Outdoors,
A Miserable, Rainy Day.
Indoors, The Exact Opposite.
Part III
now
playing: Aikawa Nanase's Purana (2001)
So while I'm out in the lobby hobnobbing with Kress Devia, Charlotte,
and Sanae, who insisted on becoming friends, and Yuko and Yuki, two
girls who had both lived in the States for a few years and were thus
a breath of fresh air (I can talk in english again!), the next band
went on.
Velvet
Eden is a gothicy but heavy band, the singer is impeccable, the drummer
is really solid, the guitarist and bassist are both great, and several
of the songs are very memorable (in fact, I've still got one in my
head... Opera-something, I think the name is.) They're really
quite good... a couple years older than the average teenage band too,
so I guess they've been around for a while,and it shows in their performance;
they're tight and solid and experienced and casual.
As
the first song was going, I did notice that the spotlight operator
wasn't doing anything, which was unusual; always always always, whenever
the singer sings or the guitarist solos, the white spotlight falls
on them. It's the law, you have to have that spotlight on. But for
the first song, no spotlight at all. It was like the show hadn't even
started yet, even though all the colored lights were going like crazy.
Maybe the operator was hobnobbing too?! Or perhaps there's some intrigue
there... hmmm!
After
the first tune, the spotlight came on, and Dada, the somewhat when-touching-feels-icky-ily
named singer, delivered some great lines, just as he did at Y2K the
last time I saw them. I didn't understand a word, but the crowd (which
had swollen to standing room only proportions) was captivated, laughing
along with him, just, wow. Like church (if church was the least bit
interesting that is.) The candelabras they had set up on stage --
electric ones, because open flames in the earthquake zone that is
Tokyo would've been suicidal -- added to the effect.
And
they pumped through a few more songs, and I don't remember any with
that annoying 3/4 Waltz time that ruins most j-rock songs because
it's always overused...
Then
it was time to go back into the lobby and hobnob some more! After
a while, DaDa comes out, and hangs with the fans, and I get Saya to
take a pic of me with him. He's a really friendly guy, and he spent
the whole night, after his band's set, out in the lobby talking with
his numerous admirers. "The consummate professional!" That
kinda dedication is really cool.
So
I'm out there in the lobby talking with people, and having a grand
old time (I'm almost getting as much attention as the bands, which
of course I'm starved for, not having played live for nine months
now). Oh! That reminds me! The band I auditioned for in Ikebukuro
last week wants me to join. I'm pretty sure I'll say yes... but I'd
rather drum for the next band on the list, Eyes=Mirrorge (the second
word is pronounced "mirage" as in that thing in the desert).
Eyes=Mirrorge
weren't exceptionally heavy, but the trio (Kureya, vocals; Len, guitar;
and Riza, bass) had some pretty infectious songs -- catchy poppy ones,
but with a little kei thrown in for good measure. Cool stuff! The
sad thing is I missed half the set, because I was in the lobby talking.
Oh, the shame! And later on, during Bang Doll's set, I saw the singer
and bassist in the crowd near the back,and I had hoped to say hey
to them afterward in the lobby, but they vanished. But they've got
another gig next month. I'll be there!
