bonus image gallery. It comes in a smoke grey hard plastic case.  This is the original pressing of this video and the only available version of this concert on DVD, as the Ai no Wakusei Collector's Box that was released in September contains Blu-Ray only...and it's only going to get rarer as the time passes, so if you want it, the time is now. Very rare and out of print. Region 2. A must have for any collector and true treasure for any fan of Mr. Sakurai, including non-fangirl fans - it's a great show and a beautiful video.
11100 yen.

Front Cover


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Track List

X-Lover
Wonderful World
Yellow Pig
I Hate You All
Hallelujah!
Yokan
Fantasy
Smell
Mächen
Shingatsu
Taiji
Neko
Explosion
Wakusei
Amaon Wa Chopin No Shirabe -I Like Chopin- (Yuming cover)
Love (Dakishimetai) (Sawada Kenji cover)
Sacrifice
Space Oddity (David Bowie cover)

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Screen Shots











ONE LIFE, ONE DEATH Tour Pamphlet A

This LP-sized softcover tour pamphlet contains some beautiful full-color portraits of the band members, as well as oodles of brooding black-and-white shots of the band during their trip to Korea. Perfect condition, rare and out of print. 4800 yen.


Front Cover


#SexyBeastHide


Look at Toll's hairspring!



Smoking is bad for you!


Mr. Sakurai, alone in a hotel bed, listening suspiciously for the encroachment of fangirls



Ohh sexy smokin' beasts.


Imai wakes up next to a dumpster.


Betraying the Feline Order, Mr. Sakurai takes a walk on the Dog Side.






"Just wait till you see what we're going to do with this toilet paper"



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ONE LIFE, ONE DEATH Tour Pamphlet B

This softcover, all full color pamphlet contains pages and pages of live photography from the One Life, One Death tour. Very rare and out of print, perfect condition. 3000 yen.

Front Cover




















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Memento Mori Pix Photobook

This huge, hardcover coffee table photobook contains reams of full-color photos from the Memento Mori Tour 2009, as well as black-and-white backstage shots and in-depth interviews with each band member. The photobook comes with a glossy slipcover, underneath which is a faux-leather binding embossed with intricate Memento Mori-themed patterns outlined in gold. Fans of Imai with long hair: relish Imai's braided Rapunzel look!  Fans of bearded Mr. Sakurai: this is the book for you! This is the one and only photobook featuring Mr. Sakurai with a beard, so if beards are you cup of tea, this is a must-not-miss. Perfect condition, rare and out of print. 6000 yen. Special shipping rates apply (this thing is heavy!)

Front Cover (slipcover)


Front Cover (inside slipcover)



Acchan-chan macks on Dokuro-chan




Yutaka plays the woody bass



Intimate backstage paparazzi shots!


Band member interviews


Photo series showing the beginning of the show


The band lines up at the front of the stage for "Makka na Yoru"



Beard clock o'clock.


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Rock and Read #42

Volume 42 of Rock and Read magazine, with a 32-page cover feature on Sakurai Atsushi, including a long interview and 13 pages of full-color photos. Also includes a bonus postcard. Other artists featured include Inoran of Luna Sea, Gara of Merry, Asagi of D, Akihide of Breakerz, Bansaku of Baroque, and others. This was one of the best selling issues of Rock & Read magazine and is very difficult to find for sale compared to the other issues. Perfect condition, out of print. 1700 yen.

Front Cover


Back cover


Bonus postcard.




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Fish Tanker's Only Tour 2008 Pamphlet

This softcover pamphlet is the size of a standard DVD case and contains 64 pages of full-color studio photos of the band members, some of which have been combined with graphics produced by GRADELIC studio. This tour was launched partly in support of the Heaven single, so half the photos feature the band members in white outfits and white hair - it's a very interesting look which they've never replicated before or since, so if you love your silver foxes, this is the pamphlet for you! The pages were difficult to photograph so I apologize for the flash flares in some of the sample photos, but obviously no flash flares will be present in real life. Aside from slightly worn corners, the pamphlet is in perfect condition. This pamphlet was only available for purchase by Fish Tank members at the venues on the tour, and is consequently extremely rare. If you want it, this may be your only chance to get it! 6000 yen.




















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Sexy Stream Liner Tour Pamphlet

Softcover, LP sized tour pamphlet from the Sexy Stream Liner era contains 38 pages of glossy full-color photos of the band members. Great condition, rare and out of print. 2000 yen.

Front Cover


Inside Cover



 Look at those head tattoos!


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Send all inquiries to themadaristocrat at gmail.

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